what estate wagon would you recommend

banjobongo

Im hoping to buy a 2nd hand estate in the next 6 mths or so. Looking for a high end eg Lexus, audi etc, but flexible on this. Key points for me would be low road tax, excellent mileage performance, low cost for servicing and spare parts, and fantastic reliability. any thoughts?

whippet

depending on budget .. how about a Skoda Superb Combi ....

L-M

whippet wrote: »

depending on budget .. how about a Skoda Superb Combi ....

+1 Best bang for buck are they're gorgeous.

Padraig Mor

Good luck finding a Lexus estate!

-Corkie-

Padraig Mor wrote: »

Good luck finding a Lexus estate!

Some one is very awake this morning. I never copped that..

Mr. Presentable

http://classiccarsales.ie/buy/view/Mercedes_Benz_200T/1785

L-M

Mr. Presentable wrote: »

http://classiccarsales.ie/buy/view/Mercedes_Benz_200T/1785

Did they come in a smallish diesel engine? Ie. under 2.5?

Lex Luthor

budget?

W.B. Yeats

5 Touring would be my recommendation, loads of space, very comfortable to drive and 156 a year tax

mike65

Seweryn

Limerick man wrote: »

Did they come in a smallish diesel engine? Ie. under 2.5?

Yeah, 240TD is the model with 4-cylinder OM616 Diesel engine.

Nforce

Rover 75 Tourer CDTi/MG ZT-T CDTi

bijapos

Get a 90-93 version of one of these






Or a 92-95 one of these





Both cars, if well serviced have bulletproof reliability, are excellent to drive, will have little or no depreciation left and their semi classic looks will deter plate snobs from dipsh!t comments. Pace space and grace as Jaguar once said.

Anan1

bijapos wrote: »

Get a 90-93 version of one of these

Or a 92-95 one of these

Both cars, if well serviced have bulletproof reliability, are excellent to drive, will have little or no depreciation left and their semi classic looks will deter plate snobs from dipsh!t comments. Pace space and grace as Jaguar once said.

Whilst I agree with your reasoning myself, this car is for the OP, not us:

banjobongo wrote: »

Key points for me would be low road tax, excellent mileage performance, low cost for servicing and spare parts, and fantastic reliability.

They want a Superb Combi 1.6 diesel.;)

jayok

banjobongo wrote: »

Im hoping to buy a 2nd hand estate in the next 6 mths or so. Looking for a high end eg Lexus, audi etc, but flexible on this. Key points for me would be low road tax, excellent mileage performance, low cost for servicing and spare parts, and fantastic reliability. any thoughts?

Accord 2.2 Diesel?

Darsad

Subaru Legacy or Outback like this one !
http://www.carzone.ie/search/Subaru/Outback/2011-Mod/201007196931568/advert?channel=CARS

pippip

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Saab/9-3/Vector-S/201125203035668/advert?channel=CARS

Moanin

banjobongo wrote: »

Im hoping to buy a 2nd hand estate in the next 6 mths or so. Looking for a high end eg Lexus, audi etc, but flexible on this. Key points for me would be low road tax, excellent mileage performance, low cost for servicing and spare parts, and fantastic reliability. any thoughts?

Audi A4 / Volvo S40?

Top Dog

Padraig Mor wrote: »

Good luck finding a Lexus estate!

Not that difficult really ...



Quick search on Autotrader.co.uk reveals about 40 of them for sale

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/search/used/cars/lexus/is/postcode/bl48jx/radius/1501/sort/priceasc/body-type/estate

Hellrazer

Moanin wrote: »

Audi A4 / Volvo S40?

Surely you mean V40

But the V70 is a better bet if the OP wants "high end"
Buy a 00-06 modelin a two litre petrol auto.
Not the most frugal but bulletproof as long as its kept serviced.

Chriscl1

Quickish for an estate, not bad on fuel, decent tax, nice seats.
http://cars.donedeal.co.uk/for-sale/cars/2301465

langdang

Chriscl1 wrote: »

Quickish for an estate, not bad on fuel, decent tax, nice seats.
http://cars.donedeal.co.uk/for-sale/cars/2301465

I'd class that as an MPV, not an estate. The lines are blurry in some cases tho...

Banjobongo - give us a better idea of what your budget is, and whether you mean under 200 for "low tax", or under 2.5 engine! Also, do MPVs make it into the mix?

280special

One not to go for is the BMW 3 series, rented one while on holiday and the bootspace was tiny.

banjobongo

hi guys
thanks for all the feedback!
Some of the models suggested would be in my opinion not the most reliable marques, nor would they fulfil the criteria of low road tax and effecient on petrol/diesel. SO maybe I should drop the "high end" bit and just focus on:
1/estate;
2/lowest road tax level;
3/very effecient on petrol/road tax;
4/great reputation for reliability;
what do you think?
I look the looks of a lot of these cars, eg the suburu, audi, skoda...
my budget for a 2nd hand is not fantasy level, its circa 15K with my trade in, which would be a small family car which is a 2006 reg.
I guess that rules out the 4 yrs old BMWs, Mercs Audis etc....
My opinion of Volvos and Saab is that they are not great long term bets as no future for the marques.....
thanks again!

MugMugs

whippet wrote: »

depending on budget .. how about a Skoda Superb Combi ....

Bang on

I was gearing for an Estate when I changed and ended up with a Liftback. This is possibly the nicest affordable decent estate out there ATM IMO

Mr. Presentable

banjobongo wrote: »

hi guys
thanks for all the feedback!
Some of the models suggested would be in my opinion not the most reliable marques, nor would they fulfil the criteria of low road tax and effecient on petrol/diesel. SO maybe I should drop the "high end" bit and just focus on:
1/estate;
2/lowest road tax level;
3/very effecient on petrol/road tax;
4/great reputation for reliability;
what do you think?
I look the looks of a lot of these cars, eg the suburu, audi, skoda...
my budget for a 2nd hand is not fantasy level, its circa 15K with my trade in, which would be a small family car which is a 2006 reg.
I guess that rules out the 4 yrs old BMWs, Mercs Audis etc....
My opinion of Volvos and Saab is that they are not great long term bets as no future for the marques.....
thanks again!

Golf? http://www.carzone.ie/search/Volkswagen/Golf/ESTATE-1/201122202670665/advert?channel=CARS

staker

Accord estate

Nicest estate on the road imo.

Hellrazer

banjobongo wrote: »

My opinion of Volvos and Saab is that they are not great long term bets as no future for the marques.....
thanks again!

Dont mean to sound smart but Volvo have made a profit(under the new owners geely) for the first time since Ford bought them this year.

Geely have huge plans for the brand.And that involves trying to get them back to the reputation they had when Volvos were a sought after brand.....no more of this rebadged Ford crap when reliability went down the tubes :D

The V70 would be a great long term bet in my opinion but then again Im biased

whippet

Hellrazer wrote: »

Dont mean to sound smart but Volvo have made a profit(under the new owners geely) for the first time since Ford bought them this year.

Geely have huge plans for the brand.And that involves trying to get them back to the reputation they had when Volvos were a sought after brand.....no more of this rebadged Ford crap when reliability went down the tubes :D

The V70 would be a great long term bet in my opinion but then again Im biased

I was within a hair's breath of buying an ex-demo v70 in January but decided on a new Superb instead

Hellrazer

whippet wrote: »

I was within a hair's breath of buying an ex-demo v70 in January but decided on a new Superb instead

Wouldnt touch one from 07 onwards tbh.

franksm

Autoexpress are long-term testing a Skoda Superb estate. They seem to love it, in fact they're on their second now. Looks like a good deal, lovely car.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/longtermtests/268696/skoda_superb_estate_second_report.html?CMP=NLC-Newsletters&uid=45bb5c12637a4c40f628554a998d41dc

Padraig Mor

Top Dog wrote: »

Not that difficult really ...


Quick search on Autotrader.co.uk reveals about 40 of them for sale

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/search/used/cars/lexus/is/postcode/bl48jx/radius/1501/sort/priceasc/body-type/estate

Ha! Never knew they existed!

ltdslipdiff

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Renault/Laguna/Tourer-D/201119202365221/advert?channel=CARS

Just thought I'd kick the hornets' nest with this one ha ha !

thirtythirty

Accord Estates are pretty delish (the new models)

V high spec gadgetory, and honda reliability...

http://cars.donedeal.co.uk/for-sale/cars/2174880

Do-more

Another vote for the Superb estate here.

I went to order one last year but was put off by the near 6 months waiting list at the time, I think things have improved a bit since then, you can get more info on the Briskoda forum. But as a consequence you may have difficulty in getting good value in a 2nd hand one.

A neighbour has a 2010 V70 Drive which has the 110bhp diesel engine in it, I was very sceptical myself at having such a small engine in a big lump of a car but they say they are very happy with it.

I ended up buying a 2nd hand '06 Passat 2.0FSI estate which has been quite economical for a petrol engine, the 6 speed box helps, but it has had quite a few niggly little problems and I personally don't like the electric handbrake at all.

I'm waiting until they launch the V70 plug-in hybrid next year before making a decision on replacing the Passat but I fear the V70 hybrid will be mega bucks so will probably go for the Superb estate then.

VolvoMan

Hellrazer wrote: »

Dont mean to sound smart but Volvo have made a profit(under the new owners geely) for the first time since Ford bought them this year.

Geely have huge plans for the brand.And that involves trying to get them back to the reputation they had when Volvos were a sought after brand.....no more of this rebadged Ford crap when reliability went down the tubes :D

The V70 would be a great long term bet in my opinion but then again Im biased

+1

Volvo's future is looking very secure right now under Chinese ownership. The S60, V60 and XC60 are all selling very well and regaining Volvo a presence in the premium segment. Also, with Peter Horbury back on board as their head of design, good future designs are guaranteed.

With regard to the current V70 ('06-), it is merely OK. It hardly moved the game on compared to its predecessor and lacks its solidity.

Hellrazer

VolvoMan wrote: »

+1

With regard to the current V70 ('06-), it is merely OK. It hardly moved the game on compared to its predecessor and lacks its solidity.

Worst thing they did with that model was to do away with the 7 seat optional extra.We could have sold that new model all day long if they hadnt done away with it.

lomb

This is probably one of the best estates you can get...
http://www.nfscars.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=338&pictureid=4316
"Aston Martin Shooting Brake"
Probably doesnt fullfill any of your criteria but hey I thought Id throw it in:D

Id go with the earlier suggestion of an old shell E class. Classic looks, and they are fully depreciated which means your biggest cost is nearly zero.

VolvoMan

Hellrazer wrote: »

Worst thing they did with that model was to do away with the 7 seat optional extra.We could have sold that new model all day long if they hadnt done away with it.

I know.:rolleyes: It's probably to do with the Mondeo platform it's based on.

RedorDead

Limerick man wrote: »

+1 Best bang for buck are they're gorgeous.

Value for money? - check
Practical? - check

Gorgeous? - hell no.



The fascination with Skoda in this forum knows no bounds.

John_Rambo

VolvoMan wrote: »

I know.:rolleyes: It's probably to do with the Mondeo platform it's based on.

I had a 08 Volvo V70 2.5T for a long spin a while ago. I was sooooo impressed! The ride comfort, the quietness at speed, the solid feel of it was amazing! Loads and loads of extra's, leather seats, cruise control, electric tail (pure novelty, but actually quiet handy), removable key blades, emergency brake lights over 50kph, auto hazard lights under 50kph (disengage as soon as you touch the accelerator), sunroof, AC, climate control... the functionality was excellent. I was surprised at the maneuverability, I have never driven a car that long, it turns very tight (if that's the right expression) and I found parking it ok, not like mooring a ship. I had a sheetload of stuff to bring and the boot just swallowed the stuff, camera gear, sports gear, overnight gear for two... Great car for camping, family, holidaying etc...

And... it was quick. Lots of poke. Economy was good on the motorway for the size of the engine, but not good in the city at all.

There are 1.6 litre diesel Vovlos for sale on carzone for the price you are looking at, I wouldn't discount them completely!

whippet

RedorDead wrote: »

Value for money? - check
Practical? - check

Gorgeous? - hell no.


The fascination with Skoda in this forum knows no bounds.

if your looking for an estate you won't be buying based on looks only ... and vice versa.

There are very few 'gorgeous' estates out there !!!!!!

As for the fascination with Skoda, I never considered one before until I needed an Estate. I had a budget which would have bought a V70, but managed to get what I wanted for about 10k less !

John_Rambo

whippet wrote: »

There are very few 'gorgeous' estates out there !!!!!!

I genuinely thing they are nicer than their saloon counterparts.

johnc3

banjobongo wrote: »

Im hoping to buy a 2nd hand estate in the next 6 mths or so. Looking for a high end eg Lexus, audi etc, but flexible on this. Key points for me would be low road tax, excellent mileage performance, low cost for servicing and spare parts, and fantastic reliability. any thoughts?

Audi A4 1.9 TDI estate ,low cost servicing,low cost to run 700 km per tank of diesel.

whippet

John_Rambo wrote: »

I genuinely thing they are nicer than their saloon counterparts.

very true for the superb, but not really for most others ... maybe the Audi Avants are nice than saloons

John_Rambo

whippet wrote: »

very true for the superb, but not really for most others ... maybe the Audi Avants are nice than saloons

In fairness anything will improve a Superb! I find the estate Merc's and BMW's date much better than the saloons, the new legacy is much better as an estate too. Ever drive on mainland Europe? You will see a lot more estates than here. Much more practical and nicer.

-Corkie-

John_Rambo wrote: »

In fairness anything will improve a Superb! I find the estate Merc's and BMW's date much better than the saloons, the new legacy is much better as an estate too. Ever drive on mainland Europe? You will see a lot more estates than here. Much more practical and nicer.

Thats a load of Bolix. Fine a E250 Mercedes or a 520D touring might be a plusher car to drive than the Suberb but they are twice the price first day.

John_Rambo

-Corkie- wrote: »

Thats a load of Bolix. Fine a E250 Mercedes or a 520D touring might be a plusher car to drive than the Suberb but they are twice the price first day.

What? I said anything will improve a Superb, such as making it an estate, I then went on to say that the BMW's, Merc's and the legacy's date much better as estates than saloons. I didn't compare a Superb to a BMW!! So, it's not a load of bollix.

A roof rack improves a Superb! :pac:

-Corkie-

John_Rambo wrote: »

What? I said anything will improve a Superb, such as making it an estate, I then went on to say that the BMW's, Merc's and the legacy's date much better as estates than saloons. I didn't compare a Superb to a BMW!! So, it's not a load of bollix.

A roof rack improves a Superb! :pac:

Yes thats what you said and it is a load of Bolix.

John_Rambo

-Corkie- wrote: »

Yes thats what you said and it is a load of Bolix.

Come on Corkie, I just said estates look nicer than saloons, you can disagree with me nicely it's a matter of opinion, or did you pick me up wrong?

-Corkie- wrote: »

Fine a E250 Mercedes or a 520D touring might be a plusher car to drive than the Suberb but they are twice the price first day.

I never compared a Superb to a Merc or a BMW.

So, what is it, do you simply think saloons are nicer or did you pick me up wrong?

Greyfoot

Not economical, not the cheapest to run, not the lowest tax but come on, this is it.