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Today here at Shortfall, we are taking a look into five of the very best value for money estate vehicles available on the road right now. Estate vehicles are famous around the world for offering a lot more interior space as far as leg and headroom is concerned than the majority of other vehicles available on the road right now. Many manufacturers from around the world offer a good range of estate vehicles which often transcend from hatchbacks. Today we have constructed this top five list based on value for money and what kind of features and specifications each of these cars carry. Across the globe, estate models are often referred to as station wagons or saloons and some times contain more seats than previous additions to their line up. So if you're looking for that perfect estate vehicle to spend your money on, we may have the very thing for you today.

 

The five best value estate vehicles

 

  1. Seat Leon ST estate

So starting of our countdown today is the popular estate version of Spanish car brand Seat's Leon model. The Leon is one of the biggest selling vehicles that the Seat brand has ever had on offer. Along side the Ibiza the Seat Leon has proven to be one of the key ingredients of success throughout the brands history with the very first generation of the vehicle being made available around the world from 1999. The Leon is currently in its third generation line up and this estate version of the car was first introduced to the world in 2013. A total of thirteen different engine combinations are made available for the ST estate with six of these being petrol units and the remaining seven engines being diesels. A range of 1.2,1.4 and 1.8 engines are available as far as the petrol line up is concerned and the diesels range from 1.6 and 2.0 litre units. There are also some other great features which find their way into the ST estate which include the likes of an adaptive cruise control system,LED headlights,Seat's easy connect system which allows the car to link up to your mobile phone which allows you to stream music from your phone via the sound system included with the car. A DSG transmission system with shift paddles is also included with the Leon ST Estate. As expected from any Estate vehicle you can expect the addition of a lot of front and rear space to come along with the car and when the rear seats are folded down a lot more interior space is increased. Red interior ambient lighting also finds its way into the car.If you are interested in making the purchase on a brand new Seat Leon ST Estate, we are pleased to inform you that the entry level version of the car can be purchased for a total of £17,110 with prices rising for the top of the range model up to £28,870.

 

  1. Audi A6 Avant estate

Our next vehicle to make it into the countdown today is the addition of the Audi A6 Avant estate. The A6 from Audi was first put on sale around the world from 1994 and is currently enjoying its fourth life cycle on our streets. The fourth generation of the car which is the latest model was brought into play in 2011 and has proven to be one of the key sellers for the Audi brand over the years. A total of four different trim levels are made available for the A6 Avant estate which include, the SE,S Line,Black edition and the standard A6.There are a range of both petrol and diesel units made available with this estate model with the entry level vehicle coming in the form of a 2.0 litre diesel which sees a power development of 175bhp. There are also a range of turbo petrol engines made available with the vehicle with the biggest selling version of the range being the TFSI V6 petrol unit. One of the finest diesel units is the 3.0 litre model. The A6 Avant estate also welcomes in some neat technology features for the interior of the car which have proven to be key selling points over the years, some of these technology features consist of the likes of a DAB digital radio,a touch screen sat nav system, an Olufsen stereo system and an all new heads up display system also. Safety also has a key role to play for the A6 Avant estate too as it received a full five star rating from NCAP. A lot of this was down to the fittings of a total of six air bags and electronic stability control. Optional extras are also made available as far as the safety of the car goes which include rear side air bags, blind spot monitoring and a lane departure warning system. If you are interested in making the purchase on this A6 Avant estate model, we are pleased to inform you that you can officially make the purchase on the A6 Avant model for a starting price of £32,985 with prices rising for the top of the range model up to £56,745.

 

  1. Kia Ceed Sportswagon estate

Our next addition to the countdown today making it into the third place position is an estate version of the big selling Ceed model from Korean manufacturer Kia. The Ceed is one of the flagship vehicles for this mass manufacturer and has been for a number of years now ever since the launch of the very first model which occurred back in 2006. The Ceed is now officially in its second generation line up with the latest model being released onto our streets in 2012. The version of the car we are looking at today though is the Ceed Sportswagon. This has proven to be a good seller for the Korean firm and has seen off competition over its time on the road from other manufacturers such as Skoda and Vauxhall amongst many more.

 

So what features that were included with the car during production time help it stand out and make an impact on our roads ?. Well we see the car fitted with all sorts of neat gadgets which include the likes of projecting headlights,Bluetooth connectivity with music streaming from your phone enabled,both heated and adjustable door mirrors,electric windows for the front end of the car and electronic stability control also comes along with this Sportswagon model. Some of the best exterior features to be made available with the car vary over four different trim levels for the car. Additions such as 17 inch alloy wheels,a chrome front grille,a rear spoiler,tinted windows,a panoramic sunroof,front fog lights and automatic headlight control are just some of the features included. There is one petrol engine made available with the Kia Ceed Sportswagon and two diesel units. All come with a standard six speed,manual transmission system whereas you do have the option of an automatic six speed transmission as an extra.

 

Faux leather is used for the entry level model as far as the interior of the car is concerned whereas if you opt for the range topping version of the car, you can expect to receive genuine leather inserts. Heated front seating is another neat feature for the range topping model but if you're looking for standard pieces of equipment you can expect to find the fittings of front electric windows,ambient lighting,a removable luggage area,controls located on the steering wheel and a centre console arm rest also. So prices for the Ceed Sportswagon begin at £16,595 for the entry level version of the car with the range rising up to £24,995 for the range topping version of the car.

 

  1. The BMW 5 Series Touring estate

The 5 series line up for the German manufacturer BMW has proven to be one of the best selling line ups that the company have ever put on offer. Just missing out on the top spot in our countdown today though is an addition to this line up which as you will know comes as an estate model and is marketed under the name of the 5 Series Touring estate. This vehicle has proven to be very popular since first arriving in showrooms. The most popular selling version of the car has asserted itself as the 2.0 litre, four cylinder,diesel unit which is also found in the companies 520D model. With a look into the transmission system made available with the car, we see that the standard fitting of a six speed,manual transmission system comes fitted to the 5 Series Touring estate but you as the customer will also be faced with the alternative option of an eight speed,automatic gearbox. Overall there are a total of four different trim levels made available for this estate vehicle which are SE,Modern,Luxury and M Sport. As you can expect from a vehicle designed by such a well known brand, there are some great technology features that come along with the vehicle that in our minds have certainly proven to be some good selling points for the car since it was first officially launched. Some of these features to come along with the car include the warmly welcomed additions of a DAB digital radio, Bluetooth connectivity and a built in sat navy system. As the trim levels for the car are raise and prices begin to rise, we see other features for the high end models like a 20GB hard drive, voice control and an all new sports suspension system. Prices for the entry level version of this estate model begin at £31,475 with the top of the range M Sport vehicle setting you back a total of £50,845. Prices also rise on these figures depending on optional extras you choose to come along with your vehicle.

 

  1. The Skoda Octavia Estate

Our number one ranking vehicle today in the best value for money estate line up is the Octavia estate from Czech car firm Skoda. The Octavia is the flagship selling vehicle for Skoda company and has been the vehicle which has helped to revive the Skoda franchise over the years. This estate version of the car has the advantages of a lot of interior space and some great up to date technology features. A vast range of four cylinder turbocharged engines are also made available with the car with one of the biggest selling engine ranges to be made available with the car being the 1.2 litre,TSI which delivers on 104 brake horse power. The range topping engine line up to come along with the car is the VRS Hot Rod engine line up which is available in both petrol and diesel units and sees power delivered ranging from 184bhp for the diesel unit and 220 brake horse power for the petrol. The Octavia has proven to be the number one source of competition for the Volkswagen Golf Estate and the previously mentioned Leon ST from Seat. This has proven to be the case thanks to the engine line up and technology and features too.

So with some of the latest in car technology taking its place of pride in the vehicle,we see that during the vehicles production time, Skoda have included the fittings of LED lighting, 18 inch wheels,Bi Xenon headlights and 16 inch alloy wheels for the SE version of the car. Both a six speed manual transmission and DSG gearboxes are also made available for the car. Price ranges for the Octavia estate begin from £17,115 with a price tag of £28,665 coming in for the range topping Laurin&Klement version of the car.

 

The effects that these estate vehicles have had on the car market

Without a doubt in our minds, these estate vehicles have certainly had a key role to play in the ongoing success of the estate market as a whole all around the world. Estate vehicles are often purchased by businesses or people with families and they can be perfect for just those short trips into town or even a long drive out into the countryside. If production of vehicles like the five listed above is anything to go by and manufacturers continue to develop estate models like this in the upcoming years to come, we certainly think that the estate sector is looking very bright indeed.