Is the estate a dying breed?

[Oldham SEAT & CUPRA]

The estate for many years has been overshadowed by SUVs.

To us the LEON Estate is a sleek and modern option for urban families, or if you just prefer the extra space!

We're curious to know your thoughts. Would you opt for the high-performance CUPRA Leon Estate or the versatile SEAT Leon Estate? Or is the appeal of an SUV still too strong to ignore?

If you're currently weighing your options for your next car, our team here at Oldham CUPRA SEAT would be happy to help. We can walk you through the different models and arrange a test drive so you can experience them for yourself.

The Oldham SEAT/CUPRA Team
Chadderton Way, Oldham, OL1 2BB
0161 841 0274
www.swanswaygarages.com/cupra/

 

[tracktoy]

No plans for a new car for me personally but I would definitely go for an estate over an SUV any time

 

[Nathan penney]

I love estates.
I’ve had one for many years as my daily car.
Saab’s, MGZTT, Alfa 159 estate and my current 2008 Subaru Legacy.
They look better than any SUV in my opinion, but that’s personal choice.
They’re more practical and I prefer the driving position.
I’d consider a mk3 Cupra estate in blue for my next car when the time comes.

I normally buy cheap and run them until they need major repairs but I’d love to splash out on a blue Cupra one day.
The mk4 in the video is a nice enough motor but not in the undercoat paint, sorry.

Here’s my 150.000 mile legacy.
Bought with 114k on the clock just over 2.5 years ago for 3 grand.
Brilliant car. I don’t plan on changing it any time soon.
2.0 na engine. Not particularly fast or economical but not let me down in the 35000 miles I’ve put on it.
Long live the estate!

 

[Syphon]

Volvo ditched them in the UK then decided to bring them back as the appetite was still there (from what I'd read) so I think they still have a life!

Be interesting to see CUPRA's and SEAT's sales figures for hatch Leon vs Estate.

 

[Seriously?]

Our last 6 cars have been estates; Astra Mk3, Passat, E91 BMW, Ibiza ST, Leon ST, F31 BMW.
An estate is a good compromise for dog owners; extra room for a crate in the boot and low loading height as dogs get older.
Never even considered an SUV.

 

[Nathan penney]

Volvo ditched them in the UK then decided to bring them back as the appetite was still there (from what I'd read) so I think they still have a life!

Be interesting to see CUPRA's and SEAT's sales figures for hatch Leon vs Estate.

But have you seen how much the V90 is now?

 

[adamski333]

I'll take a fast estate every time.

When my 310 Cupra estate was written off I looked at both the Ateca and Formentor equivalents. Went with another Cupra Leon Estate though. I prefer the lower seating position and massive boot.

 

[tracktoy]

I don't know but I am also guessing you get better tyre life out of an estate vs SUV

 

[Seriously?]

Our last 6 cars have been estates; Astra Mk3, Passat, E91 BMW, Ibiza ST, Leon ST, F31 BMW.
An estate is a good compromise for dog owners; extra room for a crate in the boot and low loading height as dogs get older.
Never even considered an SUV.

Edit,
I can't count!
It's 7.
I forgot the C Class Mercedes.

 

[TheSwede]

In any/every case, I prefer an estate instead of a SUV. We currently have a Golf 7 Estate, same size as Leon mk3 inside.
I can't see any advantage with SUVs.

 

[Oldham SEAT & CUPRA]

No plans for a new car for me personally but I would definitely go for an estate over an SUV any time

Nice! How come you prefer an estate? The style/size?

 

[Oldham SEAT & CUPRA]

I love estates.
I’ve had one for many years as my daily car.
Saab’s, MGZTT, Alfa 159 estate and my current 2008 Subaru Legacy.
They look better than any SUV in my opinion, but that’s personal choice.
They’re more practical and I prefer the driving position.
I’d consider a mk3 Cupra estate in blue for my next car when the time comes.

I normally buy cheap and run them until they need major repairs but I’d love to splash out on a blue Cupra one day.
The mk4 in the video is a nice enough motor but not in the undercoat paint, sorry.

View attachment 51379
Here’s my 150.000 mile legacy.
Bought with 114k on the clock just over 2.5 years ago for 3 grand.
Brilliant car. I don’t plan on changing it any time soon.
2.0 na engine. Not particularly fast or economical but not let me down in the 35000 miles I’ve put on it.
Long live the estate!

Great point about the driving position. You still benefit from that 'hatchback' handling! Long live the estate as you say

Interesting what you say about the paint - we have found the matte finish is a little like marmite, you either love it or hate it!

Which CUPRA blue would you go for? Or would you get a custom paint work?

 

[Oldham SEAT & CUPRA]

Volvo ditched them in the UK then decided to bring them back as the appetite was still there (from what I'd read) so I think they still have a life!

Be interesting to see CUPRA's and SEAT's sales figures for hatch Leon vs Estate.

Very much so!

 

[Oldham SEAT & CUPRA]

Our last 6 cars have been estates; Astra Mk3, Passat, E91 BMW, Ibiza ST, Leon ST, F31 BMW.
An estate is a good compromise for dog owners; extra room for a crate in the boot and low loading height as dogs get older.
Never even considered an SUV.

This is a great benefit of an estate! You kind of get the best of both worlds - the height/feel of a hatchback but the space of an SUV.

 

[Nathan penney]

Great point about the driving position. You still benefit from that 'hatchback' handling! Long live the estate as you say

Interesting what you say about the paint - we have found the matte finish is a little like marmite, you either love it or hate it!

Which CUPRA blue would you go for? Or would you get a custom paint work?

Mystery blue I think isn’t it?
Mk3 Cupra estate.

 

[Oldham SEAT & CUPRA]

I'll take a fast estate every time.

When my 310 Cupra estate was written off I looked at both the Ateca and Formentor equivalents. Went with another Cupra Leon Estate though. I prefer the lower seating position and massive boot.

You definitely get that sharper handling with an estate due to the lower position. I suppose once you know you love the estate, it is really hard to be swayed to an SUV. Was it just the position of driving you weren't keen on? Or were there other features too?

 

[Oldham SEAT & CUPRA]

In any/every case, I prefer an estate instead of a SUV. We currently have a Golf 7 Estate, same size as Leon mk3 inside.
I can't see any advantage with SUVs.

Thanks for your insight. Do you prefer the driving position of the estate too?

 

[tracktoy]

Nice! How come you prefer an estate? The style/size?

Style, Handling and road impact. I had a road trip last week to a number of different race tracks and the two impacts I personally saw from the SUV craze is heavier cars causing more damage to road surface and in a number of places the narrow roads can't cope with two SUV Side by side

 

[adamski333]

You definitely get that sharper handling with an estate due to the lower position. I suppose once you know you love the estate, it is really hard to be swayed to an SUV. Was it just the position of driving you weren't keen on? Or were there other features too?

I'd only had the 310 for a year and it had 11.6k on the clock. Non-fault write off (I was actually parked up and stationary). So I could have gone either way, but neither the Formentor or the Ateca did it for me.

The Formentor was too small and the boot was no use (I go fishing, camping, mountain biking). Slightly higher position but wasn't awful.

Ateca was better in terms of size but looked very dated inside. Plus it was the same price as the 333 VZ Formentor and the Estate. So older tech and stuff for about the same price.

If they were the only choices I would have gone for the Ateca purely for the extra space.