When you have 3 children, a large car is a must have. There needs to be enough room for 3 car seats in the back, plenty of boot space for all the luggage that children seem to travel with, and comfortable seating for the grown ups too. We were recently given the chance to try out the Skoda Superb Estate Outdoor Plus 2.0 TDI PS 4×4, and it arrived just in time for us to load it up and head off to North Wales for our holiday – a journey of about 5 hours, so we knew the comfort and drive would get a real road test!
What did we love?
- The 4X4 element gives a really smooth ride, even over the rough and hilly back roads of the Welsh mountains.
- The wide back seat is suitable for 3 car seats, although it is a tight squeeze. Do bear in mind that we have one large, rear facing seat which takes up a fair bit of the space – 3 high backed boosters would be a more comfortable fit I think. The seats also have Isofix as standard, so you can use most car seats.
- The front seats are leather, comfortable and heated, and even after 5 hours in them we were not in any way uncomfortable.
- The cruise control, power steering, electric windows and mirrors and the climate control make for a comfortable journey no matter what the weather or driving conditions, and everything is simple, almost intuitive to use.
- The dashboard features everything you could need. The sat nav system is inbuilt, and offers a choice of routes as well as allowing you to search for petrol stations, food outlets, supermarkets and other places you may need on your journey.
- The huge boot gave us so much storage space. We thought our current car had a large boot, but the Skoda is in another league altogether. The boot is enormous, and we had plenty of space for holiday luggage for 5 plus a big pushchair
- We also had the use of an electric cool box and an iPad holder. The cool box is a great idea for family days out – just plug into the socket in the boot and you can keep your picnic cool until you need it. It also works well for taking things like milk with you on holiday, so you can have a cuppa when you arrive! The iPad holder is a lifesaver for long journeys, as it mounts on the headrest and means the children can watch films etc. If you have more than 1 child, you would really need 2 of these!
- It is very economical to run – you can drive a really long way before the fuel needle drops. We did a LOT of driving, from Devon to North Wales, plenty of day out visits when we were there and all the way home, and only had to fill the tank once. We still had over half a tank left when we got home.
What we didn’t love so much
- The only real criticism I have is the back seats. Although I have already mentioned this as a positive as you can get 3 car seats across the back, I am also going to mention it as a slight negative, as it is a very tight squeeze, meaning lots of pulling car seats about to get them all installed and strapped in. It is not something I would want to be doing on a daily basis. I think the main reason for this is the fact that the Skoda has 2 standard sized seats with a smaller area in between – this is what makes it hard to get a third car seat in – it’s not a full sized seat. In our current car, we have 3 separate seats and this makes it easier to fit the 3 children in.
Overall, we loved the Skoda Superb Estate Outdoor Plus. It is smart, a dream to drive and with lots of great features that make journeys more enjoyable. We would definitely consider Skoda when we next buy a car.
I have no idea how parents with three children get them all in the car! This is such an insight. I find the logistical challenge of two quite enough! The car looks great though – thanks for the review! x
Mummy Says recently posted…Fisher-Price Crawl Around Car Review and Video
That boot is massive. This is actually a nice looking car, would definitely make me think about a move to a Skoda x
looks fab but it wouldn’t fit my brood in lol #triedtested
Chantelle Hazelden recently posted…T is for …. Time
It sounds like a great car, so many plus points.
#Tried/Tested
fashion-mommy recently posted…Reviewed – Navy Lace Shift Dress from Kaliko
What a fantastic looking vehicle! I have never heard of this maker, must not be in the States, yet.
The Mad Mommy recently posted…All Dolled Up With eShakti!
Lovely looking car and the iPad holder is a great idea!
Oooo I am looking for a new car. It does look lovely and I am a right mummy geek and love checking out the boot space in other people’s cars 😉 Are the seats separate or is it a shelf?
Great review 🙂
Emma Lander recently posted…Freebie galore at the Baby and Toddler Show
I’ve known a heap of people who have Skodas as family cars and love them! Interesting to read a car review from a parent blogger – there should definitely be more of these!
Kate, Baby Routes recently posted…September Ramblings
We’ve had Skoda Fabia’s before and really like them. My step dad now has an Octavia and it’s lovely-it has the in built sat nav. I think they offer very good value for money.
Iona@Redpeffer recently posted…My Inspiring Mood Board
Great Review, actually looking for a new car at the minute and so it seems skoda might be a brand to look in to!
Baby Chaos recently posted…Review – Cherub Chews – Breastfeeding Necklace
Looks good. I don’t have the 3-seat issue. And how fab to get a car to review. Must have been a shame when you had to hand it back #TriedTested
Yet Another Blogging Mummy!!! recently posted…#Afterschoolchefs Challenge
When I was looking for my last car, I looked at Skoda Octavia Scout 4×4, but I wanted nearly new and a) they just were hard to come by and b) they were extortionately priced for a nearly new car. I really liked them to drive – our local vets tend to have them for company use.
This one definitely looks like a more executive version than the ones I looked at a couple of years ago.
Emma T recently posted…The dinosaur that pooped the past – book review
looks nice!! I have a fiesta at the moment, it’s a bit a of squeeze with 3 of us so if we have another will definitely need a bigger car #triedtested
Rachel Melton recently posted…First day at nursery
This really does look fabulous Kate! So spacious and the leather seats make it look luxurious. My friend has a Skoda and she is thrilled with it.
We love that area of the world and visit regularly. The Skoda looks great, really smart and spacious and great to read it’s economical!
Jen @mymummyspennies recently posted…Doc McStuffins Carry Along Clinic
That boot is amazing! I never thought I would be swooning over the size of a boot! I couldn’t believe how hard it was to find a car that would fit three car seats in, when we found out we were having twins in was a total panic, like you said we went for one that has three individual seats but this does looks great because of all the extra space xx #triedtested
hayleyfromhome recently posted…Annabel Karmel Quick & Easy Weaning – Book Review
This looks like a great family car! Fab review 🙂
Katherine GG recently posted…Nestlé Spooky Shreddies – Limited Edition Cinnamon Flavour!
This looks great. I think that Skoda had a bit of a bad rep at one time and it’s hard to shake that off even though their recent cars seem really good. My father in law has a Skoda and he’s been really pleased with it.
Zoe Corkhill (Mama Geek) recently posted…#ShoesieTuesday with Hotter
Looks like a great car – the boot space is a huge plus for me!