The Skoda Superb Estate is good enough to keep the class-winning Passat on its toes. In fact, it has some worthwhile advantages over the Passat.

For one thing, it is absolutely huge inside. There are acres of room for rear-seat passengers, and the Superb’s enormous 633-litre boot is even bigger than the VW’s. Our test car was the 4×4 model, making the Superb better suited to staying on farm campsites.

At motorway speeds the Skoda felt as stable as any rival, but in the lane-change test it couldn’t quite match the excellence of the Passat: the rear of the car was pushed around more by the caravan.

There’s no arguing with the performance from the 2.0-litre diesel engine, though. Even pulling a total weight of around three tonnes, it took just 13.2 seconds to pull from 30-60mph. The brakes were strong enough to stop car and caravan from 30mph in 11.9m on a wet track.

Our testers found that the Superb’s conventional handbrake needed a firm pull to hold car and caravan still on the 1-in-6 test hill, but otherwise the Skoda coped easily in first gear or reverse.

With a price tag just under £30,000, the Skoda certainly isn’t cheap, but Elegance-spec cars are packed with equipment. If you’re in two minds about spending that kind of cash on a Skoda, then it’s worth remembering that the Superb took the top spot in the 2013 JD Power Customer Satisfaction Survey.

2019
Category Winners
2019 Up to 1400kg

Škoda Octavia

Hatch 1.5 TSI 150PS SE L DSG

2019 1400-1549kg

Seat Ateca

2.0 TSI 190PS FR DSG

2019 1550-1699kg

Volkswagen Arteon

2.0 TDI 150PS Elegance DSG

2019 1700-1899kg

BMW 520d

Touring xDrive M Sport

2019 1900kg+

Land Rover Discovery

3.0 SDV6 HSE

2019 Best Budget 4x4

Dacia Duster

1.5 dCi Ambiance 4x4

2019 Best Plug-In Hybrid

Land Rover Range Rover Sport

P400e HSE Dynamic

2019 Best Ultralight Tow Car

Seat Arona

1.0 TSI 115 FR

2019 Fuel Economy Award

Ford Focus Estate

1.5 EcoBlue 120PS Titanium X

Previous Winners
2018
1700-1899kg

BMW 520d

Touring xDrive M Sport

2017
1900kg+

Land Rover Discovery

3.0 Td6 HSE*

2016
1400-1549kg

Skoda Superb Hatch

2.0 TDI 150PS SE Business

2015
1400-1549kg

Volkswagen Passat Estate

2.0 TDI BMT 150PS SE Business DSG

2014
1400-1549kg

Nissan Qashqai

1.6 dCi (130PS) Stop/Start System Acenta Premium

2013
Up to 1424kg

Skoda Octavia

2.0 TDI CR 150PS Elegance

2012
1725–1899kg

Jaguar XF

2.2D Premium Luxury

2011
1425-1574kg

Volkswagen Passat Estate

2.0 TDI 170 Bluemotion Sport

2010
1900kg+

Land Rover Discovery 4

3.0 TDV6 XS

2009
1900kg+

Volvo XC60

D5 SE Geartronic

2008
1575-1724kg

Ford Mondeo Estate

2.0 TDCi Titanium auto

2007
1575-1724kg

Volkswagen Passat Estate

2.0 TDI Sport 4Motion

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