Used test: Seat Ateca vs Skoda Karoq

The contenders

Seat Ateca 1.4 TSI 150 FR DSG

List price when new £26,340
Price today £18,000*
Available from 2016-present

Efficient, practical and fun to drive – is there anything the Ateca can't do?

Skoda Karoq 1.5 TSI 150 SE L DSG

List price when new £25,815
Price today £18,000*
Available from 2017-present

Though more comfort-oriented, the Karoq is still great to drive, not to mention impressively spacious inside.

*Price today is based on a 2018 model with average mileage and full service history, correct at time of writing

The Seat Ateca isn't just the shining star of the used family SUV talent show, it's one of our favourite used cars, full stop. That's right, it's like Ant and Dec at the National Television Awards: it just can't stop winning. We even crowned it our 2021 Used Car of the Year, citing its exceptional well-roundedness and value for money as key reasons.

With that in mind, it'd be safe to assume that the Ateca is in a league of its own, right? Well, not quite, because the Skoda Karoq – with which it shares parts – is our 2022 Used Family SUV of the Year, making it the Ateca's toughest competition yet. It won't cost you any more to buy or run, plus it's comfortable, roomy and refined.

We've tested a 2018, mid-spec, petrol version of each car to see which is the best. Will it be the capable Karoq or the almighty Ateca? Read on to find out. 

Driving

Performance, ride, handling, refinement

One difference between our two rivals is their engines. When the Ateca was first launched, it used the VW Group’s established 148bhp turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol unit, while the Karoq, launched a year later, was fitted with the company’s next-generation turbo 1.5. That changed in 2018, when the Ateca adopted the 1.5-litre engine too, but here we’re testing it in its earlier 1.4 form. 

The two engines generate identical power and torque, so you’d presume there'd be barely anything in it when it comes to the performance of the two cars. Except that isn’t the case.

The Ateca feels a little more potent and pulls harder when you squeeze your right foot. The Karoq’s 1.5 motor sounds wheezier past 4000rpm, and feels less energetic from mid to high revs – a point proven in our acceleration tests: the Karoq sprinted from 0-60mph in 9.2sec, while the Ateca took just 8.4sec.

Both our test cars had optional seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearboxes fitted. A knock-on effect of the Karoq’s less enthusiastic engine is that when you put your foot down, its gearbox tends to change down one or two more gears than the Ateca’s, forcing the engine to rev harder. On the move, both cars’ gearchanges are mostly slick and quick, but they can get a mite jerky in stop-start traffic.

The Karoq was designed with comfort in mind, and it showed in our testing. While the Ateca stays on the right side of comfortable, it is firmer over ridges and potholes, especially around town. The Karoq irons out imperfections more adeptly, but the trade-off with squishier springs and dampers is more bounce over peaks and troughs.

The Karoq's softness also means you get more body lean through corners. Factor in its lighter, slower-geared steering and it’s the less agile car, but it’s handles tidily by SUV standards. The Ateca is downright sporty – this is a car that you can enjoy down a winding road, drawing confidence from its tauter body control and more alert steering.

The Seat Ateca is a little more refined too. There’s less suspension noise around town and less background engine, tyre and road noise on motorways than in the Skoda Karoq. That said, both cars can eat up the miles with ease.

Interiors

Driving position, visibility, build quality, practicality

With near-identical design fundamentals, it comes as little surprise that the two cars feel similar from behind the wheel. Both offer terrific driving positions, with driver’s seat height and lumbar adjustment as standard. The optional electrically adjustable seat in the Skoda Karoq doesn’t sink quite as low as the manually adjusted standard sports seat in the Seat Ateca but these points are small beer.

It’s also tough to split them in terms of build quality because both feel robust. The Karoq’s more modern-looking dashboard includes extra soft-touch plastics around the centre console, while the Ateca’s cloth-lined front door trims feel nicer than the Karoq’s hard plastic ones. All in all, the Karoq has the edge over the Ateca.

With their traditional lofty family SUV driving positions, both cars are easy to see out of. Visibility isn’t quite so good around the rear quarters, but reversing isn’t tricky thanks to their standard rear-view cameras and rear parking sensors. The Karoq has sensors at the front too.

Both our test cars came with optional panoramic roofs, which limit head room in the front and even more so in the rear – especially in the Karoq. It’s not quite to the degree that six-footers will have their heads jammed against the ceiling, but we’d recommend trying before buying.

There's no need to worry about leg room, though: you get plenty in the front and rear of both. High central tunnels running the length of their floors cramp things up for a rear middle-seat passenger, though.

Seating flexibility is an area of distinction. The Ateca’s 60/40 split folding rear seats are unremarkable, while the Karoq, in this trim, has Skoda’s VarioFlex seats. These are split into three individual chairs that slide back and forth, recline or can be removed entirely.

Even without removing those rear seats, it’s a win for the Karoq regarding boot space. Despite having a lower official minimum volume, it's length helped it to swallow nine carry-on suitcases without us sliding the rear seats forward. The Ateca’s boot managed eight cases.

The Ateca has handy levers next to the tailgate opening to fold down the rear seats and it had the option of a height-adjustable boot floor. You can’t have either in the Karoq. It’s a shame because a height-adjustable floor would level out the step up to the rear seats when they’re folded down.

Buying and owning

Costs, equipment, reliability, safety

New, the Seat Ateca cost around £500 more than the Skoda Karoq but, bought at four years old, both will set you back the same amount, around £18,000. 

Both should cost you similar money in insurance, with the Ateca falling in insurance group 18 and the Karoq 17. Neither of these models cost more than £40,000 new, so both our test cars attract the flat-rate fee of £155 for yearly road tax. You can find out more about the current road tax costs here.

The early Ateca we’re testing here has the older 1.4 engine while the Karoq has a later 1.5 engine, but fuel economy is almost identical. The Ateca averages 51.4mpg, while the Karoq averages 50.4mpg. 

Neither of these mid-level trims is stingy on standard equipment. The Ateca’s FR trim comes with niceties such as 18in alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, LED headlights and privacy glass. The Karoq matches those and adds adaptive LED headlights, keyless entry and heated front seats.

In the 2021 What Car? Reliability Survey, the Ateca placed 18th out of 28 cars in the family SUV class, thanks to its 92.5% reliability rating. The Karoq ranked better still, coming ninth (in petrol form) with its rating of 96.5%. 

Both cars have a five-star Euro NCAP rating. We’d consider looking for a car with the Advanced Comfort and Driving Pack Plus added to the Ateca. This brings more safety aids, including blind-spot warning and lane assist, plus neat features such as adaptive cruise control and a heated windscreen. A similar package was available for the Karoq.

Our verdict

At the beginning of this test, we stated that the Skoda Karoq had a good chance of beating the almighty Seat Ateca despite its high acclaim, and we meant that. Its polished ride, flexible rear seating and generous kit list really takes the fight to its Spanish rival. 

The sporty Ateca is more fun and capable to drive, and comes with a punchier feeling engine, but apart from that it possesses essentially all the same plus points as its competitor. As such, personal preference regarding the driving experience will likely play a large part in which you choose.

That said, the Karoq is the better all-rounder, nonetheless. It's our champion.  

1st – Skoda Karoq

For Comfortable ride; tidy handling; bigger boot; more flexible rear seats; very well equipped
Against Noisier suspension and engine

What Car? rating 5 stars out of 5

Read the full used Skoda Karoq review >>

Buy a used Skoda Karoq with What Car? >>

2nd – Seat Ateca

For Sharper handling; punchier engine; cheaper to buy
Against Less versatile rear seats; firmer ride

What Car? rating 5 stars out of 5

Read the full used Seat Ateca review >>

Buy a used Seat Ateca with What Car? >>

Specifications: Seat Ateca 1.4 TSI 150 FR DSG

Engine size 1.4-litre petrol
Power 148bhp
Torque 184lb ft
0-60mph 8.4sec
Top speed 123mph
Fuel economy 51.4mpg (Official average)
CO2 emissions 125g/km

Specifications: Skoda Karoq 1.5 TSI 150 SE L DSG

Engine size 1.5-litre petrol
Power 148bhp
Torque 184lb ft
0-60mph 9.2sec
Top speed 126mph
Fuel economy 50.4mpg (Official average)
CO2 emissions 127g/km

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