dear god, it's come to this!!
Anyway estate car, need enough room for camping gear, bikes etc.
Want something that doesn't require a dog and flat cap to drive.
and doesn't need a mortgage to buy/run.
ta i'm off to shoot myself now.
Chat Forum
Estate cars
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Posted 7 months ago #
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Budget?
Posted 7 months ago # -
Focus, Mondeo, Passat - all differently good, all well-made, all good value secondhand. Skodas good too, but I've not driven any.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Don't be silly. Estate cars are a win - lots of space for an outdoor loving sportsperson, but better to drive, faster and more economical than a van.
They are all good these days to be honest - you won't even notice the difference unless you look behind you.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Alfa 156/159 Sportwagen
BMW E46 Touring
Are my two suggestions and can be both had for £4k for decent examples...
Posted 7 months ago # -
I've got a 307SW I bought new. Its done 130k and not a cough! mega practical, economical, roof rails and all the toys. Not sexy but mega practical.
I get a good wedge from work and keep meaning to change it for something with more street cred but havent got around to doing it for 2 years since it was paid off.Thats got to be the sign of a decent car.
Posted 7 months ago # -
My Skoda Octavia 4x4 is superb. Great amount of space, reasonable to drive, good on fuel, well built and is superb in the bad weather
Posted 7 months ago # -
Alfas are fantastic bargains second hand. Had 2 and both were great as long as you maintain them well.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Saab 9-3 or 9-5 estates are good & very comfy.
Bloody expensive to change the cambelt on the 1.9TiD version though
Posted 7 months ago # -
<cough>
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fs-ford-focus-estate-16-petrol-zetec-climate-06
Currently still available....
</cough>
Posted 7 months ago # -
I've got a 407SW, and other than truly glacial turbo lag it's pretty damn good.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Any old estate is a winner.
Honda civic or accord fantastic load luggers.
Even my current peugeot 206 estate fits bikes and camping kit in easily.Posted 7 months ago # -
Mondeo are ace.
Volvos are acer.Posted 7 months ago # -
My experiences with the 307sw put me off french cars for life. Complete money pit, various problems, £2K in 18months so it went. It was well spec'd, nice to drive, but a nightmare
Posted 7 months ago # -
Alfas are fantastic bargains second hand. Had 2 and both were great as long as you maintain them well.
Indeed are nice cars to drive. But seem to have a propensity to mangle gearboxes at relatively low mileages and possibly other bits and pieces
Posted 7 months ago # -
Estates for teh win!
Jotunheim. Midway through 2 weeks in Norway with my girlfriend. Drove through Holland, Germany and Denmark on the way there and back. Comfy for long distances, reasonably ecomomical. In the back: loads of food and booze, comfy camping gear (double airmattress, duvet, pillows, table and chairs) + hardtails, plus obvious clothes and tools and stuff.
A lot of the time we're driving, a car is a better tool for the job and having space for 4 passengers is great. We like tenting, so a van for sleeping in doesn't really appeal.
Posted 7 months ago # -
don't underestimate just how much space there is in a focus, or a non-estate toyota avensis, or a non-estate Octavia.
just a suggestion, 'cause something like a mondeo estate is seriously vast.
i like my volvo v40, but it's not actually any bigger than a normal focus.
(the boot space is slighty longer, but also narrower)
Posted 7 months ago # -
mmmm... volvo estates.....
Posted 7 months ago # -
Passat.
I changed from a LWB 4x4 to one and am now getting twice the economy from a car that is cheaper to tax and marginally more expensive to insure. It's also faster, quieter, doesn't smell (according to my wife), and doesn't have half a bale of straw and a load of dog hairs in the back.
Sometimes I miss it. I may have to buy a 90 to scratch the loud/slow/dirty itch.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Budget not an issue? V70 or Accord.
On a tighter budget Mondeo diesel (age according to budget)Posted 7 months ago # -
ir_bandito, that Volvo looks awesome!
(although its a proven fact that i have no taste in cars)
Posted 7 months ago # -
Quite pleased with my Golf Estate so far. It has just taken me + 3 mates + bikes + all the crap that needs to the lakes for a long weekend without complaint. Everything went in the boot (bikes on roof/boot hatch), so everyone had plenty of room. Still averaged ~55mpg too
Posted 7 months ago # -
John,
Out of interest, How much £££ for the cambelt change and did you have the water pump done at the same time?
Posted 7 months ago # -
I must be getting old too when I looked at an estate car the other day and thought that's nice and sensible... Aaaaaagh!
Posted 7 months ago # -
3.5 liter rover V8
Posted 7 months ago # -
litre ^
Posted 7 months ago # -
love my accord
Posted 7 months ago # -
Lotus Elanbulance
Posted 7 months ago # -
estates are ace...fact
fast estates are even better..
Volvo T5 (old)
Saab 9-5 aero (250ish bhp)
Mondeo ST220 3.0 v6 fun
Alfa do some nice stuff as well
Subaru Forrester (Impreza bits in a bigger car)Posted 7 months ago # -
Mazda 6! Seats fold flat to make it mahoosive!
Posted 7 months ago # -
If you're buying a decent sized car that'll do a lot of bike hauling, you'd be daft not to buy an estate tbh.
Whereabouts are you? If you're within striking distance of Edinburgh, £1200 buys you my Focus 1.8TD- cheap to run, and good fun to drive in its little-engined way. Wanting to replace it with something even more middle aged, a people carrier
Mondeo with a decent sized diesel in it, in one of the nicer specs, makes a huge amount of sense. Focus is almost as good, really does make a lot of the competition look awful in terms of boot space.
Posted 7 months ago # -
thanks for the replies guys, plenty to go at!
Posted 7 months ago # -
Octavia estate in VRs form, Mondeo for kitchen sink capacity. Estates are a giggle (but then I'm old).
Posted 7 months ago # -
The last time I posted on a "what estate car?" Thread the fella actually bought my suggestion.
MG ZT-T
Dirt cheap
Loaded with extras
Great handling
BMW diesel engineI've a mondeo and focus estate - the focus is an older 1.8td (which is bulletproof) and the mondeo the 130bhp fella that's supposed to kark it about 30k miles ago.
Would have the ZT-T as the 2nd lugg stuff about car if I hadn't been given the focus.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Just swapped my wifes 106 for a 04 passat tdi estate.
It's huge. The dog gets lost in the back...
Posted 7 months ago #
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