Skoda SUPERB (2002 - TO DATE)
MODELS COVERED: 4dr saloon: 1.8T, 2.0, 2.8 petrol 1.
9TDi100, 1.9TDi130, 2.5TDi diesel [Classic, Comfort, Elegance]
BY ANDY ENRIGHT
Skodas Superb drew a few barely suppressed chuckles of mirth when it was first announced but those cynics were soon left coming to terms with the fact that the Superb was, well, really rather good. Based on a stretched
Volkswagen Passat chassis, the Superb offered an enormous amount of car for your money, typically retailing new at around £500 less than its smaller Passat equivalent. Although a big
Skoda was never going to be the hottest ticket in town, sales have been respectable, especially amongst the entry-level models and used examples are now filtering onto the market at ridiculously cheap prices.
Apparently, it was Czech President Milos Zeman, embarrassed at having to use a German car for his official duties, who prompted Prague to initiate plans for a top saloon to slot in above the Medium Range Octavia. Actually, what he originally wanted was a stretched Octavia, revealing his surprisingly limited knowledge of VWs platform-sharing policy. The Octavia does, after all, share the underpinnings of a VW Golf: expecting to create a limousine out of it was asking a bit much. What could be provided however, was the basis for a stretched VW Passat. Wolfsburg had already created such a thing for the Chinese market, extending the wheelbase by 95mm to 2803mm. All the Czechs then had to do was to Skoda-ise it.
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This has been done rather more half-heartedly than with other transition models but then thats all to the buyers benefit. What
Skoda influence there is has been neatly integrated: the chrome front grille, restyled bonnet and trapezoidal headlamps are all detail changes. The wider cabin and unique small rear side windows represent more fundamental improvements. Move inside and the first thing that strikes you is the wood trim. I remember laughing the first time I saw wood in a Skoda (an after-market package fitted to a Felicia a few years ago) but theres nothing remotely funny about this.
Adorning the dashboard and the doors, the dark timber is tasteful and Germanic. Whereas the Octavias cabin seems to have been kept deliberately drab to preserve Passat sales, this one seems almost as good as anything from the German marques stable. As you might expect, most of that extra 95mm has been donated towards the cause of extra legroom and it makes lots of difference. Sadly, the boot capacity is no different to an ordinary Passats (462 litres) but you can at least extend it by using the easily-to-operate split-folding rear seats.
Its even possible to fold the front passengers
seat flat for particularly long items. For the drivers its all very plush, thanks to a multi-function leather-coated steering wheel that adjusts for both rake and reach. Three trim levels are offered Classic, Comfort and Elegance and all include electric windows, air conditioning and a trip computer. Go for the Elegance and you can expect to find xenon headlamps, a premium CD stereo system, rain-sensing wipers, climate-controlled air conditioning, 17" alloy wheels and electric seats with a memory function.
Most mainstream executive cars fall out of bed price-wise and the Superb is no exception. This means that bargains can be found if youre prepared to go into the transaction in a hardnosed manner. The 2.0-litre entry level model can be found at prices from £8,900 on a 2002 02 plate, with the more satisfying 1.
8T Comfort model starting at just under £9,200. Should you prefer diesel power, youll need to front up at least £9,300 for a 100bhp Classic and tack another £400 on top of that if you want the additional grunt of the 130bhp engine. If you really want to major on mid-range muscle the 2.5-litre TDi V6 model opens at £12,000 in Comfort trim.
Insurance for the Superb is reassuringly inexpensive, ranging from Group 8 up to a modest Group 15.
Ask a Skoda dealer what goes wrong with Superbs and youre likely to have a short, if slightly dull, conversation. Certainly, theyre every bit as well put together as a
Volkswagen Passat a fact confirmed by VW Group in-house surveys. Still, its worth looking at front tyres especially on the diesels as these can take a bit of a battering and it will also pay dividends to ensure that all of the electrics are working properly as faults here can be difficult and costly to repair later. The air conditioning should give a decent blast within a few seconds of start up and make sure the ESP warning signal isnt permanently illuminated on the dashboard display.
(approx based on a 2002 Superb 1.8T). A clutch assembly retails at around £170, front brake pads are £75 a pair whilst rears are £40 a set. A new alternator is a fairly reasonable £280, and a new headlamp is a hefty £245.
A new exhaust system including the front and down pipe is £1100.
The Superb V6 2.8 30v offers some major bang for your buck. This 193bhp unit develops an impressive 206 Ib ft of torque and is the largest engine on offer or at least it will be until someone gets round to sticking the W8s 4.0-litre V8 under the bonnet.
But why would you want to when this one makes sixty in 8.0s on the way to 147mph? A bit of a downside is the fuel consumption: youll struggle to average much more than about 28mpg. This is one of the reasons why most buyers will go for the more realistic engine options. Petrol-wise, these include the Octavias familiar 115bhp 2.0-litre and 150bhp 1.
8 Turbo units. Diesel buyers meanwhile, get both 100 and 130bhp TDI PD powerplants, plus the 150/1555bhp 2.5-litre V6 TDI (which alone comes with a 6-speed manual gearbox option). Theres no four-wheel drive option but you can specify the excellent 5-speed Tiptronic automatic widely used on up-market Audis.
As with the Passat, you shouldnt expect a particularly involving driving experience. Still, most buyers will find the ride to be truly excellent thanks to Skodas careful tweaking of the four-link strut and torsion beam suspension. Its certainly difficult to imagine anyone getting out of shape in one, particularly as ESP Electronic Stability Control is standard.
As used executive class buys go, the Superb lives up to its name. If you really want to maximise your saving it may be worthwhile waiting a year or so to ensure that the steepest part of the depreciation curve has clobbered somebody else but even at todays prices its tough not to fall for it. If youve got an eye for quality and want a car for the longer run, heres a great buy.
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