A nice estate for £8k

[Shermanator]

Hello

I'm restoring my MGB GT, which is kept at my sisters while I live at my parents. The tool box I have to do so, plus my steel-toe cap boots I keep in the car permanently (need to wear them for the day job) take up ALL the boot space of my C1. I do mean all of it, not even space for an ice scraper. Plus with the took box being metal pulling it in and out buggers the interior of the C1 with scrapes etc.

As a result I need a bigger car, and I want an estate. Criteria below:

Anywhere up to £10k, £8,000 is probably what I would prefer though.
Petrol
A bit of oomph, C1 is a bit slow and gets a bit boring
NOT BLACK!
Respectable looking. While I'm 21 I don't like to be seen as a chav, but dress exactly like one! A lowered noisy Impreza is going to make people jump to conclusions about who I am as a person. Rightly or wrongly I don't want that.
Gearbox which suits the car. Some cars suit manuals better others automatics, depends on the car on which I would want.
A panoramic sunroof would be a major plus, as I love the sunroof on my C1. Not essential though.
It also has to be semi-special. Its replacing my little C1 I've had for 4 years, my first car, made many a trip in it. Refuse to replace it with a bog standard generic A4 etc.
Not stupid money to run, i know a semi-special estate will be vastly more expensive to run than a C1, and that's fine but no Audi S4s or Mercedes AMG as that will be crippling.

I love the Subaru Legacy Spec B. However, I would want a manual for that and you try and find a UK manual Spec B Legacy estate! (Import would work but I prefer the interior when it doesn't have aftermarket screens etc in it, which most imports have because the Jap radio and sat nav screen doesn't work here).
Hopefully that gives you a good idea as to what I like. Oh, and lastly my commute is 16 miles each way down motorway and dual carriageway however is free flowing the vast majority of the time so some automatic torquey diesel SAAB is not needed.

[ZX10R NIN]

Mondeo Titanium X Sport great steer & a very good amount of go mixed with newness.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008142...

Passat R36

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202006109...

Octavia VRS

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008011...

Focus ST

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202003178...

[Shermanator]

ZX10R NIN said:

Mondeo Titanium X Sport great steer & a very good amount of go mixed with newness.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008142...

Passat R36

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202006109...

Octavia VRS

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008011...

Focus ST

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202003178...

Thanks for the links, had a look.
Mondeo fits criteria, but doesn't seem to do anything for me. And its black...
Passat R36, yes, that's more like it. Looked at them as well. That one is black so out of the running. Plus an import, so radio etc probably won't work.
Octavia is nowhere near special enough
Focus ST, friend at work has one. Like it but doesn't do it for me. Plus, they aren't exactly respectable in my opinion and that one is an ex-police car!

[300sl-24]

Stick out for the Subaru. I have recently bought a 3.0 spec B manual Estate and just love the way it drives. It is different, quick, thirsty, highly taxed, but the drive is addictive.
I do a lot of fishing so the AWD and luggage space are ideal.

[Sc0tchland]

Shermanator said:

ZX10R NIN said:

Mondeo Titanium X Sport great steer & a very good amount of go mixed with newness.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008142...

Passat R36

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202006109...

Octavia VRS

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008011...

Focus ST

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202003178...

Thanks for the links, had a look.
Mondeo fits criteria, but doesn't seem to do anything for me. And its black...
Passat R36, yes, that's more like it. Looked at them as well. That one is black so out of the running. Plus an import, so radio etc probably won't work.
Octavia is nowhere near special enough
Focus ST, friend at work has one. Like it but doesn't do it for me. Plus, they aren't exactly respectable in my opinion and that one is an ex-police car!

ZX10 is providing you with car recommendations not specific cars

[dunc69]

The Octavia Estate is an excellent car, particularly the Petrol vRS DSG. The Mk2 will be in budget and is probably better built than the Mk3.

I had one from new in 2010 for 7 years and 89,000 miles.

Loved it - fantastic car with lots of room and decent pace.

[loskie]

Stick with Subaru BUT Forester

[ZX10R NIN]

Shermanator said:

Thanks for the links, had a look.
Mondeo fits criteria, but doesn't seem to do anything for me. And its black...
Passat R36, yes, that's more like it. Looked at them as well. That one is black so out of the running. Plus an import, so radio etc probably won't work.
Octavia is nowhere near special enough
Focus ST, friend at work has one. Like it but doesn't do it for me. Plus, they aren't exactly respectable in my opinion and that one is an ex-police car!

These are just ideas so you can go looking in a certain direction I'm not advising you buy those particular cars, test drive a Mondeo you may well just change your mind, also look out for the Insignia VXR Estate they're rare underrated but well worth a look.

[Shermanator]

300sl-24 said:

Stick out for the Subaru. I have recently bought a 3.0 spec B manual Estate and just love the way it drives. It is different, quick, thirsty, highly taxed, but the drive is addictive.
I do a lot of fishing so the AWD and luggage space are ideal.

Incredibly tempted to do so. You don't seem to have had to wait long!

[Shermanator]

Sc0tchland said:

ZX10 is providing you with car recommendations not specific cars

In which case:
Mondeo; Not doing it for me
Passat; More like it, only one non-black in the classifieds and its condition is a bit meh
Focus; still chavvy
VRS; Not special enough.

Better?

[Bloxxcreative]

Volvo v40?

[Shermanator]

dunc69 said:

The Octavia Estate is an excellent car, particularly the Petrol vRS DSG. The Mk2 will be in budget and is probably better built than the Mk3.

I had one from new in 2010 for 7 years and 89,000 miles.

Loved it - fantastic car with lots of room and decent pace.

But it's not exactly very special. There are loads going around, even around my area!

[Shermanator]

loskie said:

Stick with Subaru BUT Forester

Can you get then with a bit of oomph? Thought they were all more normal?

[Shermanator]

ZX10R NIN said:

These are just ideas so you can go looking in a certain direction I'm not advising you buy those particular cars, test drive a Mondeo you may well just change your mind, also look out for the Insignia VXR Estate they're rare underrated but well worth a look.

Fair enough, the Mondeo very likely is the absolute best car for me and my dad used to own a Mk1 many years ago so it would be nice to have another Mondeo on the drive (always liked his Mallard Green one). The back of the estates aren't exactly great looking though (which is mainly why they don't do it for me). Could compromise a bit and get the hatchback Mondeo, everything I want it to do and the difference in luggage space probably isn't major, with still a very large opening. All while looking better! Mhm, food for thought!

[loskie]

oomph? yes you can

[Shermanator]

Bloxxcreative said:

Volvo v40?

Do like a Volvo, the V40 is more hatchback than estate in my mind but would still work very well. Not many for sale in budget on Autotrader but still a contender.

[Bloxxcreative]

Shermanator said:

Do like a Volvo, the V40 is more hatchback than estate in my mind but would still work very well. Not many for sale in budget on Autotrader but still a contender.

Definitely more dated but alot cheaper....v50 with sport kit? Not huge, but decent enough to drive and I think based on focus chasis.

[Hub]

It is a difficult set of criteria because most 'fast' estates were bought in diesel flavour until quite recently. Most numerous options would probably be the Octavia VRS or BMW E90 325i/330i, but all options will be quite rare.

[TameRacingDriver]

Forester STI.

I have no interest in estates but even I nearly bought one. Bonkers cars. 280 bhp out of the box, easy 330 bhp with some tuning. I followed one once in my MR2 Roadster and it looked like the owner was having a great time around the corners in the big beast.

I absolutely love them and I'm normally the sort to prefer small cars.

[ZX10R NIN]

Shermanator said:

Fair enough, the Mondeo very likely is the absolute best car for me and my dad used to own a Mk1 many years ago so it would be nice to have another Mondeo on the drive (always liked his Mallard Green one). The back of the estates aren't exactly great looking though (which is mainly why they don't do it for me). Could compromise a bit and get the hatchback Mondeo, everything I want it to do and the difference in luggage space probably isn't major, with still a very large opening. All while looking better! Mhm, food for thought!

If you go for a Hatchback then there are some very good options & you'll end up with a newer car too.

Mondeo Titanium X Sport

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202006240...

Insignia XVR Underrated swift & a very good car:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202007020...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202007070...

Insignia SRI 250 these are the sensible option everyone will assume it's a 2.0d.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202007241...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202007091...

Mazda6 2.5 Sport

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202007010...

Other estates:

C55 AMG slow depreciation & great performance

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202005169...

330i M Sport

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008152...

3.0 TFSI A6 Avant

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202007291...

523i

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202007030...