Beware

We have test driven a total of 3 Octavia estates (2 were 1.4 TSi and the 3rd was a 2.0 TDi) and all have had painful levels of boom and tyre roar from the rear of the vehicle. This is a well documented issue for all types from introduction to the current date.

We have driven one Octavia hatch, a 1.4 TSi and it was actually fine.

But we bought neither. The Skoda Superb is higher specced than the Octavia thus a lower spec model will normally do the job. That makes it cheaper than an Octavia new. We paid approx £18500 for a 1.4 TSi SE Superb, an Octavia 1.4 TSi SE-L plus extras would have cost over £19,000. Its been great and is very refined.

Suggest you try both over dcenet distances over a variety of roads but the truth is I could never recommend an Octavia despite being a Skoda fan (wife has a Fabia with no road roar).

I'd be keeping the C5 for as long as it remains reliable.

Economical, roomy, unlikely to find another car short of a limousine more comfortable or able to cope with the third world roads of Britain, and last but by no means least its now at that enviable level of almost zero depreciation, no doubt a lot of people will come to wish they were in your shoes.

Maybe it needs a little freshen up to make it feel tip top again, paint up here and there by a handy little one man and his dog bodyshop, maybe the wheels could do with a minor refurb, you know the sort of thing, if you spent £500 on getting it looking showroom again that cost would only be two monthly payments on some rental type never never plan...not as i'm suggesting you would need finance of any sort just suggesting another way to look at things.

I'd stick with the Citroen as long as it continues to be reliable, it could keep going for years yet, and is almost certainly going to be more comfortable than pretty much any modern car.