Is the Superb too big?

[harrylime]

The mk 4 Zodiac was big in its day, but it was smaller than a Superb, even a mk 2

[philsmith]

My dad had a Humber Super Snipe in the sixties, this was one of the largest cars you could buy at the time.

A guy down my road has one and when you look at it now it looks quite small!

 

As for the Superb, I wish it was 5cm wider on the inside, it would make it a lot easier for me to get my work stuff in.

My previous E class Mercs were wide enough for this but I think I can still get more in the Superb, especially as you have that large area in the rear foot wells to fill!

[vfrvrs]

On 13/11/2017 at 22:44, daveo138 said:

 

 

Too long, it would seem 

The steering wheel is too far away giving the impression of lack of leg room.

There does need to be a little more depth to the pedals. I am 5'10" and a good average size.....

[BriskodaJeff]

23 minutes ago, vfrvrs said:

The steering wheel is too far away giving the impression of lack of leg room.

There does need to be a little more depth to the pedals. I am 5'10" and a good average size.....

Even if you pull it  all the way toward you? I'm short so it doesn't apply to me,  but I've got mates over 6ft tall with Superbs and never heard this. 

[vfrvrs]

9 minutes ago, BriskodaJeff said:

Even if you pull it  all the way toward you? I'm short so it doesn't apply to me,  but I've got mates over 6ft tall with Superbs and never heard this. 

Yes, it's all the way back and the dash is now a long way away..... maybe too far...?

I've not measured the distance from the wheel to the pedals but it seems short.

[vfrvrs]

So, I have measured both my cars and the Skoda is 1" shorter from brake pedal to steering wheel. The steering wheel in the Mercedes still has more movement. 

The cars are set as I drive them. That inch does make a difference so I can confirm that the Skoda is big but short...

[xman]

For me, I find the driver ergonomics are somewhat poor, (electric) seat adjustment far too complex, steering wheel height adjustment not enough. Keys bounce on my knee. Getting in and out without hitting head difficult especially if unable to fully open door.

 

Wide and very (too) long, for me a bit of a nightmare to park in town, in car parks it sticks out of the parking space by a mile. Looks as if I didn't park properly.

 

I use a fabia in town or for supermarket shopping, superb only for long runs, its obviously really a motorway cruiser, not something to sail around a supermarket car park or parallel park in a slot only big enough for a golf.

 

I would not feel happy if it was my only car, I'd trade it for an SUV instead.

 

Must repeat the road/tyre noise in my Superb (SEL) is abysmal (18" P7 tyres) and even with DCC, the ride quality can at times leave a lot to be desired.

 

I learnt to drive in a Zephyr 6 mk 3 which was big, about the same size as my Superb, but didn't daunt me back in 1971.

[budster]

1 hour ago, vfrvrs said:

So, I have measured both my cars and the Skoda is 1" shorter from brake pedal to steering wheel. The steering wheel in the Mercedes still has more movement. 

The cars are set as I drive them. That inch does make a difference so I can confirm that the Skoda is big but short...

Can you move the wheel in the Merc closer to you compared to the Superb? I am also about 5`10 and find to get the right distance from the pedals the wheel / dash is a little too far away

[vfrvrs]

5 minutes ago, budster said:

Can you move the wheel in the Merc closer to you compared to the Superb? I am also about 5`10 and find to get the right distance from the pedals the wheel / dash is a little too far away

Yes, much closer.

I think Skoda have tried just a little too hard to get the most room out of the Superb. 

I am like you, it's just a little too far away.

But I have accepted it now and I have succumbed. 

Overall I think the car is great. Air conditioning in the seats and 30 degreesout there 😎

[budster]

12 minutes ago, vfrvrs said:

Yes, much closer.

I think Skoda have tried just a little too hard to get the most room out of the Superb. 

I am like you, it's just a little too far away.

But I have accepted it now and I have succumbed. 

Overall I think the car is great. Air conditioning in the seats and 30 degreesout there 😎

Haha, just regular air con for me but I agree, the car is great in almost every way, however, after 5 months I still can't seem to get my right leg/foot comfy having come from a Mk2 Octavia where the throttle was floor mounted vs the top mounted pedal in the Superb despite adjusting the seat in every possible way.

Hey ho, maybe I'll find the perfect adjustment one day, then my wife will probably drive the car one day and it will all go down the pan. 

 

 

[irc]

1 hour ago, xman said:

For me, I find the driver ergonomics are somewhat poor, (electric) seat adjustment far too complex, steering wheel height adjustment not enough. Keys bounce on my knee. Getting in and out without hitting head difficult especially if unable to fully open door.

 

Wide and very (too) long, for me a bit of a nightmare to park in town, in car parks it sticks out of the parking space by a mile. Looks as if I didn't park properly.

 

I use a fabia in town or for supermarket shopping, superb only for long runs, its obviously really a motorway cruiser, not something to sail around a supermarket car park or parallel park in a slot only big enough for a golf.

 

I would not feel happy if it was my only car, I'd trade it for an SUV instead.

 

Must repeat the road/tyre noise in my Superb (SEL) is abysmal (18" P7 tyres) and even with DCC, the ride quality can at times leave a lot to be desired.

 

I learnt to drive in a Zephyr 6 mk 3 which was big, about the same size as my Superb, but didn't daunt me back in 1971.

One man's meat another man's poison. I'm 6ft3 and  find the driving position excellent. Steering wheel all the way back and up. Seat not quite all the way back. I can drive for 6 hours with no backache or numbness anywhere. Unlike all my previous cars which after 3 or 4 hours made my back stiff. I don't find my manual seat adjustment an issue and as the only driver just set it and leave it.

 

Parking? Sure it is a big long car. With easy parking at home and work and local supermarkets usually with good spaces it isn't an issue. I wouldn't have one if I was needing to regularly park on busy streets in tight spaces.   Going into the city centre we take my wife's car. 

 

Road noise? My 2018 1.4 SE on 17" wheels and Contiwintercontact all season tyres is quieter than my last Octavia and my Mondeo before that. Quieter than the Octavia Scouts I drive at work. Happy with the ride as well.

 

I have the estate and with the fold flat front passenger seat can carry loads up to 3m long or five 6ft adults in comfort or two adults, holiday luggage, and two dogs. It's the best all round family car I have had.  

[Bap33]

1 hour ago, irc said:

One man's meat another man's poison. I'm 6ft3 and  find the driving position excellent. Steering wheel all the way back and up. Seat not quite all the way back. I can drive for 6 hours with no backache or numbness anywhere. [...]

 

Parking? Sure it is a big long car. With easy parking at home and work and local supermarkets usually with good spaces it isn't an issue. I wouldn't have one if I was needing to regularly park on busy streets in tight spaces.   Going into the city centre we take my wife's car. [...]

Exactly the same for me. I'm 6'2". 

 

1 hour ago, irc said:

Road noise? My 2018 1.4 SE on 17" wheels and Contiwintercontact all season tyres is quieter than my last Octavia and my Mondeo before that. Quieter than the Octavia Scouts I drive at work. Happy with the ride as well.

 

Mine is a MY2017, with P7 on 19". I don't like P7. Bridgestone Turenza are also noisy on 17". My father doesn't like them on his Octie 3 MY2018.

I'll change for Michelin PS4.

 

1 hour ago, irc said:

I have the estate and with the fold flat front passenger seat can carry loads up to 3m long or five 6ft adults in comfort or two adults, holiday luggage, and two dogs. It's the best all round family car I have had.  

 

The Superb Mk3 is the one of the rare Estate on the Market, that can accept 3 baby seats on the same row. Even in a Kodiaq, you can't put them on the same row, you need the 2nd backseats row... 

[VelocityVinnie]

I do find it a little big if im trying to park in a supermarket, i am sure bays are getting smaller!!

 

I do struggle sometimes with reverse parking into tight spaces or garages, which is not helped by having a DSG as any slight incline or curb (even dropped curbs) the car wont role, i have to give it revs which sometimes disengages the clutch, so have to give it some beans, so it darts backwards, so i have to be uber careful at times.

 

Also Parallel park on narrow streets, is hard i find, as is getting out of them, if somebody has not given you enough space infront and behind.

 

The main thing that bothers me, is that YES it is a large car, but for some reason compared to my MK2 Octavia estate, the boot space seems a lot less, as its very much narrower, and not much longer, and of course not a flat load with seats down, even after faffing to get the head rests out with a screwdriver??? Who da funk, implemented that idea??

 

Also the lid on the centre console arm rest is toooo ****ing long!, have you tried getting anything out of it whilst moving?? you have to lift it with ya elbow, the contort ya arm to reach in, then try putting it down with ya elbow again!, oh and the memory seat buttons, is like trying to find the Mr's Sweet spot hahaha.

[Bap33]

8 minutes ago, VelocityVinnie said:

I do find it a little big if im trying to park in a supermarket, i am sure bays are getting smaller!!

 

I do struggle sometimes with reverse parking into tight spaces or garages, which is not helped by having a DSG as any slight incline or curb (even dropped curbs) the car wont role, i have to give it revs which sometimes disengages the clutch, so have to give it some beans, so it darts backwards, so i have to be uber careful at times.

 

Also Parallel park on narrow streets, is hard i find, as is getting out of them, if somebody has not given you enough space infront and behind.

 

The main thing that bothers me, is that YES it is a large car, but for some reason compared to my MK2 Octavia estate, the boot space seems a lot less, as its very much narrower, and not much longer, and of course not a flat load with seats down, even after faffing to get the head rests out with a screwdriver??? Who da funk, implemented that idea??

 

Also the lid on the centre console arm rest is toooo ****ing long!, have you tried getting anything out of it whilst moving?? you have to lift it with ya elbow, the contort ya arm to reach in, then try putting it down with ya elbow again!, oh and the memory seat buttons, is like trying to find the Mr's Sweet spot hahaha.

 

This may be improved with a VCDS recoding to disengage the AutoHold at low revs. Not done yet, but thinking about it for same  reasons as you.

Edited 24 July, 2019 by Bap33

[VelocityVinnie]

i just turn auto hold off, but still any type of incline or curb, and it wont creep, i have to give a bit of revs, but sometimes it still dissengages the clutch

[Steviedakota]

Back to OPs question. I would not have thought so until this morning. In a high rise Car park today the turn/ramp to the second level was so tight there was no way I was trying it. The walls on each side were strewn with paint and scratch marks. Had to reverse back and luckily found the last spot on ground level.

 

That is the first time in 2 years of ownership I have found size to be an issue. So if high-rise car parks are part of your daily lifestyle then it is a serious consideration.

[CheshireBumpkin]

1 hour ago, Steviedakota said:

Back to OPs question. I would not have thought so until this morning. In a high rise Car park today the turn/ramp to the second level was so tight there was no way I was trying it. The walls on each side were strewn with paint and scratch marks. Had to reverse back and luckily found the last spot on ground level.

 

That is the first time in 2 years of ownership I have found size to be an issue. So if high-rise car parks are part of your daily lifestyle then it is a serious consideration.

 

Agree with this. I know a older city centre carpark or two that I don't think I could get around in the Superb without much swearing and manouvering....

[xman]

1 hour ago, CheshireBumpkin said:

 

Agree with this. I know a older city centre carpark or two that I don't think I could get around in the Superb without much swearing and manouvering....

Wheelbase is simply too long and not enough ground clearance/entry angle to take some multistorey car park ramp corners, which often have 6 inch raised kerbs, without a great deal of stress. On the other hand if you have the side sensors (park assist), then they will be screaming we're going to die, all the time, and adding to the confusion.

 

Possibly need to ask the passenger to get out and guide you, now there's progress. Although my better half would probably be worse than the side sensors and look at totally the wrong places. ”Its not my fault....."

Edited 25 July, 2019 by xman

[penguin17]

4 hours ago, Steviedakota said:

Back to OPs question. I would not have thought so until this morning. In a high rise Car park today the turn/ramp to the second level was so tight there was no way I was trying it. The walls on each side were strewn with paint and scratch marks. Had to reverse back and luckily found the last spot on ground level.

 

That is the first time in 2 years of ownership I have found size to be an issue. So if high-rise car parks are part of your daily lifestyle then it is a serious consideration.

I've also recently experienced this on a recent drive into Newcastle City centre.  I approached the barrier of an NCP car park and quickly assessed that I wouldn't be: (1) able to make the tight right turn just after the barrier, without taking out the first row of parked cars (2) wouldn't be able to navigate the 10-12" island which the barriers were situated, at best it would have been a ruined alloy, at worse a damaged tyre.  

 

Needless to say I just reversed out and found an alternate car park.   In this case though I feel the car park was just of poor design and of limited size/space.  In nearly 3 years of S3 ownership this was the first time I've really had an issue with the sheer size of the car.  

[budster]

5 hours ago, Steviedakota said:

Back to OPs question. .....

 

The OP asked the question in November 2017 so I think we're just talking amongst ourselves now!

 

The main difference I find from my Octavia is that the turning circle is bigger in the Superb (well, it certainly feels like that) and thus seems less manoeuvrable at lower speeds necessitating a bit more backwards and forwards i.e. a 3 point turn becomes a 5 point turn. However, the length doesn't bother me as I have rear sensors, whereas the Octavia had none.

[mc2]

From what a dealer told me the other day, the new 2020 model Octavia won't be far off the size of the current Superb.

I'm very interested in this car as a replacement for my 2013 Volvo V40 D4 R Design Nav.

[budster]

6 minutes ago, mc2 said:

From what a dealer told me the other day, the new 2020 model Octavia won't be far off the size of the current Superb.

I'm very interested in this car as a replacement for my 2013 Volvo V40 D4 R Design Nav.

Interesting. No doubt it will be significantly more expensive as well, as the Scala seems to be priced only slightly below the current Octavia.

 

If it has an equivalent level of kit and refinement as the Superb, I could be tempted away at some point in the future.  That was my main reason for going for the Superb as the current Octavia feels a bit sparse on equipment, especially as I buy used thus no option to add anything extra.

[mc2]

The sales exec I spoke to indicated more standard equipment on the new model, accompanied by a £1500 - £2000 price hike.

By all accounts, the interior is also going to be plusher with better quality switchgear.

I think this car is being released in September.

I was originally looking at a Superb Sportline 2.0 TSI 190 dsg, however the current car is already nearly 5yrs old and they only have model run of 7yrs as with the previous model.

[budster]

20 minutes ago, mc2 said:

The sales exec I spoke to indicated more standard equipment on the new model, accompanied by a £1500 - £2000 price hike.

By all accounts, the interior is also going to be plusher with better quality switchgear.

I think this car is being released in September.

I was originally looking at a Superb Sportline 2.0 TSI 190 dsg, however the current car is already nearly 5yrs old and they only have model run of 7yrs as with the previous model.

Apparently the V40 is going to be axed and replaced with yet another bl**dy SUV.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/volvo-primed-replace-v40-suv-coupe

[mc2]

That being the reason why I'm coming back to Skoda.

Pricing apart, Volvo have really lost their way.

In the past, I've owned Fabia VRS TDi and a MK2 Octavia VRS TDi. Both were fantastic cars.