Volkswagen Golf Estate

Buyers love the Golf hatchback, but the estate didn't take off in the same way. In fact, it's quite rare. It's as luxurious, as well built and as refined as the hatch, but it seems new buyers preferred an Astra or Focus for increased load area. As a result, it's a bit cheaper to pick up than the hatchback, but still pricier than most small estates. Fuel economy is reasonable on petrol-engined cars, but the diesel cars are excellent, especially the latest generation 'PD' high pressure injection engines - these give enjoyable brisk performance combined with 50+ mpg.

E, S, SE, SPORT, 16V, T, TDI, SDI, V5

Started off weak, but got better with time. Safety kit has always been excellent, but it took a while before the toys caught up.

2.3 V5