Skoda Octavia TDI SE

I AM there have been times when the Newbold family have asked themselves why they bought Wentworth Woodhouse or Jason Cooper questioned his investment in Firbeck Hall.

Skoda Octavia TDI SE

Engine: 1,968cc, four-cylinder turbodiesel

Power: 148bhp and 236lb.ft. of torque

Performance: 0-62mph in 8.2 seconds and 135 mph

Economy: 68.9mpg (combined)

CO2 emissions: 106g/km

Price: £20,140

Between them Rotherham’s two historic stately homes probably have enough bedrooms to house every resident of the villages in which they are based and grounds to issue all with a garden the size of a football pitch.

That the somewhat ailing buildings each cost their current owners around the same as an average detached family home is simply staggering on the Buckingham Palace scale facade of it...

Their value is, of course, tempered by the liability the somewhat brave investors have taken on.

Wentworth Woodhouse’s structure has been shaken by the effects of subsidence and will require the proceeds of a £100million compensation battle to nurse it back to full health while Firbeck Hall — ravaged by years of neglect — can only be saved if a collection of modern houses are developed in its grounds to fund the renovation.

Not everything that boasts sheer scale comes with such drawbacks.

For a handful of quid more than the Seat Leon and almost £1,000 less than the equivalent Volkswagen Golf, both of which share its Volkswagen Audi Group underpinnings, the Skoda Octavia delivers a thumping premium of scale.

Tested here in mid-range 148bhp two-litre TDI SE form the Octavia comes in at £20,140, but prices start at just £15,990.

The Czech manufacturer now unapologetically preaches the benefits of practicality and the spacious saloon-silhouetted hatchback is one of the philosophies key proponents away from the sporty VRs versions.

Without stepping into a Mondeo or Insignia from the segment above the Octavia it is impossible to get into a car which treats rear seat occupants to such commodious rear quarters.

The 2013 car is 90mm longer and 45mm wider than its predecessor and majors on head and leg room for those in the back seats, accommodation armfuls of shopping in its class-leading 590-litre boot.

Depending on where your priorities lie, this may or may not matter, but families would soon warm to the practicalities of the wide, low loading area that extends to a massive 1,580 litres with the rear seats folded flat.

In a world of ever expanding dimensions — of both cars and people — it is the Octavia that best makes a D-sector hatchback plausible transport for a family of four, capable of swallowing enough tackle to get them through a weekend away.

Whether you appreciate the Octavia’s exterior styling is another matter. It simply goes without the more sporty, edgy appeal that a Leon or Astra achieves.

Sharper edges are key to Skoda’s most recent design language and the Octavia is not without a certain grown-up elegance, but no single feature grabs your attention at first glance.

All that space is not the only thing that pleases on the inside of the Octavia, though.

Quality fit and materials offer reassurances about quality that comes extremely close to Volkswagen’s established standard setters.

A soft touch dashboard, two-tiered with an upper layer that forms the cowl for the driver’s instruments, looks great and contains a touchscreen entertainment system which is standard on all Octavia’s.

Giving access to a DAB digital radio, Bluetooth connected phone system and trip computer it is as user friendly as anything on the market and keeps the space free of unnecessary buttons.

Skoda’s Post-collision braking system, a standard feature that applies the brakes to avoid the car being propelled into oncoming traffic in the event of a collision, is a standard-fit safety feature among a raft of optional systems including Lane Keeping sensors, Adaptive Cruise Control and Automated Parking.

Thankfully the SE’s standard specification keeps the standard kit to common-sense levels, although fog lights and 16 inch alloys are a welcome addition.

Also standard is Skoda’s Driving Mode Selection system, allowing throttle response and steering weight to be tailored to Eco, Normal or Sport via the touchscreen.

Pleasingly, this does not affect the Octavia’s ride — although the springs felt a little more tightly controlled than previous incarnations — but Sport did make the 148bhp and 236lb.ft. of torque feel most effective.

A claimed 8.2 second sprint to 62 mph for the six-speed manual version tested here — a dual-clutch DSG auto is also available — is reasonably quick and comes coupled to 68.9mpg claimed fuel economy and lowly 106g/km CO2 emissions which make for a meagre annual road tax bill.

The Octavia never feels like a livewire when pushing on but its rear end will lazily come into play through corners with a lift of the throttle, making its chassis usefully adjustable.

Comfortable, reassuringly stable progress is what the big hatchback does best.

So, buying a Skoda Octavia won’t provide the buzz of investing in a sprawling stately home project during the worst financial crisis for several decades, nor will it titillate your neighbours like a more conventionally-shaped hatchback might.

In terms of sheer practical usability and quality, though, there’s nothing at this price point that can live with it... A stately steer that looks like a low-risk investment, then.