Large Estate Recommendations

roccles

roccles

roccles

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26 Apr 2012
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Due to a potential write off of my current car I am investigating potential new cars. I wasn't planning to change the car for a good few years so I pretty much out of the loop. Current car is a 65 Reg 2.0 Petrol Skoda Superb Estate which I have had for around 7 years. Has been a great car but looks like it might have had its time. This is the only car in the household (2 adults, 2 kids) so will need to move quickly once the settlement comes through.

I had previously posted on the BMW thread about looking at 3 Series BMWs, I test drove a 330e Estate at the weekend and while I liked the drive I felt quite cramped and the car was smaller overall than I had expected (I am 6' 3, 19ish stone). Also Fox made a good point that I really need to decide what I want so have been putting a bit more thought into that.

Wants
- Estate only
- A large boot
- A good bit of poke but am no petrol head and my idea of poke and others is probably very different ( would need be to be equivalent to the 2.0TSI petrol Skoda Superb at the very least)
- Lots of tech, cameras, HUD, good integration with Android Auto, virtual **** pits, all that sort of fun stuff!

Other Information
- Not concerned about colour
- Happy to look at plug-in hybrid model
- I don't do massive miles, would be less that 10,000 each year.
- I would look at Skoda again but do quite fancy a change
- Live in Hampshire so if the car couldn't be delivered then might be handy to be fairly local

I am aware of the 5 Series, A6, Passat, Superb etc. and am sure there are lots of others. But I am getting stuck when looking for particularly engines, spec levels, packs to look for etc. For example was recommended to look for the Tech Pack and M Sport Pro pack on the BMW.

I tend to keep my cars for quite a while (5 years minimum, probably longer), is Diesel even a consideration or should I be looking solely at Petrol?

Budget £25k (could push to 30 if it would make a massive difference)

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated and if I can provide any more information let me know.

Cheers
 
My first thought would have been another Skoda Superb to be honest. Then I'd probably be thinking the exact same as you. Passat, 5 series, A6.

How about a Volvo V90? Should be a similar sort of size to these cars. Fairly well made, look nice, decent tech etc... Could get a 2020 T6 for your budget, which will be a very nippy Hybrid with around 340 BHP.

Jag XF Sportbrake?

To be honest, beyond that, I can only think of smaller motors like the Golf or Leon which might all have boots too small.
 
its not the biggest estate in the world but there is also the MG5. if you go for the top spec one it has a lot of toys in it and the new face lift isnt as butt ugly as the old one. It is Electric tho and whilst you hadnt written that off in your post, you had not listed as an option either.
 
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Not sure if in budget, but an E class estate is a lovely place to be, so long as it has the extended MBUX. Any engine should meet your needs.

*Edit*

Seems not a huge amount of choice, and mostly limited to diesels

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I love my A6 3l bitdi - I've had it from about 12 months old (2015 plate) and it is now on 113k miles. It's comfy, massive and 320bhp. So I recommend one of those! I can't comment on the other engines available for it but there is a 272, 245 and a 21X version of the 3l diesel too. I don't see the point in the lower power version as I'm pretty sure a 2l 4 pot with a map could get to that!

I am considering a change but I've put a few quid into it with some new bits and bobs and did the air con condensor and adblu pump on it too. Otherwise, it's been faultless really and I just really like it.

The newest equivalent is an S6 but they're quite a lot of money...
 
roccles said:
Wants
- Estate only
- A large boot
- A good bit of poke but am no petrol head and my idea of poke and others is probably very different ( would need be to be equivalent to the 2.0TSI petrol Skoda Superb at the very least)
- Lots of tech, cameras, HUD, good integration with Android Auto, virtual **** pits, all that sort of fun stuff!
Click to expand...

The 3 Series would satisfy most of these with the possible exception of a large boot. I've no idea what you'd consider that to be, it isn't generally thought of as a large estate car but it's now about as big as a 2001 5 Series was so perhaps it's big enough. The rest of the things you want are easy to find on most 3 Series at your budget.

If you get an M Sport, the virtual dashboard, reversing camera, android auto support etc are all standard fit (Android Auto on cars older than about 2020 may require a software update first). If you find one with the Technology Package, this will give you the head up display and upgraded stereo. The M Sport Pro pack adds loads of awful styling, tinted windows but, usefully, Adaptive M Sport suspension.

As far as the 5 Series is concerned, you will need a car with the later iDrive 7 in order to get Android Auto support. This was fitted to cars manufactured after the end of 2019 but there are loads of 2020 registered cars which are older than this so it's not easy to find. One way to guarantee it is the facelift version from August 2020 onwards will have it as standard. I am not sure whether the earlier 2019/2020 iDrive 7 cars support Android Auto or not. Again, the technology package will give you the head up display and upgraded stereo. Finding a good 5 Series that fits what you want may be difficult at this budget as most of the cars you see will be older than 2020 and therefore won't quite have the technology you're after.

A word of warning about the technology package. During 2021/2022 there were considerable supply issues and as a result of this there was a time when the head up display and upgraded audio were reserved only for M Performance cars - this means you will find it very difficult to find a car from this particular time that has either of these items fitted.
 
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Coming from a Superb Estate, you'll be disappointed with everything else in terms of rear passenger legroom and luggage capacity. Plug-in hybrid batteries eat into the boot space so you have even less in an Audi/BMW/Merc PHEV.

Honestly, just get another Superb. They also have the PHEV if you can live with the reduced boot capacity.
 
bigmike20vt said:
its not the biggest estate in the world but there is also the MG5. if you go for the top spec one it has a lot of toys in it and the new face lift isnt as butt ugly as the old one. It is Electric tho and whilst you hadnt written that off in your post, you had not listed as an option either.
Click to expand...

Fugly cheap Chinese box with a small boot. Sort of a different league to what's being mentioned.
 
Yaayuh! said:
Fugly cheap Chinese box with a small boot. Sort of a different league to what's being mentioned.
Click to expand...
perhaps .... well i wouldnt say small boot but its not huge.............. but they had already been mentioned and its roomier inside than you may think. There are not that many true estates really and that was one which wasn't mentioned. OP is free to ignore of course. (looks wise i dont mind the face lift myself as well)
 
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[TW]Fox said:
This one has the older version of iDrive so won't support Android Auto and won't have the newer digital display. It also has no head up display.

It's a nice car, but is typical of the sort of 5 Series you get at this budget which I think will make it difficult to find a good one that fits all his requirements.
Click to expand...
First one I saw tbh!
 
G30 LCI Touring, I think you'd find the engine ok, MHEV too.

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Comfort Seats are probably the best option going!
 
Robbo said:
G30 LCI Touring, I think you'd find the engine ok, MHEV too.

BMW 5 Series 520i M Sport Touring 2.0 5dr

This 2020 BMW 5 Series 520i M Sport in Black Sapphire Metallic is now available and ready to test drive at Vertu BMW Durham. This 520i is in immaculate condition and has been prepared by our technicians. Diving into the standout features of this 520i, the M Sport Package, it comes with M Sport...
usedcars.bmw.co.uk usedcars.bmw.co.uk

Comfort Seats are probably the best option going!
Click to expand...

Now that looks nice and the specification of this would meet all of his requirements except perhaps the performance one - but a test drive should answer that.
 
Cheer guys, thank you for all the recommendations. The BMW above does seem to be a great example with all the packs included that have been suggested to keep an eye out for.

Also regarding just buy another Superb. This also now quite high on my list, I did enjoy the car and it gave me everything I needed.
 
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Mazda 6 estate will have all the bells and whistles if you went for a top spec. Not as powerful as some suggestions but a bit bigger than a 3 series and more comfortable.
 
Another vote for a 5 series touring if you can find one in budget with what you are looking for. Our 2018 has been very difficult to fault. Despite being an android user the lack of android auto with idrive 6 hasn't bothered me. The HUD is fantastic.

Also looked at the Superb but found needing to spend similar money to a 5 series to get one with the spec I wanted and the 5 is a nicer place to be and drive.
 
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