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You don鈥檛 have to buy an SUV if you need a practical family runaround, the humble estate car is a great-value alternative which offers just as much space, if not more, for less cash.

Cars like the Skoda Octavia Estate and the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer are great examples, but which is best? To find out we鈥檙e going to compare these two cars side by side to see which offers the most for your money.

Skoda Octavia Estate: no-nonsense practicality

Skoda has a long-standing reputation for making insanely practical cars, and the Octavia Estate is testament to this. You get a massive 640-litre boot, acres of rear legroom and plenty of interior storage to keep your bits and bobs from flying around.

You also get Skoda鈥檚 full range of 鈥渟imply clever鈥� features, including an umbrella in the door, an ice scraper behind the fuel filler cap and some handy grippers in the cupholders so you can twist your bottle cap off one-handed.

Powering the Octavia is a range of efficient engines. You can choose from petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid options, but the best all-rounder is the 1.5-litre petrol with 150hp because it offers a great blend of performance and economy.

Out on the road the Octavia Estate is a comfortable motorway cruiser, and it鈥檚 easy to drive in town. The suspension is a bit jiggly over bumps at low speed though, and there鈥檚 not much fun to be had on a country road.

It鈥檚 also not the most exciting thing to look at. The design is inoffensive but dull, and the same can be said for the interior. At least the cabin is very nicely made though, and you get plenty of tech as standard. All cars get a 10.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, cruise control, a reversing camera and rear parking sensors.

Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer: Sporty looks and great value

If you鈥檙e after a more stylish estate car, the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer looks way more exciting than the Octavia. The sleek headlights and angular nose help it stand out, while at the back you get a big spoiler to make it look a bit more aggressive.

The interior however is less interesting. It all feels solid enough, although not quite as plush as the Skoda鈥檚, but it鈥檚 just as bland. At least the storage spaces are plentiful, with a big central cubby and some handy cupholders.

It鈥檚 not as spacious as the Octavia in the rear seats though, and the boot is around 40 litres smaller as well. It鈥檚 a nice square shape so it鈥檚 easy to load, but you won鈥檛 be able to carry as much stuff as the Octavia.

The Astra does impress with its standard equipment though. All cars get two 10.0-inch screens, LED headlights and automatic climate control. MId-spec cars and up also get adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree reversing camera, which is impressive seeing as this model costs almost exactly the same as a base-spec Octavia.

To drive the Astra Sports Tourer doesn鈥檛 do anything special, but it鈥檚 a perfectly adequate cruiser. It鈥檚 slightly firmer than the Octavia Estate, and it鈥檚 not quite as refined on the motorway either, but it鈥檚 still a very easy car to drive.

You can also get the Astra Sports Tourer as an electric car, something which the Octavia doesn鈥檛 offer. This could make it ideal for company car drivers as you can enjoy much lower benefit-in-kind rates. There is also a punchy and efficient 1.2-litre petrol, as well as a plug-in hybrid.

Skoda Octavia Estate vs Vauxhall Astra Sports tourer: prices and savings

The Skoda Octavia Estate starts from around 拢28,500, however through 莲花直播 you can get one for 拢26,700 at the time of writing. The biggest savings can be found on the diesel Sportline version, with up to 拢5,500 off that car.

The Astra Sports Tourer has exactly the same starting price as the Octavia, however at the time of writing you can get one for 拢25,000 through 莲花直播. The best-value option though is the GS, which you can get for just over 拢27,000 through 莲花直播.

Skoda Octavia Estate vs Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer: which is best?

The Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer represents great value for money thanks to its generous list of standard equipment, and it鈥檚 a more stylish estate car than the Skoda Octavia. The option of an electric version may also be a deciding factor for you.

However, the Octavia is more practical, nicer to drive and has a more premium-feeling cabin, making it a more appealing overall package. Either of these cars will serve you well as a family wagon, but it鈥檚 the Octavia which wins this test.

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