Loads better?

SUVs have eaten into sales of estate cars, but used wagons still make sense for some buyers. We test rivals from Volvo and Audi

BY the time Volvo unveiled its all-new V60 in 2017, it had been building estate cars for almost 70 years. Indeed, it was one of the first volume car makers to offer factory-built wagons, and Volvo became synonymous with the class as a result.

That historical legacy may not have been so strong with Audi, but the company had still offered an 80 Avant estate since 1975, and that model would morph into the A4 in 1994, with an Avant being an important part of the model line-up from the outset.

Back then, estate cars put the emphasis on practicality, but by the time we pitted a Volvo V60 D4 auto against an Audi A4 Avant 2.0 TDI S tronic five years ago, the focus was as much on style as it was about ultimate carrying capacity; those who needed more space could always buy a roof box or tow bar. Or perhaps one of the latest SUVs, which have stolen a lot of estate sales in recent years.

But estates are typically better to drive, more economical and often just as roomy. So, which of these two rivals is our top used buy?

Volvo V60

Swedish estate just edges ahead of Audi, despite slightly higher running costs

WE know that aesthetic appeal is subjective, but you'd be on pretty safe ground if you wanted to argue that the V60 is one of the most stylish estate cars on the market, along with its bigger brother, the V90.