Volvo V50

The driver won't care though, as it's the best-driving Volvo estate ever. Four- and five-cylinder petrol engines, plus a four-cylinder turbodiesel, provide smooth-running power and, for five-cylinder units, a characterful engine note. We prefer the 2.0-litr turbodiesels though, which is very punchy at all speeds, yet super-refined and capable of 50mpg. On the road, it feels barely slower than the T5 performance model, which struggles to overcome the Volvo's weight. Lesser units, with less emphasis on performance, are better. All V50s, however, drive extremely well indeed, with agile handling, linear and quite wonderful steering, a decent ride quality (except on the T5 AWD, which is a bit unsettled) and feeling of never-ending impenetrability at speed. It's a brilliant long-distance car, helped by typically-sumptuous seats. Safety is first-rate, potentially class-leading, and of course there's that ingenious interior with wafer-thin centre console, too. A car with very few faults, so long as you can accept it's not as roomy as a traditional estate, the V50 is sure to please. Particularly given prices which undercut the 'premium' competition.