Skoda Rapid review - MPG, CO2 and Running Costs
Day-to-day costs should be super-low, but Skoda Rapid depreciation is a bit of an issue
The Skoda Rapid is available with a choice of robust petrol and diesel engines, which range from 1.0 to 1.6 litres.
The diesels are the most efficient engines in terms of mpg and emissions, as you’d expect. The 1.4 TDI is cheapest to run, with a 105g/km CO2 rating and a claimed average fuel economy figure of 70.6mpg.
The 114bhp 1.6 TDI is capable of 67.3mpg and emits just 109g/km of CO2, so apart from the higher initial purchase price there’s little financial disincentive to own the bigger diesel if you want better performance.
The 1.0 TSI petrol is smooth and refined, and comes with either 94bhp or 108bhp. The lower-powered version manages 62.8mpg and 103g/km, and the other returns 61.4mpg and 106g/km.
As the petrol engines are pretty efficient, and because the list price for petrol Skoda Rapid models is almost £2,500 less than their diesel equivalents, make sure you cover enough miles annually to make the rattly oil burners worth the extra cost up front.
Our main problem with parting with cash for the Rapid is the existence of the bigger and better Octavia range, which starts at only £1,800 more.
Insurance groups
The Skoda Rapid’s insurance groups run from 13 for the 1.0 TSI petrol up to 18 for a top-spec 1.6-litre diesel version – all pretty competitive.
Depreciation
While some Skodas – such as the Yeti 4x4 – hold onto their value well, others like the Rapid still aren’t finding traction in the used market. According to some industry predictions based on a three-year/30,000 mile ownership cycle, you’ll be lucky to hang onto a third of the original purchase price at resale time.
