Having been in the same situation – folding seats in a saloon will make the difference. Estate will be easier but saloon won’t make it impossible.

Are you sure you need a 3 litre? The VW 2.0 TDI engine is plenty quick and has so much torque it’s like being on the end of a rubber band. My boss has a 3l diesel A6 and it just eats tyres.

I usually get c23k miles out of a set of ‘premium’ tyres in 3.0 TDI Quattro – averaged over 70k miles in my last two cars.

5 series estate you say?

It has to be this for coolness…..

http://www.munichlegends.co.uk/component/option,com_rdautos/id,297/view,detail/

^^^although the above is uber cool, it was too expensive for me!

I went for a pristine 330d m-sport saloon with just about every extra it could have. It ticked ALL the boxes for the cash I had.

I have to say I think it’s going to be fine, the seats in the back split and fold (rare I believe) as well as having a ski hatch (and fridge in the arm rest!)

I’ve priced genuine roof bars with the THULE racks and it’s reasonable. I’m also fitting a ‘hidden’ removable tow bar which if done myself comes in at £160 or a lot less with the ‘traditional’ wiring.

I reckon she’ll be fine!

Cheers all.

Good stuff – the folding seats are super rare from what I gathered when looking for an E90 even though it wasn’t an expensive option.

Judging by the state of the interior of my company car when I cleaned it last, I’d be pretty hacked off using our nice car for bike transport.

Did you get an LCI car?

Get a rear seat hammock for the dog. They have straps that go around the front and rear headrests and a split zip so you can still take someone in the back with the dog. Waterproof and padded so great for dogs and stop the dog falling into the rear footwell or flying between the seats in an emergency stop.

We have a couple of cheap ones that have lasted okay but a friends clumsy lab has ripped them (we have a spaniel) so need a couple of new ones. Orvis do a lovely one if you are feeling flush.

If you buy an estate at no point will you think… “Oh I really should have got a saloon”
But vice versa would be very different!

**** choosing a car based on you carrying a bike in it 8 times a month.

If I could afford one I’d buy this in a flash then stick my Thule rack system ontop:

So people, what is the lower limit for buying an estate?

I need to change my car in the next month or so (she’s knackered), I go shooting, go biking a couple of times a month, have a dog (lab), live in the country, quite often need to move big stuff, etc, etc.

Estate sounds perfect, but I’m 25, and my mates all drive hot hatches or 4×4’s…………..

core an ideal compromise would be something like a Octavia VRS hatch.

Most hatches like ^ have the dimensions (length/width) just not the overall square edge at the very end like an estate has.

i had a 2000 x plate audi a6….the boot was massive especially with the seats down (managed to get 2 single matresses in there)…not sure what the new ones are like though.
current car is a ford c-max…bigger boot than the almera we had before it but when buying it i assumed the bike would go in easily…big mistake!! with the front wheel off it just about goes in if i put it in upside down and diagonally!!
wish i’d dug my heels in with the missus when choosing a new car and gone for an estate!!
OP – go for an estate…especially seeing as you have a dog.

Estate is a bit old man for you (went to an estate when I had kids…!)

When I had a dog and hobbies I had a hatchback. Provided you don’t have passengers its the same when the back seats are folded down! Dog in the boot of my A3 no problem (big black lab)

Mind you I quite like estates…

My mechanic warns me off nearly all makes of car, from what he says there are very few I should touch with a barge pole!

He detests anything VAG group due to diesel engines and suspension, anything french for obvious reasons (me too), likes Honda/Toyota (but unless you go for a sport, which look a bit chavvy, they’re a bbit granny-fied), I’m really stuck as to what to go for……..

I only do 15-20,000 miles a year, but nearly exclusively on crap A,B & unclassified roads, with journeys less than 20 miles.

Out of the Audi and the Beamer I’d go for the 5 Series.

Saying that, I’d probably buy a Mondeo over both of them. 😉

I only do 15-20,000 miles a year, but nearly exclusively on crap A,B & unclassified roads, with journeys less than 20 miles.

Mitsi Evo? 😀

Or Legacy estate?

So people, what is the lower limit for buying an estate?

Is there a lower limit? As mentioned above, a Scooby Legacy is 4×4 and can be very quick, and you can get a small farm in the back. Or something like a 2001-05 7th gen. Civic Type-R has a decent boot with a nice high rear windscreen, and goes like the clappers.

Saloons are really impractical compared to estates and hatchbacks. But unfortunately ze germans have a thing against executive cars having hatchbacks instead favouring saloons or tailgates.

Go for the estate, the A$ saloon looks lame compared to the estate and at least you can put the seats down if you want to put anything bigger than a suitcase or your groceries in an estate car

I think there is a lower limit, or at least should be, an ex colleague got himself a passat estate aged about 22, and did not fair well, the women didn’t like it, and several of our other colleagues started to think he was a bit odd too………… He was just being practical (had a dog), but got called “old man” A LOT.

Civic type r was a consideration, they’re not that bad on fuel driven steadily, but the ride would be too harsh, it’d be too low, and I’d soon scrape the bumpers and side skirts on my job.

Your running with the wrong girls if a average cheap car gets a girl round your way. At 22 I remember a great confident smile/bod and a thick schlong got them all day long.

Nowadays its a average shopping-trolley car from Mom?

How old are you 17?!!

Hahahaha

Core, take a look at an A3 sportback or a BMW 1 series.

Definitely more practical and less old man than any A4/3 series or above saloon. Could also get the A3 with quattro.

Also a lot cheaper to run than a larger car and most of the time you won’t need the space of an estate. If you do then get a roofrack or trailer or hire a van. I pay £31 a day for a T5 when needed.