SKODA SUPERB ESTATE

After 11k miles, has our five-star car also become a long-term legend?

- ILLYA VERPRAET

WHY WE RAN IT To see whether this new big estate really is a flawless family hauler

The Superb had been away from me for a while, getting passed around the team for all to experience its brilliance. It did a long stint with photographer Jack Harrison, munching some serious miles driving all around the country at an average of 54.7mpg (that's a brim-to-brim calculation, although the digital readout is dead accurate). He managed to get 868 miles out of a tank on one occasion, which is brave on his part and impressive on the car's. He reports that there's very little about it that he doesn't like, it swallows his gear with ease and it's great for doing car-to-car photography, because the boot is big and the ride is soft.

It's also worth mentioning that everyone, short or tall, seems to get on with the seats.

Anyway, I needed it back recently so I could drive to Belgium to see my parents and pick up a big mirror, some artwork and other odds and ends. Not exactly a challenge for the Superb, but somehow it turned out to be slightly fraught.

When I picked up the car from our office, I immediately thought: “Am I going mad, or is the ride significantly worse and the engine noisier than I remember?” It occurred to me that I had better check the tyre pressures and engine oil when I got home.