Skoda Superb road tests and consumer car reviews

Skoda Superb Elegance 2010

As a company car driver, I can’t knock it!

Skoda Superb 2.0tdi 56reg 2006

I bought it at 142,000 miles. Changed Cambelt then put into taxis. It runs like a dream. Full spec elegance worth every penny and more. Very fast for the size of it too. It’s an ideal family car and anyone who slates these cars have no knowledge of the automotive world, they just pay extra for a badge and think they’ve got a good deal. FOOLS!

Skoda Superb SE 2.0 TDI CR 140PS DSG 2011

I purchased a Superb SE 2.0 TDI CR 140PS DSG after looking at both the Mondeo and Passat. While not being quite the driver’s car the Mondeo is, it blows both away for comfort, quality and level of equipment, and also manages to be individual and stylish in a Russian Mafia kind of way. I couldn’t get over just how much better it is than a VW. In my experience, the interior of the Superb is as good as as a Merc. Personally if I was VW I’d be wanting to swap the badges on the two brands, or at least get the Skoda interior designers working on the big VW cars. Add to this that Skoda dealers are a decent bunch with none of the pretensions or snobbery of VW (who seem to think they are doing you a favour by selling you one), and you really can’t lose. Oh and I’m never going to get bored with the twin-door system, it’s fantastically useful!

Skoda Superb SE 4x4 2009

Having worked in Automotive OEMs most of my working life and including a 15 year spell in a very prestigious Engineering Consultancy I feel qualified to comment on this VAG masterpiece. Look at an A6 saloon, Quattro and think I’ve just saved £10 K at least, oh and it ’s handling over a sportline is far more compliant too. It ain’t the prettiest car in the world but after Mercs, 5 series Beemers, Jags etc., it is a very well made, dynamically competant, spacious, load of fun because the Haldex system gives it the same off road qualities as Audis, Volvos and BMWs. I’m sold ! Estate version next year.

Skoda Superb Elegance Estate 2010

I have a Skoda Superb Elegance Estate, just deliverd about 1200 miles ago as my company car replacement for a VW Passat. The big Skoda has the same CR engine 140 bhp as the Passat, but is more refined in the delivery of power and although slightly higher geared the car pulls like a train. Fuel consumption is currently around 53mpg and improveing as the engine loosens up. Superb is well named as all the goodies are there full leather, heated seats, adaptable headlamps etc, the list goes on. I like the adjustable seats and the fantastic touch screen audio sat nav, also the bluetooth connectivity. The car rides softer than the Passat, but still able to shuffle around the B roads at reasonable pace. The car came with factory prep electrics for towing, but beware you will still need a relay box and finla plug at a cost of £150 on top of the £200 you would cough up for the factory option. Loads of space everywere in the car and the carrying capacity is enormous. Can’t fault the big beast and its looks certainly create a double take. A fantastic all round car, can’t fault it as yet.

Skoda Superb Greenline 2010

I must admit was a little reluctant to look at the superb. Thought the new model was very good looking and upmarket (although back lights could be a little nicer, but only taste - new Estate much better) Far Far Better than original model. Write ups were very positive so I had a look. AND Was I IMPRESSED OR WHAT! I owned a VW Passat 55 Plate and loved it, this was by far better! Bigger, more toys and cheaper! I had wanted a Jag but the wife was reluctant, but instantly fell in love with the Superb. We have had it 6 months now, done over 10000 miles and it has not missed a beat. Smooth, quiet and responsive. The kids love it, plenty of room and returning phenomonal fuel economy. 64mpg from Edin to Inverness and 79mpg from Edinburgh to Manchester! (Not light footed either) Its averaging around 55mpg around town. My neighbour is so impressed he bought one yesterday and many of my mates thought I had bought a BMW - as if! It has presence and it is well built. 2 Doors along from us have a E Class Merc and I have more leg room and a friend has a new 7 series and guess who has more legroom in the rear! Undoubtedly I will be getting another in the future.

Skoda Superb 2010

I had the first Superb, well originally it was the Passat that was stretched until the Phaeton was developed. So that is why the first Superb looked like the Passat. Well I enjoyed the first one and when the new one came out I just had to look at it, ok ended up buying one (was not planned) and enjoy driving it. Went to a garden centre and had to think after I came out as I had bought a large item and how to transport it, simple with the Superb you transform it from a saloon to a hatch back!! I see there are those who say it has no power to it!! well mine accelerates well enough, I was on a steep hill with a duel carriage way at the bottom of the hill I was in 6th gear over taking some cars when an idiot in a BMW 3 series was flashing me so I put my foot down and before I knew it I was over the speed limit with a big gap between me an the BMW 3 series. pleased I never bought one of them!! one word for my car SUPERB!

Skoda Superb Elegance 170 bhp 2009

This car is magic. It has heated rear seats, park assist, more room in back and front than any car I have had ,,including Mercs. The only complaint I have is that the satnav (expensive if you buy it seperately) only takes 4 digits and is worse using a post code than a £200 Tomtom, but apart from the satnav I am delighted with the car.

Skoda Superb 1.8 TSi SE 2009

Call a car a Superb and it has a lot to live up to. But the marketing people at Skoda clearly know their business. This new Skoda is superb by name and superb by nature - so good that you would question why anyone would pay more when, at the highly competitive price, starting at just �15490 for the entry level 1.4 TSi and rising to �26,675 for the 4WD 3.6 litre V6 fit for a King, you can enjoy this quality level of motoring experience. It truly is a superlative car. It was my pleasure to appraise the 1.8 TSi in SE equipment level. Lacking entirely any of the vulgar stylistic appendages that bedevil even the most expensive cars today, the Superb has an understated presence suggesting taste and discernment and sits well alongside Mercedes, Audi�s and the like. In essence we�re looking at a large luxurious car that is terrifically habitable and attractive inside, amply provided with legroom, splendidly appointed in every respect and amply endowed with the performance and sophistication one expects from the very best cars today. The door test is always a good place to start with any new vehicle. Open the driver�s door, look inside, and close the door. Try it with this car and reassurance is immediate and gratifying. The fit is perfect, hinges are smooth - and comforting aromas of quality materials assail the nostrils. Best of all though, are the sound cues provided by the reassuring clicks and clunks: built �all of a piece�, as they say: it�s beautifully assembled. This Skoda shouts �quality� from the very core of its being. It�s also the most luxurious car Skoda has ever built, brimming with aesthetic appeal and having a �feel-good� factor to rival cars costing twice or even three times as much. With limousine levels of interior space, only a handful of long wheelbase cars have more rear room than the Superb - and this is, in part, due to the new transverse engine layout. Your correspondent recommends that fat corporations ditch their pretentious so-called �executive� BMWs and Jaguars and educate their executives to see the value this car represents. Years ago - before Jaguar and BMW were born - Skoda’s were the choice of Kings and have a significantly better pedigree than almost any other marque. Argue to the contrary at your peril and you display a dreadful ignorance that should condemn you to several years’ penal servitude in a Trabant. There�s a �world first� too with the new Superb. Unsure if your need is for a saloon or a hatchback? Then look no further than this model. Ingenious design enables it to �morph� from saloon to hatch and back thanks to the �Twindoor� boot facility so that you get two cars in one. The advantages, we are told, is that with the Twindoor fully open you have easy access to the boot. More capacious than many estates, bigger than a bijoux town house and nearly as big as my swimming pool, it is, quite simply, huge. Skoda also tell us that should access to the luggage area be needed on a very cold or very hot day then by opening the �saloon car boot� only, your pampered passengers won�t faint from the sudden temperature change: particularly useful in Siberia or the Sahara. You could be forgiven for thinking that at such attractive prices, Superbs would be compromised in some areas. I can tell you categorically that they are not. A host of fitments to soothe you keep you safe and make your driving pleasurable are there in abundance. Top spec. models get everything from Columbus colour touchscreen SatNav. To electrically adjusted and heated front seats, while even the entry level S spec cars have eight speaker sound systems. Just like Bentley, those thinking people at Skoda have even included an umbrella hidden in the water resistant storage space in the left hand rear door. But, of course, it doesn�t just stop there with Skoda (These people are engineers). Your umbrella not only opens at the touch of a button - it collapses at the touch of a button too. If that�s not enough, they�ve even coated it with a special anti-mould solution. That�s class! A choice from six engines (three petrol and three diesels), manual or DSG transmission and even four wheel drive, means that the new Superb has and does what all those other �executive� marques have and do: and in many instances it has more and does things better. Testing the turbocharged 160 bhp 1.8 TSi SE six speed manual version, which costs just �18930 was a sheer delight. The engine is smooth, torquey and so refined that you would swear you were driving a six cylinder car. Of course, it�s no use having smooth power if the car doesn�t have the quiet and comfortable ride to go with it. Settle to motorway speeds, set the climate control to �cool� (which you most certainly are when driving one of these). And you could travel the length and breadth of the land and arrive completely relaxed and unruffled: very little tyre or wind noise at speed means you swoosh sweetly along first class. I�ve travelled in much noisier Mercedes than this. �But it�s a large car that is guaranteed to pitch and roll once off the straight and narrow� I hear you say. Nonsense! I can tell you that with the new engine layout and suspension change it�s a paragon of good manners: nimble and balletic enough for your chauffeur to escape down country lanes when a kidnap attempt is made on you. (Buyers must be aware that riding in one of these will make them a target of considerable envy). Suspension has been tuned to give an almost perfect balance between agility and ride comfort. Should you encounter a Russian tank around the corner, rest assured that if a collision occurs, the array of passive and active safety features will mean the tank will come off worst because this Skoda has achieved a five star EuroNCAP rating for passenger protection - and the tank hasn�t. The complex network of safety programmes stops short of ejector seats. An urgent motorway trip of eighty miles followed by sixty miles of twists, turns and ups and downs and then into the inner city, convinced me that this is the best value for money car in its class - or indeed in the class above and the class above that. On the motorway I set the cruise control and relaxed: on the A and B roads I revelled in the liveliness and good handling and in the infernal nightmare that is the traffic jam, I tuned into Classic FM and listened to the Prague Philharmonic. Skoda has, with the new Superb, given us a thoroughly modern car that is clean lined and simply drawn which satisfies through a mix of design, function and user friendliness - without appearing flashy. At less than �19,000 it�s outstanding value.

Responses to this review

Thank you for a concise report, I gave up after trying to read 2 lines - Peter Clarke from Buckinghamshire

Your car is certainly not going to do 30-70 in 3rd gear. Best check that one again - Tom from Worcestershire

Skoda Superb 1.9 TDi 130bhp (upped slightly to 170) 2003

I see the people who rated this car low don’t even own one ... yet in contrast those who drive them everyday rate them very highly. My Superb is well ..... err Superb. Gives me good mpg in comfort and isn’t exactly a slouch. OK so I admit it doesn’t set any land speed records BUT 0-60 is around 7.2 seconds. Mid-range pulling power is in excess of most cars well above this price range. In 3rd gear 30mph-70mph takes around 3.5 seconds. That’s impressive and moreover it’s acceleration right at the speed most people want it. The ride is set-up for comfort when original. I personally opted to lower and stiffen the suspension slightly and it handles well for a large saloon. It’s no rally car but then again it never claims to be. Comfort is well catered for too. Enough room in the boot for 3 corpses and a cabin so spacious it almost has an echo. Good levels of equipment and attention to detail is nice. Luggage hooks in the boot (curry hooks to you and me), umbrellas in the door, courtesy puddle lights in wing mirrors, the red night vision light in the cabin etc etc etc.. Solid construction too. Economy is a boring subject but to be fair one that affects us all. Motorways give me around 55mpg in real world driving, whilst town journeys anywhere from 37-47mpg dependant on how heavy you are with the right foot that day. Fact is, the Superb is a great all-rounder. Fantastic balance of power, comfort and economy. I have to admit it fails to achieve top marks in any of those categories but it scores well in ALL of them. Not many cars do that, regardless of price range. As for looks, personally I quite like them. Lowered, a set of alloys and it looks incredibly like an Audi ... and that’s no bad thing. I have to admit, the bad reviews do seem to have an odour of badge-snobbery about them ... dare say even badge-envy?

Responses to this review

I completely agree with what you have written. I have owned my Skoda Superb for the past 3 years (which is a record for me in itself). I bought a 2 year old Superb Elegance 1.9 tdi 130 with all the extras. I only looked at it because the sales team at the Mercedes dealership next door ignored me because I was wearing jeans and a hooded sweatshirt!! I walked past the Skoda on my way back to my Saab and decided to give it a once over. I bought it 2 days later for cash and have never looked back. It’s comfortable, smooth, reliable, economical its great round town or on long journeys. I took it round europe last year (5000K) and it never missed a beat. Mine has now clocked up over 90K and I have seen 65K of those. I can’t see past this car and I would definitely own another. Badge snobbery??? You can keep it if it means there are more of these available to the rest of us! - Bill Beeton from Aberdeenshire

Skoda Superb Elegance TDI 140 2006

Had one for nearly two years, love it to bits! Does 47 - 50 mpg on a decent run. Can cruise at whatever speed suits you - or are brave enough to attempt. Don’t worry about the ’misinformed’ Skoda Haters they are actually doing ’us Skoda owners’ a big favour. They actually assist in keeping the price down! If the Skoda brand had the same cachet as VW, or worse, Audi, we can all guess that the Skoda prices would rocket upwards - so thank you Skoda Haters long may you prevail. I’m just on the point of trading my Elegance TDI140 in for the new equivalent only this time I’m going for the TDI 170 engine for a bit more grunt - does the same mpg but CO2 emissions are lower so my RFL goes down about �25. Made the mistake of taking a test drive in this version - fabulous is a term that comes to mind, feature count for £22.8k is unbelievable, it would likely cost another £5k plus for same spec. in an Audi. I should be in one by end of October 08 if all goes to plan. Don’t hesitate; these are fantastic cars at a real value-for-money price but you can buy this car on merit alone. If you will excuse the pun - it is Superb!

Responses to this review

I had one of the original Superbs when they came out (stretched Passat) just wanted to look at the new one but ended up buying one!! If you was to buy an Audi of a similar spec you’d be paying more than £5,000 more try £10,000 or even £20,000 as I read in one magazine and if it was a BMW even more!!! The word Superb covers all any one can say - Jeff from Bedfordshire

Skoda Superb 2.5d 2002

Simply superb. Best car I’ve ever had or driven. (includes Mercs, Audi, BMW, Saab, VW, etc). Quiet, economical, powerful, huge rear legroom (more than my friends S class Merc). Ultra reliable - far more reliable than my friend’s S Class. Great dealers too - Skoda always does well on the the old JD Power doesn’t it? Admittedly not the prettiest car ever, but the space, power, reliability, great equipment level, etc. more than compensate. (Umbrella in air-conditioned pocket, climate control, ESP, cruise control, CD stack, hooks in the boot to hold shopping bags, extra power points, etc.) Best thing is without doubt the engine - sold my car to a friend who delights is pushing those bloody BMW’s out of the way. He’s taken it up to 125k with no problems, and it still pulls like a train. Got to get another one. Think Skoda’s are a joke? Get a Superb - you’ll be the one who’s laughing.

Skoda Superb 2008

Sad tot see Skoda haters out there refusing to see and acknowledge that the Superb is a great car. But again I am talking about the old series. I’ve driven first hand the new Superb (2008) in the Czech Republic and believe me people... ITS THE LAST NAIL IN THE COFFIN OF ANTI-SKODA DRIVERS. The new Skoda Superb (new generation) is a car where you simply try hard enough to criticise and see a fault but you find none... expect a revolution in the luxury middle range car section...... the new Superb: - New great look - sooooooo quiet - strong and great automatic smart gear - so STEADY and hearing whispers when driving 210km/h -so much space try and get your hands on one for a test drive.... amazing!!!!!!!!!!!

Skoda Superb 1.9 TDI Classic 2006

I really wanted the Volkswagen Passat but found that it was slightly out of my price range. That’s when a friend informed me that nowadays Skoda’s are Volkswagen in everything but the badge and that the Superb is essentially identical to the Passat. I phoned the local Skoda dealer and arranged for a test drive in the 1.9 TDI Classic and was immediately amazed to see how closely the Superb resembled the Passat. Knowing that VW were behind the engine gave me a great deal of comfort, reliability is more important than looks in my opinion. The interior and boot are cavernous and I feel more like a chauffeur than a father when taking my wife and the children out - they love the space and comfort. This is not a city car, it performs at its best when on the motorway where it is also very economical. I don’t like to use the world budget because this normally means sacrificing quality - many years ago Tesco’s own coffee was exactly than same as Maxwell House inside the jar but with different branding and at half the price - although the Superb is not half the price of the Passat, the principal is the same.

Skoda Superb 2008

In the village of where I live there is a Skoda garage. I was looking for a luxury saloon that was affordable. So at the dealership I saw the Superb tagged at �16,995. I thought there must be some luxury for that price, so I took a test drive. The interior is plasticy and tatty, the automatic gearbox guesses when to change gear, and it is slow! O-6O in about 12 secs and 6O is about its top speed. And guess what, for the same money you can get a year old BMW 3 Series. Superb-No. BMW-Yes.

Responses to this review

Can never understand why anyone would buy a BMW...talk about being brainwashed! - Bill Dryden from Angus (Forfarshire)

I’m lost on what you are talking about, my Superb is a diesel and it goes fast enough with 0-60 about 8 seconds top speed is in excess of 70 Mph and to prove it the police use them so you stick with your 2nd hand BMW series 3 which is smaller than the superb and cost more to maintain - John from Bedfordshire

BMW’s eh?! A very experienced local police mechanic tells me the only thing that doesn’t go wrong with BMW’s is the badge on the front! Parts are sourced from China - point made! Stuart Montgomery from Lanarkshire

The comments from Mr Mittenslum and Mr Meeks are indeed amusing but ultimately meaningless. Having driven both C-Class Merc and M-Sport 3 Series on the way to the Superb, I can only assume they are mad, short and foolish with their money. Either that or they’ve actually gotten into the wrong car and not actually driven the current Superb? The only downside to this car is the name, though fortunately it’s not ironic and does at least indicate Skoda have a sense of humour - Steve Gascoyne from England

Skoda Superb 1.8T Comfort 2007

I can’t believe this is a Skoda! It looks and feels like a top of the range luxury saloon and gives a very smooth drive, with a healthy dollop of power when needed. Do NOT be put off by the badge and miss out on a very classy car for not a lot of money!

Skoda Superb 2008

Recently I went past a Skoda dealership and I saw this car on the forecourt. I thought "God thats a bad looking Vehicle." So obviously i had to road test it to see if it was any good and i have to say, this Skoda is definitely not Superb. Worst of all is its performance. There is none!!! This car is just a waste of parts, they belong at the scrapyard. Take away the "s" and the "yard" and you got the overall rating of this car. GOing back to the performance i was out dragged from the lights by a gee whizz and the vehicles which the oaps use. ALSO i had trouble getting up a 3% gradient i was unimpressed. and i was over taken on the motorway by a cyclist who was wearing lycra in his 60’s.

Responses to this review

I prostrate myself at the feet of the worlds finest living comedian...oh, wait..pay 25K for a Beemer by any chance? - Max from England

Maybe when you grow up and get a driving license you will be able to make a more informed judgement! David Simpson from Cambridgeshire

Which planet are these prats Mittenslum (sums it up really doesn’t it?) & Meeks, living on? I defy anyone to get such quality and performance for so little money. I suggest you both grow up and learn about cars and motoring before slagging off such a fine car  - Colin Lambert from Dorset

Lord, how I laughed! My sides are splitting still. Of course I would paid a bit more attention to Darren’s review had it been better than semi-literate. But it just could be that Darren was just winding his readers up. Darren, I think you protest too much, I suspect you really like the car ;-) Andrew Barrow from Hampshire

Skoda Superb 1.8T Comfort 2007

10 years ago I would have never have dreamt of buing and owning a Skoda. It shows just how far Skoda has come that I not only included Skoda in my list of possible new cars but went further and actually bought one! I wanted a family saloon car that would give us plenty of space but didn’t want an MPV. I also did not want to spend a ridiculous amount of money on a car so a Mercedes was out of the question. The Superb gives me both the space that I want plus the power and performance necessary. All this at a VERY reasonable price, this Skoda really is SUPERB!