I've had a few estate cars over the years, al have been used to carry my stuff to shows as well as being slept in. If you've ever seen me demonstrating at a show, then you will know of the amount that can be crapped into the below examples, normally with the ability to see through the rear window! Until the current (soon to be most recent ex) one I had only ever spent up to £1500.
I've had:
Vauxhall Vectra. 1.9l. comfy enough, very basic and cheap to repair/insure/run. Not the most spacious I've had but plenty good enough.
Vauxhall Omega 2.5 turbo. HUGE!! The biggest car internally that I have had, lots of power for load carrying but a sod to get some parts for. Great car though.
As above, but 2L automatic and petrol (all other cars are diesel). Not as economical or quick as the turbo diesel
Volvo 850, 2.1L (?). Very long car, but not as much space and the Omegas (had to chop 10" off poles that fitted omega). Comfy, reliable, saved my life when a lorry took me off the M25
Suburu Outlander 2.5L Very comfy ride (devon to essex with no stops), 4 wheel drive, but pricey to insure and even more pricey to repair!
Pergeot 406 (or 408?) 2L, Very big inside, looks and steers like a battle ship. I got a lemon, but friends have them and say they are real work horses.
Ford Mondeo 2L. Very comfy ride, surprisingly large amounts of space, economical, cheapish to repair (especially if you work on it).
My current one is the Mondeo and is cost me £2200 4 years ago and has only had breaks and the like replaced. The previous cars (all under £1600) lasted a year on average before something major went. I'm looking into repairing or scrapping it next week as it is due for an MOT and the power steering pump has gone, as well as the end of my exhaust dropping off at the moot! The cars I'm looking into now include another Mondeo and a Skoda Octavia, but my budget will be a little larger as this experiment has shown me that a bit more spent on the car can pay dividends. Hopefully!
Each time I replace a car I go through the Estate vs MPV vs 4x4 decision. I always come back to the estate from a practicality point of view. They are most economical to run, both in terms of fuel and the insurance. The taller vehicles like the MPVs and 4x4s are more effected by side winds and more prone to reversing into bollards/rocks. 4x4s are useful if you are off roading, but they are more expensive to run and repair as well as lacking the length internally that I need to stick 2m tables in (unless you get into the monster truck disco type things). I take my cars through muddy fields and up silly hills in all weathers (I live on Dartmoor), a set of snow tyres has seen my old Vectra climb hills that a bloke in some poncy 4x4 was struggling to decend with his road tyres on a few winters ago, they also work wonders in wet/slick fieds
Just some of my experiences, take it or leave it as you will
I'm a 36 year old male with some years no claims and I spend my whole time needing to put long or heavy loads in the car and then travelling off the tarmac.
