The A4 Allroad is a curious half-way house between a standard A4 Avant estate and the Q5 SUV. For the majority of drivers, surely buying the standard A4 Avant on which its based makes more sense? So aside from a bigger set of bumpers, what does the Allroad really offer over and above the standard car?...

It might still have two ‘barn’ doors for accessing the boot, but that’s about the only thing the new MINI Clubman has in common with its predecessor . This Clubman is more like a conventional small family car , with the added bonus of a luxurious interior. In fact, despite the estate car...

The load-carrying version of the Volkswagen Golf offers the same excellent build quality, relaxed driving and high levels of technology as the hatchback , but with the added benefit of increased practicality thanks to a usefully large and well shaped load area. From the driver’s seat, it’s more or...

The 3 Series Touring arrived in 2012 and enjoyed a long production run until 2019. This means there’s a 3 Series Touring for most budgets. Although many buyers have migrated to the perceived benefits of an SUV, an estate car remains the best choice if you’re looking for maximum practicality and...

It may not exactly be very rock and roll, but there is a reason you see so many Ford Focus models on the road. It's simply a great car. The hatchback was keenly anticipated when it was launched in early 2011 but the estate version seemed to go under the radar, somewhat eclipsed by the hatchback. Which...

At launch, the Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake was described as an exciting, practical and alternative family car. Alternative was the right word. Here is a small coupe -like estate that’s come from the Mercedes CLA, which itself was based on the 2012 Mercedes A-Class . So is this strange blend...