FINALLY, AFTER years of playing second fiddle to the family saloon, estate cars are starting to steal some of the limelight. It's long overdue. The day when estates were the preserve of the travelling salesman, with his book of carpet samples, are long over. The modern estate has all the panache of the regular model and 10 times the flexibility.
In fact, they offer a far more sensible motoring proposition than the silly high-roofed people carriers that litter the school driveway every evening. Estates offer the seating comfort and up front feel of a regular family car while there's often storage akin to a small van round the back. What's more, with the right engines, they can match all that practicality with some high performance fun.
If you are in any doubt, just think back to the iconic Volvo estates that participated in the touring car championships. Or how about models like the Audi RS4 Avant or the more recent arrival of the BMW M5 Touring? These are the ultimate stealth warriors with all the flexibility of family motoring while outrunning many of the sleeker sports cars currently on the market. Can you imagine doing that in a people carrier?
Look at the sales of people carriers at present. In Ireland nearly 8 per cent of new car sales so far this year were for people carriers of varying sizes. To their benefit, the cabins do feel spacious and the doors usually open quite wide for easy access. However, against them, that spaciousness is largely wasted above your head, while the ultra-flexible rear seat bench matters not a jot if there's someone sitting there. Then you'll find most of these cars have barely enough room in the boot for a set of shopping bags, never mind the buggy that must accompany junior on every short journey these days.
That's the beauty of estate cars. Up front you get the same look, finish, and feel of a "regular" saloon, while round the back you can get two buggies, a set of golf clubs and still have room for a week's shopping. That's what we call family motoring. Space is available and usable, not wasted above the head of a child.
Take our week in the C5 Tourer (as you will see these days, most don't want to be associated with the estates tag of old, so they get fancy names like Tourer, Touring or sportswagon).
Not only does the car turn heads for its smart styling, but this car also carried out a weekend cross-border raid on Ikea. What was meant to be a trip to collect a chair ended with the two trolleys loaded with rugs, mats, lights and various other household accoutrements. It didn't bother our Gallic chariot, however. That's the beauty of estates these days. You get the good looks and styling, the comfort for all the passengers, extra headroom in the back for taller people, and a boot that lets you move furniture and shopping for a month.
Where once it meant sacrificing looks - function over form - the new estates are simply stunning. We recently lunched with the chief designer of one of Citroën's rivals who was full of praise for the design direction being taken by the French brand.
He then went on to outline how car design teams, particularly in Europe, have estate versions in mind from the moment they draw the first line of any new family car. A case in point would be two of the leading rivals to this C5. The Ford Mondeo and Opel Insignia estate were both designed with the longer family car in the plans from the very start. What it meant for Opel is that they have been able to opt for a more coupé look for its saloon car, with a more slanted roofline to the rear.
If that doesn't suit buyers - and for some it will seem a little cramped for headroom in the back - then the estate version caters to that demand. Admittedly the price being paid for more clever design is a slight sacrifice in terms of space: in the case of the C5, it means a loss of 58 litres with the rear seats up, and 196 litres with the seats folded down when compared to the outgoing model. That's sizeable, but arguably worth it.
Our test car was powered by Citroën's 2.0-litre diesel engine that's smooth but doesn't have the beating of its Ford rival in regard to performance. Similarly when matched with Citroën's automatic gearbox the emissions rating is rather high compared to rivals, pushing it into the €1,000 motor tax band rather than €430 for several rivals. Opt for the manual gearbox on the C5 Tourer, and the emissions drop to the €430 tax band as well. It's a decent automatic box, but never worth that extra annual outlay.
Citroën has won kudos for its suspension systems over the years, and the latest hydraulic system is equally competent in terms of soaking up the bumps. The Hydractive suspension settings offer a choice of comfort, normal and sports, but the system has a tendency to bottom out sometimes if the speed is too great and the bump or pothole too severe. Like all such systems you spend the first few trips playing around with three settings, trying to identify the differences in handling and ride quality. By the end of the week, however, you'll have found your favourite of the three and will stick to it. Invariably that will be the normal setting. It does, therefore, beg the question as to why you would bother.
The system comes as standard on the Exclusive package, but given the host of features on the standard model and even the impressive extras on the Dynamique variant, this Hydractive suspension system may not be enough to persuade buyers to spend the extra €3,000 for the upgrade.
The C5 is a fantastic competitor for the French brand, continuing the design revolution. For several years, metal boxes were the sum of Citroën's efforts but in the last few years, from the arrival of the C4, the brand has really found a new life.
This Tourer version is the softer, more cushioned option in the family car market, for those who like to calmly sweep into town. The 2.0-litre diesel, while refined, could never be described as sporty, and this car is a long way from anything driven by the firm's world champion rally driver Sebastian Loeb.
There's also the issue of the price. The truth is that given the higher emissions rating due to automatic transmission, this particular variant of the C5 Tourer is quite expensive compared to several rivals. The Toyota Avensis comes in significantly less for its 2.0-litre diesel 140bhp model, while the stylish Mazda6 Estate in its 2.0-litre diesel guise is priced at €31,495.
True, the C5 is a slightly more luxurious offering with a very strong list of standard features. Yet we would have hoped the car would have been better priced. Certainly at entry-level there are far better deals to be done, with the 1.6-litre HDi 130bhp Dynamique Tourer version coming in at €34,080. That's probably the best buy, even if you lose out on power.
Citroën has a winner on its hands with the C5. The Hydractive suspension is not really worth the outlay, however, and manual transmission is the only way to go until they manage to lower the emissions on it.
Finally, we can only hope that Irish buyers wake up to the advantages of these stylish estates and perhaps even turn their back on those boxy people carriers.
Citroën C5 Tourer 2.0 HDi Exclusive auto CC:1997 0-100km/h: 12.1secs BHP: 138 Consumption: 7.2 L/100km (39.2 mpg) CO2: 191g/km Motor tax: €1,000 (€1,050 from Jan 1st) Price: €43,995
Factfile
Engine:1997cc turbocharged diesel engine putting out 138bhp @ 4,00rpm and 340Nm of torque @ 2,000rpm
Specification:All come with seven airbags with option to increase to nine; ABS; ESP with traction control; climate control air-con; cruise control and speed limiter; radio/CD with remote controls. Dynamique spec adds: 17" alloys; dualzone air-con; auto headlights and wipers; fog lights; leather steering wheel. Exclusive spec adds: half-leather seat trim; electric front seats; rear parking sensors; laminated side windows; tyre pressure sensors; Hydractive III+ suspension; electric parking brake; hill start assist; roof bars; electric boot opening and closing
L/100KM (mpg):urban: 10.0 (28.2); extra-urban: 5.6 (50.4); combined: 7.2 (39.2)
CO2 emissions:191g/km
Tax:VRT rate of 32 per cent and annual road tax of €1,050 from Jan 1st
Price: €43,995(€29,670 to €51,390)