Estate Shape -- "Sporty??"

[After Shock]

Why are all Estates .. every make really .. going for a "sporty" look?

You buy an estate to carry things?

So why this trend for a "sportwagon"?

I'm lucky enough to have a 911 as well as my Estate.

But come on you can't make a large E class estate into a sporty little car!

We buy estates to carry things?? Or you buy something else??

Or what am I missing??

 

[EDZ649]

It's so the average family Joe can still have a bit of fun, especially when they can only afford to have one car!

 

[219]

I agree

If you want a 'lifestyle' estate - buy a C Class ; should you actually need a 'proper' estate car , that's what the E Class ought to be , as they were with 123 and 124 models .

Not everyone wants to drive a van .

 

[wemorgan]

Bring back the Volvo 940, all is forgiven.

 

[G-Force]

Theirs nothing wrong with having a "load-lugger" that doesn't look like a box on wheels. Its obviously a good sales tact aswell as they are becoming rather popular on the roads these days.

I like and indeed have owned a few estates just because i like the look of them.

 

[After Shock]

I kind of agree but!

I looked at almost every newer estate out there and the "tapered" sporty estate takes so much space from things that fit in the estate bit!

The difference between the square boxyb shapeóf new and old E class estates is a big jump

 

[corned]

But come on you can't make a large E class estate into a sporty little car!

Oh I don't know...

Have a read of my Nurburgring thread!

 

[After Shock]

Oh I don't know...

Have a read of my Nurburgring thread!

I will but after my 911 will an E class compare?? lol

Must admit forgetting which car you just got into and getting to the first sharp corner ........ the E class ain't that bad!!!

 

[bennesspipers]

Iv always liked a challenge,so iv just bought a W210 E230 Est '96, should keep me amused for a month or 3 !

 

[A210AMG]

Hello

Why not have it sporty?

Your lucky and have a sportscar as well as the estate. If your a family man with a choice most people only have one 'main' car and a sporty estate ticks almost all the boxes you need from a car.

I always prefer the estates over salloons. IMO they just look better and the sporty ones thanks probably to the T5 and touring cars they get better.

The RS4, RS6, C63 and E63 imo look awesome, something even better having something that can cart a shed load of B&Q stuff, 5 adults and the pets yet as quick in the real world as a sportscar.

 

[Barryh]

I think the E clas does both well.Biggest in its class but not the boxy Volvo 940.

 

[scumbag]

Basically, I felt that it was right to order the most economical and enviromentally friendly car I could buy out of sheer peer pressure and that feeling of needing to be right like everyone else has.

Then sense kicked in.

soon be here too.

 

[Smatt]

I don't think they are trying to make it smaller, just smarter.

It may be the same idea as you have done by adding AMG wheels onto your estate?

 

[Mudster]

I just prefer Estates to saloons and I quite like the fact some thought now goes into the design.

I also have two dogs and a partner that uses a wheelchair, so as much as I'd like a sports anything they just aren't practical. That means I like my estate to have some design thought.

 

[gIzzE]

The estate is great if you have a dog, last time I had a coupe I had some right old hag moaning on at me about how cruel I was as I got him out of the boot at the park, and it happened time and time again, as much as I argued it was cosy there is always some nosy busy body sticking their conk in where it's not wanted!!!
So in the end I bit the bullet and bought the estate, just to end the grief.
Plus I'm sure that old witch jinxed my car, we had 8 dogs die in the back of it before we swapped it over for the estate, now some may just call that a coincidence, but I reckon there were darker powers at work, I'm not stupid!!


Sorry, over tired and a crap sense of humour!!


I actually prefer estates over the saloon in just about every range of cars, for some reason I think they feel younger, to me you buy a hatch when your 20, you then get an estate when your 30 and need the room for the kids, bikes, boards etc. etc. and then when your 45 you end up in a saloon, no babies and all the garbage that comes with them, a surfboard of snow board is old news, in fact the only board you ever need is a back board for when your disc slips again, and so you buy your saloon, then at 60 you start to have your crisis and buy your AMG/M/911 coupe, and realise you want more room and comfort and think why didn't I get this at 20?? Oh, yeah, because no one would insure you and you were on about £3 an hour!!



I bought an A6 Avant when I sold the W210 estate, and have to say I am now really struggling with the size of it, the boot is big enough....

But only really in floor space, because the rear slopes down so much it really does restrict what you can get in the back of it, you can sort of see how much it slopes in this picture...

I have just opened another shop and really do need something big, and have to admit that I am now looking for a W211, still not as big as the 210 load space wise but massive compared with the Audi.

I guess there are only going to get worse over time as they try and reduce drag model after model, although the new one looks pretty good space wise.

I guess there is a fine line between making them desirable and practical, loose some practicality and you will still sell loads, loose the desirability and no matter how good it is for load space you won't sell any, I guess when they get to that stage they just stick a 'VITO' badge on the back??

 

[Dieselman]

I guess there are only going to get worse over time as they try and reduce drag model after model,

It makes no difference, in fact a sloping back can be worse for drag as it incites eddies.

 

[gIzzE]

It makes no difference, in fact a sloping back can be worse for drag as it incites eddies.

Eddies???

 

[The Boss]

I think estates look great...

i want one soon... prob a 124 sportline in 280 or 320 guise..

but, sporty styling is just a design aspect, the integrity of the estates usually remain..

I mean the w124 has a fairly long hypotenuse rear slope on its rear, and it wasnt a very sporty car... but still my favorite..

Infact, the s class esates that i have seen in different threads looks totally stunning.. The successful businessman with a family whom is utterly practical.. not bad i dont think..

if this was in production in 2004, id have gone for it.. as i do need a load luggar.. and im slowly drifting away from finding a w140 that i am liking

But the w124 estates are still just so damn stylish, and very practical... not sporty, just stylish (timeless, dateless etc)

 

[After Shock]

Well I started this post off lightly so here goes!

As a wheelchair user myself a big estate is pritty much a must for me! If I am by myself it really doesn't matter but with someone I jump out of my wheelchair. The person I'm with grabs the wheelchair and as its a lightweight chair 10.8Kg it gets chucked in the estate. When its pouring with rain this is a must to be honest as pulling wheels off and putting them in then the frame in a car is a real pain!

Also having 2 dogs the estate becomes pritty much a must too.

So a wheelchair and 2 bouncy welsh springers fit into the 51 (W210???) estate easily!!

#Looking at lots n lots nlots of other sporty estates there isn't the height of the old shape square boot compared to the new sportwagon sloped boot.

I do agree the looks are far better but ..... well it just doesn't work!

A friend (wheelchair user) just bought a brand new 530d BMW estate. He can chuck the chair in the boot whole at a push but it isn't easy and leaves no room for anything else!

I may snap some pics too with dogs wheelchair et al and post .... ....

Must confess I can see both sides of the arguement here.

I love the AMG wheels on mine. The front and sides look great but then the huge boot welllllll........... kinda lets that overal "look" down!

 

[Chattonmill]

I reckon the E55 211 looks fairly 'Sporty' add that to the sound and yep a sporty estate!