Passat alternative? Or are estates passe?

I’ve had 3 Passats on the trot now, racked up some huge mileage in them. Ideal for filling with stuff, chucking bikes or kayaks on the roof, going places. Economical and reliable too.

Current ones 7 years old and 125k miles. Hardly run in, but as I use it for business (going to meetings) the company insist I change it at 8 years.

Also it’s killing earth with its diesely nox emissions.

My mileage has reduced hugely in recent years as I work closer to home now (25k down to 12k a year) although if still like something reasonably economical. Space for loads is handy. Also considering going auto as fed up of shifting in jams.

So it’s either another Passat (1.4tsi ?) Or something else similar. Or join the arms race and get a SUV? Drove a mates skoda Kodiaq recently which was very nice. Long way up to get bikes on the roof though!

WWSDWD?

I went from Passats to an SMax, it’s massive! Now looking at the Skoda Kodiaq but I use a tow bar mounted bike rack so the height wouldn’t bother me.

Get whichever one makes you feel most special.

subaru legacy or outback?.

 Long way up to get bikes on the roof though!

**** you forum! Just typed out something and it disappeared – clever.

Mondeo is the obvious Passat rival i reckon. S-Max boot wasn’t what I hoped as the seats dont go flush with the boot and there seemed to be many many places to fill with mud and small items. The medium SUVs I looked at all had rubbish boots compared to a Mondeo/Passat too

The skoda superb is basically a passat only a wee bit bigger and cheaper. It’s available in a 1.4 petrol.

Skoda Superb estate?

If putting bikes up top a Superb Estate would be better option than a Kodiaq.  Neighbour has a Kodiaq and it’s a lovely car, but he doesn’t have bikes 🙂

I very nearly went for a Superb Estate last Spring, but the run out deals on the A6 Avant made it a cheaper option on PCP for same engine and transmission in both.

I’m thinking of moving from a golf to a seat st.

Also it’s killing earth with its diesely nox emissions.

Ah good, someone cares about the environement..

Or join the arms race and get a SUV?

Oh, wait…

Mazda6 estate with the SkyActiv engine

Auto, economical, reliable = Toyota Auris estate in hybrid form. Not quite Passat size but still a very decent boot.

Auto, economical, reliable = Toyota Auris estate in hybrid form. Not quite Passat size but still a very decent boot

I looked at those but you can’t fit a towbar afaik, so no good for my bikerack.

I looked at those but you can’t fit a towbar afaik, so no good for my bikerack.

Thule make a bike rack bracket i.e. not an actual towbar for the Toyota hybrids – or they did, but it’s damn difficult to find.

Shame they don’t make the civic tourer any longer. I had a 14 plate which had a massive boot – I could fit my 56cm R3 in the boot, wheels off without putting the seats down. It was very economical in 1.6 diesel format too.

Thule make a bike rack bracket i.e. not an actual towbar for the Toyota hybrids – or they did, but it’s damn difficult to find.

The only one I saw was massively expensive and limited to two bikes.

Long way up to get bikes on the roof though!

For next to nothing ££££

Hybrid would be good (back atcha molgrips). I know someone with a Mitsubishi SUV plug in Hybrid, I’ll have a look at that too.

I know someone with a Mitsubishi SUV plug in Hybrid

I have one but it has a big diesel engine  in it instead.  There was a thread about why the PHEV one is not very good.

Traditional response as I drive a Skoda Superb myself – a Skoda Superb<span style=”text-decoration: underline;”> )</span>

Seriously though it’s huge, buy the right engine economical, mostly vw group and if your local dealer is good even more so.

I looked at Mundano (nice car, can get them to look nice but I couldn’t bring myself to do it), phev (lots of cash plus interior very plastic to me) and Smax.

James

The new Volvo V90 estates look pretty sweet.  I suspect they’re hideously expensive, mind.  It does seem as though the estate car is disappearing into a tide of dreary SUVs, though.

I have a Superb Estate with the 1.4 Tsi 150 engine. Getting around 45mpg mixed use with 3k on the clock. Compared to my previous Octavia 1.4 hatch – much bigger in fact vast boot, a good bit quieter, noticeably faster with the 150 versus 122 1.4 engine.

Liking the variable boot floor option which gives a flat boot floor with rear seats down. And no lip. Makes loading heavy items easier is they don’t need to be lifted up and over the lip. Makes a comfy seat for sitting while changing from shoes to boots. Also took the fold flat front passenger seat option so 3m lengths of wood can be carried inside the car.

And the trivial feature I like is the telescopic struts that hold the bonnet up when checking oil.

I went for the 17″ all season tyre option as well though I haven’t had it long enough to see how good they are on snow.

Passat Alltrack!

Don’t think they do a petrol one, though.

Edit, oh, I like those Volvo estates too. But, expensive, yes.

out of interest do any estates offer a middle seat that folds separately, or are they all 60:40? My current car (signum) has it, and its handy for getting a bike in without folding actual usable seats down (goes in upright, front wheel off only, bars on the roof)

Got a 7 seater kodiaq, with a tow bar. It works really well for a family of 4 and is beautiful to drive. Useless for us now with 5 (7 seats but only two take child seats). It’ll be for sale in early September. 2.0tsi, edition 20k miles. Oil burning is so passe.

kodiaq’s middle, middle, seat folds separately to the rest of the row.

I went from an old Passat estate (58) to new golf estate (65) and they’re pretty much the same size.

Just get another passat. They’re mint

Passat, Mondeo and Superb / Octavia’s were all on my short list but very happy with my Toyota Avensis Estate.  Or Sports Tourer in Toyota speak!

Good level of kit, loads of space and long warranty nudged it to the top of my list. 60:40 rear split.

And the trivial feature I like is the telescopic struts that hold the bonnet up when checking oil.

wow?  have all cars not had that for decades?  Our 10 year old VW Caddy has a bonnet that stays up.

Couldn’t bring yourself to buy a Ford but drive a Skoda? Can not compute…..

I was looking for a big estate a while back and there were some killer deals on the current Audi A6 Avante. Having poked around in the other VAG brands I was underwhelmed by VW to say the least. Might be worth having a look at the Hyundai i40 as my mate has one and thinks it’s great. Handsome thing too IMO. Saying that, you can’t really go wrong with the decent sized estates. V90, Mondeo, Superb, Passat, i40, A6, 5 Series, Kia….. Drive all the ones you can be bothered to and pick one. There’s not a bad car among them just different levels of nice/expense.

My wife got involved in the car debate so we’re getting another SUV now. Boo.

wow? have all cars not had that for decades? Our 10 year old VW Caddy has a bonnet that stays up.

My 10yr old CMax doesn’t and the wife’s new Fabia doesn’t. Thinking about it I’ve never had a car with that feature!

Read the Outlander thread, that’s off the list now!

Best feature you didn’t know you needed until you had it? Heated seats! Would not be without, now.

I’d rather buy a Skoda than a ford 😄

I’m actually looking forward to the winter, so that I can turn the heated seats back on.

Read the Outlander thread, that’s off the list now!

That’s what I thought until I looked at the diesel one.

More economical in real life terms then the PHEV  and has two extra seats and none of the annoying electronics.

More space inside than most similar sized SUVs like the X-trail and has actual 4WD unlike almost all Xtrails and lots and lots of modern SUV which  are 2WD only.

I bought a red one because they’re better.

Like @ johndoh’s multigizmo

Someone will casually slam the door on it though. Needs flashing lights

hot_fiat

Got a 7 seater kodiaq, with a tow bar. It works really well for a family of 4 and is beautiful to drive. Useless for us now with 5 (7 seats but only two take child seats). It’ll be for sale in early September. 2.0tsi, edition 20k miles. Oil burning is so passe.

kodiaq’s middle, middle, seat folds separately to the rest of the row.

Really like the look of these – how much extra boot does the 7 seater give over the 5?

Best feature you didn’t know you needed until you had it? Heated seats! Would not be without, now.

I used mine twice in my previous car, didn’t really do much and made my back itchy if anything. A heated steering wheel I quite fancy though (it’s only really my hands that get properly cold in winter on my commute).

An auto-dimming rear view mirror is my can’t live without/should always be a standard thing feature.

As for the OP, an Octavia is closer to a Passat in size (rather than the Superb). The Superb is nice but not much point unless you need the extra space (especially for the rear seats).