Back-to-back road test: VW v Volvo estate cars

Not everyone needs an estate car. But the people who do really do. If you’re into horses, or scuba diving, or you’re a drummer or a professional photographer or you have a large family, several dogs and loads of luggage… then an estate car is probably calling you, if you don’t have one in the drive already.

But deciding to get an estate car is just the start – there’s a bewildering variety to choose from.

Take these two upmarket family models. The Volvo V50 DRIVe SE Lux and the VW Passat Estate Bluemotion are, in many ways similar: both have 1.6-litre turbodiesel engines, both costing £20-25k, and both built by marques with a reputation for comfort and safety. Both, too, are eco-versions of well-loved estates (branded DRIVe and BlueMotion), boasting low CO2 and high mpg.

Yet there are differences too: the Passat Estate, whose base price is more than three grand cheaper than the Volvo, is longer, wider and higher and has a massive 1731-litre stowage capacity when the rear seats are folded down. The good news is that when you get behind the wheel it doesn’t feel like you’re driving a warehouse around: the VW diesel engine is so smooth that – judging purely by the sound – you’d be hard-pressed to realise it’s a diesel at all.

Okay, 0-62mph in 12.5 seconds is not earth-shattering but you can do it in supreme comfort, maybe while contemplating the fact that the Passat is capable of delivering 65.7 miles on a single gallon of diesel and emits just 113g of CO2 per kilometre.

It’s a calm and comfy world that VW has created for its BlueMotion Passat buyers, if not an overly exciting one. But with just 104bhp to propel a 1547kg car (before you load it up), what do you expect? If you want blistering speed, look elsewhere, and expect to spend rather more at the pumps.

The Volvo V50 DRIVe is a little faster (11.5 seconds to 62mph) – but it’s still no sports car. You don’t buy a eco-version estate for the whizz factor. The V50 is much like the Passat – except more so. I thought the Passat was comfortable – until I drove the V50. I thought the Passat’s diesel engine was quiet – until I drove the V50. And I thought the Passat BlueMotion’s combination of sheer size and green credentials was mightily impressive – until I scanned the specs of the V50 DRIVe.

OK, it has 25 per cent less luggage space (1307 litres) and, at 1413kg kerb weight, is marginally lighter, so you would expect it to be a bit nippier off the traffic lights. Even so, the CO2 rating of 99g/km is a surprise – and one that means you won’t have to worry about paying any road tax. Plus a mighty 74.3 mpg – 13 per cent more than the VW – or so they claim.

Which looks the best? The Passat has the familiar VW ‘face’, which the German marque intends to be refined and elegant. The Volvo aims for a beefier look. While the interior of the V50 is ‘graceful’, the exterior is more macho. Which looks best? It’s your call.