By Richard Yarrow

November 2002

We're a lofty lot in the Yarrow household. I'm 6ft 5in, my wife Emma is 5ft 10in, and we're safe in the knowledge that the next member of the family - due in the spring - will be challenging for a place in the British basketball team.
So it's a good job I was in the office the day the Skoda Superb joined the Auto Express long-term fleet. My height, coupled with a history of unpleasant and painful back problems over the past 10 years, means that I'm never at the front of the queue when a Vauxhall VX220 or Hyundai Coupé needs a run-out. I like my motors comfortable and roomy, and the Superb more than lives up to its name in those categories.
Based on a stretched VW Passat platform, our 1.8T Comfort is cavernous inside. There's masses of space for the driver and passenger, but it's in the rear that the additional length is most noticeable. The curve of the roofline means there's decent headroom for someone like me, and knee space is impressive even when the front seat is pushed right back on its runner.
My biggest concern is the ivory upholstery; I'm sure it looks great when the car is on the dealer's forecourt, but it's going to show every mark. We've got the Superb for six months, which means it won't be going back until Yarrow Jnr is at least three months old - and that should be plenty of time to see how hard-wearing the trim is. Elsewhere, the height-adustable front seats are comfortable and supportive, while the driving position is good thanks to a steering wheel which is adjustable for both rake and reach.
However, there are a couple of cabin-related niggles which have already shown themselves. Firstly, the rest for the driver's left foot is far too close to the clutch, which means you can't move it without it catching the pedal. Surely that's a design fault? Another issue is the steering wheel controls for the audio system. They include a button to stop them illuminating - a pointless feature - yet there's no way to switch from radio to CD or vice-versa. To do that, you've got to take your hand off the wheel, which means your eyes are not on the road ahead. Again, not ideal. Another gripe concerns the central armrest, which hides a cubbyhole that looks as though it should hold CD cases. Except it doesn't. They nearly fit, but not quite. Why couldn't it have been 2mm bigger, then they would have gone in?
However, the biggest problems so far relate to the satellite-navigation/audio unit. Skoda did not supply us with the CD-ROM that contains all the roadmap data, which meant I couldn't put it to the test. The disc has now arrived, so I'm looking forward to trying it out soon. Unfortunately, the system's default language is German, and while I'm sure it's quite easy to switch it to English, I don't know what 'Change the System's Language to English' is in German, so I'm stumped for the time being. The handbook hasn't proved very helpful!
On jaunts to the British Motor Show in Bir-mingham and back to London over the past couple of weeks, the Superb proved a capable motorway cruiser, with Volkswagen's proven 1.8T engine still up there with the best. The 150bhp unit that's in several other VW Group offerings has plenty of power, with a claimed top speed of 134mph. And Skoda's 34mpg economy figure is about right, as the trip computer says I'm currently getting 33.5. The ride is good, absorbing all but the harshest bumps, and even the currently queasy Mrs Y noted how smooth it felt. The handling and steering are predictable and first class.
As this is our first child, and Emma and I will no doubt take everything plus two kitchen sinks with us whenever we and Young Yarrow go out of the house, the Superb's vast boot will be useful. The cubbyholes and storage spaces dotted around the cabin will, I'm sure, prove their worth, too.

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