Best buy £25k-£32k
Multiple award winner adds yet another trophy to its bulging cabinet
Eight hopefuls fought it out in this category, but nothing could knock the Skoda Superb off its perch. It’s still the number one – so our reigning Estate Car of the Year has added another trophy to its cabinet.
Hooked up to a five-berth Bailey Orion 450-5 caravan, the Skoda put in an impressive performance. The cavernous 633-litre boot swallows loads of holiday luggage, and passengers won’t be complaining, either, as the generous rear legroom takes the edge off long journeys.
From behind the wheel, the Superb is just as easy to live with, thanks to its supportive seats, high-quality dashboard and well thought-out design. Even when the car is hitched up, the refined 168bhp 2.0-litre diesel engine has enough performance, and keeping up with the motorway traffic won’t be a problem.
Precise and well weighted steering makes the Skoda easy and rewarding to drive, even with a caravan in tow. The chassis strikes a fine balance between comfort, handling and high-speed towing ability. There’s lots of equipment on the top-spec Elegance, too, with xenon lights, touchscreen sat-nav with voice control, leather trim, heated seats and Bluetooth.
Our test car was fitted with the optional DSG twin-clutch transmission. It adds £1,310 to the price, but we think this is money well spent for the simplicity and smoothness it brings to the driving experience. Yet more affordable, lower-spec Superbs make just as much sense.
£25k-£32k finalists
1. Skoda Superb Estate Elegance 2.0 TDI (170) DSG
2. Volkswagen Amarok Highline 2.0 BiTDI (163) 4MOTION
3. Volkswagen Passat Estate Sport BlueMotion Technology 2.0 TDI (170)
4. Volkswagen Sharan SE 2.0 TDI (170)
5. Mazda CX-7 2.2D 5dr Sport Tech
6. Nissan X-Trail 2.0 dCi Tekna
7. Peugeot 508 SW Allure HDi 163
8. Vauxhall Antara SE 2.2 CDTI AWD (184)
