Why the Skoda Superb Estate is the best estate car you can buy

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7 mins read

5 May 2010

There’s a particular kind of satisfaction that comes from a car doing exactly what it says on the tin – superbly. The Škoda Superb Estate has been doing precisely that for years, delivering class-leading space, a refined and comfortable ride and tremendous value, and the the judges at our sister title What Car? clearly haven’t tired of saying so.

At the 2026 What Car? Awards, the Superb Estate reclaimed its title as Best Estate Car, beating rivals that cost significantly more and proving, in the process, that the estate car is very much alive and well.

At 4.9 metres long – a full 10cm more than even Škoda’s largest SUV, the Kodiaq – the Superb Estate is a genuinely big car. But as What Car?’s judges were at pains to point out, none of that length is wasted. So, what exactly makes it the best estate you can buy right now? Here are the four big reasons.

Test drive the award-winning Škoda Superb Estate

Unrivalled interior space

Start with the thing that defines the Superb Estate above all else: its extraordinary sense of interior space. “There can be few families whose needs it wouldn’t satisfy,” What Car? said, and after spending time with the car it’s easy to see why that verdict is so difficult to argue with.

The interior, the judges declared, is “absolutely immense” – and it earns that description in every direction. Front passengers are treated to lots of steering wheel and seat adjustment, making it easy for drivers of all shapes and sizes to find a comfortable position. Rear passengers fare equally well: there’s enough head and leg room “to ensure that a family of four six-footers can travel together in comfort,” What Car? said, and those in the back are “positively indulged,” with a fold-down centre armrest, twin cupholders and even a portrait-orientated smartphone holder for watching media on the move. Even across three abreast, the cabin’s generous width means nobody feels short-changed on space.

Then there’s the boot – and this is where the Superb Estate really separates itself from the competition. Its 690-litre luggage bay is not merely the biggest boot of any estate car currently on sale in the UK; it eclipses those of a good many family SUVs as well. The BMW 5 Series Touring, the Mercedes E-Class Estate, most of the premium-badge class that charges considerably more – none of them can match it. Only the Volkswagen Passat Estate comes close to that figure, which is perhaps unsurprising given how closely the two cars are related underneath. The boot is low-lipped and usefully square in shape, making it as practical and easy to load as it is vast.

The plug-in hybrid version’s 510-litre boot is somewhat smaller – by result of the large battery pack beneath the floor – but even that comfortably bests the rival Mercedes E-Class Estate’s 460-litre bay, and the main cargo area retains its deep, square shape. Fold the 60/40-split rear seats and the Superb Estate’s load space expands into something that becomes genuinely difficult to fill, even on the most ambitious family trip. Škoda’s ‘Smart, Spacious and Stylish’ ethos runs through the rest of the cabin, too – from generous door bins and a cooled glovebox to the umbrella stowed in the driver’s door and the ice scraper built into the fuel filler cap. These are the details you stop noticing after a while, because they quietly become part of how the car makes your day a little easier.

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A very comfortable ride

Space means nothing if you arrive at your destination feeling tired and tense. Thankfully, the Superb Estate has long been regarded as one of the finest long-distance cruisers in its class, and the latest generation builds convincingly on that reputation. What Car?’s judges were particularly struck by how well it handles the kind of journey it’s most likely to be asked to do. “The Superb is anything but uncouth, particularly on the long motorway trips that are its stock in trade,” they concluded, “and it’s a tidy handler. In fact, you’ll be taking bends with confidence, such are its poise and reserves of grip.”

On the motorway, where the Superb Estate is most at home, it settles into a relaxed, unflustered rhythm that makes big distances feel smaller. Wind noise is well contained, and the suspension absorbs the worst of Britain’s varied road surfaces with admirable composure. The standard DSG automatic gearbox – fitted across the entire range – keeps everything smooth and unhurried, changing up through the gears with barely a ripple. The steering, meanwhile, is light and easy in town, making the Superb a pleasingly simple car to manoeuvre in tighter spaces, before building weight naturally at speed to provide the confidence and precision that faster roads and sweeping motorway curves demand.

Optional DCC adaptive suspension – available from SE L trim upwards – allows you to soften or firm the ride at the touch of a button, and it’s a worthwhile addition for buyers who regularly carry a full complement of passengers and luggage over longer distances. That said, even without it, the standard suspension is very well judged. Will Nightingale, What Car?’s Reviews Editor, was unambiguous after putting extensive real-world miles on the entry-level car: “It’s a tidy, reassuring handler, and none of the engines feel short on power. I covered a lot of miles in the entry-level 1.5-litre petrol-powered car, and I reckon it’s all most people will ever want or need.”

A range of engines to suit all needs

One of the Superb Estate’s considerable strengths is the breadth of its engine lineup. Whether you’re a high-mileage private buyer, a company car driver looking to minimise BIK tax, or a regular caravan tower in need of low-down grunt, there’s a powertrain in the range that makes sense for you – and every version comes with a DSG automatic gearbox as standard.

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What Car?’s recommended choice for most private buyers is the 1.5 TSI e-TEC 150: a 148bhp mild-hybrid petrol that strikes a genuinely well-rounded balance between performance, refinement and efficiency. It’s far from sluggish – What Car?’s judges confirmed that 0-62mph takes 9.2 seconds, which is more than adequate for confident motorway merging or swift A-road progress – and its mild-hybrid assistance makes a meaningful difference at the pumps, with creditable official fuel economy of 52.2mpg possible. The engine is smooth and reasonably quiet in everyday use, and because of the electrical assistance it rarely feels stretched even when the car is fully loaded with passengers and luggage. It’s easy to understand why What Car? calls it the pick of the range.

For buyers who regularly cover higher mileages or tow, the diesel options make an equally compelling case. The 148bhp 2.0 TDI 150 pulls strongly and consistently from low revs, making it better suited than the petrol for overtaking on dual carriageways and managing heavy loads without working hard. The more muscular 190bhp 2.0 TDI 193 adds standard four-wheel drive and is the natural choice for anyone who regularly hitches a loaded trailer or caravan. Notably, the previous-generation Superb Estate was, by What Car?’s own assessment, the most fuel-efficient load-lugger it had ever put through its real-world efficiency test – and the new model’s improved aerodynamics can only help push those numbers further.

Then there’s the PHEV. The Superb Estate iV delivers an impressive pure-electric range of up to 84 miles – a figure that puts many rivals firmly in the shade and makes short commutes and city driving genuinely emissions-free – and its 6% benefit-in-kind tax rate makes it a highly attractive proposition for company car drivers. The battery does reduce the boot to 510 litres compared to the mild hybrid’s 690, but as noted above, that’s still a genuinely large space by the standards of any class, let alone this one.

Well-equipped and priced to impress

Perhaps the single most compelling part of the Superb Estate’s story is how much car you get for your money. It significantly undercuts the BMW 5 Series Touring and Mercedes E-Class Estate on price, yet rarely leaves you with the sense that you’ve compromised in any meaningful way to get there. As What Car? put it in their awards write-up: “the Superb Estate undercuts the equivalent Passat on price, and it’s an awful lot cheaper than the 3 Series Touring. That leaves you with more money in the bank for, you know, family stuff.”

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That value is most evident when you look at the standard equipment list on the winning SE L trim. It arrives with faux leather seats, 18in alloy wheels, 14-way electric front seats, ambient lighting, matrix LED headlights and a hands-free powered tailgate – a list that many premium competitors would consider a paid-options catalogue. Add to that a large digital driver’s display, a touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and Škoda’s roster of ‘Smart, Spacious and Stylish’ convenience features, and the Superb SE L feels considerably more expensive than it actually is.

Safety is comprehensively addressed, too. The Superb Estate earned a full five-star Euro NCAP rating in 2024, matching the closely related Volkswagen Passat’s test scores, and comes with traffic-sign recognition, lane-keeping assistance, automatic emergency braking and a full complement of airbags fitted as standard across the range. Running costs are equally sensible: the 1.5 TSI mild hybrid’s official 56.5mpg figure is impressive for a car of this size and practicality, the diesel returns are even stronger for high mileage drivers, and PHEV buyers will benefit from low BIK contributions and the ability to cover daily driving entirely on electric power.

Put it all together and the Superb Estate’s case becomes almost irresistible. The boot is the biggest in the class, the interior is immense, the ride is composed and refined, the engine range is varied and efficient, and the standard equipment punches well above its price point. Which is, of course, precisely why What Car?’s judges keep arriving at the same conclusion year after year. Maybe it’s time you did too.

Test drive the award-winning Škoda Superb Estate