Best Used Medium Car for 2023

The 2016 Skoda Octavia RS 230 wagon has proved unbeatable in the medium passenger car category of carsales Best Used Cars for 2023, proudly presented by Bingle.

This is the second consecutive year that the Octavia has held at bay the widely admired Mazda6, a previous winner in this category on three consecutive occasions.

But unlike 2022, this year’s contender from the Skoda Octavia range was the fiery RS 230 flagship – and a wagon at that!

Even more surprisingly perhaps, the Octavia RS 230 won with a fairly even balance of points from RedBook and our judges.

Just like the basic Octavia Ambition 110TSI that won last year, the RS 230 is impressively roomy inside, particularly for boot space – the RS 230 able to swallow a whopping 588 litres of luggage and other items.

But the Octavia in this specification is not just all work, no play.

It’s a delight to drive, as our reviewers discovered when they pitted the very similar Octavia RS 162TSI against a Subaru Levorg in a comparison back in 2016.

One specific aspect of owning this particular variant of Octavia that might not suit commuters: the Octavia RS 230 was only offered with a manual gearbox.

Buyers needing a self-shifting transmission will have to set their sights a bit lower, opting for the RS 162TSI, which was available with a six-speed dual-clutch transmission.

The RedBook score for the Octavia totalled 39.9 points, with the judges’ aggregate of 41 taking the Octavia’s tally to 80.9 out of 100 points.

In 2016, the Octavia RS 230 wagon was priced at $43,190 plus on-road costs when new. As a used car in 2023, this variant of the Octavia is still valued at $28,150.

Staff journalist Feann Torr drove the Octavia RS 230 in 2016 for the local range. Here is how he summed up the Octavia RS 230 at the time: “It’s unlikely the Czech budget brand will ever be truly set free to develop a world-beating, fire-breathing, dare-devil RS performance car with drift mode, since the Volkswagen Group keeps the heavy artillery for its VW and Audi brands.

“But the Skoda Octavia RS 230 still delivers excellent bang for your bucks without sacrificing comfort, convenience or practicality.”

You can read more about the Octavia in that launch review here.

“Stirring Czech mid-sizer is a worthy rival for more popular hot hatches,” says Marton Pettendy, carsales managing editor.

“Roomy and practical, the Octavia is a sensible bang-for-your-buck buy,” adds Bruce Newton, carsales senior journalist.

In 2016, the Octavia remained Skoda’s best-selling model, although the RS 230 flagship would have accounted for a tiny proportion of the sales, a total of 1973 units for the year.

Across the entire Octavia range, buyers were drawn in by the car’s roominess, value, reasonable service intervals and the Octavia’s five-star ANCAP rating.

These virtues and the Octavia’s fun driving dynamics make it a deserving winner in the medium passenger car category of carsales Best Used Cars for 2023, proudly presented by Bingle.

Honourable mentions:

The range-topping Mazda6 wagon scored 34.5 points from RedBook and 45 points from the judges for a total of 79.5
RedBook value: $25,450

“Punchy diesel in a versatile, user-friendly wagon is Mazda at its best” – Marton Pettendy, carsales managing editor

“Terrific family package, great chassis and super-economical with the diesel” – Cliff Chambers, carsales used-car buying expert

The Toyota Camry Atara Hybrid sedan scored 40.2 points from RedBook and 31 points from the judges for a total of 71.2
RedBook value: $30,500

“Final Australian-made Camry Hybrid deserved to attract more than just fleets” – Marton Pettendy, carsales managing editor

“Toyota reliability and dependability is personified in the Camry” – Ross Booth, RedBook data services director

What makes a car eligible for carsales Best Used Cars?
• Less than six years old
• Standard side curtain airbags
• Standard Bluetooth
• Standard electronic stability control (mandated for 2014)
• Standard reversing camera for SUVs

How did RedBook weight the categories for scoring?
• 10 per cent for resale value
• 10 per cent for ANCAP rating
• 20 per cent for cost of ownership
• 5 per cent for service intervals
• 5 per cent for number of days for vehicle to sell