What is an estate car?

An estate is a type of car body style with a long roof and a big boot. Most estates start life either as a hatchback or a saloon before being lengthened. This means estate cars are usually extremely practical with vast amounts of space for pushchairs or dogs or whatever else you want to carry. We've already chosen 10 of the best estate cars you can buy, but shoppers will encounter popular estate models like the Ford Focus estate, Skoda Octavia estate and BMW 3 Series Touring.

Estates don't quite have the 'cool' factor that's seen so many family car buyers swap over to SUVs, and they're often a little longer than the cars they're based on, which can make them a touch harder to park. However, they're a great choice if you want lots of practicality without the small sacrifices in handling, efficiency and performance associated with SUVs.