<span style=”display: inline !important; float: none; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: ‘Open Sans’; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.4px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;”>I’d admit the Q3 if it was my list, I’d also include all the other SUV’s because in essence they’re all derivatives of an estate car.</span>

Nah, you’re not getting away with that. They may be based on an estate chassis but they’re not adding any more practicality to the party….most SUV’s aren’t even 4wd. They drive worse than their estate cousins, cost more for no additional benefit, and are essentially just fashion accessories. So a completely different category.

I’ve been looking at BMW 530d x-drive estates. Crickey ivy….they are some machine. I could just about afford one on a PCP deal….i’ll be in the market in a couple of years so currently top of my list. The only thing is that they are a bit bland looking on the outside.

This thread is relevant to my interests! I have a fairly rare (import only) 4WD turbo estate, can you guess what it is?

Not a scooby….!

Toyota Caldina GT-T 4WD turbo, which has the same engine as the MR2 turbo / Celica GT4. Big enough without being bulky, two bikes in the back easy, or four on the roof with passengers.

That’s awesome – 250bhp and literally no-one will know what it is! The headlights look like they’re painted on though!

The Caldina is very rare in the UK. Maybe things have changed, but I fancied one a while back, and back then you could probably count the numbers on 2 hands (I’m not even sure you needed that many). There wasn’t an owners club or anything. And of course there are some obvious difficulties sourcing parts for motors that rare too. Not great for a daily driver.

That’s ace, do like.

Why are there SUVs in this thread? And a Q3 is definitely not big.

Keep eyeing up E63 estates to replace my diesel version…might be the last time I get to have a big petrol estate.

Crap picture as it’s pissing it down, but the new MTB carrying/winter commuter machine is home 🙂

245bhp of AWD japanese sleeper wagon goodness 😀

Why are people posting their ‘look at me’ SUV’s in an estate car thread?

Have an RS4 which is ace, but also have a hankering for an old brick shaped Volvo T5R, like the police used for pursuits and as seen in the BTCC

and are essentially just fashion accessories.

Not for me, they’re not. I’m finding it increasingly difficult getting in and out of ordinary cars, the higher seating position is a huge advantage, and I don’t need the size or carrying capacity of a longer car. But you’re right, they’re not an estate.

Anyway i have a e220d premium plus amg. So many toys. Not decent fast but not slow in any way and looks like a very fast estate. This in blue. (I just cant get photos to work on android mobile)

https://www.raccars.co.uk/mercedes-benz/e-class/e220d-amg-line-premium-plus-5dr-9g-tronic-auto/48347142

The Caldina is very rare in the UK. Maybe things have changed, but I fancied one a while back, and back then you could probably count the numbers on 2 hands (I’m not even sure you needed that many). There wasn’t an owners club or anything. And of course there are some obvious difficulties sourcing parts for motors that rare too. Not great for a daily driver.

I owned a Celica GT4 before and it’s pretty much the same car, so lots of help on the GT4 forums and specialist mechanics. My local Toyota dealer has no problem getting parts, often single model parts too. I’ve owned it 10 years but haven’t done big miles mind as it is a bit thirsty!

A mate suggested I take off the bodykit and put a standard Avensis bonnet on (with front mount intercooler) for a real street sleeper!

@ta11pau1, very nice!

Three of my favourite things ..( other than family of course)

My car ( it’s big and quite fast) , my bike and my favourite local place to ride ..

20180810_200131 by Neil Hodgson – Flickr2BBcode LITE

Also drive an Insignia Sport Tourer 160( estate ) as a daily commuter ..while the missus enjoys the Audi..

@hodgynd how do you find the Insignia?

Thinking of getting the 170 SRi VX line.

Quite fancy the VRX 2.8 4wd but a bit out of my budget.

I’ve been driving my Dad’s 15 plate Insigia country tourer the last few years, (it’s the 2.0 165bhp diesel one) which has raised suspension and 4×4 like the audi allroad – it’s a big, heavy tank of a thing but it’s very comfortable for wafting along. Just don’t be in a hurry!

Chris ..other than the fact that it has just had a new clutch ( full ) ..I’ve never really had any problems ..

It’s quite a comfortable car ..and plenty fast enough ..I still like driving it and the tech inside has come on leaps & bounds since my 11 plate version ..

Thanks Neil – what year is yours?

2011..

It was 1 year old with 17 ,000 on when I bought it ..it now has 113,000..so just run in really ..😁

@ta11pau1, very nice!

Ta! Have you got your rhino bootliner yet? I think I’ll get one too as it looks to be the best option to cover the rear seat backs when folded.

@ta11pau1 is that a legacy or forester?

Legacy – the forester is much higher/squarer car, there is a slightly raised version of the legacy which is the outback.

Just tried my XL 27.5 FS bike in the back, technically it will go in with both wheels on but the front tyre tests on the front seat headrest so front wheel off it is.

Should have got the outback. 29r goes in with room to spare..

Nice! That’s a newer outback though, the outback for my model is basically the same body just with higher suspension and some body moldings, so no extra space inside.

@ta11pau1, I got the liner but the boot’s completely full of wheels and tyres right now, I’ll get you a pic once it’s empty again.

It’s not quite perfect tbh, it should be taller at the front to better protect the front seats but still, it’s very good. I made do with a big brown tarp for years in the mondeo and I wish I’d just done it properly and got one of these.

@ta11pau1, I got the liner but the boot’s completely full of wheels and tyres right now, I’ll get you a pic once it’s empty again.

It’s not quite perfect tbh, it should be taller at the front to better protect the front seats but still, it’s very good. I made do with a big brown tarp for years in the mondeo and I wish I’d just done it properly and got one of these.

No worries, I have a big tarp at the moment, it does the job but I really need a proper boot liner before winter gets here! 😀

Have an RS4 which is ace, but also have a hankering for an old brick shaped Volvo T5R, like the police used for pursuits and as seen in the BTCC

I’d love a big old Volvo. Was it the 850, the last RWD one? The early V70s can be kinda cool still, but that’s a proper Volvo. Getting into classic car territory there though. Dangerous game unless it’s just a toy.

 owned a Celica GT4 before and it’s pretty much the same car, so lots of help on the GT4 forums and specialist mechanics. My local Toyota dealer has no problem getting parts, often single model parts too. I’ve owned it 10 years but haven’t done big miles mind as it is a bit thirsty!

The Japanese cars do tend to share a lot of parts with models available over here. However, I’ve known people wait for months to get something like a windscreen sorted (through an insurance company) on an import because it’s so difficult to source. My own experience of imports is fairly positive, but when it’s a daily driver, you do run a risk of it being off road for a while if you can’t find parts in the UK.

I’d love a UK Spec B but can’t swallow the £550 a year tax, the imports are nice but then I’m not sure I could spend £10k on a car more than ten years old.

My Jeffsy goes in the back of my legacy without removing the wheels.

My Vitus Escarpe (1234mm wheelbase) will fit in the legacy with both worlds on, but only with the bars at the front and the front wheel ends up resting on the front seat headrest so it’ll get dirty very quickly.

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I’d love a big old Volvo. Was it the 850, the last RWD one?

940/960 is the last RWD, 850 is the first FWD/AWD. If I could’ve found a well preserved 940 turbo I’d have had it tbh, I was <this> close to buying a scabby one for £1250 and just throwing boost and underseal at it forever

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IMG_20180929_104733 by Paul Sims – Flickr2BBcode LITE

First trip out with the bike in the back of the legacy, the tarp does the job at the moment while it’s dry and dusty…

Volvo ‘specialist’ in Denny has some decent old volvos, last time I was there (admittedly 5+ years ago) he had a few turbo models…

Looks ace.

Like CountZero said, I find getting in and out of a normal car awkward now – I got my spine broke by an idiot driver, so getting in and out of my saloon has been a challenge ever since, my wifes squashy is so much easier. The down side is the ‘outlaw’ can’t get in a high car, so I’ll really hiss her off when I get a higher up car.

I think it might be a big/fast/people carrier/thread needed…. although don’t need to transport more than 4 folks and….4 CATS… and bikes…

Here’s mine

More along of the lines of quick than properly fast but plenty of midrange torque with the batteries. Bit of a blunt instrument but enough grip and pace to be amusing using the flappy paddles on the right road and a relaxing cruise the majority of the time with the adaptive cruise and DSG. I like it.

No pics of old Vauxhalls yet?

Gawd knows why that numberplate reads “desired”, it should read “despair”

Vauxhalls have never been cool nor desired.

The Omega was rather decent…did the police not have a special edition of it called the Senator?

The Senator was a separate model. They did a 3.0 GSI that was a machine and a half, well, for the 90’s at least.

Vauxhalls have never been cool nor desired.

Lotus Carlton.

although I’m not sure if that still qualifies as a Vauxhall.

Is that coming from the voice of experience then Soma ?

I drive an Insignia Sport Tourer ( to give it is full moniker ) as a daily commuting machine ..fast enough with 160 horses ..looks ok to my eye from every angle but the front ( too much chrome ) and keeps up with most other 2.0l machines ..including BM’s,  Audi’s & VW’s…I like driving it and pissing other people off when they can’t lose it ( I don’t mean driving right on their bumper by that )..

It’s fun to drive ..might not be on ” The Cool Wall” ..but then thats part of its appeal for me ! 😁