Sometimes it can be tricky to tell if a car is a hatchback or an estate. There are lots of hatchbacks such as the Ford Focus that have a relatively long roof and an upright back end, as does an estate. The difference between a hatchback and an estate is often in how far the car’s body extends beyond the back wheels. The Focus estate is about 30cm longer than the hatchback and all of that extra length is beyond the back wheels. The principle applies across many other cars including the Volkswagen Golf, Peugeot 308 and Kia Ceed.
Used estate cars
Estate cars give you excellent practicality and a huge range of models to choose from, including cost-effective, sporty and luxurious options. We have a wide range of used estate cars for sale that are available to buy or finance.
Finance representative example (PCP)
Total cash price £16,500. Borrowing £14,500 with a £2,000 deposit at a representative APR of 12.9%.
- Fixed rate of interest per annum
- 6.71%
- 48 monthly payments
- £275.81
- Total amount payable
- £21,903.88
- Cost of credit
- £5,403.88
- Optional final payment
- £6,665.00
- Annual mileage limit
- 10,000 miles
- Excess mileage charge
- 4p/mile
Finance representative example (PCP)
Total cash price £16,500. Borrowing £14,500 with a £2,000 deposit at a representative APR of 12.9%.
- Fixed rate of interest per annum
- 6.71%
- 48 monthly payments
- £275.81
- Total amount payable
- £21,903.88
- Cost of credit
- £5,403.88
- Optional final payment
- £6,665.00
- Annual mileage limit
- 10,000 miles
- Excess mileage charge
- 4p/mile
- Check your eligibility
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- 53,380 miles2019 regManualDiesel
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Skoda Octavia
1.6 TDI SE Sport DSG
- 78,995 miles2016 regAutomaticDiesel
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Vauxhall Insignia
2.0 Turbo D BlueInjection SRi VX Line Nav Sports Tourer
- 77,816 miles2018 regManualDiesel
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Vauxhall Astra
1.0i Turbo ecoFLEX SRi Sports Tourer
- 61,252 miles2016 regManualPetrol
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1.6 Turbo D BlueInjection Design Nav Sports Tourer
- 95,093 miles2018 regManualDiesel
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- 46,795 miles2019 regManualDiesel
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Ford Focus
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- 67,976 miles2017 regManualPetrol
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1.6 TDI Match Edition
- 37,370 miles2019 regManualDiesel
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1.6 TDI Match Edition
- 56,272 miles2019 regManualDiesel
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- 68,798 miles2016 regManualDiesel
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- 39,270 miles2018 regAutomaticDiesel
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- 55,159 miles2019 regAutomaticPetrol
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Mini Clubman
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- 35,687 miles2018 regManualPetrol
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- 16,052 miles2018 regManualPetrol
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- 98,315 miles2019 regAutomaticDiesel
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- 51,734 miles2020 regManualPetrol
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Skoda Superb
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- 62,480 miles2019 regManualDiesel
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Seat Leon
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- 31,218 miles2018 regManualPetrol
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Vauxhall Insignia
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Toyota Corolla
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- 43,408 miles2019 regManualDiesel
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- 11,586 miles2019 regAutomaticPetrol
Estate car buying guide
If you have a busy, active family life, if you’re a DIY enthusiast or if you just want a car you can fill with lots of stuff, an estate could be ideal for you. Estate cars are usually based on a hatchback or saloon model and give you a driving experience – and fuel economy – similar to the models they’re based on. Estate cars are often as (or more) practical than a similarly priced SUV but tend to give better mpg because they’re generally lighter and more aerodynamic.
What is an estate car?
The design of most estate cars starts as a hatchback or saloon, but estates have a longer roofline and a more-upright design at the back, to create a bigger boot. Almost all have a hatchback boot lid (that hinges above the back window) and most have a longer body that extends further behind the back wheels.
Is an estate car right for me?
An estate car is ideal if you want the flexibility to carry lots of stuff in your car but don’t necessarily want an SUV. Bulky pushchairs, flatpack furniture, heavy duty tip trips and family holiday luggage all fit much more easily into an estate than in a hatchback or saloon, or even in some SUVs for that matter. Estates with a higher, flatter roof can also be useful if you need to carry taller passengers because the shape creates more back-seat headroom. Alternatively, you may be one of the many people who just prefer the look of an estate compared with other types of car.
What sort of estate cars are available?
Estate cars are available in a range of sizes. The smallest, such as the Skoda Fabia, are based on small hatchbacks, while the biggest are based on executive cars such as the BMW 5 Series. The ever-increasing popularity of SUVs means there are fewer estate cars available to buy new, but there’s still a lot of choice when buying used, with at least one estate available from the majority of mainstream car brands.
What are some of the most popular estate cars?
Mini Clubman – it’s not the most practical of small estates, but the Clubman is stylish, feels great to drive and is surprisingly good value. Unusually, its boot lid is a pair of doors that open out from the centre, rather than a single top-hinged door.
Skoda Octavia – the Octavia has just about the biggest boot of any mid-size estate, with enough passenger space for five adults. It’s very comfortable on a long journey and most models have lots of features as standard.
BMW 3 Series Touring – if you really want to enjoy your driving, there are few better estates than this, and it doesn’t compromise on space or practicality. It’s available with a wide range of engines including ultra-efficient diesels and high-performance motors.
Mercedes-Benz E-Class – the E-Class Estate combines a luxurious interior with one of the biggest boots found in any estate car. Models with a diesel engine can give you excellent fuel economy.
Common questions about estate cars
The terms estate and station wagon are used to describe exactly the same type of car on different sides of the Atlantic Ocean. While station wagon is generally considered an American term, some estates sold in the UK are called station wagon or SW by their manufacturer.
Many car makers use ‘brand names’ for their estate models. Audi uses Avant, BMW uses Touring, Renault uses Sports Tourer. The names of some sporty-looking estates such as the Mercedes-Benz CLS include the words Shooting Brake.
In terms of physical size, the biggest estate car sold in the UK in recent years has been the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo, which measures a touch over five metres long. If we’re talking about the estate car with the biggest boot, that honour goes to the Skoda Superb, which has 660 litres of boot space. Fold down its back seats and there’s a van-like 1,950 litres of space. Only a few big SUVs offer more room.
Before SUVs and MPVs became the cars of choice for many large families, it was possible to buy an estate car with seven seats. These cars typically had an extra pair of ‘occasional’ seats that folded out of the boot floor and faced the back window. There was a time when most large estates were available in seven-seater form; Mercedes-Benz and Volvo were the last manufacturers to offer such cars in the UK but they haven’t been sold new since about 2010.