08/06/10

• Price£22,320
• We like...Price, size, comfort
• We don't...Nothing worth a mention

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For some, the idea of spending more than £20,000 on a Skoda might sound plain daft. But that’s just what we’re about to push you to do. If you’ve the cash, this is a terrific car for its ticket price.

First, there’s the space it delivers. For people and for loads, it’s the biggest among direct competitors: roomier even than the cavernous Ford Mondeo estate. Jump into the back and the lounging space is huge – to get more legroom, you’d need a wedding limo. Open up the back and there’s enough room for holiday luggage for five. But it is also packed with little details such as a boot light that detaches and does duty as a hand torch, hooks to keep groceries upright and a luggage cover that slides partly or fully back as you decide. So it’s a handy car. Flop the seats down and there’s a huge, flat load bay.

It could be almost too big. If you’re a parent with a tot in a child seat behind you, the stretch from front seat to back, to wipe a runny nose or pass a drink, could be uncomfortably far.

But even though it is so big its rear still looks sensibly proportioned. It doesn’t sport the barge-like proportions of some other load-carrying biggies.

And then there’s the car’s style inside and out. It’s understated and high-tone in the way that the best cars from Audi are. The dark plastic covering the upper dash has that expensive ‘squish’ when you press it, just like in posh German cars. And our mid-level SE model had everything you’d want – semi-auto air conditioning, six airbags, stereo control buttons on the steering, handsome leather and suede seats. You can even have built-in sat-nav if you’re willing to pay extra.

To drive? It feels sophisticated The 2.0-litre, 170bhp diesel engine in ours is the one that Skoda believes most buyers will pick and it is easy to see why. It’s quick and pulls hard enough for you not to need the car’s six-speed manual gearbox too often. But it is also quiet, making its presence heard and felt only briefly if you really push it. Its fuel economy is strong, too – a brisk 360 motorway miles two-up returned us 56mpg. And while our pot-holed urban roads can unsettle the car, it’ll cope with most surfaces smoothly and well, while it’ll settle to a serene, hushed cruise at motorway speeds. It is a terrific car to take on a long journey. The Superb mayn’t be the best to drive of its type – for that look to the Mondeo’s uncanny poise and balance – but it comes close.

But what about its size? A good view out and steering that’s accurate makes it smaller to drive than it is, while even negotiating tight spaces in car parks is no great sweat. The view to the rear is good, and Skoda’s parking beeper system helps out.

So should you buy one? Definitely. It’s big, beautifully styled, quiet, economical and comfortable. A quality car at an ordinary price.














*Rating is from 1-50 insurance groupings system

• Engines2.0-litre diesel
• Power170bhp
• 0-60 mph8.9secs
• Economy47.9mpg
• CO2g/km155
• Insurance groups22*
• EuroNCAP
• Airbags6
• Seats5

Motors.co.uk value verdict: