Ideas for estate car please!

Norma_Desmond

optimus_primera wrote: »

I had a 406 estate, best car i've ever owned.
Maybe its the more modern offerings that are not so good??

Our Focus Zetec estate is 12 years old and still going strong :T
We won't swap it until it dies.

ventureuk

Graham29 wrote: »

Hi All,

Me and the OH are trading in both our cars and are getting an estate (3 big dogs and a baby!)

We have roughly 12,000 to spend and I would like some recommendations please!

I was thinking Audi A4, Ford Mondeo, Mazda ?, don't want a Peugeot or Renault after bad experiences!

Any suggestions? I would like quite a good spec, leather seats are a must with the dog hairs and baby sick! Obviously it won't be new at that price, anybody got the cars above, or can recommend another estate that I might not have considered?

Thanks
Graham

http://www.thecarpeople.co.uk/find-a-car/car-details/saab-9-5-manchester-146175.htm

It'll be a little heavy on fuel but then you'll pocket over 2k from your 12k budget, low mileage, basic service is only £130-£150 at a SAAB specialist, loads of space, huge boot, 1/2 leather, SAAB petrol turbo will give you a smile and do 150000 miles without a hiccup whilst offering total protection for your family.

You won't find a larger, more reliable, sizeable, solid, fun and well specified car for the money.

But then I have two SAABs so I am biased.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hc0buYIZXI&feature=related

ukjoel

Your only issue with the Superb (and reason I didnt mention it) is that the estate version has only been out for 6 months to a year.

The Residual values are pretty strong so I think you would struggle to get much for 12k (especially with a nice spec)

The Octavia however has been around a while (although facelifted and upgraded often) so you will get a lot more for your money.

The 170 DSG vRS diesel would be my personal choice.
While I agree the elegance and L&K are more opulent in my experience it meant more things to go wrong.

There is a previous version of the Superb but that was only ever made as a saloon.

lovethymini

Lum wrote: »

He'll regret that.

I regret swapping my £400 1994 Volvo 940 for a company Mondeo.

Can I ask why?

LandyAndy

I have a Mazda6 TS2 2.2l 163 diesel estate bought new in Sept 2009. I would thoroughly recommend it. Comfortable. handles well, big load area, 45-50 mpg. So far we have done 19,000 miles and nothing has gone wrong, broken or fallen off.

bigjl

Gene_Hunt wrote: »

What about a Rover 75 with a revvy k series engine?

What has that to do with the information requested by the OP!

It must be great having all the time to spend ruining this forum for the rest of us.

bigjl

Flying-High wrote: »

I quite like these.. I've been looking at 06ish ones for the GF. HDis as a VTR Estate.....

Air Suspenion? Arent they all Hydraulic anyway?

£12k would get a 58/59plate VTR.

Only thing that would put me off spending 12k on a C5 is depreciation...

Spending your money I'd go C5 my Money and I'd come back with slightly older A6 Avant S-line...:D

The new C5 is available with more traditional macpherson strut suspension as an option.

Flying-High_2

bigjl wrote: »

The new C5 is available with more traditional macpherson strut suspension as an option.

:)Have just read that in the Brochure the GFs come home with...

Double wishboned up front and multilinked at the rear...

Lum

lovethymini wrote: »

Can I ask why?

I found the Volvo 940 more comfortable on long distances; the engine was more responsive which made gear changes a lot easier; there was a decent amount of feedback through the steering wheels and suchlike, whereas the Mondeo feels like you're cocooned in a little metal bubble controlling your car with a Playstation steering wheel; larger windows and narrower pillars meant much greater visibility, particularly when reversing; the heated front windscreen annoys the hell out of me when driving towards the sunset, which is quite common when you live towards the west of the country; oh and there was more room for stuff.

If it were my own car I'd also worry about the inevitable failure of the DPF and DMF. The Volvo is much easier to work on yourself.

The Mondeo does have some advantages, it's more efficient and the heated front screen is nice when it's iced up. You still have to get the scraper out to do the sides and the mirrors though.

Flearoy

Lum wrote: »

I found the Volvo 940 more comfortable on long distances; the engine was more responsive which made gear changes a lot easier; there was a decent amount of feedback through the steering wheels and suchlike, whereas the Mondeo feels like you're cocooned in a little metal bubble controlling your car with a Playstation steering wheel; larger windows and narrower pillars meant much greater visibility, particularly when reversing; the heated front windscreen annoys the hell out of me when driving towards the sunset, which is quite common when you live towards the west of the country; oh and there was more room for stuff.

If it were my own car I'd also worry about the inevitable failure of the DPF and DMF. The Volvo is much easier to work on yourself.

The Mondeo does have some advantages, it's more efficient and the heated front screen is nice when it's iced up. You still have to get the scraper out to do the sides and the mirrors though.

Only when I'm feeling nostalgic do I wish I still had my old Volvo (a 240) rather than the Mondeo's I've owned/still own (Mk2, currently have a Mk3). While my old Volvo was reliable, safe and strong, it was slow, handled poorly and would never do above 29 mpg no matter what, compared to 40mpg I've got out of my current car (similar size petrol engines too). Don't know how much better than 940 was though.