Skoda Superb. Could it be love?

We’ve been out looking at cars today. All the Superb estates in the area. Anyway, we ended up taking this out for an hour…

This is the ad- http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202306108358408

I have very little experience with modern cars so I’m always blown away by how the other half live. It’s probably crap compared to the flash German stuff that you lot drive but I liked it.

It was amazingly quiet. Almost completey silent. We were whispering to eachother while driving around. The seats were perfect. The legroom is ridiculous. The boot is enormous. The roof fully slides open. You can actually hear the stereo which sounds amazing. It glides along and never feels harsh or crashy even though it’s got daft 19″ wheels on.

I couldn’t fault it. I’ve been watching youtube videos and reading reviews all day and I can’t find anyone saying anything negative about them at all, just loads of ‘perfect family car’ comments.

On the other hand it’s a 1.4 petrol, it felt a bit gutless although we never got anywhere near a motorway where I’m sure it would be adequate. The average consumtion was reading 17mpg which I pointed out to the Mrs and said “We might as well buy an Impreza” but she wasn’t having it. The autobox seemed to be doing a lot of work but I’ve never driven one before. I’d love to drive a 2.0 petrol or diesel but they’re all on the wrong side of 20k.

The reason for looking is that we currently have a Yeti and I’m sick of sitting with my knees against the dashboard with juniors feet banging against my spine. It’s like being on bloody Easyjet. In the Superb his little legs were dangling in fresh air a mile away from the front seats and Dad’s legs had all the room in the world. This alone was enough to make me want to throw my money at them.

So what do I need to be aware of? Is the 1.4 engine made of chocolate and candy floss? Will the DSG box chuck it’s guts down the road? Will the glass roof be like a sprinkler system when it rains?

There must be some Superb drivers on here so give it to me straight.

Best car we’ve ever had and would have another in a heartbeat.
Changed ours for a Tesla this year (not my choice, wife’s company scheme),and I miss the Skoda ☹️
We put 120k miles on ours and it still drove tight as a drum. No major parts replaced, no DSG problems (apart from a recall to fix something that I can’t remember).
For reference it was a 2016 1.6 diesel model. It was surprisingly pokey for such a small engine in such a big car.

MrsMC has had a couple as hire cars recently, and I suspect that our next car will be bigger than the current Octavia.

We’re on our third DSG Skoda (2 Octavias and a Fabia). All run to 100k miles and no problems.

The 1.4 is fine, just don’t ask, son is running a 1.4 TSI in his 2015 Fabia, putting out near 200 bhp. Track car now.

I think standard is about 130-150 bhp depending on tune.

The average consumtion was reading 17mpg which I pointed out to the Mrs and said “We might as well buy an Impreza” but she wasn’t having it. The autobox seemed to be doing a lot of work but I’ve never driven one before.

We’ve a 1.4tsi 150bhp with DSG 7 so auto, just in a Leon estate with 90k on the clock.

It’s a peach to drive – fast when you want it but does 35-40 if you’re careful around town, easily over 50mpg on a run, with care I’ve had late 50’s. Ours is £20 tax.

I’m selling it! But only as we have the new camper…

Mine

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202311103823114

1cm shorter than a VW Transporter, I was suprised to discover

If it has the current Skoda infotainment offering, then i wish you well. I will never buy another Skoda (my 70 plate Octy is my fourth).

I’ve got a 2013 model 2ltr diesel Elegance. It’s a lovely car. As you say, massive inside and very, very comfortable. I get 50+mpg on the commute if I drive at below 60, if I drive like a loon then it’s still 40+. Very torquey engine. The DSG can be a little wayward but you need to be very smooth with the acceleration, otherwise it bounces around and launches you towards the horizon.

I’ll have another when the time comes.

Presumably it’s the 1.4tsi 150bhp?

If so it’s the engine in my 2018 Superb estate. Performance is fine. Pulls well without needing to drop gears. Plenty power for A road overtakes

Superb economy. 47 or 48mpg on motorways at 75mph. On A roads doing around 55-65mph  it gets 52-54mpg.

Over 700 miles range. I’ve done Glasgow to west Wales and back on one tank

Only flaws in 5 years are rattling front disc pads. Known issue fixed under warranty.  The original back discs were made of cheese and only last 25k miles.

I owned an Octavia before and have driven several at work. The Superb is far better. Bigger, quieter, and a few nice touches. Like the boot light being a torch on a magnet so you always have a light if you needed to change a tyre etc. The umbrellas slotted into the front door.

Very comfortable seat. The first car I’ve driven where my back is perfectly fine after 400 miles.

Mine’s a manual so I can’t comment on the gearbox.

The driver assist features work well. At parking speeds the car brakes if you are about to hit something. I can confirm it works. It stops you parking with the bumper against a hedge. At driving speeds above around 20mph it warns you of a thing you are going to hit and primes the brakes but doesn’t apply them. At lower speeds it brakes. One false activation in 5 years

It monitors your driving. When I bought it I drove it from Great Yarmouth to Glasgow.  Near Beattock it told me I was tired and needed a break! I stopped for a coffee. The only time that happened. A combination of a very long day and being new to the car

In summary. Can’t fault it. Mine was £18k new. A huge bargain and that included a few options like all seasons tyres. Heated windscreen nozzles. Proper spare wheel. Variable height boot floor and fold flat passenger seat.

With the front passenger seat flat it carries 3.2m timbers inside the car.

The variable boot floor is useful. In the high position it gives a flat load space with the back seats folded.

If it has the current Skoda infotainment offering, then i wish you well. I will never buy another Skoda (my 70 plate Octy is my fourth).

What issues do you have with yours? We have a yeti and the headunit is definitely glitchy at times.

We need a new vehicle in addition to the yeti. An octavia, superb or the other VAG group equivalents are on the long list. But so are vans, as I don’t need seating for more than 2. Or van based cars like a Berlingo. It’ll be a commuting vehicle as well as transporting kayak and bikes. I’d prefer a van and you’d think they’d be cheaper than a car but like for like mileage and condition does not seem to bear this out.

I was looking at these in 2021 but the prices suddenly went bumping up with the chip shortage pushing up used car prices. I was looking at the 217bhp / 280bhp 4×4 versions in Sportline spec. Had a look at one and thought it was pretty nice, and loads of interior space. But in a few days they went from about £20k to £25k+

So what I actually bought is a Jaguar XF and I’m not disappointed. Got in at £18k from Cazoo just before the prices went bumping up by about £5k. 21k miles Portfolio spec 250bhp petrol. Imo it’s a lovely looking car, comfy interior, plenty of toys and for a big heavy car it’s actually decent to drive. Love that it’s rear wheel drive, and the 8 speed zf automatic gearbox is preferable to me than DSG on the VAG group cars. 

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202310102847863?sort=price-asc&advertising-location=at_cars&body-type=Estate&include-delivery-option=on&make=Jaguar&maximum-mileage=50000&model=XF&postcode=BS15%203SG&price-from=18000&price-to=22500&transmission=Automatic&year-from=2017&fromsra

I’m sure the 1.5 and 1.4 petrols (think they swapped to 1.4 from the earlier 1.5 but similar power) in the Superb are way more economical on fuel than the 2 litre turbo versions (and the Jag) and perfectly adequate. I just wanted a bit more.

Had an Octavia estate up to about 2 years ago. 1.8 turbo petrol engine.
I really liked it for the years we had it. A lot of car for the price we paid (2nd hand).

Finally had a sudden terminal engine failure at about 120,000 miles or so that was not economic to fix. But I’d have happily taken another if they still made the same car now.

(Nearly all the newer estates seem to have the very slopey tail gate which sort of defeats the aim of an estate for me, ie a big volume box out back for stuff – like a dog cage..ended up with a SUV as a result. Pity the V70 and XC70s not imported to GB now and a 6 yo one with 60,000+ miles was ludicrously pricey)

I’ve been stalking superb estates as I’ll get one when the Octavia finally dies.

That one looks good. Nice colour, good spec. Has the Canton stereo. Only thing it’s missing is the 280bhp engine and 4wd.

If you like it get it.

If it has the current Skoda infotainment offering, then i wish you well. I will never buy another Skoda (my 70 plate Octy is my fourth).

Same thing as the new VW setup I assume? Hired a new Caddy last month and it was hateful

2018, Nearly £20k? Christ, it had better be good for that price.

Seriously, have a look at the Kia Optima estate. I bought one a month ago, £10600, 2018, 72k miles, 2 years factory warranty still. 1.7 diesel Euro 6 engine, averaging 46mpg for mainly town and A road mileage (I actually got 60mpg from picking it up 80 miles away up the motorway). As big as the Skoda, and I would expect as well fitted out inside. Loads of buttons and bits to adjust and fiddle with, I still havent looked in the mnaual to see what some of them do yet. It was like getting into a jet plane pilot seat after my old Renault Megane.

We bought the Octavia new in 2014 (2.0 vrs) and still have it. Before that we changed the car every 3 years or so. I still love it – over 100k it drives tight, no notion to swap. Both our kids have a Fabia. A big general statement is they are pretty reliable and comfortable (or have been for us). In reality all cars have niggles/known issues and I’ve heard the newer info system is terrible. Besides that regular servicing helps ime. 

That will have the old style “infotainment” system. So proper buttons for heating controls and the like. Not the one in new VAG cars that spontaneously reboots and doesn’t work.

Regarding cost they have been coming down, generally apart from really cheap cars, used car prices seem to be dropping back to vaguely sane levels. I expect this will continue over the winter period.

Also a new Superb is coming out in 2024 so second hand prices for the current model may drop a bit as people replace them with the new model.

But the car you’re looking at has a low mileage and the price doesn’t look crazy. If it was the 280 4×4 you’d be looking at around 25k with that mileage.

Only the OP knows if it’s good value for them.

We have a 2019 Superb, after almost 2 years we share the same impressions of everything as you OP. It’s lovely. And, knock on wood, been pretty faultless too.

Infotainment occasionally resets itself, let’s say once every 1000mmiles, and usually when I am relying on google maps which can cause interesting moments.

I bought it distance from Rainworth Skoda, the whole experience was great, there was one oopsie with the car on delivery which was sorted by local dealership + rainworth as it was an approved used skoda.

General consensus  (skoda superb Facebook group) is that the extended warranty/service/breakdown plan is a good thing to have and seems good value, and I will extend ours, so check on that.

From what I have seen, to answer your questions:

1.4 engine is fine, some folks have issues with the panoramic sunroof (leaks, creaks and electrics), common to have non-terminal creaks from bushings in suspension, shocks seem to leak fluid and at some point need replaced and are not a warranty item. (shocks were the oopsie with ours, longer story, but all replaced foc).

Well I was fully expecting to log back in this morning and find at least one horror story. I’ve heard about the electrical gremlins in the newest versions, this is the previous model. Physical buttons for all the major controls but a big glass screen for the nav and radio which is nice.

I’ve heard that the infotainment and trip computer resets itself occasionally. Something to do with a fault in the SOS button.

For more context, this will be the wife’s daily driver. It’ll spend 90% of the time in stop/start traffic and then running up and down from Newcastle every other weekend. We don’t really need a faster version and it would be over our budget anyway. I also find that driving a slow car that makes no noise really encourages sedate driving and hypermiling which is a much more relaxing way to get around.

I did put it in sport mode though, you have to try it don’t you? It just made a horrible loud noise and didn’t go any faster. The Focus ST in front of us vanished, no drama. I also noticed that when you’re cruising it switches to 2 cylinder mode and tells you on the dash.

I walk to work every day so I’ll only be driving it when we’re loaded up for a trip. I won’t be setting any lap times with it.

This particular car wasn’t prepped for sale yet so it was a bit shabby. We don’t have a to pounce on it we’re in no rush, it’s just 5 minutes away from home so it was easy to check it out. We can easily wait until the new year and start looking again.

I’ve got a 67 plate Superb estate (bought 3 years ago) with the lower powered 2.0 petrol engine.  Sometimes I wish I’d gone for the 1.4 for the extra economy, and sometimes I wish I’d stretched to the 280hp 2.0 version for the AWD and extra power.  But mine is plenty quick enough for any normal driving, e.g. there’s no such thing as a short slip road any more.  It’s my first automatic and now that I’ve got used to how the car ‘thinks’ it’s definitely smoother than when I first had it.  I know what amount of pressure it will take on the accelerator to speed up without changing down the gears, and know how it will behave when rolling up to a roundabout and then needing to pull out.  I’d have no qualms with having another DSG or any other auto, I don’t miss the manual at all.

I haven’t had a single problem with it in the time I’ve had it.  Everyone who’s been in it has said how nice it is.  It’s a great comfortable cruiser, I don’t think there’s much out there with the same rear leg room and boot space.  Mine’s also got the 19 inch wheels, and they’re a bit of a strange size so tyres can be expensive.

Steering wheel looks pretty shiny and there’s more wear than I’d expect on the driver’s seat for the miles. Lots of low-mileage lease deals mean cars regularly get clocked before their first MOT with little evidence to prove otherwise.

Could be nothing, but it stood out to me.

Lots of low-mileage lease deals mean cars regularly get clocked before their first MOT with little evidence to prove otherwise.

How do you clock in 2023?

How do you clock in 2023?

You search for “mileage correction” on Google/Facebook/Gumtree and someone with a laptop will change the numbers to the correct* ones

That will have the old style “infotainment” system. So proper buttons for heating controls and the like. Not the one in new VAG cars that spontaneously reboots and doesn’t work.

My new Scala has the old style – proper knobs for heating etc (why wouldn’t you have these?). I’ve had to wait until this week (six months in) for the first spontaneous reboot. 🙁

“How do you clock in 2023?”

They call it mileage correction. Plenty people offering the service.

Top 4 Sellers of Odometer Correction Tool 2020

An otherwise honest colleague used to do it to all her lease cars to stay within the contract mileage limit. She got away with it. No comeback.

Back discs look pretty scored. Needing done soon? 

I have a 71 plate Superb hatch. Its a splendid car. I’d happily drive another when the lease on this one ends.

Comfortable, big, lazy cruiser, with genuine space for adults in the back and a cavernous boot.

It’s not a ‘drivers car’ but the days of treating every journey like a track day are long gone.

A friend has one of the 4×4 280bhp ones in that mad Dragon Green colour. I have to admit to being a bit jealous of it.

I’ve just had to give back my 69 estate as the lease was up. It was replaced (by my employer) with an Octavia. I’d have to old one back in heartbeat. I had it from new, put 130k on it with almost zero issues beyond wear and tear/service items. It was dull but comfy and quiet to drive in 1.6TDI SE Technology flavour. It was great for biking and family trips. No need to think about how to pack the pushchair and other kid related stuff in, just open the boot and chuck it in (the stuff, not the kid).

Proper heater controls, physical buttons on the screen to choose sat nav or phone or whatever. Things like having a big cubby hole in the centre console and a decent size cubby in front of the gear selector. Stereo was good at high volumes. All small details that made it easy to live with.

The new octavia is just sadness on wheels.

Brilliant car, have owned a 280 4×4 estate since 2020. Spec I have looks similar to the one you are looking at sportline, panoramic roof, heated seats, Canton sound system etc. Lots of space, good spec, comfy, it’s a little bouncy but about fit Bilstein B8’s to it and all new hardware. Canton sound system is pretty decent.

Small vibration at the driver’s door that I need to sort. The alloy wheel finish is rubbish, peeling etc (no acid used to clean, Bilt Hamber used) so will probably change the wheels.

It’s a great family/bike/adventure wagon.

Weird all the comments re the electrical problems on newer models with no physical buttons. I had a 64 plate 308SW with the touch screen central control panel in 4 years & 96000 miles I had no issues with it!

Superb Update.

We stopped looking for a while because I just got car market fatigue. Plus our budget was spiralling and I ended up test driving Golf R’s and BMW 340’s and stuff which are just completely uneccessary, even if it was nice to experience a proper shove in the back after a few years of driving boring stuff.

Then this popped up 5 minutes from home so we’ve just been for a quick look at it.
Linky

It’s a very clean, one owner car, full service history, brand new discs and pads, low mileage with a quality set of all season tyres. If a previous owner can’t shell out for good rubber it’s a major turn off. The Octavia VRS sitting next to it had totally illegal front tyres. It’s about 6 or 7 grand cheaper than stuff we were looking at a couple of weeks ago.

The only thing is that I didn’t expect to buy another diesel. I thought we’d get the best petrol car we could afford and keep it until hydrogen fusion was a thing. We didn’t test drive it but we can at the weekend if we want.

It’s not very exciting is it? I bet it’ll do everything we want though. It’ll be a dream on holiday on the silky roads of Europe. It’s only missing a tow bar.

That’s very, er… red. And a 6 CD autochanger, ages since I had one of those. Looks nice.

Yes, I actually LOL’d when I opened the glove compartment and saw a big gray box with a CD slot in it. Not sure what I’d use that for.

The only thing is that I didn’t expect to buy another diesel.

Neither did I but I ended up buying a 9yr old MINI Cooper SD – just ticked so many of my boxes, so I ignored what fuel it takes. We’ve also taken over running the F-in-Ls 430d after he passed away. I’m not used to all the modern ‘stuff’ on newer cars and it’s such a contrast to what I’ve been used to (vans and late-90s/early-mid-00s hatches).

That Superb looks, err, superb. Really nice to see anything other than monochrome paintwork on a large car, and all the better for it. In the context of family cars I think it’s not bad, rather than not very exciting.

Have you tried parking it?

I tried an A6, very similar, and it’s length was irritating to park.

I am crap at parking so take that with a pinch of salt.

Do they do the 1.5 Tsi ACT in the Superb?  We have a DSG Karoq with that engine and I’m pretty impressed with it.  150bhp and 42mpg if I’m careful

Looks fab in that colour. I’ve been through similar, nearly bought a Subaru Outback but in the end decided the AWD would be wasted on me and the extra mpg would quickly become a pain if petrol prices go up. Ended up buying a 68 plate Passat 2 weeks ago with the 1.5 tsi ACT engine Kato mentions. Drove ages to pick it up and nearly drove away again without buying it because it just didn’t ‘hit me in the feels’ but I bit the bullet and coughed up. Like the Superb I suspect it is a car that has grown on me the more I use it, finding how practical it really is, and how nicely everything is laid out etc.

I like my diesel Skoda, it’ll do 60+ mpg on the motorway and needs no road tax, but it’s a pain not being able to drive it into quite a few cities now without attracting a punitive lez fee. I’d get a petrol car next time, it’s only a matter of time before much smaller towns and cities jump on that bandwagon (which I support as a cyclist, but doesn’t stop it being annoying when you drive a diesel).

Caution on the 19” rims, can make it quite crashy and ruin what is a lovely car. If it has the dynamic chassis control then all good, standard suspension not so much.