Cars That Prove Ferrying the Family Around Doesn't have to be Boring

Mazda has certainly been one of the most improved manufacturers over recent years. Their model lineup has been allowed to grow and grow due to consistently successful cars entering their range. Not only is this new Mazda6 Tourer a sharp looking thing with its pleasing curves and swooping roofline, it’s pretty swift too with the 2.2 diesel Sports model doing the 0-60 run in just 7.9 seconds. If you’d prefer economy over performance, there’s a less-tuned version of that engine which will offer you a healthy 68.9mpg in return.

Prices of the new Mazda6 Tourer start from £24,095

How good are these new Mercs looking? If you’re after a spacious, practical estate car that will turn heads at the golf club, look no further. It’s absolutely brimming with modern technology and dripping with premium materials. You just need to look at the gorgeous interior and dashboard and we’re sure you’ll be sold. But, there’s more. If you’re after an estate car that will really get your heart racing, the C-Class Estate comes in an AMG version. This model packs 390 bhp and will do the 0-60 mph run in just 4.8 seconds. The AMG model is pretty pricey though, at £48,920 but the new model Sport C-Class is available with a lot of the same kit with prices starting from just £30,800.

Now, from one end of the spectrum to the other. One of the most manageable, affordable and adorable estate vehicles on the market comes in the form of the Mini Clubman. The Clubman is a car that a lot of people would get along with if they gave it a chance. It is built upon the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer platform and can be spec’d with the same 1.5 litre 3-cylinder engine as the BMW i8! There are a good few versions of the Clubman to pick from, but the entry-level Cooper fits most people’s criteria as it will do 58 mpg while also offering practicality benefits that few similarly sized estates can offer. However, if you’re looking for something to really get the pulse racing, then the John Cooper Works edition is available and it is properly quick. In fact, it does the 0-60 mph run in just 6.3 seconds. 

A prime example of what a large executive car should be and how one should drive. The 5 Series Touring has become the benchmark for estate vehicles over the years and this latest model released at the tail end of 2017 is no different. It’s also available as an ‘X-Drive’ model, which is BMW’s impressive all-wheel-drive system, meaning you can take it out in any conditions and get the most out of it. The 5 Series is now also available under an ‘M40’ model, which is a tier below the full-on M-Performance level, but still blisteringly quick. 5.1 seconds to 60 makes it a car to be reckoned with, and it’s also easy to live with because although it’s big and powerful, you’ll still get almost 40 mpg out of it, although it does cost over £52,000 to buy in the first place. The most well-balanced and most popular model is the 520d, which will return a steady 65.6 mpg.

The 5 Series Touring is on sale now and prices start from £39,005

Estate cars used to be the box-shaped, uglier versions of their saloon siblings. Estate cars used to sacrifice their looks to ensure high levels of practicality and massive boot space. Times have changed though, and we think that this XF Sportbrake is as good-looking, if not better looking than the XF saloon but of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The boot is pretty massive, with 565 litres of luggage/dog room with the rear seats up and 1,700 litres with them folded down. Interestingly, most XF Sportbrakes will be all-wheel-drive, which Jaguar believe is more suiting to the adventurous nature of the Sportbrakes buyers. It’s still an absolute riot to drive, though, like everything else in the current Jaguar lineup and there’s a ‘300’ version with a highly-strung 4 cylinder petrol engine that will do the 0-60 mph in just 6.0 seconds. More realistically though we would recommend the 2.0-litre diesel engine which will return a steady 54mpg on the motorway and still has plenty of power to keep you entertained.The Jaguar XF Sportbrake is on sale now from £36,545 and Jaguar have a number of PCP offers available with 0% APR. 

There’s a brand new A6 out now, which means two things. One, the previous model is going to be available at more competitive prices than ever before, and two, the new model is even more sporty and intelligent. Opt for the sensible, 2.0-TDI with mild-hybrid technology and fuel economy is 60.1mpg- nice. What’s more important is the hot version, the RS6. It’s a real supercar killer with a 0-62mph time of just 3.7 seconds. It’s still built on the same platform as the regular A6 Avant so you can still fit your golf clubs in the boot, as much flat-pack furniture as you’ll ever need, and still have room for the weekly shop.

You can get the new A6 Avant right now for £40,740.