Road test - Skoda Superb 1.8 TSI Estate

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Just occasionally a car comes along that I honestly can’t fault. Not a thing wrong with it. The Skoda Superb Estate is just such a car.

OK - if I was really picky I could say that the road noise was just a tad louder than you'd expect from a car in this class. And I suppose I would prefer it to have an Audi badge on the front rather than a Skoda badge - because it's certainly worthy of one. Except if it was an Audi it would be at least £10,000 more expensive.

The Superb lives up to its name in every respect. And in case you were wondering, that name isn't Skoda being presumptive. The Superb badge was used on a 1930s Skoda in an age when Czech-made Skodas were the Rolls Royces of Eastern Europe and nobody made up Skoda jokes.

This car looks good, has room to hold a small drinks party in the rear (biggest rear seat legroom in its class - by a country mile), still manages acres of load space, drives magnificently, has a powerful but frugal engine, is supremely comfortable, and has just about every goody you could wish for as standard. And all for not much more than £23,550. I test drove the Skoda Superb in Elegance trim level,  powered by a quiet and smooth 160 bhp petrol engine. The entry level 1.4 TSI is £17,720 - ridiculously cheap for a car of this size.

The Superb is an attractive car to look at - longer than many in its class and supremely elegant, which not all estate cars manage. Inside the car is spacious and comfortable with truly remarkable rear legroom.  Skoda seems to have pulled off a Tardis-like trick here.

The ride is soft, but positive and with its long wheelbase it feels stable even when cornering at speed. The engine is quiet, but provides more than enough power across the range and is particularly impressive when married to the six speed manual gearbox which enables you to make full use of the engine's capabilities. But it will still return respectable fuel consumption figures of 40.9 miles to the gallon in mixed driving.

The Elegance trim level gives you pretty much everything as standard. This includes meaty 18 inch alloy wheels, dual-zone electronic air conditioning, cruise control, parking sensors, a satellite navigation system, MP3/CD auto-changer with eight speakers and auxiliary connection, and automatic wipers and headlamps. Superbly comfortable heated front seats with electronic adjustment and memory complete the package.

Not much else you could wish for, really. And thrown in you get the satisfaction of knowing that your fellow drivers in Audis, Mercedes, BMWs, and the like have paid a lot more for less. The smugness comes free.