Buying a used Skoda Superb (2009-2015)

If you are ever given the opportunity to name a motor vehicle, be like Skoda and pick something that leaves buyers in no doubt as to its intended role or quality.

As its name suggests, the Superb was intended to serve as an impressive and effective executive saloon; a car at odds with Skoda's perceived place in the market and also within the Volkswagen Group hierarchy.

The introductory Superb was based on an ancient Passat platform, however the cars that Australia began seeing in 2009 shared their underpinnings with the updated Passat and A4 Audi.

Measuring almost five metres in length and with a 2.78-metre wheelbase, the 3T Skoda offered loads of legroom and a massive boot. The only issue for buyers accustomed to seeing big cars with engines to match were the 1.8-litre turbo-petrol or 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engines used in the vast majority of local Superbs.

Topping our range there was a 191kW petrol V6 with mandatory All Wheel Drive. However the starting price for a 3.6 FSI Elegance was an equally healthy $55,900, and very few were sold.

Looking at the entry-level Ambition, running on premium unleaded and delivering 118kW, it cost a still-considerable $39,990. Helping justify the money, Skoda loaded the cabin with goodies that began with dual-zone climate control and added a glovebox chiller, rain sensing wipers and an excellent sound/driver information system.

The dash was typically Volkswagen, with smart-looking dials, sensible placement of controls and a large if complex in-dash display. Strangely, a reversing camera wasn't standard.

Ambition seats were cloth-covered and decently finished with lots of travel and side support. Adding leather as an option would cost $3000, but jumping from a TSI Ambition to the Elegance cost a maximum of $5000 and delivered a range of inclusions such as full leather, Xenon lights, powered front seats with heaters, bigger alloys and a 10-speaker stereo.

The sedan's prodigious supply of rear legroom is matched by an equally expansive load area and very clever 'TwinDoor' access which combined a hatch and conventional boot-lid. Boot capacity was 565 litres (a VEII Commodore sedan gives you 498L) before even thinking about folding down the rear seat to unleash a further 900 litres or so.

Comments so far have referred exclusively to the Superb sedan, however the 2010 range introduced a station wagon with its own set of attributes to consider.

The wagon roofline sloped in the manner of a Holden Sportwagon so your chances of hauling big cartons or tall pot-plants were compromised. However, the floor with seats lowered went on seemingly forever so your seven-foot surfboard would certainly fit. If you want to carry hazardous objects that could clobber or stab you in the event of a crash there were integrated tie-downs.

Skoda greeted 2014 with an upgraded and restyled Superb that was cheaper as well. The irrelevant 3.6-litre was dumped, making the Elegance 125TDI wagon at a starting price of $46,990 the most expensive Superb.

Sheet metal, lights and plastics forward of the windscreen were revised and LEDs used in the rear lights. Inside was a new steering wheel and seat upgrades plus a simplified means of operating the 'TwinDoor' hatch/boot.

Bigger wheels were added across the range and Automatic Parking Assist was standard in Elegance versions. Safety measures including nine airbags and Stability Control ensured easy passage to an ANCAP five-star safety rating for all versions of the Superb.

As kids leave school and head off to work or tertiary training, parental thoughts turn to safe, economical and affordable cars. Despite some reservations relating to the dodgy transmissions used in early cars, this spacious and fuel-frugal Skoda is definitely worth a look.

Open the door to a Superb sedan and the view is impressive. Slide into a front seat – leather-bound with electric adjustment if you can afford it – and it immediately exudes luxury. Move to the rear and you are confronted by sprawl space unlike any in this car's price bracket.

The Superb is a surprising car for a range of reasons. If you already have one on your list then you know how little they currently cost. You might also have noted that the sedan weighs around 1600 kilos and decided that a car with that kind of bulk being dragged along by a 2.0-litre diesel (or hard-working 1.8 petrol turbo) is going to be unapologetically slow. Well it isn't.

Straight-line performance isn't the best in the large-car sector but not the worst either. The diesel is said to chug its way from 0-100km/h in 8.9 seconds and sensible use of the transmission will deliver good overtaking response and help deal with bends that pop up in rapid succession to confuse automatic transmissions.

Even in 1.8-litre turbo form the engine hops into its work without any significant lag and quickly flicks through the seven available ratios. Diesels make do with six gears, however the DSG (Dual Clutch) transmissions are essentially the same.

In the quest for extra legroom the B6 wheelbase was stretched but the track left unchanged. The middle passenger in the back accordingly gets to sit on a lumpy bit of the seat and has nothing apart from fellow occupants to grab if cornering gets a bit willing.

The 205/55 tyres on early Ambition variants look too skimpy for the task thrown to them. However, people who have used these cars on rough roads and in all weathers say grip levels are excellent and the Traction Control works unobtrusively to ensure the wheels deliver power efficiently.

On the subject of efficiency, the fuel consumption figures delivered by diesel and petrol Superbs are also surprising. Skoda's claimed 6.6L/100km for the TDI sedan and 8.9L/100km for the TSI are achievable in the real world and only in heavy traffic or if being flogged along a rural road should a TSI use more than 10.0L/100km.

>> Skoda products that use Volkswagen-designed diesel engines are embroiled in the 'emissions cheat' controversy that surfaced in 2015. This has prompted legal actions and recall notices, so check that any car you're considering has been updated.

>> DSG transmissions have been subject to various operational problems including slow throttle response, 'shunting' under acceleration, thumping downshifts and delayed engagement of reverse. More recently, a recall issued in September 2019 identified a flaw which could cause the pressure accumulator to crack and allow transmission fluid to escape. Ensure before buying a Superb that all required rectification work has been completed.

>> The timing chain in petrol engines should last 200,000 kilometres but tensioners may not and almost certainly the water pump will need replacement at 100-130K. It's best to get the lot replaced together but also shop around for parts, as prices vary alarmingly.

>> Diesels notionally require replacement of timing belts and the water pump at 130,000 kilometres, however listen for squeaking and whirring from a cold engine and be wary of overheating. If the service history shows a belt change is imminent, make allowances when negotiating the price.

>> Skoda suspension and steering components are durable but won't last forever. Turn the wheel rapidly from lock-to-lock when moving slowly, feeling for loss of assistance and groaning noises. Clicking sounds in tight turns, cracking sounds as the wheels encounter potholes and tyres that are worn at the edges are warnings that repairs are required.

Used vehicle grading for Skoda Superb
Design & Function: 12/20
Safety: 14/20
Practicality: 14/20
Value for Money: 15/20
Wow Factor: 10/20 (Elegance)
Score: 65/100