Best Estate Car: Skoda Superb
The Skoda Superb Estate has scored a hat-trick of wins in the Estate Car category at our annual awards, and it’s going to take something seriously talented to knock it off the top step of the podium next time around.
Why it won...
The Skoda Superb Estate has scored a hat-trick of wins in the Estate Car category at our annual awards, and it’s going to take something seriously talented to knock it off the top step of the podium next time around.
The Superb is at its best in handsome Estate trim, as it does away with the saloon’s versatile-but-fussy TwinDoor boot, and looks even more imposing than its hatchback equivalent. You get the same brilliant choice of engines and generous equipment, too, but with the added benefit of a huge 633-litre boot.
The beautifully trimmed load area is full of clever touches, including all manner of hidden stowage cubbies and bag hooks, while the optional load securing system (standard on top-of-the-range Elegance models) stops smaller items from sliding around in the boot. The interior light that illuminates the boot doubles as a handy torch, and there’s even an umbrella hidden neatly in the front passenger door.
Just to confirm its status as the ultimate family holdall, the back seats provide the same limousine levels of passenger space as they do in the hatchback, and the driving experience is the same, too. It’s surprisingly agile for such a big car, and its refinement takes the stress out of longer journeys.
Best of all, the Superb finished second in our annual Driver Power satisfaction survey this year, so it’s rated highly by you, our readers. It just goes to show that you really can have your automotive cake and eat it.
Our choice: 2.0 TDI 140 Elegance
The diversity of the Superb line-up is amazing, but for all-round ability the 2.0 TDI (140) is the pick of the engine range. Elegance trim includes leather upholstery, xenon headlamps and sat-nav as standard.
Commended
Audi A6 Avant
It's called an Avant, but the load-carrying Audi A6 is an estate, pure and simple – and a very good one at that. Smart looks and a practical and beautifully trimmed cabin make it the ultimate executive estate. If you want the security of four-wheel drive, quattro models add go-anywhere ability – while the A6 Allroad is a classy tall-riding crossover that will take rutted tracks in its stride.
Hyundai i40 Tourer
If you want a family estate that’s as much about style as it is about space, the Hyundai i40 takes some beating. Think of it as a really big five-door model and the new i40 won’t disappoint – especially when you consider its low CO2 emissions (119g/km in Blue Drive trim) and five-year warranty back-up.
