Skoda Superb: Taken in by Advertising

RideOnTime

Looking to replace the family wagon and spent the whole day yesterday looking at cars. I am no car nut and this is the first time I have looked at cars in 7 years.

I got our last one at auction - a Volvo V70 and its been a very good car although I have nothing to compare to...

So after looking at quite a few and its a family estate I am after - I got to 3 the Skoda Superb, Peugeot 508 and a Volvo V60.

Now the V60 is not a proper estate the garages didn't have a V70.

Head has been really turned by the V60 it is a nice car. Superb is ideal though with bags of room in the back.

Any thoughts?


This is the V60 in question.

RideOnTime

Another view.

pblakeney

Wait for a V70 to become available. Or travel further to get one.

PS:- Are we playing spot the difference?

Edit:- Better.

RideOnTime

PBlakeney wrote:

Wait for a V70 to become available. Or travel further to get one.

PS:- Are we playing spot the difference?

Edit:- Better.

Sorry, sorted now its a view from the rear...

tlw1

what is the car for? ie, how many people, miles. journey types?

Recently I've always had an estate but ended up with a company VW CC and thought bugger as I won't be able to do all of the family stuff we normally do.

But - a tow bar & roof bars has meant it fits the family perfect. Recently went to Devon for a week with the wife, two kids (7 & 9), mother in law, five bikes and a canoe!

MountainMonster

The Volvo's are ace. I've got a C30 (2.0l non-turbo diesel), which runs very well and looks great. Volvo service is good, at least at my dealer in Cambridge. If you are specifically after the V70 then I would hold out for that, or travel farther to find one. You may end up being unhappy with the car since it wasn't what you truly wanted.

mr_goo

Whatever you do. Never buy a Renault Laguna Estate. I have been given one as a company car. Biggest heap of the proverbial I have ever had the displeasure to drive.

type:epyt

We had a '61 plate V60 but it was the petrol model and was gutsy as hell (around 32 mpg driving sensibly).

We moved even closer to the city centre 6 months after getting it and it only done 160 miles in the 7 months after the move so we ended up getting rid of it as the road tax etc. made the running costs just daft with our mileage.

We now have a VW Polo that costs nothing to run and has no bells or whistles to run down the battery when not in use.

Don't get me wrong, the V60 is a great car and if you can get a deisel with all the gizmos etc. inside at a good price I'd reccomend it, it just didn't make sense for us.

Was also good for getting the bikes on/off the roof if you're a shortar$e like me.

RideOnTime

matthew h wrote:

what is the car for? ie, how many people, miles. journey types?

This is the problem. I guess 30% of the time its for 5 of us with camping equipment etc and usually a trailer. Outgrew roof boxes. Then say 40% its for 3-5 of us on some domestic / leisure trip and then 30% its just for 1. No commute but business miles.

Ideally would have 2 cars but don't want to clutter up the street and only do 8-10k a year in total.

RideOnTime

type:epyt wrote:

We had a '61 plate V60 but it was the petrol model and was gutsy as hell (around 32 mpg driving sensibly).

We moved even closer to the city centre 6 months after getting it and it only done 160 miles in the 7 month s after the move so we ended up getting rid of it as the road tax etc. made the running costs just daft with our mileage.

We now have a VW Polo that costs nothing to run and has no bells or whistles to run down the battery when not in use.

Don't get me wrong, the V60 is a great car and if you can get a deisel with all the gizmos etc. inside at a good price I'd reccomend it, it just didn't make sense for us.

Was also good for getting the bikes on/off the roof if you're a shortar$e like me.

Silly Old Hector

Why not the Superb? They are enormous and reliable. Hold value well also.

tlw1

RideOnTime wrote:

matthew h wrote:

what is the car for? ie, how many people, miles. journey types?

This is the problem. I guess 30% of the time its for 5 of us with camping equipment etc and usually a trailer. Outgrew roof boxes. Then say 40% its for 3-5 of us on some domestic / leisure trip and then 30% its just for 1. No commute but business miles.

Ideally would have 2 cars but don't want to clutter up the street and only do 8-10k a year in total.

I would go for the biggest car you can! Also are 5 seats enough?

me-109

I had a V50 which was decent enough but short on rear legroom if your family are more grown-up. The V60 stretched the wheelbase to add the legroom but the boot space is either smaller or definitely no bigger; much smaller then the V70.

The Superb estate should be mahoosive and having had an Octavia previously I'm a fan.

If it's space you want, you could consider an Avensis estate. I had one for demo - decent enough, engine felt a little coarse, didn't get on with the touchscreen and was too long for my drive, but had plenty of toys, good economy and tax ratings and was a comfy bus.

cubedean

The volvo is a lovely car, but is tiny in comparison to the superb & the skoda is just that, superb.

I love the new volvos and the diesels are fantastic, but I couldn't deal with how small they are.

VTech

cubedean wrote:

The volvo is a lovely car, but is tiny in comparison to the superb & the skoda is just that, superb.

I love the new volvos and the diesels are fantastic, but I couldn't deal with how small they are.

As above, the Skoda is a great car, I would buy over a volvo any day and you will also get a lot of your money back come sales time which won't be the same for the volvo.

rolf_f

A friend of mine has one of the smaller semi estate like Volvos and rates it. But sitting in it, it feels like I am in a WW2 gun emplacement - looking out through the narrow slit of a windscreen is a slightly surreal experience. Still, I'm all for safety. When you crash, due to not having hit something you couldn't see behind the huge blindspots caused by the pillars and low roof, all the airbags in the pillars and low roof should ensure your safety.

dabber

Just bought a 2.0L Octavia Estate. Too early to give a considered opinion but first impressions are very positive.
Down to southwest France for a few weeks soon with bikes on the towbar rack so that will give it a little test.

arran77

matthew h wrote:

what is the car for? ie, how many people, miles. journey types?

Recently I've always had an estate but ended up with a company VW CC and thought bugger as I won't be able to do all of the family stuff we normally do.

But - a tow bar & roof bars has meant it fits the family perfect. Recently went to Devon for a week with the wife, two kids (7 & 9), mother in law, five bikes and a canoe!

You put the mother in law on a roof rack,? Well played

tlw1

arran77 wrote:

matthew h wrote:

what is the car for? ie, how many people, miles. journey types?

Recently I've always had an estate but ended up with a company VW CC and thought bugger as I won't be able to do all of the family stuff we normally do.

But - a tow bar & roof bars has meant it fits the family perfect. Recently went to Devon for a week with the wife, two kids (7 & 9), mother in law, five bikes and a canoe!

You put the mother in law on a roof rack,? Well played

you can't kill the undead

RideOnTime

2014



up to 2013

Subtle change to the grill. Prefer the new.

pinno

If I had the choice, this would be mine. VW T32 Tdi Sportline, Bags of room, space in the back for bikes.

bompington

VTech wrote:

cubedean wrote:

The volvo is a lovely car, but is tiny in comparison to the superb & the skoda is just that, superb.

I love the new volvos and the diesels are fantastic, but I couldn't deal with how small they are.

As above, the Skoda is a great car, I would buy over a volvo any day and you will also get a lot of your money back come sales time which won't be the same for the volvo.

I agree with Vtech :shock:

Despite its engine blowing up and costing me thousands (long, painful story: probably the fault of the dealer who changed the timing belt but was never able to pin it on them) my old Octavia 4X4 estate was, well, superb: powerful, economical, spacious, comfortable, reliable.

Of course what I liked best was the unfashionability of its badge, that's got a lot less these days which is why we have 2 Kias now.

Dippydog3

or get a Yeti.

RideOnTime

Some mixed opinions then as of course expected. Seems like the Laguna is not a contender. It never was. I'm thinking now may be get a bigger trailer and then accept a smaller car - that is better 70% of the time. :?

arran77

pinarello001 wrote:

If I had the choice, this would be mine. VW T32 Tdi Sportline, Bags of room, space in the back for bikes.

Good shout Piña, we'll make a mountain biker of you yet

jordan_217

Just to give you an alternate option as I too had shortlisted the Superb for my next car...

I've recently got a Leon ST (estate) FR 184 diesel; part-ex'd a VW CC for it. I owned an Octavia vRS before that - the Leon is much much better.

I test drove the Superb estate before taking a punt on the Leon. It's a lovely car and no doubt the best in Skoda's current line up but TBH I found it dull as dishwater, even with the higher powered diesel it feels a bit flat. In fairness, it's a big lump of car.

Granted the Leon isn't the largest estate out there but I've yet to be in a situation where it's boot wasn't large enough. It's lovely to drive and running costs are great, 60+ mpg and £30 VED. Depreciation has already been tipped to be as good as the equivalent Golf, the GTD.

Best of all - select 'Sport' mode and the LED ambient lighting in the doors turn red It also sharpens the car up so you can have a bit of fun when you don't have a car full of family.

arran77

jordan_217 wrote:

Best of all - select 'Sport' mode and the LED ambient lighting in the doors turn red

Well that's got to be a reason to choose a car if ever there was one :P

jordan_217

arran77 wrote:

jordan_217 wrote:

Best of all - select 'Sport' mode and the LED ambient lighting in the doors turn red

Well that's got to be a reason to choose a car if ever there was one :P

It really is!

I also think it's not a bad looking car either:

RideOnTime

I am reluctant to get a BMW although I do like the styling and they are good cars. I had a 3-series BMW that was very high mileage - had a 1.9 engine I think 318i and it was heavy and slow - really dodgy overtaking when fully loaded.

Problem is I have had 3 test drives all in 1.6 versions. That is Skoda, Peugeot and Volvo. They were all underpowered really.

But then £30 road tax is very very attractive....

cubedean

RideOnTime wrote:

Problem is I have had 3 test drives all in 1.6 versions. That is Skoda, Peugeot and Volvo. They were all underpowered really.

But then £30 road tax is very very attractive....

They will be, 1.6 pulling 1.5t of motor isn't going to set the world on fire.

I would always go for the larger engined version. The skoda would have to be the 170pd version.

metronome

jordan_217 wrote:

I also think it's not a bad looking car either:

Really like the new Leons. The base models look a little bland (normal I guess) but that for example is very nice.