Triple test: Skoda Superb v Ford Mondeo v Volvo S60

Bigger space for smaller money, but is there more than that to Skoda’s popular big saloon against two of its toughest rivals?

Skoda hit the jackpot with the Superb. It costs less than the benchmark Ford Mondeo – yet there are few cars even in the class above that can match the sheer size of its cabin.

The new third-generation model is bigger than ever – yet it’s also lighter and therefore more efficient. Its spec list is packed with more kit than ever, too.

Sounds like the rest of the world should just go home, right? Well, determined that Skoda’s not going to have it its own way are the latest version of the Mondeo, represented here in 2.0 TDCi 150 Titanium form, and the Volvo S60 D3 Business Edition. That’s the reigning ride and handling champ, and a car whose emissions score alone could clinch it if tax-efficiency matters most.

These are lined up against the Superb in 2.0 TDI 150 SE Technology form.

Work the dealers and you’ll find that what we’re comparing here is a £20,686 Skoda against a £23,281 Ford and a £23,647 Volvo. Round one to the Superb, then – especially as higher tax bills and heavier depreciation mean the Mondeo is more expensive to run whether as a company or private car.

You get plenty for your money whichever you buy, in terms of both safety kit and stuff like cruise, nav and climate. However you look at it, though, the Superb is the best-value purchase here.

Does best-value equal best full-stop? Try sitting in the back seats, or loading stuff in the boot, and it’s no contest. With space, space and more space, Skoda is pulverising the opposition at this point.

The Mondeo is still good as a luggage-lugger, though, and its back seat will take two adults in decent comfort. The S60 is struggling to keep up here, though – space its rear seats is less generous, and its traditional saloon-car design does nothing for its practicality.

Volvo is however generous with its cabin materials, which helps make the S60 feel classier. Only as classy as the Superb, though, which as well as being very well built is also very well laid out. The Mondeo lives with it here, but the S60 doesn’t – and with Ford making do with some cheap plastics and low-rent design, this is yet another area in which Skoda is the strongest overall.

On the road, there’s not a lot in it in terms of performance or refinement. The Superb is fastest by a slim margin and the S60 has the quietest engine, but handling-wise the Mondeo continues to be the best in this class. Its chassis is lithe and supple and its steering is full of communication; the S60, on the other hand, neither steers nor handles with the panache we’d expect, and it lags well behind the Ford and, indeed, the Skoda too.

Volvo claws some points back on ride quality, providing at least one area in which the S60 is clearly the best of this group. The Superb we tested had Skoda’s optional adaptive suspension, but as standard the S60 has a settled, steady ride that helps make up for its lack of grip and composure in corners.

Despite this, it’s Volvo that falls first in the final reckoning. The S60 is smooth and comfy, but the others have it well beaten in terms of practicality and cabin ergonomics, and its handling lets it down too.

How much handling means to you determines how much of a gap there’ll be between the Superb and Mondeo. It means a lot to us, so we’d put the Superb a little way ahead, but if you want a saloon car for the things most people want a saloon car for there might prove to be several lengths in it. Either way, there’s clear daylight between Skoda and Ford, and very clear daylight between both of them and Volvo.

Specifications: Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi 150 Titanium

Engine size 2.0-litre diesel
List price £25,095
Target price £23,281
Power 148bhp
Torque 258lb ft
​0-60mph 9.7sec
Top speed 134mph
Fuel economy 45.1mpg
CO2 emissions 115g/km

Specifications: Skoda Superb 2.0 TDI 150 SE Technology

Engine size 2.0-litre diesel
List price £23,280
Target price £20,686
Power 148bhp
Torque 251lb ft
​0-60mph 9.6sec
Top speed 134mph
Fuel economy Not tested
CO2 emissions 108g/km

Specifications: Volvo V60 D3 Business Edition

Engine size 2.0-litre diesel
List price £24,545
Target price £23,647
Power 148bhp
Torque 236lb ft
​0-60mph 9.6sec
Top speed 134mph
Fuel economy 51.3mpg
CO2 emissions 102g/km