Skoda Octavia Estate

Successive generations of the Skoda Octavia Estate have established it as a supremely practical and spacious family car, and the all-new model sticks to this winning formula.

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The Octavia also offers huge value for money. Priced to compete with compact family cars, it provides as much interior space as those in 
the class above.

Its 610-litre load bay extends to 1,740 litres when you fold the rear seats flat. That’s more room than in the Ford Mondeo, Mazda 6 or Volkswagen Passat.

Some thoughtful touches also help to make the Octavia a pleasure to live with, including luggage nets, storage cubbies and a false boot floor.

However, our Best Estate Car prize isn’t just about practicality. We think the Skoda’s stylish lines make it the most attractive version of the Octavia yet.

The latest range of engines also addresses the biggest weakness of the outgoing Estate by offering excellent performance allied to low CO2 emissions – the forthcoming eco-tuned GreenLine model records just 89g/km.

If you want pace rather than efficiency, the 217bhp vRS petrol should fit the bill. It promises to sprint from 0-62mph in 6.8 seconds, while the 181bhp diesel will be popular with go-faster family and business drivers.

Our choice: 2.0 TDI SE (£20,940) Simple is best here. We think that the 2.0 TDI SE is the Skoda Octavia Estate to go for. It’s fast, frugal and gets excellent equipment, making it brilliant value.

Commended

BMW 5 Series Touring

The 5 Series Touring is a classy estate with handsome lines and a beautiful interior, while the cavernous load bay can take everything a family can throw at it. Better still, it’s great to drive, with efficient and powerful engines.

Skoda Superb

Last year’s champ has had to give best to its younger brother in 2013, but the aptly named Superb still makes plenty of sense. Its vast 633-litre boot is one 
of the biggest in the business, while the cabin has limousine-rivalling legroom.

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