Show us your estates

[Bren]

Following on from the best all rounder thread - show us your estates! Many of your best cars seemed to be estates. Here's the ones we have owned.

Xantia 1.9 SX. Fab car but 90 hp is not much. Wife didn't like it. 3rd gear got crunchy so it was moved on - the mechanic who looked after it bought it. He is now deceased and so is the car.

Focus ghia. It was the 1.8 diesel. Lovely to drive - air con and six CD changer. Sadly we outgrew the car - plus the sills were a bit soft. Sadly no longer on the road.

Vectra 3.0 cdti elite. Nice car save for the engine - thirsty, not much quicker than the 16v 1.9, expensive parts and a pig to work on. When it started using half a litre of coolant a day it was time to go. Sold on ebay - later seen for sale in Dewsbury for three times what it sold for - no doubt repaired with steel seal. Not been MOT'd for a couple of years - now doubt recycled into chinese learner motorcycles. Avoid any car with this engine - even if it's for free.

This replaced the vectra. 1.9 PD. Remapped to 170 hp. Fast and economical. Sadly it was looking tatty ( tailgate had rusted through) and the suspension needed a refresh. However all the doors opened and all the windows went up and down ( so it had a rare spec ). Sold for more than its replacement cost us.

Our current estate. Just ticked over 150k. 1.9 auto which means £315 road tax. Rare spec - digital green with XP pack. Landed us with a £900 bill when the auxiliary belt jumped. Not great on diesel but we dont owe on it.

[barefoot]

It's not an estate, it's a tourer.

[Skcat]

My old estates:

The skoda was great but the front subframe and sills where rotten through. My first proper “autoshite” car! 

Merc was a great all rounder but very slow and ultra loud. It had a om603 and I believe the fuel pump was not set up perfect! 

850 was slow but sounded amazing, fuel economy was great on a run. Not much stops these cars but lots of little things break on them which is annoying. 

All great cars but my current one for over four years now:

[wesacosa]

as much as I love a good estate, I think I only ever had one

[Minimad5]

😪 Stop it, I'm currently estate-less for once in my life.

[TrabbieRonnie]

Can this go here?

Should have really gone on the best "all-rounder you've owned" thread I suppose, as that's what is has been for us.  It's a go-anywhere estate, it's 2.4 litres and autobox make for relaxed progress on the road (although not as slow as you'd think), but has plenty of torque for pulling.  

The boot is massive, and made more so by the drop-down tailgate...

Three pushbikes or two motorbikes can be carried, without folding the rear seats, provided you're willing to have them hanging out the back I suppose!  Dogs, sideboards, tip runs without a trailer, logs by the tonne... it does it all with ease, and we would be lost without it now.  

I paid £1200 seven or 8 years ago, to a small dealer who had removed it from the field in which it was left when its previous owners moved back to Cornwall.  It had sat for three years apparently, but passed the test after charging the batteries, and was stuck on the lot covered in moss and looking forlorn.

Drove home perfectly, massive clean up, timing belt (now nearly due again) and water pump saw her pushed into service.  I've always loved 90's Toyotas, and these are as good as everyone says.  29 mpg every tank, and an oil change every 3000 miles.  It even has grease nipples all over the transmission, what more could you want?!

If that has caused any offence, may I present the Subaru Outback...

It has done the rounds on here, but seems to have settled in over the water with Datsuncog, after 3 years ish with us.  I spent big bucks (by my standards) on this at 3.5 grand, but it was bloody lovely.  Great spec, awesome engine and drive, never bothered by any road conditions, and a very decent sized boot.  Surely one of the best estates ever built (34 mpgs and expensive parts aside).  I would have another if required, but only if bought from a wee old Manny down south, where it had never seen salt!

I did once own an Audi A6 Avant (1996 model, so a rebadged 100 really), but have no pics, also a very nice car, bit highly strung maybe, but now with more experience, I would again have another if it was needed.

 

[AnnoyingPentium]

Haven't bought an estate... yet. However, our Dacia Duster technically classes as an "estate" on the paperwork. It's a good car, quick for a 999cc pez, but it does have a turbo for getting it going. Cruises like a yacht, it's so good for motorway driving... besides the massive blind spot at the C-pillar and the tiny windows. My Mum likes it, so that's what matters.

[Barry Cade]

I do like an estate..

Current Focus 2.0TDCi 163 TiT X

Doblo 1.4 petrol, fab wee thing, cost me £550

1st 9-5 Estate. 2.3 t auto.

2nd 9-5 Estate. Aero HoT auto.

1st 850. T5 ex armed response.

2nd 850. 2.0 10v. Bought from auction for £90.. (ninety) quid.

E34 518i Touring. Hateful thing, my last BMW...

#

does this count? HPE 1600. always wanted one, hated it.. Yes, I fitted E34 headlights....

I have more, but on proper film pictures. had a few Passat GL5 estates and probably more ive forgotten..

[Sham]

I've always had estates when I can. This is the current one. All the car I could ever need.

Previous estate was a Picasso, which I can't find a picture of. Before that, this Marea. Which I loved, and my daughter was born in.

Prior to that, Mondeo estate.. which, I can't find a picture of.

[grogee]

We are now a 2 silver estate family. Insert words such as 'sport' but also 'lifestyle' and 'practicality'.

I don't really like silver, it just seems really boring, but I'm also not fussy enough to shop around.

These were taken after cleaning; both of them are currently shit high with salty road grime.

[Mr Pastry]

One of my best cars ever was one of these.  Metallic grey with grey velour interior, 2 litre or 2.2?  5 speed manual.  It was roomy, comfortable, smart, reliable, decent to drive, well put together, didn't rust noticeably and was quite economical if you didn't push it.  It had the inline engine, some were transverse. 

I bought it for £500 around 1994 to do a long distance "escape to the country" house move which involved lots of trips clearing lockups and things, and it was excellent.  I ended up keeping it for 5 or 6 years and in that time it had a set of tyres, water pump, ball joints, brake pads and maybe a battery, so nothing desperate.   When the time came to downsize and move it on nobody was much interested, but I got £75 at the auctions. 

The only niggle was that the fuel gauge never worked, which I think the seller probably knew about.  It was part of a futuristic electronic trip computer thing which couldn't be bypassed or deleted without rebuilding most of the car, so I just kept the tank topped up.

A very well designed car but largely under-rated, at least in the UK.  I would have another if I needed something that size, but they seem to be extinct now.   

 

[sierraman]

Had Focus and Mondeo estates. Both great but difficult to find in worthwhile condition, it’s just one of those cars people keep till they’re fucked. 

[Cookiesouwest]

Had 3 mk1 focus estates with 1.8 tdi units.

No pics on this phone.

Great cars, except for the rust, which killed all 3

 

[Six-cylinder]

There is nothing worse than coming out of a B&Q with a trolley full and finding you did not bring your estate car! yes it really did happen.

In addition to the Volvo 740 GLE Auto in best all rounder thread we have 5 other estates on the current fleet.

Vauxhall Carlton 2.0 Club

Citroen ZX TD Avantage

Volvo V70 T5 Auto

Mercedes 200TE W124

Alfa 156 V6

3 are running, but Carlton blown head gasket, V70 needs camshaft sensor, Volvo 740 needs fuel pump.

Edit

Oops, what an oversite I forgot I have bought a Saab 95. In my defence There is no plan to collect it until the spring.

[Vantman]

I rather like a Saab estate,these are the only two i have owned--

 

[Out Run]

I've only owned one estate and I still have it now. Owned it for four years, bought on 97K and now is on 125K.

It's a 2.2 TDCi 200 Mondeo Titanium X Sport. 

I've done a couple of mods to it, but nothing at all like what most of them end having stuck to them and what not.

Brand new OE 19" wheels, Rolling road remapped to 233 BHP & 540Nm - emissions crap and exhaust boxes still present / Convers Mod for dash clocks - visual parking sensors, auto parking sensors, DPF regen, digi speedo (not corrected, so basically GPS accurate), boost gauge.

All of this intergrates into the factory Convers display and can be turned on and off in menus, just like it was OE.

I retrofitted roof rails, as mine was made when they stopped adding roof rails for some reason. I also had TPMS added, via Convers Mod, this works on the key frequency. This was removed as an option at the time my car was built. But the way mine works, there are zero reliability issues.

All works seemlessly and only adds to the car, IMO - I also kept the previous owners wind deflectors and added 25mm wheel spacers and factory DAB radio.

I have 337mm (iirc) V70 R discs and XC90 front calipers to go on - straight fit.

I think these are brilliant cars. Huge luggage space, with and without the seats down, quick, comfortable and very well specced.

As standard it has heated and cooled seats, keyless start, 19" wheels, sports suspension, body kit, F&R parking sensors, twin exhausts etc.

I hunted out one with the options I wanted and in the colour I wanted, though. Sat Nav, reverse cam, adaptive cruise, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, keyless entry, electric memory seats. I think that's it.

Issues wise, it has been virtually no bother. I have pressure washed the DPF and fitted a new vaporiser (£100) and changed the washers on the turbo oil feed pipe. Honestly, that's about it.

I have no intention of selling this car any time soon. I think they still look brilliant, in facelift Sport guise and mine lives an easy life with me.  It does sometimes get loaded right up, carry bikes etc, but is never abused.

I like to think it is one of the better examples out there.

[AnnoyingPentium]

I really like that Mondy estate, @Out Run!

[Out Run]

6 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

I really like that Mondy estate, @Out Run!

Cheers, mate. You can't beat a Mondog!

[Six-cylinder]

14 minutes ago, Vantman said:

I rather like a Saab estate,these are the only two i have owned--

 

I have forgotten I have bought a 95 although I don't expect to take delivery until the spring as it has covered storage at the moment.

[AnnoyingPentium]

Just now, Out Run said:

You can't beat a Mondog!

Definitely. My IT teacher from school had a Titanium X (2010) 2.2 that was a flying machine!

[Zelandeth]

Not actually had many estates.

According to the DVLA this was a 2-door estate...

Though I think anyone else would just say 3-door hatch.

First *real* estate was also a Lada though.

Currently on the drive we have this Merc S123, which is a proper estate with a load area big enough to need its own postcode.

Which is about to move on to pastures new.

Not sure if this counts...the recently acquired fleet workhorse...functionally it *works* like an estate, though it's really a van...or a car with a box plonked on the back anyway.

[AnnoyingPentium]

2 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

Not sure if this counts...the recently acquired fleet workhorse...functionally it *works* like an estate, though it's really a van...or a car with a box plonked on the back anyway.

That's the one with the green interior lighting, aye?

[Zelandeth]

3 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

That's the one with the green interior lighting, aye?

Yep.

[junkyarddog]

My collection of estate cars,

2008 2.0 diesel Mondeo daily,owned for over 10 years now.

Rarely this clean,as I essentially live on a dirt track in rural Ireland.

'99 1.6 petrol Mk1 Focus,this has been in the family now for 17 years. 

Great for hauling home more dead estate cars.

1978 1300 Viva HC estate pulled out of a scrap yard. 

1977 VX 2300,except this one runs a 1.8 turbodiesel lump and 5speed box from a Sierra.

Slowly going rotten,sorry let me rephrase that,it is rotten😂

[Out Run]

8 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

Definitely. My IT teacher from school had a Titanium X (2010) 2.2 that was a flying machine!

Cool. 170 BHP, those pre-facelifts.

I've had 3 Mondeo's on the bounce as a daily, last one was a 2.0 TDCi 140 Tit X hatch and even that went well enough.

But it's well worth having these 2.2 200's remapped. On a private road innit, mine with the map was slightly quicker than a workmates 335d. I was pleased with that.

My dad has a 163 BHP 2.0 TDCi Tit X estate mk4.5, as he liked mine. He had a 2.0 TDCi Tit X hatch before that - as he liked mine.

You always know where you are with a Ford, IMO.

[Sham]

2 minutes ago, Out Run said:

You always know where you are with a Ford, IMO.

Ooo I know... The Garage? Hard shoulder?

 

 

 

Kidding. I've had several Ford's and liked them all, except the MK4 Escort. Which was bought as a stop gap, and was utterly without redemption.

[AnnoyingPentium]

2 minutes ago, Out Run said:

Cool. 170 BHP, those pre-facelifts.

I could swear he said his was a 200. It could be remapped, mind you.

5 minutes ago, Out Run said:

You always know where you are with a Ford, IMO.

Especially a posh Ghia... e.g. the Fiesta courtesy car my Granda had around 2006.

[Out Run]

2 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

I could swear he said his was a 200. It could be remapped, mind you.

Especially a posh Ghia... e.g. the Fiesta courtesy car my Granda had around 2006.

Yeah, it would remap to around that, without fuss. But a 2010 should be a pre-facelift car. No DRL's are an obvious way to tell them apart.

Ghia used to mean a lot, yeah. Sadly, not for many years now. I still don't understand why they massively downgraded that spec.

[AnnoyingPentium]

2 minutes ago, Out Run said:

Yeah, it would remap to around that, without fuss. But a 2010 should be a pre-facelift car. No DRL's are an obvious way to tell them apart.

No DRLs from memory, it was a 10-reg.

2 minutes ago, Out Run said:

Ghia used to mean a lot, yeah. Sadly, not for many years now. I still don't understand why they massively downgraded that spec.

Yep. The ST-Line is a plush version of the Fiesta these days. I learned to drive in two of them. The second had stiffened factory suspension and was lethal over the speed-bumps in this part of the world.

[Steviemillar]

My three Tourings owned between 2015 and 2020

1993 E34 M5 Touring

2000 E39 Alpina V8 Touring

2007 E61 M5 V10 Touring