Tell me about your large estate car please!

[Spareincoming]

We bought a volvo xc90 having been reassured by the real world recommendations from Mumsnet and it great until it was stolen 2 weeks ago in Glasgow so I am turning back to you all for your real world recommendations!

We have a seven seater Skoda and have decided we don’t need another 7 seater but would like the boot space of an estate.

We’ve previously had a Focus estate which I loved but found with car seats in the back it became quite space limited for front seat passengers and driver.
Immediate possibilities that spring to mind include: VW Passat estate, Mazda 6 estate, Volvo v90.

my ideal car criteria:

• Not a Skoda - we’ve had awful problems with the dealership with ours, and have had to use a dealership 100 miles away to get sorted, currently the car is ok but it’s tarnished Skoda for life for DH.
• 2-3 years old.
• petrol as we don’t want the add blue and DPF issues due to not doing huge weekly mileage.
• Larger engine size as we occasionally have to tow with my car.
• large back seat for 2 car seats plus someone in between
• Leg space for front seat passengers when a rear facing child seat is used behind their seat - likely to be in use for another 3 to 4 years.

@notanothernamechange24 we could get away with 1.25 tonnes apparently!

@notanothernamechange24 we could get away with 1.25 tonnes apparently!

I have one of these and they’re no longer large. The outside is but the cabin and boot space are particularly shit.

V90 Cross Country

Cool, so not huge then. A lot of large cars will tow that.

An old Volvo xc70 would suit you - they stopped making them in 2021 but they’re brilliant (not sure if they do petrol though) - we replaced ours with an Audi a4 which is great, roomy enough for all kinds of stuff in the back (even a sofa once!) but also quite light to steer.

@Spareincoming a slightly rare beast this but how about an VW Arteon R estate? Has all wheel drive , 2 litre petrol engine and a cavernous interior

So far I’ve test driven a Volvo V90, liked it, didn’t love it; a Mazda CX-80 hybrid, felt like a Ford, but quite basic for the cost compared to the XC 90 we lost; a Toyota Corolla touring - nice all rounder but I’m not convinced by the interior space; hoping to take the two larger car seats and try them in it over the weekend. Decent boot space though!

I can’t find a last off the line, low enough mileage v70 cross country anywhere within 250 miles so that may be ruled out, but I am looking!

And the search continues!

What didnt you live about the v90?

There are some quite big differences between spec / trim / engine types - so depending on what, there might be options that get it better for you.

I’ve got a 1.6 Vauxhall Astra estate which tows my 1400kg caravan . It is diesel though which may help as more torque? Diesels are generally better for towing due to this. But I appreciate the dpf worries.

I've got a Volvo V60 petrol. Will tow up to 1800kg braked.

One thing I've noticed is that the sound system is one of the best I've heard in any vehicle.

@ScaryM0nster The cabin felt vast and like I was having to reach for everything; which I’d get used to but I was hoping I’d get in and love it!
@PodMom I’d have preferred a diesel but I don’t do enough miles to keep
it healthy!

Reaching for buttons and functions?

You can do pretty much everything from the steering wheel short cut buttons and the on dashboard functionality (eg. Set sat nav to take you somewhere youve been recently). The voice controls are also pretty decent.

But that’s not stuff you tend to pick up on the test drive level. Although if you got on with the xc90 then I think the dash layout is almost identical of the same era. Is definitely more spacious than some other makes though so if you’ve been in others recently it might feel bit again.

@ScaryM0nster I think I need to go back and have another drive without my DH whittering on as well. It’s the most practical for us I think.
DH is trying to sway me towards the Corolla touring. Retrying that on Sunday with the car seats. But it’s missing what I consider basics like a washer fluid warning!

Do not discount the C Class as its directly comparable with the upper end of what you are looking at

We absolutely love our automatic Skoda Superb. I’d happily upgrade my old fiesta for a second Superb if funds allowed. The boot and space at the back (even with bulky rear facing car seats) is so so handy. Shame you’ve had a bad experience.

@Talkinpeace I would love to even test drive a C-Class but there’s not one close enough, nor would my DH even entertain it! And it does have to be a joint decision.

I keep coming back to the Mazda CX 80. And the V90.
Not DH’s choice of the Corolla touring. Which we won’t get if I out and out say no.

I too came on to suggest a Skoda Superb. I've got the diesel hatch from the last generation and in due course will replace it with the current estate because there's nothing else on the market in Europe which comes close to what it can offer in terms of space, price and running costs. The current VW Passat is effectively the same car underneath, even developed by Skoda, but costs a bit more.

What I would say is that if you're going for a three year old one then your experience of the dealer is irrelevant; once it's out of warranty just get it serviced by a decent independent garage. There's plenty around who specialise in VW/Audi/Skoda. The only thing a good indie cannot do at all is recalibrate the radar for the Front Assist system and even then most Skoda dealers still have to send you to a VW place.

@InveterateWineDrinker I know they’re great cars, really great cars, but if we were going for the Skoda, thanks to their good pricing we’d probably buy new, so stuck with a dealership. Which DH won’t have. And I agree with him for once after the dreadful experience we’ve had.
It has really tarnished the brand for us.

Do you have the option to lease one, then it's the leasing company's problem?

I love my Astra Sports Tourer estate. Massive boot space, loads of room in the car front and back.

When I bought my current estate cae we test drove three local ones to decide on spec
and then bought the correct one from far away on 2 week delivery

@InveterateWineDrinker Unfortunately leasing isn't an option this time; the vehicle this is to replace was stolen so we have an insurance payment to use.

I cant fault my Range Rover sports its a V6, loads of boot space, I can get hubby's scooter, 3 large suitcases and still have room, they get a lot of stick but I really love mine. My BIL has a similar but doesn't need adblue whereas I do, my other bil has a petrol one.

Try a V60 rather than the V90 if you thought the V90 felt too large inside (although coming from an XC90 which is massssive I’m a little surprised by your comment!).

Someone mentioned the Arteon, so sad they discontinued it, sexy wagon.

Pox on the scum who stole your XC90.