Skoda Superb Estate

I’ve been trying to think of things to say about our long-term Skoda Superb without repeating myself, so I picked up a dictionary for help. Any car called a Superb had better be good, but the Skoda more than lives up to the billing of its badge. 

From its imposing looks and stately ride comfort to its great handling and first-rate cabin, the Superb Estate does everything a family buyer could want. In fact, if I had a complaint about the car, it would be that I don’t get to spend enough time behind the wheel of it. Barely a week goes by without a colleague putting in a request to borrow the keys.

It’s easy to see why, as the 625-litre boot makes it the first choice for anyone moving house, buying flat-pack furniture or making a trip to the dump.

The good news is that the Superb hasn’t been neglected in my absence, and every time I see our silver model in the office car park, I’m reminded of the shortcomings of whatever car I’ve just stepped out of.

Mind you, there is one dissenting voice in the office. Our new editor-in-chief, Steve Fowler, has been driving it more than most lately, and he’s no fan of the puny stereo fitted to our top-of-the-range model.

I can live with the sound system, although I think Elegance trim should come with the Music Device Interface (MDI) as standard. It allows you to connect your iPod directly to the stereo, but is a £185 optional extra.

And then you have to fork out another £28 for the lead to connect your music player to the car.

Along with metallic paint, the MDI is the only add-on fitted to our Superb. There’s plenty of standard kit to play with, though, so don’t get the wrong impression – the Skoda represents grand value for money. For instance, we’ve yet to experience a frosty morning in south London suburbia, but when we do I’m looking forward to putting the heated seats to good use on my way to work. 

On the subject of seats, the rear bench is splendid, too. There’s a huge amount of legroom and easily enough room for me to sit and work on my laptop.

Using most cars as a mobile office requires you to move the front seats all the way forward, so that you have enough room to open the screen of your computer, but not in the Skoda. I can simply jump in the back and get typing.

In fairness, you’re more likely to find my daughters Abbie and Neve sitting in the back, and its generous proportions make fitting and removing their unwieldy child seats a doddle. And whatever they drop on 

the leather upholstery usually wipes off with nothing more than a damp cloth, which any parent will appreciate.

So there you have it... after 11 months and 12,162 miles, the Superb is proving to be, er, majestic...

Extra Info

“The Superb is so good at so many things, but the audio system is a letdown. The sound quality is just plain poor – I expected better. I’m convinced much of it is down to the position of the front speakers: they’re in the doors, but right at the back pointing straight at your hip, so the sound just gets deadened. Most cars have the speakers at the front of the doors where there’s more space for sound waves to escape.”

Steve Fowler, editor-in-chief