Exterior
Bodywork fit and finish is excellent, the twindoor boot/hatch convenient and easy to operate. Boot opening automatically from remote also useful. The boot/hatch only needs gentle pressure to shut, a touch of quality. Self-supporting bonnet a nice feature.
Doors open wide giving easy access, but once you're seated inside it can be a stretch to reach the interior handle to pull the door shut.
Interior
There's loads of space in the front, the back and the boot (which has the usual Skoda assortment of fixing and hanging points).
Leather seats are comfortable and electric adjustment make it easy to get right for my 6'3" - also for my wife's 5'8" as the memory function resets the seat for each of us as we unlock the car with our individual remotes. On long journeys I notice that my left knee presses against the central console, otherwise I can sit for long periods without problems. Passengers in the rear have commented that they are more comfortable than normal.
Instruments are easy to read and the computer readout for journey distance, time and fuel consumption very useful. The satnav seems efficient and a repeat of the important bits directly in front of the driver a good idea as the multipurpose clear colour screen can take the driver's viewpoint away from straight ahead. This does replace the trip computer, though. Compared with the Garmin unit I used previously the voice is a bit more synthetic when words are obviously spliced together.
In general the entertainment unit is very good; about 12GB of the 30GB HDD is used for the operating system and satnav maps etc, but the remainder is more than adequate for loads of good-quality mp3 music files. The standard speaker system has tweeters with a peaky response, and I find I have to reduce the treble more than I'd like in order to avoid unpleasant squeaks.
I wish I'd specified the wood trim as the shiny metal strip on the dashboard reflects in the side windows, in sunny weather reducing the effectiveness of the driver's door mirror.
I tend to set and forget he climate control - it just does what it needs to and keeps the interior a pleasant environment.
Refinement
A few years ago I chose a Passat rather than a Superb because the prices were similar (no VAT discount at the time),the Passat handled slightly more sportingly, and more importantly sounded far less like a diesel (both had the 2 litre 170 PS TDI CR engine). I feel that better sound deadening would improve the Superb, especially at idle and low speeds. Once on the move mechanical noise (and indeed wind and road noise) are not a significant issue, and on motorways in particular it eats up the miles effortlessly. Whereas the engine could be less obvious around town, it is smooth and has very little vibration in any situation.
The body feels rigid with no squeaks and rattles so far, and the ride and handling a very good balance, but sharp bumps like potholes and drain covers cause significant thump and shake inside. Possibly the wheel size on the Elegance contributes to this.
Performance
Torque and flexibility are the plus points of the engine; for best economy the computer display seems to try to keep RPM under 1500 in the lower gears, and the car will pull cleanly away from 1000 in gears 1-4. Once above about 40 mph you are encouraged to be in 6th gear, and on the motorway 70 mph corresponds to about 2100 RPM. I have not found a motorway incline that necessitated a change down, and a short burst of speed for overtaking is very easy with a slight tweak of the right foot.
While the engine will rev cleanly to the 5000 RPM line, there is little point in hanging on to the lower gears as the torque is very effective from 2500-3500 RPM.The gearbox is a delight to use.
Economy
The 140 PS diesel Octavia I drove before this Superb was the most economical car I have owned, and I was apprehensive of the effect of (1) a more powerful engine (2) a bigger and heavier car (3) the 4X4 option that I chose because the Octavia was not great in wintry conditions. Surprisingly the Superb is close in urban driving, about 42 against the Octavia's 46 mpg, but on long motorway runs the Octavia could reach 60 mpg while the Superb struggles to better 48; maybe the Octavia's longer gearing helped. Incidentally my figures are computed using the odometer for distance and actual fuel used at the pump. The computer seems to be about 5% optimistic, which I have found in all cars I have owned.
Conclusion
At any price this is a fine car; if you can get a good discount the Superb is an unbeatable package. Be prepared for more difficult parking because of its length, but also enjoy relaxing, comfortable travel with lots of included goodies.