Is an Estate worth the extra £1000?

[101vrs]

Hi everyone & Merry Christmas!!

I'm currently trying to decide on my next new car & one of the considerations is whether to go for estate ot hatch?

I've currently got a hatch & its got plenty of room except for a few occasions when we travel up to Yorkshire from Oxford (2 kids), Christmas being one of them!!

I quite like the look of the estate but is the extra boot space over the hatch (25/35ltrs I think) worth the extra £1000 cost?

Cheers

Mark G

[kevberlin]

Yes. Its more practical, easier to sell and a lot better looking........but some may disagree of course!

[octaviaconvert]

Yes. Its more practical, easier to sell and a lot better looking........buy some may disagree of course!

+1

oh, and the extra space is more than the +35l, you have the entire load area to play with above the parcel shelf. I personally feel that the estate also handles a bit better becuase of the slight bit of extra weight on the back

[ufitsy]

Merry chrimbo to you!

+2 for the above - few more bits, more light.

[mac]

Totally agree, I reckon the car looks far more balanced,and is a tad more versatile

Regards

Mac

[Zdenek Fibich]

The estate has better rear visibiilty and you'll get some of that £1,000 back when you sell it.

The other interesting £1k question is - petrol or diesel? i'm about to change fron diesel to petrol as I do more like 12,000 miles a year rather than 20,000 as before - but if your mileage is between those two figures it''ll be down to which you prefer driving. Again, the diesel will hold its value a bit better.

[Guest]

Personally speaking, I find the estate a far more cohesive design than the hatch, though both are fine cars.

Over the last few weeks I have found the estate to be invaluable, I have been able to carry items without encroaching on passenger space. The rounded end of the estate does impede on being able to carry more bulkier items, but overall I don't regret paying the extra for the estate, plus my model is only available as an estate!!

Fin

[Chubbs]

General day to day use I'd say there's little in it and I'd prefer the hatch, having had both in the past. The estate IS more practical despite the apparently slightly larger volume but in real world terms it far outweighs the hatch for load lugging.

In terms of handling, not much in it but I found the estate to be a little more skippy on the back end on the B Road twisties.

I would suggest more hatches are sold than estates (you only have to look at what combinations we bought on the vRS delivery date thread) so you may not get the same money when it come to a trade in. All swings and roundabouts - they're both good cars - go with your gut feeling and you'll be happy.

[dan yeates]

I regularly use a roof rack for bikes, surf boards and windsurfs and the roof rails on the estate were more attractive than the holes that you attach the feet to on the hatch

[Kevan]

Yes. Its more practical, easier to sell and a lot better looking........buy some may disagree of course!

+ 3 Love it love it love it!

[silkysteve]

Hi everyone & Merry Christmas!!

I'm currently trying to decide on my next new car & one of the considerations is whether to go for estate ot hatch?

I've currently got a hatch & its got plenty of room except for a few occasions when we travel up to Yorkshire from Oxford (2 kids), Christmas being one of them!!

I quite like the look of the estate but is the extra boot space over the hatch (25/35ltrs I think) worth the extra £1000 cost?

Cheers

Mark G

In a word, no. Unless you really need to extra load height, the hatch is much more practical and it looks better - yes really, it does. The reason the hatch is more practical is you can reach further into the back of the car to get to stuff and the lip stops everything falling out as soon as you open the hatch.

[dunc69]

The estate is better looking IMHO.

The added practicality also nicely completes the fantastic all round abilities of the car!

I'm sure you'll be very happy whichever you go for!

[pgiles]

Only ever owned an estate but isn't there an issue with rain water running into the boot on the hatch?

[pixor]

This is the first estate I've owned, and I really appreciate the extra practicality. That's probably not a problem with the hatch unless you have young kids. I prefer the look of the estate to the hatch, it'll hold it's value better, and I've not had the water in the boot issues that hatch owners seem to have. The rear window gets filthy, though - I don't know if the hatch suffers from this?

[PowerMalc]

I considered an estate but decided it was not worth the extra £1000

We managed to get 5 people and all holiday luggage in to the VRS hatchback for our holiday trip to the airport, very impressed. IMO the estate offers very little extra space

[silver1011]

Get the Scout, choice already made for you

[foo]

Yes. +1 Scout

[PhilP1903]

I have a hatchback and i personally think it looks better than the estate, but at the end of the day it is down to personal choice. If you think you will get use out of the extra height at the rear of the car you get with the estate then it is worth it but if not then no it is not worth it.

[pgiles]

Yes. +1 Scout

Yes +2 on the Scout. Just ordered one and hope to get it before next winter (CR).

[gregoir]

Possibly. I've not really regretted my hatchback (apart from the water pouring into the boot). I paid the extra some years ago for a B5.5 Passat Estate and was very happy with that. Passat was not available as a hatch and the boot of the saloon was too deep to reach into without pain. The Octavia hatch is no problem.

The estate may be better if you want to carry taller items- the load length is the same as the hatch however.

[mdk1]

Can see the benefits of both, i have one off each

The estate is handy for going to the tip and picking up bulky loads.

The Hatch is quieter for longer trips and i feel slightly more secure.

[fabia55]

estate looks better, it'sactually the same external length as the hatchback

[Gizmo]

I too prefer the looks of most estates over the hatchback/saloons, it is very much a personal preference as the extra room is minimal, the extra cost in purchasing the car will be recouped a little when you sell the car, so I would not buy an estate over a hatchback based purely on the price.

With the Superb I would not of bought a twinhatch as I personally think the rear of the car is too ugly, so for me there was only one choice.

[greatdane]

i think estates are just more practical, and i deff need a estate as our dog weighs 13 stone,mind you our other one was 17 stone...

[silver1011]

I think estates are just more practical, and I deff need an estate as our dog weighs 13 stone, mind you our other one was 17 stone...

Christ!

I think one of these would better suit your needs...