Skoda Superb Estate Review

Hugely spacious and comfortable, the Superb Estate is a massive amount of car for the money - especially if you get a used one

Strengths & weaknesses

  • Massive boot
  • Well-equipped
  • Very comfortable
  • Sheer size makes parking a little tricky
  • New prices higher than they used to be
  • Upmarket rivals offer more sporty drive

Skoda Superb Estate prices from £16,499   Finance from £290.69 per month

The Skoda Superb Estate has a lot to live up to with a name like that, and it succeeds with absolute aplomb.

Although the Czech brand, now owned by the Volkswagen Group, has its roots at the value end of the car market, it has grown into a much more sophisticated company – to the extent that the Superb could even be considered a match for top-end models such as the Audi A6 Avant, BMW 5 Series Touring and Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate. But even the very latest models cost as much as £10,000 less than the 5 Series on BuyaCar, making the Skoda Superb fantastically good value as a used car.

When it comes to estate cars, one of the most important aspects is boot space and the Superb beats all three of its more expensive rivals here, with only the E-Class coming anywhere near the Superb’s massive 660-litre capacity (with the rear seats folded, it has a maximum capacity of 1,950 litres). It's one of the biggest boots you can get in any car - barring supersized van-based people carriers.

The cabin is also very spacious, with the room in the rear outclassing almost everything short of a luxury limousine or extended-wheelbase large saloon such as the Audi A8 - which is some £20,000 more. If you need to carry a couple of tall people in the rear seats, even the very tallest should be able to stretch out in the back of the Superb Estate.

The Superb has come a long way in the quality of its interior, too. Previous generations have been functional and well equipped, but the quality of the materials used for the interior surfaces has taken another step up with this latest version. It doesn't quite match Audi, BMW and Mercedes in this department, but it is comparable to the Ford Mondeo Estate, Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer, Mazda 6 Tourer and the Volkswagen Passat Estate, which the Superb is closely related to, with shared mechanical parts.

Its practicality extends beyond just the dimensions of the boot and the cabin, too. There are several useful storage solutions, including a glasses compartment above the rearview mirror and a ticket holder on the windscreen - so you never have to worry about finding car parking tickets again.

The other major advantage that the Superb has over its rivals is the comfortable ride. Skoda models are developed and tested on Czech roads that are of a similar - poor - quality to the surfaces in the UK, so the Superb copes better with speed humps, potholes and broken tarmac than almost all its rivals.

Despite its comfort levels, the Superb is still enjoyable to drive. It's not as driver-focused at the 5 Series Touring or Mondeo, but as most Estate drivers are looking for comfort over sportiness in a large estate, this shouldn't be much of a worry for most potential buyers.

The Skoda Superb Estate isn’t as good value as it used to be, but with new prices starting at around £26,000 (rising to more than £40,000), it still offers very good value. It is, perhaps surprisingly, more expensive than comparable Mondeo cars - though it is larger - but it’s around £8,000 less than a comparable 5 Series Touring. Look at used models, however, and the Superb really is superb value - prices start from just  £13,480 on BuyaCar.

As a practical estate car, the Superb can’t really be beaten, with the only real rivals coming from large SUVs such as Skoda’s own Kodiaq. But not everyone wants an SUV - and these are typically much more expensive new and used - so the Superb hits the spot if you want something that can carry lots of people and luggage.

Key facts

Warranty Three years/60,000 miles
Boot size 660-1950 litres
Width 1864mm
Length 4862mm
Height 1496mm
Tax £170-530 in first year and £145 thereafter

Best Skoda Superb Estate for...

Best for Economy – Skoda Superb Estate 1.4 TSI iV DSG

The 2019 facelift of the Skoda Superb also introduced a new plug-in hybrid option called the Superb iV. It's a 1.4-litre petrol engine coupled with an electric powertrain that delivers 218hp. But being a plug-in hybrid means you can also drive this model in electric-only mode, meaning if you keep the batteries charged up for each and every journey you make you Skoda claims a potential for at least 148mpg.

Best for Families – Skoda Superb Estate 1.5 TSI 150PS

The smooth and flexible 1.5-litre petrol engine has a good balance of fuel economy (35.8-42.2mpg) and performance (0-62mph in 9.1-9.3 seconds) that will suit family drivers. If you regularly carry heavy loads, however, it's worth considering one of the 2.0-litre diesels, as these offer more low engine speed muscle.

Best for Performance – Skoda Superb Estate 2.0 TSI 272PS DSG 4x4

The most powerful of the three petrol engine variants offers the best performance, which means the 0-62mph acceleration test is achieved in just 5.7 seconds, while the top speed is 155mph.

History

February 2015 Fourth-generation Skoda Superb Estate unveiled
June 2015 First deliveries of Skoda Superb Estate
August 2015 Efficiency-focused Greenline version is launched with CO2 emissions of 101g/km
July 2016 The SportLine trim with performance bodykit and extra equipment is launched
May 2017 Technology upgrade increases the size of dashboard screens, bringing a glass finish to the top-of-the-range 9.2-inch touchscreen
September 2019 Revised Superb Estate goes on sale, with refreshed styling and additional features

Understanding Skoda Superb Estate names

Engine 2.0 TDI 190PS

Superb Estate buyers have a choice of six engine/power versions, three of each being petrol and diesel. There are a range of power outputs and fuel consumption figures, to appeal to buyers who want to prioritise performance or economy.

Trim SE L

Six trim levels – S, SE, SE Technology, SE L, SportLine Plus and Laurent & Klement – offer different levels of standard equipment, with better-specified cars costing more money.

Gearbox DSG

The 1.5 TSI petrol cars are available with either six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic gearboxes. All other engine versions are mated to the automatic gearbox, which is a 'dual-clutch' transmission - which offers faster gearchanges than traditional automatic gearboxes - called DSG.

Skoda Superb Estate Engines

Petrol: 1.5 TSI, 2.0 TSI Diesel: 1.6 TDI, 2.0 TDI PHEV: iV 1.4 TSI

The Superb Estate is available with a choice of six petrol and diesel engines.

The entry point to the diesels is a 1.6 TDI, which produces 120hp. It’s not the quickest model, taking more than 11 seconds to hit 62mph from a standing start. However, it makes up for that by being the most economical in the range, with up to 49.6mpg officially possible under the latest - tougher - fuel economy test procedure, while CO2 emissions are just 113g/km.

The 2.0 TDI diesel has two power ratings: a new 150hp EVO version is being introduced in late 2019, with lighter and optimised components that should result in lower emissions and improved fuel economy. The 190hp version offers a good balance of power and economy, with a 0-62mph time as low as 8.1 seconds and 47.1mpg also possible. It's a fairly refined engine and is pretty quiet at motorway cruising speeds, while also offering plenty of power for accelerating. It is also available with four-wheel drive for greater traction on slippery surfaces.

The base petrol engine is a 1.5 TSI petrol unit that is found in a wide range of cars produced by Volkswagen-owned brands – from the VW Golf to the Seat Ateca. It's a good petrol engine and doesn’t feel significantly underpowered in a car as big as the Superb Estate, even to the extent that it can manage 0-62mph in just over nine seconds. At the same time, fuel economy of up to 42.2mpg is also quietly impressive for a large, heavy petrol car.

The 2.0 TSI petrol, like the diesel of the same size, has a couple of different power outputs, 190hp and 272hp. Both are mated to a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic gearbox, with the more powerful version also coming with four-wheel drive. Fuel consumption figures for both are in the low-to-mid 30mpg range, but performance is the best on the range: the 190hp version can hit 62mph in 7.7 seconds, while the range-topping 272hp car can perform this sprint in just 5.7 seconds. Both feel smooth and offer plenty of pull – especially the 272hp car.

Finally there's the newest 1.4 TSI iV plug-in hybrid. Making use of a punchy petrol engine combined with an electric motor to produce 218hp, the Superb iV is one of the quicker models in the range, but it also has the potential to dramatically improve fuel economy if you use it in the right way. Anyone planning to drive this predominantly with just the petrol engine will be disappointed. Plug-in hybrids are only worthwhile if you intend to make use of those batteries.

  Fuel Fuel economy Power Acceleration (0-62mph) Top speed
1.5 TSI 150hp petrol 38.7-43.5mpg 150hp 9.1 seconds 130mph
2.0 TSI 190hp petrol 35.3-38.2mph 190hp 7.7 seconds 142mph
2.0 TSI 272hp petrol 30.4-32.5mpg 272hp 5.7 seconds 155mph
2.0 TDI 122hp diesel 49.6-56.5mpg 122hp 11.1 seconds 124mph
2.0 TDI 150hp diesel 49.6-56.5mpg 150hp 9.2 seconds 133mph
2.0 TDI 190hp diesel 44.1-48.7mpg 190hp 8.4 seconds 142mph
2.0 TDI 200hp diesel 45.6-51.4mpg 200hp 7.9 seconds 145mph
1.4 TSI iV 218hp PHEV 148.7-201.8mpg 218hp 7.8 seconds 140mph

Skoda Superb Estate Trims

S, SE, SE Technology, SE L, SportLine Plus, Laurin & Klement

The Superb Estate is available to buyers in six trim levels. The base S trim has a good level of standard equipment, which includes LED headlights and rear lights, 16-inch alloy wheels, height adjustment for the front seats, air-conditioning, DAB digital radio, Bluetooth, eight-inch touchscreen media system, smartphone connectivity (including Android Auto and Apple CarPlay), voice control, seven airbags and a host of safety features.

SE adds 17-inch alloys, chrome styling features, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, dual-zone climate control, electric folding mirrors, umbrella compartments in the front doors, including an umbrella in the driver’s door, adaptive cruise control and driver fatigue sensor.

SE Technology cars add privacy glass, leather seats, heated front seats, blind spot detection, sat-nav, wi-fi and different drive modes.

SE L models have a similar equipment specification to SE Technology, but add 18-inch alloys, higher-quality matrix LED lights, LED daytime running lights, dynamic scrolling indicators, cornering front fog lights, plus keyless entry and start.

Buyers who opt for SportLine Plus cars receive 19-inch alloys wheels, black gloss exterior styling features (grille, window surrounds, roof rails, etc), suede-like Alcantara sports seats, electrically adjustable driver’s seat, LED ambient interior lighting, electric boot opening, 9.2-inch touchscreen media system, DVD drive, dynamic steering and sport chassis, for a sharper drive.

The Laurin & Klement trim level that tops the range adds chrome exterior elements, perforated leather seats, heated rear seats, three-zone climate control, boot net system, heated windscreen, heated steering wheel, virtual cockpit (digital dials that allows the driver to swap between meida system information and the sat-nav map that can practically fill the display), wi-fi with internet access, dynamic chassis control, a lane assist safety feature, rear parking camera, park assist self-parking, and an upgraded 10-speaker audio system.

Skoda Superb Estate Reliability and warranty

The Superb model (hatchback and estate) is well thought of by owners, its reliability helping it to a very respectable 24th place on the most recent Auto Express Driver Power survey. The Skoda brand was also voted fifth most reliable manufacturer.

The only downside is the company’s three-year/60,000-mile warranty, which isn’t very generous, when compared to manufacturers such as Kia, whose Optima Estate has seven years of cover.

Used Skoda Superb Estate

The Skoda Superb Estate has been on sale in the UK since 2015, but despite more than 15,000 cars being sold, bargains are very thin on the ground. High demand for this accomplished and capacious estate means that the Superb holds its value well.

While this demand boosts the resale value – and, as a result, contributes to lower PCP financing costs – at the same time it increases the cost of buying one. Despite this, it's still an excellent value used car purchase, as you get a lot of car for the money.

Other Editions

Superb (2015)

Big, comfortable and good value: you don't need a Mercedes if you have a Skoda Superb