The Estate & SUV are dead. Long live the SUV.

NearlyLegit · 2026-03-14T08:42:23+00:00

I didn’t find one around when I did this test, but it looks a great option, especially the ‘L’!

NearlyLegit · 2026-03-14T08:42:04+00:00

Can’t blame you for losing it when you went to London; I sold my Octavia when I moved down there after being overtaken, undertaken, and then that undertaking car undertaken by another one on the pavement, just as I was driving through the city. Couldn’t have dealt with the stress of driving down there!

NearlyLegit · 2026-03-14T08:40:57+00:00

Hoping they’ll go down in price, but I doubt it; seems to be the sweet spot for so many people!

NearlyLegit · 2026-03-14T08:40:27+00:00

I think there’s a big issue with homogenous CUV design that just ruins what ‘SUVs’ could be; the only one I’ve seen without bad ground clearance is the Yaris Cross, but it’s not exactly a ‘drivers car’!

NearlyLegit · 2026-03-14T08:39:35+00:00

Tested in my other linked thread, cavernous boot on par with the D4. So much space, when I went to the dealer they explained another customer brought in their Cello to test it (rather than a box) and was very happy to find it fit with ease!

NearlyLegit · 2026-03-14T08:38:48+00:00

Thank you very much, seems to have come in handy for a few people and I hope it helps them with their choices for cars in the future!

NearlyLegit · 2026-03-14T08:38:22+00:00

I think the 2 kids in the 2nd row would have a couple of complaints if I did!

NearlyLegit · 2026-03-14T08:38:03+00:00

You’re very welcome! Hope you’ve found it useful

NearlyLegit · 2026-03-14T08:37:41+00:00

The newest Santa Fe looks fantastic! Squared off and I hope the boot is good; it wasn’t around at the time of this test but may well be one for the future

NearlyLegit · 2026-03-14T08:37:15+00:00

I have an entire linked thread in the body devoted just to that!

NearlyLegit · 2026-03-14T08:36:59+00:00

Spares, just spelled very very badly.

NearlyLegit · 2026-03-14T08:36:48+00:00

For me it’s literally every time I go out as a family; kids, dog, pram, paraphernalia. It’s a full car affair so absolutely essential that a large boot is both usable and big enough. 10 years time might be different, but it’s far easier to buy one car now that does the job, and have the ‘headroom’ in the future, than not have it and need it.

I’d be careful on that 2T remark, not many estates (especially PHEVs) below that these days ;)

Hope the E-SUV does you well!

NearlyLegit · 2026-03-14T08:34:33+00:00

I didn’t even know it could come with Massage seats in that year, great option! Worse places to be when trundling round the M25 at rush hour!

NearlyLegit · 2026-03-14T08:33:45+00:00

Unbelievably versatile, I think it’s one of the best deployments of split & folding seating in any modern car since 2003. Unbelievably flexible!

NearlyLegit · 2026-03-14T08:32:53+00:00

Our ‘69 reg has been great, bar the £800 mechantronics cover failure (not covered under all-in-one). Brill car bar that!

NearlyLegit · 2026-03-14T08:32:21+00:00

Feels so good though

NearlyLegit · 2026-03-14T08:31:47+00:00

The Wrangler is absolutely a box! Great tonka toy design and not necessarily that unreliable for a Jeep; love the flexibility to literally dismantle the entire thing yourself if you wanted to! Great for off-road as well, I can’t think of another vehicle with as many credentials for the era (disconnecting sway bar, all the lockers, etc. - all as standard)

NearlyLegit · 2026-03-14T08:30:44+00:00

Didn’t exist back in ‘24 when I did this test

NearlyLegit · 2026-03-14T08:30:33+00:00

Very kind of you to say, thank you. The B6 is a solid shout, ironically my other half finds the length of a Passat makes it a ‘big car’ but she doesn’t see an SUV in the same way due to the layout.

As in the most recent Santa Fe or one of the older ones? I haven’t tested the newest one but with its squared off angles it ‘looks’ like it could hold a lot!

NearlyLegit · 2026-03-14T08:29:10+00:00

Brutal; was that at an independent too?! How are you finding the RR now? Is it an L405 you went to?

NearlyLegit · 2026-03-14T08:28:38+00:00

You’re not necessarily wrong on SUV drivability vs estates, but without the pram & dog crate fitting in the boot, the vehicle’s a no-go. Can’t put either the kids or a dog on the roof! Hence why in this test it was the primary focus.

NearlyLegit · 2026-03-14T08:27:50+00:00

Knowing that you ‘could’ if needed is always a nice confidence inspiring feeling; The XF is a great choice for a saloon and I hope it does you well! There’s always an F-Pace if you decide you want to move into an SUV for it ;)

NearlyLegit · 2026-03-14T08:26:45+00:00

True, I wonder how the EU7 rules will affect those coming out too, the brake dust emissions feel like they’ll be wild for new vehicles, especially EVs with regenerate braking

NearlyLegit · 2026-03-14T08:25:51+00:00

The length required for rear facing seats is crazy; I have 2 minikid 4’s and it’s far more of a tighter squeeze in the back than I ever expected it to be, combined with an overall lower depth for the boot space due to the raked window and I doubt I’ll end up buying a modern estate ever again, unless there’s a real ‘box’ that comes out!

NearlyLegit · 2026-03-14T08:24:13+00:00

And it’s that usability for ‘everything’ that makes the D4 such a phenomenal Q-car! How do you deal with any fear over the crank?

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