Best Estate Car: Honda Accord Tourer

	The Honda Accord Tourer set new standards when it was launched and rivals are still playing catch-up.

Many people have predicted the death of the traditional estate, due to the rising popularity of SUVs and compact MPVs. But reports of its demise have been greatly exaggerated, although the market isn't exactly awash with revolutionary new features.

Why? Because the Honda Accord Tourer set new standards when it was launched and rivals are still playing catch-up. That proves just how advanced and capable the Japanese model really is. Press a button to open the electric tailgate and you'll see why this car is now collecting the best estate award for its fourth year in succession. The gigantic 576-litre load area is remarkably wide, flat and features minimal wheelarch intrusion, meaning it can happily double up as a removal van, should you want to move house.

Then there's the seat-folding mechanism - why so few firms have copied the clever one-lever operation is a mystery. Pull the seat back forward and the headrest flips down and base moves up, leaving a flat floor and a 1,707-litre load bay. Financially the Accord makes sense, due to its low running costs, and it has cracking engines plus a well balanced chassis. Above all it's practical - estates don't get any better.