Estate or SUV?

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Looking at changing my car in the next few months. After something that i easily throw items in the back, plenty of space for the family etc. I just can't decide on either going for an estate, i miss my old one and useful it was. But something tells me a SUV would be better suited for family reasons. What are everyones opinions?

 

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Estates, usually, have bigger boots in terms of floor space. Less height obviously. So for fitting in prams, bikes and dogs they're more useful imo.

SUV "if you like to feel high up"... Depends what you're thinking of too when you say SUV. If you're talking of Range Rovers, Q7's and X5's then go for it. But Qashqui's and Kai's... No.



More headroom for a Baby Seat? How tall is your baby?!

At the moment i considering a VW Touareg when it comes to the SUV. Estate wise E class or an Audi A6 Avant. We have kids of 7 and 3. My mother inlaw has a wheel chair and would be used a lot when helping her out.

 

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Estates do have more room compared to the "fashion" SUVs like the Juke etc. Which are more like hatchbacks on stilts and mostly awful.

They are not SUV's and not a big fan at all. My dad had a Juke, awful car boot was sodding useless. My brother has a ford Kuga not a fan of that either.

 

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Wow this thread turned into people being offended for the sake of being offended????

It looks like the estate wins, on here. I will be going to just go look at a few over the weekend and look at them just on space and practically alone before narrowing my search even more. I think i will add in search a Q5, Q7 and XF estate even if the XF is just out of reach at the moment. Just to increase my sample size.

 

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Well after having a good look around over the weekend, i think i will go with an estate they better value for your money. My wife preferred the SUV's and to honest there is a part of me that does too, but you can get more for your money if you get an estate. So once i have put a MOT and serviced my current car it will go up for sale. During that time i think i will start saving as i the all the ones i liked where just out of reach for the moment.

 

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Well i certainly think i have a short list of 3, Mercedes E350 CDI estate, Audi A6 Avant 3.0TDI or Xf 3.0 Diesel Estate. There are a few others i like Honda Accord or just safe and go VW Passat or Ford Mondeo? But i don't want to drop go performance wise too much, i know that's a silly thing to say when looking at diesel estates, i still would like to have some get and go when i want to.

 

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Worth looking at the Insignia as well. Very pleased with mine.

We had one at work on hire for a on site job, wasn't overly impressed but then i tend to lean towards Bmw, Merc's etc. Or it could be that is was a hire car and we all know they are the fasted car on the planet and would have been thrashed by most people.

 

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I’m looking at a 5 series estate. I prefer the interior to the Audi and I hate the clock in the merc. I really like the new E class though, but I could only get a low option 2.0 and would prefer the 3L.

I have always liked the 5 series Touring, but i have had a fair few BMW's now and fancy something different. My current car is BMW.

 

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Agreed, it depends on priorities. Typically I have favoured Estates as they usually provide:
-Bigger boots - most SUVs with big boots look rubbish (e.g. Rifter) or have a very big footprint
-Better fuel economy from the same engine (typically lighter / more aerodynamic)
-Usually cheaper

However I would consider an SUV for our next car as their popularity means there is a lot of choice and ease of access to car seats etc is useful. Kodiaq top of the list I think.

Guess i should have made that clear early on. Moving over to an Estate or SUV for a number of reasons. My wife is very poorly and could end up in a wheel chair. My mother in law already uses one so could very potentially need space for two. Also need space for the general family stuff with two kids, when i take them out about on their bikes in the future. Going back to diesel, as work is also relocating soon, i currently run a 650I as my daily car, so with the extra miles for work and all the extra trips to the hospital i can see coming up in the near future i want to got back to getting some better MPG. My wife has a mazda 6 hatch petrol as her daily car and we will use that for short distance driving, whilst we can. Your right as there are a lot more SUV's on the used market than estates. I still think you get better value for money if buying an estate. I looked at a XF sport bake at the weekend, boot was not as large as i expected. My friend suggested i have a close look a V70?

 

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@inflames given those (crappy) circumstances I'd strongly consider an estate if you're having to transfer people in and out. Trying to get a relative out of their chair and up in to an SUV is a pain in the behind and I'm pretty strong.

This is something i have considered, is it easier to lower someone into a car if needed or to lift them into something higher like a SUV?

 

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My father in law found my A6 difficult but my wifes Kuga a lot easier. My Navara was way too high though. It isn't just getting in though, dropping out rather than being pulled up and out is also a consideration.
What about a small suv t-roc/q2 size.
Andi.

I found an estate much easier to get my grandad in and out of than a qashqai. Poor old sod weighs nothing but it's more feeling like you're not hurting him. The other solution could be a sliding door mpv.

My mother in law still able move around enough that she can get into the Mazda easy enough, but she always struggles getting out to it, same as all the cars we have owned to be honest. I am lucky i haven't had to actually lift her in or out yet. I hope my wife doesn't have to use one, but i am thinking the worst case scenario, Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

 

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I guess it comes down to what kind of impairment your wife may have. Whether it's lower body strength/movement that's impacted or everywhere.
My grandad can stand on his own two feet so taking his hands to pull him out of a lower down vehicle is ok. Needing to lift him in to a higher one is difficult though as he's very weak.
If it was a case of him not being able to stand for a short period then I can see the advantage of guiding him out of the SUV and in to his chair.
If worst comes to worst is an adapted vehicle an option or is that a case of cross that bridge if it ever comes to it?

I think i will cross that bridge when or if that time comes. An estate works well for me and what the current situation.

 

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Well after a fair bit of research it all now comes down to what i want to spend. I have been looking A6 avant or Passat estate. I liked my last passat bit dull and boring but it done the job with out any issues until someone wrote it off for me. Or a Touareg. Going to take family at the weekend and see what would work best of us all. Also hoping with it being the end of the month i might be able to get a half decent deal. My friend did suggested i look at Lexus RX400h, i have driven one before but, i liked it just not overly keen it visually.

 

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is there enough power in the passat estate, per the other specific thread discussion 150bhp no ?
.... but there are few car purchases where you don't compromise somewhere

I know what you're saying, it's a massive drop in power from what i have been use to. I guess its my sensible head, with my budget i can get a 5 year old Passat. If i go for an Audi A6 Avant with a 3.0TDI or a VW Touareg they are about 8-10 year cars. a lot depends on how sensible i am going to be with the over all situation.