New vs used estate cars: Skoda Superb or Mercedes E-Class?
Which estate car offers mammoth savings as well as enormous practicality? We find out
Estate cars have fallen by the wayside a little since the influx of SUVs hit the UK market. This certainly doesn’t mean they deserve to be overlooked, though, as these more traditional family cars still offer plenty of practicality, style and even a rather pleasant driving experience. For a budget of around £37,000, you can find a range of estate cars on both the new and used car markets, but picking the right one might prove challenging.
While some estate cars focus on durability, there are others that take a more luxurious approach. Some even add an aura of sportiness into the equation. In order to make your car buying experience as easy as possible, our experts have done the hard work for you and picked out two brilliant buys — one brand-new and one used — from the Auto Express Find a Car service.
So is a new or used estate car the best choice for your budget? Find out below.
New: Skoda Superb
- Our pick: Skoda Superb Estate 1.5 TSI e-TEC SE Technology
- Price: £36,995
- Standard kit includes: 17-inch wheels, rear parking camera, heated seats
- Key stats: 52.3mpg, 122g/km CO2, 9.3secs 0-62mph
- Road tax: £220 in first year, then £190
- Insurance group: 24
- Warranty: Three years/60,000 miles
Used - available now
2016 Audi
A5 Cabriolet
86,100 milesAutomaticPetrol3.0L
Cash £11,950
2020 Volvo
XC60
55,200 milesAutomaticPetrol2.0L
Cash £23,400
2021 Vauxhall
Corsa
75,166 milesManualPetrol1.2L
Cash £7,990
2022 BMW
X1
34,000 milesAutomaticPetrol2.0L
Cash £23,995Few cars are as fittingly named as the Skoda Superb, especially in cavernous estate guise, because it combines incredible space and practicality with grown-up driving dynamics, cutting edge tech and plenty of premium appeal.
The latest Superb made its debut last year and scooped the Estate Car of the Year trophy in our 2024 New Car Awards. As ever, its vast interior is a major selling point.
Not only do rear-seat passengers enjoy limousine legroom, in estate guise there’s an impressive 690 litres of boot space. Fold the rear seats flat and this increases to 1,920 litres.
The slickly designed and robustly built cabin is also packed with handy storage, plus features such as the hidden umbrellas in the doors and electrically powered load cover.
It also comes with an excellent dashboard layout that features the firm’s trademark configurable ‘Smart Dials’ that allow quick and easy access to frequently used functions. Better still, the 13-inch touchscreen infotainment system is packed with features, not least wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
There’s a good choice of efficient powertrains, including a diesel as well as a plug-in hybrid that claims an impressive EV range of 84 miles. But we’d recommend the refined and punchy 148bhp 1.5-litre TSI petrol engine that uses cylinder-deactivation tech to return 52.3mpg. Like all the powertrain options, it’s mated to Skoda’s smooth and swift DSG twin-clutch gearbox.
The Superb is underpinned by the tried and tested MQB architecture, which serves up surprising poise and precision for such a big car. Yet with its hushed refinement and plush ride, the Skoda is most at home tackling long-haul motorway trips.
You’re spoiled for choice when it comes to trim levels, but the entry-level SE Technology’s blend of generous kit and sub-£40,000 price makes it the pick of the line-up. It’s also crammed with advanced driver aids, ensuring the Superb picked up a five-star rating from Euro NCAP.
Used: Mercedes E-class
- One we found: Mercedes E 220 d Estate AMG Line Night Edition
- Price: £36,200
- Mileage/year: 12,000/2020
- Standard kit: 20-inch alloys, panoramic roof, leather trim
- Key stats: 50.4mpg, 161g/km CO2, 7.8secs 0-62mph
- VED: £600
- Insurance group: 37
With a rich estate car history stretching back almost 40 years, Mercedes knows a thing or two about desirable load-luggers – and this previous-generation E-Class is one the brand’s best ever.
For starters, the lure of the three-pointed star means few family estate cars can match the Merc for car park kudos. This is especially true for the 12,500 mile 70-plate E 220 d AMG Line Night Edition model we found, which was around £50,000 new, and featured stylish 20-inch alloys, a panoramic roof and smart-looking gloss black trim. One-nil to the E-Class.
It’s a similar story inside, where the Merc’s mix of top-notch quality and a lavish specification – with leather seats, dark wood trim and the brand’s excellent 12.3-inch MBUX infotainment system – makes it feel a cut above the Superb. There’s little to choose between the two for passenger space and comfort, with both easily accommodating five adults in comfort.
Outright carrying capacity favours the Skoda, but the Mercedes’ 640 litres isn’t to be sniffed at. Lower the rear bench and you’ll liberate a handy 1,820 litres of space.
On the move our pair are closely matched again. Both cars deliver impressive comfort and low noise levels, while the E-Class’ traditional rear-wheel-drive layout provides balanced and composed handling.
The 194bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel in the E 220 d remains the pick of the engine line-up. It’s a little gruff at low revs, but generates 400Nm of torque and has an average economy figure of 50.4mpg. Better still, as well as combining effortless pace and penny-pinching efficiency, it meets Euro 6 emissions regulations, so can enter most clean-air zones.
As you’d expect, the Mercedes is bursting with the firm’s cutting-edge safety kit, which earned it full marks from Euro NCAP in 2016.
More surprising is the fact that neither Skoda or Mercedes fared well in our 2024 Driver Power satisfaction poll, finishing 23rd and 25th respectively out of 32 brands.
Used Mercedes E-Class Estate deals
Used - available now
2019 Mercedes
E-Class
40,398 milesAutomaticDiesel2.0L
Cash £19,699
2020 Mercedes
E-Class
32,372 milesAutomaticDiesel2.0L
Cash £23,000
2020 Mercedes
E-Class
261,436 milesAutomaticDiesel2.0L
Cash £6,990Estate car buying advice
There's no denying the Merc’s style, sophistication and image are hard to resist, especially in classy AMG Line trim.
However, the Skoda matches the E-Class for comfort, quality and driver appeal, while it sneaks ahead for space and running costs. Factor in its three-year warranty, and by the narrowest of margins the win goes to the Czech machine.
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