How good is the Superb III versus the rest you've owned/ driven

[Fxb]

I'm waititing (still!) for mine. But I'm really interested in owners comments

[RickTT]

Its much better refined than the Volvo S40 SE Lux 2012 i have been in since November when ordering the S3.

 

The build quality of the S3 is far superior to the S40, but then the S40 is really a 10 year old model with loads of face lifts and updates.

 

I have only covered 40 miles today, but everyone has been with a smile, great car to drive, car seems to pull its weight well and the on-board tech is good.

[ACWarwick]

Much happier than with my Mondeo Zetec that I have had for the last three years. It would have cost £2500 more to get similar spec on the latest Mondeo.

 

Build quality is so much better and love the equipment level on the SE Business, especially the Auto Hold and ACC.

 

Still getting used to few things such as connecting the phone but overall a pleasure to drive.

 

Covered 1500 miles in about ten days.

[Leeboy]

Changed from an Insignia to my S3 and the interior of the Skoda is just a much better place to spend your time whether truddling around in traffic or cruising on motorways etc. It can be hustled around corners too if you get line and approach speed correct!

Interestingly last week I was chauffeured to and from Heathrow and Abu Dhabi airports in the back of an BMW 520d and Audi A6 respectively. Cabin noise was easily comparable to the S3, and I'd say the 520 was worst, but likely down to tyres. The BMW is cramped too compared to the A6 and Superb (obviously) and as for materials and finish, there felt little in it to be honest.

Edited 22 March, 2016 by Leeboy

[johnboy615]

I've just come from a Mercedes C class coupe and am so relieved to do so. The comfort is SO much better in the Superb, I'm no longer bracing for the slightest pothole or even join in the carriageway. My girlfriend think the Skoda interior is "100 times classier" than the Mercedes, personally I put that down to the beige leather and the bigger sunroof. The media player on the Mercedes was much easier to use, I think I might actually have to RTFM to find out how to shuffle all 300 plus albums rather than just shuffle tracks from ONE chosen album! The Mercedes has so far better fuel consumption but I'm hoping that will change with mileage.

[CoCarUser16]

I've just come from a Mercedes C class coupe and am so relieved to do so. The comfort is SO much better in the Superb, I'm no longer bracing for the slightest pothole or even join in the carriageway. My girlfriend think the Skoda interior is "100 times classier" than the Mercedes, personally I put that down to the beige leather and the bigger sunroof. The media player on the Mercedes was much easier to use, I think I might actually have to RTFM to find out how to shuffle all 300 plus albums rather than just shuffle tracks from ONE chosen album! The Mercedes has so far better fuel consumption but I'm hoping that will change with mileage.

I think Mercedes have gone through quite a change recently though.

Their new C class interior takes a lot to be beaten IMO.

[johnboy615]

I think Mercedes have gone through quite a change recently though.

Their new C class interior takes a lot to be beaten IMO.

 

I can't argue with that. Unfortunately the C Class coupe has only just been replaced. Mine

was a 14 reg but effectively a previous generation car.

Edited 22 March, 2016 by johnboy615

[Wagon]

Just come from a Passat CC , mucho nicer ride in the S3 ,really pleased with it..3200 miles in now....

The CC bashed and crashed over everything , plus you couldn't see anything out of it due to the huge pillars and massive head restraints

[philsmith]

After 12 years of E class ownership the S3 is easily as good if not better in all departements.

Apart from one Merc I had with air suspension the S3 gives a  much more comfortable ride, can't understand the German fetish with 'sports suspension'

Also I got a much higher spec car for ten grand less than a new E class and 4x4 which you cannot get on UK E class cars.

 

But I must say I do like the look of the new E class interior, maybe the new digital dash rumoured to be going in to S3s will be just as nice.

[FelisBengalensis]

Although I haven't had anything that is able to offer a like for like comparison, the S3 is a very good car. Loads of space, comfortable, reasonably quiet, very well equipped for the price, great design and (on mine) well screwed together. The down sides being very poor fuel economy and a fiddly DSG program which seems to be either slow to react or in the wrong gear.

Comparison vehicles are all BMWs - a 330Cd Convertible which is a bit of an animal but gas a sublime engine (rubbish manual box) and an X6 40d which has a sublime engine and even better 8-sp auto. Both got nothing like the kit of the S3 without a lot of money being spent.

For commuting the S3 is the best of the three, and a big improvement in my previous three Octy 1 Combis. Overall I like it.

[linni]

 I think I might actually have to RTFM to find out how to shuffle all 300 plus albums rather than just shuffle tracks from ONE chosen album!

 

Superb II has the following workaround: put just one track into root folder of the memory card, start the track and then choose MIX. This will shuffle all your tracks. 

[RickTT]

After 12 years of E class ownership the S3 is easily as good if not better in all departements.

Apart from one Merc I had with air suspension the S3 gives a much more comfortable ride, can't understand the German fetish with 'sports suspension'

Also I got a much higher spec car for ten grand less than a new E class and 4x4 which you cannot get on UK E class cars.

But I must say I do like the look of the new E class interior, maybe the new digital dash rumoured to be going in to S3s will be just as nice.

Though.... My 5 series was crashy in the suspension department in the UK.. Though when on in France and all over Europe it was great due to their much superior road surfaces where the cars are mostly designed for. Edited 22 March, 2016 by RickTT

[nightrodspecial]

Well i came from a brief spell in a mini cooper 2.0s which i had for a year great car but so uncomfortable, although nothing overtook me!

Before that i had a 2011 XF 3.0 diesel and then a 2012  BMW 520D m sport.The wife prefers the Skoda and i must say i do ok the jag

was quicker but it was terrible on derv. in comparison to the BMW performance is about the same. I have the 190 version  dsg box

and i find it just as good as the auto box in the BMW.I am well chuffed with the skoda and in 2 months still not seen another!

[r08shaw]

I'm also coming from a C Class, estate though, and the difference is huge!!

Granted I only had the basic SE version, but the SEL Exec is just leaps ahead.

 

I must say that I was a little blinded by the shiny 3 pointed star initially and I did get a good deal at the time when I got the car. Now after 4 years of Merc motoring it was a no brainer to go for the Superb.

Bigger car, comfier seats, nicer interior, better tech/extras. Never again will the badge sway me.

 

My 6 yr old daughter likes it the most as now when she is sat behind me, 6'2", she has LEGROOM!

 

The C Class might be an estate, but its still quite small inside. The boot is also quite shallow.

 

Only picked mine up on Saturday, but I like the exclusivity. Only seen a handful on the road since launch so it still feels quite special.

Edited 22 March, 2016 by r08shaw

[johnboy615]

Superb II has the following workaround: put just one track into root folder of the memory card, start the track and then choose MIX. This will shuffle all your tracks. 

Thanks for that I got it to work though It seems you have to apply the shuffle every time you get in the car as it seems to revert to single play each time.

[sandervdw]

I can't argue with that. Unfortunately the C Class coupe has only just been replaced. Mine

was a 14 reg but effectively a previous generation car.

And the new C class coupe looks incredibly ugly on the outside...

[Nick_H]

Feels like a Limo compared to my old Scout. Better in just about every respect. Doesn't feel like it would go round corners as well but as you get used to it I bet theirs not much in it. Of course I can come out of the corners like the Millenium Falcon.

Only thing I miss is the raised height and the feeling that I could tackle some half decent off road paths.

[DynamicT]

It's not as well built or as comfy as Dad's 1990 E300-24, but then again nothing is built like a W124.

 

Good car all the same. It doesn't have magic powers though as some here seem to imply - it is built on a production line, to a price, and will eventually disintegrate. We enjoy it rather a lot in the meantime, solid value compared to other VAG group models and a much nicer interior than anything from Ford, Peugeot or Hyundai.

Edited 22 March, 2016 by DynamicT

[Superb170]

After 12 years of E class ownership the S3 is easily as good if not better in all departements.

Apart from one Merc I had with air suspension the S3 gives a much more comfortable ride, can't understand the German fetish with 'sports suspension'

Also I got a much higher spec car for ten grand less than a new E class and 4x4 which you cannot get on UK E class cars.

But I must say I do like the look of the new E class interior, maybe the new digital dash rumoured to be going in to S3s will be just as nice.

Would you say refinement is comparable? Interesting comments from all on the comparisons with some of the premium brands. Comfort and refinement are two key areas for me. Will be making a decision in the coming months on whether to go with the SIII so reading these threads with great interest.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Sagalout]

I would say that the S3 gives a more cossetted ride than either of the previous gen C and E class both of which were very hard IMO. Noise suppression is just as good if not better. Performance of the S3 is plenty for me and you don't really want to be pushing it; it is, after all, a cruiser not a sports saloon.

 

The other point about merc (and I think BMW) is that you can only get many of the higher end options on the 'sport' or 'AMG' models. So not only a harder ride but sports rather than comfort seats as well. I had an extended test drive in the latest basic model c class before opting for the S3. Although the ride in the basic model was a little more comfortable than the old model again the options I wanted were only available on the sport model which would have much harder ride.

 

Interior quality was undeniably better however; it felt more luxurious than the S3 and the quality was noticeable. However, it still had that cramped feeling. The S3 is not that far off on interior quality. It is certainly no longer a cheap, out of date interior design and I prefer the understated simplicity. 

 

So put the costs and the fact that I wanted a smoother, quieter ride with my playlist of toys then the S3 came out way ahead of either a Merc or Beamer. Didn't bother to look at Audi or VW as I don't like the minimalist styling of either and have you ever been into an Audi dealer to look at their cars-not a pleasant experience!

Edited 23 March, 2016 by Sagalout

[sandervdw]

I would say that the S3 gives a more cossetted ride than either of the previous gen C and E class both of which were very hard IMO. Noise suppression is just as good if not better. Performance of the S3 is plenty for me and you don't really want to be pushing it; it is, after all, a cruiser not a sports saloon.

 

The other point about merc (and I think BMW) is that you can only get many of the higher end options on the 'sport' or 'AMG' models. So not only a harder ride but sports rather than comfort seats as well. I had an extended test drive in the latest basic model c class before opting for the S3. Although the ride in the basic model was a little more comfortable than the old model again the options I wanted were only available on the sport model which would have much harder ride.

 

Interior quality was undeniably better however; it felt more luxurious than the S3 and the quality was noticeable. However, it still had that cramped feeling. The S3 is not that far off on interior quality. It is certainly no longer a cheap, out of date interior design and I prefer the understated simplicity. 

 

So put the costs and the fact that I wanted a smoother, quieter ride with my playlist of toys then the S3 came out way ahead of either a Merc or Beamer. Didn't bother to look at Audi or VW as I don't like the minimalist styling of either and have you ever been into an Audi dealer to look at their cars-not a pleasant experience!

The C-class has a very (very!) nice interior. It's way above it's rivals on this. As with all germans, the ride is a bit on the stiff side. The other germans have a bit higher quality interior, compared to the S3, but the difference is not that big.

And indeed, I hate Audi dealers, visited 5(!) to find an Audi A4 model to sit in (testdrive not available, only at main importer). As the A4 is their main seller, every dealer should have at least 1 available. Now I only got to see 1 trim-level. I don't care if they all got an A8 in the showroom, nobody buys an A8...

[philsmith]

I would say the S3 is not as refined as an E class.

 

Let me explain, Mercedes cars always feel to me like they have been carved out of a solid block whereas the Skoda feels like it has been assembled from parts.

[eurotraveller]

Well, we’ve had 4 consecutive generations of E-class (apart from the most recent) and currently still have a C350CDI.

 

Apart from general quality aspects, I don’t really get comparisons of Superb vs. C-class (or 3 Series for that matter) as the C-class is in my view a ‘2+2’ at best. It cannot – with any degree of humane comfort – accommodate 4, never mind 5 adults. The Octavia beats it hands down in that respect. We use ours strictly as a 2-seater.

 

On general build quality, the W124 was – as said above – in a ‘class’ of its own; nothing ever squeaked, nothing ever failed. I’d be amazed if any carmaker ever matched that again – it cannot be in their interest, after all.

 

Subsequent E-class generations were hit and miss; the W210 was downright poor (and a real dog to drive – it nevertheless continues to live ‘happily’ in the guise of the Chrysler 300). But, they were / are otherwise very solid with high-grade, more durable materials; generally a notch above the S2 I've had / the S3 I have.

 

There must be a reason, however, why a recent statistic published in Germany revealed the Superb Estate to be the car that’s driven for the most kilometres by private buyers. I think that has to be because it’s so close on comfort to Mercedes et al while costing so much less, especially to run. (My experience is of spending 2-3 times the amounts at Mercedes dealerships that I’ve spent at Skoda dealerships).

 

So the Superb wins easily in my book; and that’s before we get to the sure-fire deal-clincher: space!

Edited 23 March, 2016 by eurotraveller

[philsmith]

I had a W210 estate that went rusty around the windscreen! but it drove very well would never have called it 'a real dog to drive'

 

btw, the Chrysler 300 only used a few suspension/steering plus sundry other parts from the W210, it's an urban myth that it was a rebodied E class, probably put about by Chrysler to sell more cars!

Edited 23 March, 2016 by philsmith

[Prykey]

I firmly believe that the W124 Mercedes-Benz was the last Mercedes vehicle built to a standard and not a price, I had a 1994 E200 2.0 litre Petrol and the build quality was as if it was hewn from solid granite; everything about it was quality it was much better then the W201 190E LE that it replaced and in some ways I probably should never have sold it at just over 2-years old with 7,700 miles on the clock.

 

However we are talking about cars now that are of the modern era made from lightweight high strength steel, highly efficient engines and transmissions, technologically more advanced tyres and with a greater choice interior trim materials.

 

I'm pretty sure that the Superb still is value for money when you take into consideration the kit levels and space both for passengers and luggage compared to M-B and BMW alternatives and both of these have had to step up and offer more kit as standard as people don't want to pay extra for things these days.

 

If they could only get control over their ordering, building and shipping information it would resolve almost all of the issues that people have on here and remove the miss information from SUK and their Dealers (or at least some of them) yes they may have been caught out by the number of sales and have had supply issues, however they have now had time to recover from this surely!

 

I'm sure that it cannot be beyond the wit of man to be able to use your order number to access the log of events for your vehicle on-line so that you don't need to refer to either SUK or your dealer after all these things are bar coded so that the factory knows what country, what trim, what engine, what transmission, what colour, what wheels and what extras are required to complete the build of your vehicle or am I being too simplistic here?

 

As I've said previously hang on in there if you are waiting as I'm sure that you will not be disappointed.

 

I'm sure that the comparisons will keep on coming however 350-miles in I'm still very pleased with mine.