Adjusting the rearview mirror
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SUVs are taking over from estate cars as the practical vehicles of choice for many drivers, but estates still have an enthusiastic following of drivers who appreciate their practicality while losing little or nothing to the equivalent hatchback or saloon in terms of driving experience, performance, and economy.
They’re still relatively easy to find on the used market as a result, and carmakers now offer a good mix of estates for different tastes - from those focused mainly on style, to others that give even some large SUVs a run for their money on practicality. Throw in the financial benefits of buying a used estate, and this body style still makes a strong case for itself.
Estate cars are the workhorses of the passenger car world. Typically based on hatchbacks or saloons, they feature an extended roofline and often an extended body to create extra cargo space behind the rear seats. They’ve been around for more than 100 years, but really took off in the 1950s, doing a roaring trade before slowly falling out of favour in the 2000s as SUVs rose in popularity.
That slow decline from popularity means modern estates have moved away from their utilitarian roots and now often have sleeker styling than the hatchbacks they’re based on, and are rarely ever called ‘estates’ by their manufacturers - instead wearing names like Sportbrake, Touring, Avant, Sports Tourer, Shooting Brake, and others.
Used estate cars are still in demand because while they’re no longer the boxy, wardrobe-carrying cars of old, they still offer greater practicality than the equivalent hatchback or saloon, and the biggest even offer more cargo space than an SUV of similar price and size. Models like the Skoda Superb Estate and Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate have some of the biggest boots you’ll find in a car with five seats, but are more aerodynamic and better to drive than a similarly-sized SUV.
As estates are less popular today though, it’s getting more difficult to find affordable new models outside of one or two brands - which is why buying a used estate makes a lot of sense. Not only does it open up your potential choices, but you can typically pick up even a nearly-new estate for thousands less than a brand new one, thanks to depreciation.
If you’re considering an estate car then you’re probably most interested in how much boot space it has. Some cars billed as estates have little more room than the hatchback or saloon they’re closely related to. If the car you’re looking at has a stylish, swooping roofline, then chances are that styling has taken precedence over luggage capacity or a large, useful boot opening.
Manufacturer websites and most car review sites will list figures for how much boot space you’ll get, which is a good start, which you can then compare with your current car or with rival vehicles. Some estates have other practical features too, such as rear seats that flip down with a single switch to create a large flat floor, or a separate opening glass rear screen to let you drop items into the boot without opening the whole tailgate, so keep an eye out for these.
Otherwise, your choice may be dedicated by budget, but luckily there are estate models at virtually all levels on the market, with wallet-friendly models from the likes of Dacia all the way up to the high-performance electric Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo.
Estate cars aren’t as commonplace as they used to be, but are still relatively easy to find, especially with particular makes and models. You won’t struggle to find a Touring version of a BMW 3 Series or 5 Series, or an Avant variant of an Audi A4 or A6 for instance, as these models are popular as new vehicles, and that popularity is reflected on the used marketplace.
Most car buying websites will have some way of narrowing down your search to cover only estate cars - on the RAC’s used car website you can filter by vehicle type and estate is one of the options, for example, which will then allow you to scan through cars for sale at dealerships across the country. You may find some dealers list SUVs as estates, but once you’ve selected a few more search criteria, such as budget, age, mileage, or certain makes and models, it’s easy to find something suitable.
Buying a used estate car is little different from buying any other used car: your main aims should be to ensure the car you’re looking at is in good condition, has been looked after by its previous owners, and that you’re confident you can afford both the car and its upkeep before you sign on the dotted line.
A few checks to do before you even view a car are to put the vehicle’s numberplate into a history checker to ensure everything is above board - no outstanding finance, no records of accident damage, and a solid MOT history (if the car is old enough to require one). It’s also worth getting a few insurance quotes on the model you’re looking at, and investigate how much it’ll cost to tax and is likely to cost in fuel.
Once you’ve chosen a used estate car, it’s always worth viewing the car in person, much as it’s tempting to buy online and have the car delivered to save time and effort. Not only will seeing the car in person give you an opportunity to test drive it, but it’s also a good chance to assess the vehicle’s general condition and ensure all the correct paperwork is with the car.
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