I first to know the Skoda estate when being given a lift by the chief executive of the Countryside Alliance. It was hard to see what his car’s interior was like because it resembled a landfill site: a mix of previous lunches on the go, dog hair, mud and spent shotgun cartridges. But Tim Bonner swore by his Skoda, and such was his faith that on the way to a day’s shooting in the Borders he attempted to drive it through a flood. The water was rising at a biblical rate and the car duly sank. As any true sportsman would, Bonner calmly retrieved his guns, hitched a lift and arrived in time for the first drive.

Most cars that drown are written off by insurers but the Skoda dried out like a reformed alcoholic and survived for another six years until, after a decade of life and a remarkable 226,000 miles, it finally had to be put down. It’s this rugged reliability that has won the Skoda so many countrymen’s hearts. Naturally those with deep pockets like to drive the swishest of BMWs and Audis, and if you want to spend tens of thousands of pounds more on an estate car you certainly can. But having spent a weekend with a Skoda I can confidently say that you don’t need to.

The Superb estate that was delivered to my doorstep was well chosen for a Field review. Four-wheel drive, diesel, with an optional tow bar (automatically retracting) and in a smart silver livery, this model is the perfect choice for rural life. It’s not townie brash; it looks as though it belongs in front of a stable or at a point-to-point. But the Skoda now benefits from a kind of reverse snobbery: no longer a joke or naff, it’s now comfortable in high society. In fact, we took it to Ascot where, like unflashy old money, it quietly held its own.

The Superb’s cavernous boot

Our journey around the M25 was supremely relaxing. The Skoda is a refined cruiser and with driver assistance and optional heads-up display the usually irritating stop-start traffic seemed not to matter. We arrived ready for a sweltering day’s racing cool, calm and without backache. A picnic, five passengers, chairs and tables can be carried with ease. If the weather had been bad there would have been plenty of space to eat lunch in the car. The Superb is cavernous, with the legroom of a limo and a vast boot that would effortlessly accommodate a pack of labradors. (Read The Field’s picnic ideas here.)

If you’re still a boy racer at heart the Skoda isn’t going to be for you but the diesel-powered model is no slouch and for real-world driving it has plenty of poke. In the Britain of speed cameras and traffic jams it’ll get you to your destination just as quickly as one of those high-powered estate cars that you see in Mayfair, and in just as much comfort. The big difference is that you won’t need to fill up the Skoda nearly as often. At a steady pace on the motorway the two-litre diesel will do 700 miles on a full tank: sufficient to get you from London to the Highlands this month without stopping to refuel.

Build quality

Skoda has been part of the Volkswagen Audi Group since 1991, and the fourth-generation Superb estate is built in Bratislava alongside the VW Passat whose platform, engine and direct-shift gearbox it shares. That explains why you get the build quality and solid feel of its cousins. However, you also get more interior and boot space than the Passat, and while an Audi might be more luxurious, it’s a lot more expensive.

The Skoda is all the estate car you could want. In fact, the best summary is its name: it’s Superb. And should you be daft enough to drown it, it may even spring back to life.

Skoda Superb SE L Estate: Tech specs

• Engine: 2.0-litre TDI diesel
• Power: 190hp
• Transmission/drivetrain: seven-speed DSG, 4×4
• Top speed: 142mph 0-60 mph: 7.3 sec
• Fuel efficiency: 47.1-47.9mpg combined
• CO2 emissions: 154-159g/km
• Price: from £41,580

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