Skoda Superb Greenline Estate (2012) long-term test review
By the CAR road test team
Long Term Tests
In search for a second-hand Skoda Superb
With the end of my time with the Skoda Superb estate fast approaching, I find myself contemplating the future and getting a little anxious. The thought of life without her and her big booty fills me with dread and fear. And so it is, late at night and after a couple of glasses of wine I find myself sat alone in the dark and online.
The Auto Trader website search boxes pops up on the screen, still filled with the evidence of my last automotive fantasy. I scrolled from ‘Ferrari’ to ‘Skoda’ and from ‘360’ to ‘Superb’ and let myself seriously entertain the possibility of buying a car. Of buying a Skoda Superb.
A total of 527 cars appear for sale secondhand in the UK. This may sound a good choice, but dropped to just 119 when I specified an estate model. This reflects the rarity of the Superb, and to put it into context if I were shopping for an Audi A4 Avant of the same age I would have double the cars to choose from.
The first page of Skodas looked good value indeed, with 2011 cars having covered half the miles of our long termer for just thirteen grand. On closer inspection these all turned out to be the poverty-spec ‘S’ models powered by the 1.4 TSI. Having grown accustomed to my cars top of the range Elegance trim I now feel unable to do without heated leather seats and xenons, so I go in search of something more befitting my status and typed ‘Elegance’ into my search criteria.
As the new page of search results flash up, I find myself staring at my car: a 2011 1.6 TDI Elegance Greenline finished in Candy White. They could have been twins. This model is on sale at a dealer, has covered 16,500 miles and is offered for sale at £18,000.
Food for thought indeed, but not the bargain I was hoping for. It seems that the resale values of Skodas now hold up well - their engineering soundness and improving image has bolstered secondhand Skoda values. Indeed prices for pre-owned Skoda Yetis are not far short of new prices due to a six-month waiting list for new cars.
Still, every cloud has a silver lining. If the secondhand values are strong, maybe it would make more sense to go for a brand new car in my personal choice of colour, engine and spec. It’s going to be a long night...
By Mark Fagelson
Long Term Tests
In search for a second-hand Skoda Superb
With the end of my time with the Skoda Superb estate fast approaching, I find myself contemplating the future and getting a little anxious. The thought of life without her and her big booty fills me with dread and fear. And so it is, late at night and after a couple of glasses of wine I find myself sat alone in the dark and online.
The Auto Trader website search boxes pops up on the screen, still filled with the evidence of my last automotive fantasy. I scrolled from ‘Ferrari’ to ‘Skoda’ and from ‘360’ to ‘Superb’ and let myself seriously entertain the possibility of buying a car. Of buying a Skoda Superb.A total of 527 cars appear for sale secondhand in the UK. This may sound a good choice, but dropped to just 119 when I specified an estate model. This reflects the rarity of the Superb, and to put it into context if I were shopping for an Audi A4 Avant of the same age I would have double the cars to choose from.
The first page of Skodas looked good value indeed, with 2011 cars having covered half the miles of our long termer for just thirteen grand. On closer inspection these all turned out to be the poverty-spec ‘S’ models powered by the 1.4 TSI. Having grown accustomed to my cars top of the range Elegance trim I now feel unable to do without heated leather seats and xenons, so I go in search of something more befitting my status and typed ‘Elegance’ into my search criteria.
As the new page of search results flash up, I find myself staring at my car: a 2011 1.6 TDI Elegance Greenline finished in Candy White. They could have been twins. This model is on sale at a dealer, has covered 16,500 miles and is offered for sale at £18,000.
Food for thought indeed, but not the bargain I was hoping for. It seems that the resale values of Skodas now hold up well - their engineering soundness and improving image has bolstered secondhand Skoda values. Indeed prices for pre-owned Skoda Yetis are not far short of new prices due to a six-month waiting list for new cars.
Still, every cloud has a silver lining. If the secondhand values are strong, maybe it would make more sense to go for a brand new car in my personal choice of colour, engine and spec. It’s going to be a long night...
By Mark Fagelson
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