Dear Superb owners. We are actively considering a car change this year. We have owned our Velar from new and we configured her to our personal needs and wants, as we will with the Superb (albeit the options are somewhat less confusing). She now is approaching eight years old with 80k miles on the clock.

I’m seriously considering a brand new L&K Superb. Having previously owned an XC90 (2006), then an XC60 (2014) before buying the Velar (2017), I’ve decided that I have grown tired of the SUV thing. The XC90 was great on the motorway but a complete pain on faster country roads. Straight ahead was fine but cornering required active thinking. The XC60 was better at cornering but only by suffering unforgiving suspension in R-design form. Concrete motorways and cats eyes were its worst enemies. The Velar has air suspension and configurable dynamics which is a huge improvement and delivers a very good ride. But it’s a technically complex setup which is prone to failure (many components and electronic sensors). It’s expensive when it goes wrong (we have the Land Rover extended warranty which is a necessity but reliability is becoming the concern now). Anyhow, I’ve decided that riding high isn’t so much fun anymore and, since our other car is a Mercedes SLC200, we know what being at normal height means. Plus, every man and his dog seems to have the indentikit SUV now. It’s time to move on and my quest for an SUV that rides well with good handling has only be achieved by expensive, complex and fragile technology on the Velar. My budget cannot commit to more of the same, even if I wanted to - which I don’t.

The Superb has more legroom and luggage space than our Velar and I am not looking for sports car dynamics, just something that handles in a decent and predictable manner with a comfortable ride.

Here’s my first question then. Do I order the petrol or diesel engine? It must be the 4x4 version because we live in Scotland and travel to the Alps every winter skiing. I’ve tried FWD with winter tyres and it’s just a faff - shovel, wheel chains, frozen fingers etc. With 4x4 it has never been necessary to mount the chains or dig the car out (the XC90 had the Haldex system that I think Skoda uses, unlike the more comprehensive Land Rover system. The XC60 was FWD only and was hopeless on steep inclines even with fresh winter tyres).

I’ve had diesels now for years and the V6 in the Velar is one of the best. But, as each year passes, environmental regulations have made the diesel units so much more complicated. And with this has come more issues with glow plug control units, sticky EGR flaps, dosing issues with AdBlu etc. Petrol is technically so much simpler. In an SUV petrol is hopeless because what you want is torque. Petrol economy on the Velar is eye watering such that it’s prohibitive really. I’ve tried petrol the Discovery Sport as a courtesy car and it’s not a good fit.

But with a Superb it may be different? The petrol unit has plenty of oomph on paper but what is it like in real life? The economy, the mid-range (50-70mph) acceleration etc? It’s tempting. The diesel in the Superb is a tried and tested four cylinder lump, not a V6. I’m guessing the petrol would be quieter and have a more pleasing sound around town, especially while warming up?

We do about 12k per annum. We have the two big holiday trips (Summer and Winter) each year across Europe to Italy and Austria (about 3,000 miles return each trip). We need it to carry luggage (a lot of it), be a pan-euro motorway cruiser, have the winter snow traction, deliver long-journey comfort so we’re not crippled when we stop at the German services and have a decent sound system (I love my music which we own as lossless FLAC format tracks). For the rest of the year the car does shorter trips to the shops, the swimming pool - typically between 10mins and 30mins duration.

I get between 32mpg and 40mpg from our Velar 3.0 V6 diesel right now. These are averages, the latter being across the long holiday pan-euro trips. The petrol Superb wouldn’t be any worse than that would it? I’m tempted by the Superb diesel because of the upper-40s mpg claimed consumption but I’m worried about feeling like I’m back in an old VW Passat diesel from yesteryear (a Royal Bank of Scotland pool company car that I truly hated) and the reliability of all those diesel add-on things necessary for Planet Earth and our lungs - we would plan to keep the Superb until she was seven years old (which is why we configure our cars to our individual preferences rather than just buying stock vehicles).

I have some other question but can we start with the power unit, the engine first? It’s a big investment so I want to get this right. Obviously, I will test drive them, although the petrol 4x4 versions are not exactly common as demonstrators at dealers.

If it helps, I’m 59 and have been retired for four years (it’s been great). I enjoy driving but have the SLC200 for the fun stuff. I want the Superb to be the comfortable armchair cruiser but one that doesn’t need me to think too carefully when I turn off the A1 at Newcastle and spend a couple of hours heading over the hills of Carter Bar to the Central Scottish Borders where we live.

Thank you in advance. I’ve always tried to be helpful on all of my previous forums so I know how valuable the voice of the Superb community can be here too.

Best wishes, David.

After years of SUV's (Mainly diesel) I made the switch to Superb L&K petrol.

I'm a similar age and found I wasn't enjoying driving anymore.

If you go L&K you will get DCC standard so when you are in the mood for comfort you can have that and when you are in the mood to push on a bit just firm up the ride.

As for petrol vs diesel. If you are used to running a 3.0V6D Velar and only do 12k miles a year I'd go petrol all day long. Also worth remembering that petrols are not the gutless units of old.

The 265 petrol has 400NM of torque at 1650-4350rpm. The 193 diesel has 400NM of torque at 1750-2000rpm so it's the petrol that actually has the low down torque advantage.

Hi David, I've got my Superb on order coming from a 520d. When test driving the L&K, I found the 2.0tdi very agricultural sounding and that put me off wanting to extend it on the test drive. 100% drive one though as the massage seats on the L&K are really lovely, my wife was instantly sold! So I'm happily waiting for the petrol 4x4 which should be smoother and fun on the odd occasion.

Edited 24 April, 20251 yr by Novichok

Thank you both, very helpful.

Having spoken with my son (we are both petrolheads), my preference now is for the petrol rather than the diesel.

I’ve checked the technical data and now I see that the petrol torque kicks in at lower revs and holds for a much longer range. The smaller turbo probably helps? This version is only a little more expensive to purchase than the TDi.

Does anyone hear or get annoyed by the DCC Plus rear suspension noises? There’s a few mentions about it online but I wonder what your actual experiences have been.

Thanks again.

Edited 24 April, 20251 yr by Arianne

My understanding is that the knocking is only on the estate version.

53 minutes ago, Novichok said:

My understanding is that the knocking is only on the estate version.

Okay, thank you. Sadly, it’s the estate that we are wanting to buy because of all the junk we take with us on holiday etc. Our previous XC90 was cavernous and, whilst the Velar is smaller than the Superb, we’ve still moved fridge-freezers that we have sold on Gumtree following our kitchen renovation - the car is a lifestyle thing for us. I will test drive an estate equipped with DCC and listen out for it over some broken tarmac. Hopefully it’s not too intrusive.

Can I ask about purchase options? I see that Skoda are making a £3.5k contribution from the list price if the car is financed through their PCP scheme. I don’t like PCP. We tried it once on the Volvo XC60 and I found myself forever monitoring the mileage. In addition, it takes me about a year to ‘feel at one’ with a new car such that it has all become part of my unconscious thinking and behaviour. A three year PCP just wasn’t long enough for me. And of course now, I don’t want to pay an interest rate which is 2.5% greater than that which we receive on my savings (don’t even mention the damage Mr Trump has inflicted upon my stocks and bonds).

So, I am wondering about taking the PCP and then, a few days after it begins, but outside of the statutory cooling off period, requesting a settlement figure and just paying it all off. They’ll be an interest charge but that’ll presumably be significantly less than the manufacturer’s deposit contribution? Plus the other add-ons from buying brand new will still hold good?

The 0% offer doesn’t include any deposit contribution. Buying nearly new offers nothing, or next to nothing, and I’ll struggle to find the exact specification that we want, especially in 2.0 TSi with 4x4 L&K trim. I appreciate that a nearly new car (no more than a year old) has a ticket price which is a lot less than a brand new car though - about £39k for the rare examples which have the options we want. But it’s almost impossible to find one in the right colour, with the right interior and options (sunroof, family pack, cognac). Right now there is only one TSi petrol L&K 4x4 available and it’s not close to the specification we would be seeking.

Paying cash up front is also unlikely to secure much joy according to everything I’ve read.

Does the Skoda community have any thoughts on this that might prove helpful? Advice?

Thanks again.

Edited 24 April, 20251 yr by Arianne
Clarity

I came from a Audi A4 estate into a L&K Petrol 4x4. It's comfortable and cavernous! I do hear some DCC noise over rough roads in town. Out on the motorway it is very quiet. But with it set to soft you dont feel the pot holes. I driven with a big load in teh boot and the engine handles it very well.

On the cash front ask the dealer. I found some will find cash discount options that dont appear to be advertised!

11 hours ago, Arianne said:

So, I am wondering about taking the PCP and then, a few days after it begins, but outside of the statutory cooling off period, requesting a settlement figure and just paying it all off. They’ll be an interest charge but that’ll presumably be significantly less than the manufacturer’s deposit contribution? Plus the other add-ons from buying brand new will still hold good?

I've just done PCP and paid off after the 14 day cooling of period.

You don't even have to talk to anyone.

After day 14 login to Skoda Finance, click on settlement figure and bank transfer the money across. Yes you keep all the benefits. (For me that was Deposit Contribution and Two Services.)

There are some charges and a little interest and that came to around £350 for me on top of what I borrowed.

Edited 25 April, 20251 yr by logiclee

@logiclee , thanks hugely helpful. Thank you so much.

Petrol 4x4 for me. I have the L&K 265 saloon and no noises from the DCC. I previously had a FWD L&K 220 2017 version and the addition of snow tyres did help immensely in the winter. However the 4x4 is sure footed in all weathers we’ve had so far this year. The estate has a little more boot space than the saloon but not that different. Go to a dealer and compare.

Economy is on a par with what you quoted for the Range Rover and the L&K is a comfy armchair that can occasionally tear your nose off if you are so inclined.

@TerryMcK , thank you too.

You are right, the biggest improvement while driving on snow is undoubtedly the winter tyres with sufficient tread depth. Winter tyres plus 4x4 is the ultimate in ‘no stress’. For us in Scotland with our regular trips to the Alps for skiing, it holds true value as it enhances our holiday by removing anxiety - we know that, except in the case of deep, drifting snow, we will make it up to the alpine resort and thereafter to our favourite ski lift stations and restaurants with the breathtaking views.

Thank you for confirmation of the fuel economy for the 265bhp petrol unit. I tend to only deploy the power for overtaking on those country roads since I want to spend as little time on the wrong side of the white line as is possible. I’ve got over the urge to drive at 120mph along the autobahn or utilise the Velar’s 700Nm of torque on every occasion. Been there, done that and seen the fuel indicator visibly drop as a result. The limousine like cruising is more my thing these days, along with the ability to corner without panic and execute the overtaking of the Honda Jazz, Nissan Micra or Tesco articulated lorry restricted to 40mph for our safety!

I checked the insurance and £250 p.a. is about typical for me, the wife and our postcode for this Superb. I currently pay £450 p.a. for the Velar with Aviva. It’ll be nice having an understated car that isn’t prone to being stolen. We had to fit a Ghost immobiliser to the Velar and several insurers no longer offer cover!

I will check out the estate and hatch / notchback versions although I do appreciate the flexibility of the squared-off tailgate on the estate. Also, it offers me equal or greater space than an SUV but without the issue of wooden dynamics, a high centre of gravity, poor fuel economy due to the drag coefficient etc.

For those that have come from so-called premium brands…..how have you found the fit, finish and quality of the latest Superb? I know I can judge it myself when I’m testing it but, more importantly, does it rattle & squeak as you drive it after a few thousand miles?

I’ve long been of the opinion that the Superb is the answer for the ‘thinking man or woman’ for good quality motoring at a reasonable price, all things considered. But there is another part of me that says that ‘if it’s too good to be true, it probably is’. Over my 59 years I’ve realised that for every bargain I’ve bagged, I’ve also had to suffer nine ‘misses’. That’s a hit rate which makes no sense. So now I tend to just pay up for perceived quality and be done with it. The trouble is that Land Rover no longer delivers on that promise and, while the Audi, Mercedes and BMW brands look classier inside their cabins, I don’t like the external design language and I think the quality is little more than skin deep. It’s a brand thing rather than one of substance (dealers of all marques are inconsistent, irrespective of the hourly labour rate).

Anyway, honestly please……..the quality question for your Superbs as long-term owners? Only you can answer this as long-term to AutoExpress magazine is six-months on their fleet! A YouTube review is 20mins.

Thank you again if you have an opinion.

David.

We’re planning to place a factory order in November for March ‘26 collection. Resurrecting this thread for any further advice, opinions or guidance…

Thank you in advance folks.

Can someone, or hopefully more than one of you existing owners, help me get my head and heart around this? Be as candid as you wish, just respectful with it.

My head gets the Superb, my heart less so. My wife even less so, but she’s hanging in there alongside me. We’re in Italy at the moment where we have a second home in Como, by the lake of the same name. We today visited the local Skoda dealer just to try and view some Superbs before we get back to the UK and finalise everything in all seriousness. It wasn’t great. Multi-franchise operation, no showroom Superb, no used stock and just two Superb Estates in Cobalt Blue, SE Technology trim around the back awaiting their PDI preparation, having just recently rolled off the transporter.

Mrs A was underwhelmed. Understandably so. Small wheels, no chrome flourishes, unprepared paintwork etc. Over lunch I explained that an L&K 265bhp petrol 4x4 with all the trimmings is a different proposition. But it’s still 20% heart, 80% head. She said the Superb isn’t a great looker, to which I replied that it is a car you grow to love as you share life together - pan-euro ski trips, luggage hauler, sleeper car performance (well almost) etc. The joy that comes from knowing you have bucked the trend, exited the herd mentality and genuinely bought the thing for all the important reasons rather than superficiality. I also explained that, for the budget (£46k new, family pack, 19” rims, pano roof and that dirt-cheap option of the chrome door sill covers - £7k - £8k off list), we would otherwise be buying a mid-sized SUV. Less leg room, less luggage room, wooden handling and ride comfort, less cabin luxury, average engine performance and, whilst more fashionable right now, pretty much similar to all the other SUVs out there for looks.

Mrs A acknowledged this but explained that, while she understands the Superb will do almost everything we need and want, it’s not setting her senses on fire. But she is hoping that, when she sees one in a decent U.K. dealership under some showroom lighting, it might look, feel and smell different.

Guys and girls….help me out here. She has a point. Our Chat GPT AI assistant is adamant that the Superb is the right car, as is Top Gear magazine (six monthly reports before their fleet L&K Superb went back this month). And before anyone suggests that ChatGPT 5 is sycophantic, which version 4o most definitely was, I have challenged it on this very point. It’s reply has been evidence based and objective.

What do you humans think? Both rational and emotional responses please?

We return to Scotland by car (in our Mercedes SLC, not the Velar since driving the Velar here in Italy is a total nightmare) at the start of November. We have a two dealers in Scotland offering very similar deals, both being cash deals for between £46k - £47k, including the five-year / 100k extension on the warranty (our change cycle will be five or six years, maximum). They’re both offering test drives upon our return and will hold the new car for a March 2026 registration with a 14 - 17 week order lead time. Alternatively, we have a Drive the Deal offer which is a few hundred pounds less but from an, as yet, unknown dealer somewhere in the U.K.

Over to you folk and once again, thank you in advance.

PS. And sorry, to make this even worse…..can someone help me bust my emotional hiccup? A few friends have asked me when we plan to change the Velar and, despite my inner belief, I am still pathetically avoiding any mention of the Skoda Superb! I am 60 and I grew up with Skoda being a ‘behind the iron curtain’ car manufacturer. Any tips on beating my weird peer group emotions down as I totally get this in my head!

Viewing an unprepared base model was probably the wrong thing to do when you are looking at the top spec L&K.

That's always been the same, even on the Mk3. It's surprising what a bit of trim, different wheels and tyres and a slightly different stance can do.

SE Tech

L&K

Those into motoring and cars don't usually have an issue with Skoda. They usually laugh at JLR owners. 😄

I've had a few JLR products. My last one was a nightmare, never again.

After 10 months of ownership the Subperb L&K has been fine. The only lingering issue is a creak round the drivers door which I cant be bothered to get the dealer to look at till it needs to go in for something else.

On the look and feel.

Its not as elegant inside as my old A$. The rectangular drivers display with enormous bezels is ugly. But its easy to drive and comfortable.

For me the physical "smart dials" and heater controls are an essential. I hate poking at touch screens when driving. So thats a winner for the Superb. If you want physical controls then the choice is very limited now.

People who have travelled with me are usually surprised at the interior quality and the ride. When you explain the price vs a BMW 5 series (similar size) people get the reason for buying one.

Hi Cedwing. Thank you.

The creak is annoying, I'm sure, but both our Velar and SLC have various creaks. I can forgive the SLC with it's complex folding hard top roof and miles of rubber as a result - six monthly Gummi Pflege treatment solves the issue. The Velar has no such excuse and I have come to the conclusion that this is the reality with almost all cars. The Discovery Sport courtesy car from my dealer last month had similar issues despite being just three months old. My Volvo XC90 had a feint noise coming from the clutch mechanism of the seat belts which mirrored your chest movement on breathing! The list continues!

The Smart Dials are useful. Our Velar has them as it was only the JLR accountants' cost cutting that resulted in this being deleted on the later model years.

I honestly think the only alternative in Estate body style is the BMW 5 series but the cost is significantly higher, especially with the equivalent kit. And I read that the rear luggage space is reduced due to the complex suspension setup back there on the rear axle. Hmm.

I managed to find a most wonderful YouTube video yesterday evening which I have shared with Mrs A. She is of the opinion that, if the real L&K Superb looks as good as in the video (showroom lights and polished to within an inch of its life excepted), she will like it.

Thank you again. I am continuing the dialogue with one of the dealers to better understand a slight mathematical inconsistency in their quotation but I am looking forward to the journey to purchasing this car.

Best wishes.

Edited 9 October, 20259 Oct by Arianne

I’m not exactly qualified to respond to some of the questions posed by Arianne. ( but that’s not going to stop me 😂 ) I’m two and a half years into ownership of an L&K Kodiaq 200hp Tdi. I have just ordered a Superb Estate L&K ( now 193hp) Tdi.

Build quality and reliability on the Kodiaq has been excellent, which is why I am comfortable going with Skoda again. Like you, I want a proper car again rather than a faux truck, SUV ,or crossover , or whatever moniker the marketeers and motoring journalists are using this week. I came to the Kodiaq after 8 years with a Mercedes E class estate. I tow a large and heavy caravan and launch and recover a 5m Rib from a soft sand beach - hence wanting four wheel drive. I had to be pulled out of axle deep sand a couple of times with the Merc , the car was fine, but the damage to my ‘best driver in the world’ ego was catastrophic 🤣 The Skoda has performed it’s beach duties faultlessly.

Diesel v petrol ? I understand the noise concerns, but when getting over ( just) 30mpg towing the caravan, frequently seeing the right side of 55mpg on solo journeys and even getting mid 40’s when I drive it like I’ve stolen it. Going diesel again on the Superb wasn’t a difficult decision. Just as you have the SLC for blowing away the cobwebs Arianne, I ride a motorbike which hits a limiter at 186mph ( allegedly your honour )and Mrs Busa-Boy has a Mini convertible which she occasionally allows me to play with, so catching pigeons in the car is of little interest, I need grunt. I’m hopeful of even more impressive figures with the Superb with its lower drag coefficient. The 800+ miles on a tank of fuel is a bonus too.

Spec wise - no need to spend hours on the configurator, tick the sun roof and tow bar, done. Oh, and after a rush of blood I’ve gone for 19’s - I’ll rely on the DCC to keep my dental fillings in situ. Arianne - a couple of things from your posts which puzzled me a little ……….

You raised concerns about developing mileage anxiety when financing a previous car on PCP . My current Skoda was funded on a PCP ( for the first time in my life - but Skoda were offering 0% at the time ) It’s on 10,000 p.a. With a guaranteed residual/settlement figure - who cares about mileage ? At the end of the period if I’ve exceeded 30,000 miles, I’ll just buy it.

The other observation I would make ( at the risk of being a little cheeky ) you mention in passing, a second home on Lake Como and frequent skiing trips to Austria. That might suggest that budgeting is not as critical for you as it may be for many Skoda customers. Buy the car, give it a whirl to the end of the warranty, then make the decision to stick with your plan and run it for seven or eight years, or flop it and get something else. I am even older than you ! ( by some margin unfortunately) so a certain Liverpudlian Mr Lennon’s quote “Life is what happens while you’re making plans” rings true for me - just buy the car !

Finally, I am totally perplexed by one recurring issue in your posts, …………. Do you really allow Mrs A input into the Next Car decision making process ? 😳

😂😂

Busa-Boy, you clearly love motoring. In that we are from the same camp. Thank you for your informative and entertaining post.

Mrs A is a most patient woman, having stuck by me during 40 years of marriage. She trusts me with our car decisions, along with many other significant issues. But I want her to be on board and alongside me - which means she needs to be informed and her opinion heard and considered. She has saved me from myself on several occasions such that I now properly listen to her. We don’t always agree and ultimately, providing it’s not a decision from Crazyville, she will yield in those fields in which I have a proven track record of success - cars, investing and technology being examples.

The PCP is just a thing. I prefer owning stuff. I download lossless FLAC music files, never stream. I buy our cars, never lease or contract purchase (I did it once and didn’t enjoy it with an XC60). If the PCP offer was better by some margin than a cash purchase then I would take it and then settle after a couple of months. On this car, the dealers are both offering approx £7k to £8k off list even on a cash deal. There’s little incentive this time on PCP with admin and modest interest charges before settlement.

You’re correct that we are fortunate to spend 50% of the year in Italy together with three weeks skiing in the Austrian Tyrol and Summer in Voralberg for mountain hiking, escaping the Italian heat. Como is beautiful - today we took the boat to Cernobbio, enjoyed coffee and brioche there, returned to Como and met our dear Italian friend who works for the tourist information office. We had lunch in the piazza before the 15min walk back up the hill from the old town to our apartment overlooking the city. Over time though, we have also learned to truly appreciate the many things we all tend to take for granted about life in the U.K. We love both countries very much but each possesses qualities and culture that is unique and precious. Sometimes one needs to leave a country for a while to truly see what has been right before your very eyes all along.

I’m only into my fourth year of retirement, having hung up my boots at 56. This new chapter is exciting, liberating but also a bit of a trip into the unknown. I’ve always been financially prudent with the occasional splurge - cars being one theme that has had the accountant within me in despair. You’re right of course, the money is there to be enjoyed and this is certainly something we’re embracing but it’s early days and moving from saving for retirement to spending in retirement requires a mind shift.

I think I am nearly there, subject to the test drive when we return to the U.K. in November. The dealer will get back to me over the next few days and that’ll finalise the numbers. After that I can enjoy the journey of buying the Superb.

It sounds like you’re thoroughly enjoying your retirement. Once again, thank you for sharing your experiences and no, I didn’t think you were cheeky in the slightest.

Best wishes.

On 08/10/2025 at 16:32, Arianne said:

PS. And sorry, to make this even worse…..can someone help me bust my emotional hiccup? A few friends have asked me when we plan to change the Velar and, despite my inner belief, I am still pathetically avoiding any mention of the Skoda Superb! I am 60 and I grew up with Skoda being a ‘behind the iron curtain’ car manufacturer. Any tips on beating my weird peer group emotions down as I totally get this in my head!

I smiled when I read your P.S.

My late father was passionate petrol head who in retirement had a 3 year cycle - a year enjoying his new car, a year deciding what to have next, and a year dragging poor Mum around dealerships doing the deal on his chosen replacement. After years of Mercedes ( with two detours to Jaguar and Volvo ) he was ignored in his chosen Mercedes showroom, and he took his umbrage off towards the BMW dealership, got stuck in traffic, took a left turn and on passing a Skoda dealership went in for a coffee. He left having ordered a Superb ( Mk1 ) It proved faultless and he went on to replace it with a Mk2 before hanging up his driving gloves aged 92.

Coming back to your concern - it was weeks after his first order that he allowed Mum to tell myself and my big brother that he was buying a …………. Skoda 😳 . We laughed about it then, I would certainly laugh now.

Spec an A4 avant up to L&K Superb estate - the cost of badge worship is far too high for me. Tell your friends you’ve come away from Range Rover to Skoda - the ones in the know will nod approvingly, the ones who smile a patronising “ Oh, a Skoda “ are the same ones who will pay £100 for a Waitrose bag of shopping while the clever, knowledgeable amongst us buy selected food items at M&S and the rest at Aldi and pocket the thirty five pounds saving without surrendering an iota of quality.

When it comes to the perception of Skoda , I think it comes down to the old cliche ‘If you have to explain - they wouldn’t understand”

I've done 8k miles in my 265 L&K hatch now. I really love it but it's because I enjoy the what it does for the price point.

It's not an alfa romeo so it's not going to make me desire it, but it does have appeal.

Firstly, I like the look of the hatch. It's elegant and crisp but with a big dose of old fashioned which I love. It's not trying to be ultra modern or shove a design language down your throat, it's comfortable with itself. Quietly handsome and well proportioned without being attention seeking.

On the road it's practically invisible and people expect me to be some inert guy, and that's it's superpower, basically everyone underestimates you and ignores you and it's quite freeing.

Its more than fast enough and its the luxury of having more than enough power that adds to the character of not trying hard rather than using it all the time.

The handling in sport is amazing. In fact it's overkill for a car of this size and type. You can confidently lean on the grip and get on the power early and feel the rear drive becoming active. It's cool that it has the ability but honestly not something I'd miss from this type of car. Maybe good for a getaway car if you need to rob a bank.

I love that I can carry the family in comfort, all stretched out and the dampers in the softest setting allows me to ferry them around with a little waft.

Game changer for me is the travel assist which is pretty close to automated driving. Reduces the fatigue and burden of long trips by 50% plus which for me is something I really value.

Even with the performance I can get 43mpg on a long run so best of both worlds.

Massage seats with the heating are amazing especially after an evening swim.

Matrix lights are great too.

It does everything I need and it does it well without having to shell out mega money for a premium badged car, and I think that's part of the fun of it. I've got my cake and I'm eating every slice.

I get that Novichok, thank you for sharing your ownership emotions and the lovely photos. That’s an understated, classy car. Lovely rims and good to know that, even on those 19” ones, the ride is still comfortable using the damper settings.

The dealer got back in touch with me this evening. Goodness, he works late! He is asking for me to send him the specification for the car one last time so he can check and finalise the pricing. I’ll do that in the morning. You need to get these things right!

Thanks again.

No problem. I understand that thr 265 is 2.5bar tyre pressure whereas the rest of the range is 2.3. On 2.5 the ride was poor and noisy. I dropped it to 2.3 and it's great.

How hard is it to test drive a 2.0TSI Superb? Very hard, or so it seems! The best I have been offered is two test drives - the first in a diesel Superb to assess the interior cabin and comfort, followed by a Kodiak vRS to assess the engine and gearbox. Another dealer offered me their 1.5 hybrid as a viable alternative.

I have spoken twice to Skoda Customer Services U.K. On the first occasion I was simply transferred to my nearest Skoda dealer. No success because they don’t have any 2.0TSI available - either the 265bhp 4x4 or the detuned FWD version. On the second occasion, earlier today, my call was answered by an AI bot whose English was perfect and had no need to pause or breath. In the end I simply asked to speak to a human being and was put through. The lady, from what sounded like an offshore call centre on the other side of the world, was pleasant enough but could only follow a fixed process, gave no evidence of any actual knowledge of the issue under discussion and was little better than the AI bot.

I now have an appointment to visit the dealership on our return from Italy, test drive one or more cars which are not anywhere near an accurate representation of the Superb we are seeking and then presumably pay our deposit for the factory order. Hmm. The magazines gush over the flagship model, you guys on this forum do too and I understand why from a technical perspective. However, Mrs A will not be moved. A test drive in either of the TSI variants is her red line.

My workaround then is to check AutoTrader a few days before we begin our road trip home from Italy towards the end of the month. Usually there are one or two cars listed for sale as nearly new or pre-registered. If one of them is within a whisker of a short detour on the road north from SE England then I will call the dealer and ask for a test drive. Who knows, we may even buy it if the price is right and the specification correct. What a faff though. I had hoped that Skoda U.K. might have had some fleet, media or management cars available which we could try if we offered to head over to Milton Keynes. I suspect they have but the lady from the call centre was completely unsighted on such things and effectively operating in a different universe from the media team in England.

If anyone has any other thoughts or suggestions then please feel free to help.

Thanks.

PS. Black or Cognac interior with dark grey exterior paint? No kids, no pets. But just unsure if the cognac works when there are so many grey and black bits inside the cabin that don’t change when you choose the lighter faux leather interior.

Edited 14 October, 202514 Oct by Arianne
typos

The Mk4 launched with the diesel options and the 1.5TSi.

The 2.0TSi 4x4 was a bit of an oddball option as business users avoid it.

And the lower powered 2.0TSi FWD has not been available long which was a strange call as it had become the most popular option in the Mk3.

So the 2.0TSi's are rare on the dealer forecourts.

On 08/10/2025 at 17:48, logiclee said:

And a slightly different viewing angle .........

But a beautiful colour that tho, Lee. Looks good.

1 hour ago, logiclee said:

The Mk4 launched with the diesel options and the 1.5TSi……..

……….So the 2.0TSi's are rare on the dealer forecourts.

Thanks for explaining why it’s proving so difficult.