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Which estate or equivalent should I buy?

I've just retired and plan to change my 69 plate Ford Kuga. The 1.5-litre petrol engine is too thirsty for my wallet. I've never owned an estate car, hence that is my current research topic. My wife loves the higher (Kuga) driving position so is not best pleased at my plans.

The Kuga boot at 400 litres is sometimes too small, hence the desire to get something with more load capability (I hate cramming things in to the boot when there are four adults with luggage. Plus there are odd trips to move furniture, buy large items and also help out the adult children when they need to move bulky items.)

Normally the car will be used for short local jaunts, but the occasional trip of 250 miles does happen a few times a year. My best thought at the moment is a Skoda Superb Estate with the one litre petrol engine. Any other contenders you can suggest?

It doesn't have to be an estate, but I want more boot than, say, 500 litres.

Performance is not an issue for me.

Asked on 16 May 2022 by mungoh

Answered by Andrew Brady
A Skoda Superb Estate sounds like a superb (sorry!) option. You can't beat it in terms of practicality available for the cash. You can't get the Superb with the 1.0 TSI engine, but the 1.5 TSI should be fairly efficient – expect to see mid-40s mpg with the manual gearbox: www.honestjohn.co.uk/realmpg/skoda/superb-estate-2...5

As a compromise, have you considered a hybrid SUV? The latest Kia Sportage, for example, has a 591-litre boot and the high seating position your wife loves. There's even a plug-in hybrid model which could be a good option if you can charge at home. This can travel up to 43 miles under electric power alone, making it ideal for your local journeys.
Tags: estate cars
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