Used Volkswagen Golf estate cars for sale

The Golf Estate is essentially the same width and height as the regular Golf – the extra space comes from stretching the length out.

The Estate measures in at more than 4.6 metres long – quite a noticeable jump over the hatchback, which is less than 4.3 metres long. Standard-fit parking sensors do, at least, make the job of squeezing the Golf Estate into tight spaces a little easier.

With all five seats in place, the Golf Estate's boot measures in at 611 litres. That's a big number – both compared to other cars in the class and even against quite a lot of physically larger cars. That should mean your dog or your holiday luggage will easily fit in the Golf Estate's boot.

Drop the rear seats down and you get a massive 1,642 litres to play with. That means the Golf Estate can hold its own whether you're hauling a bicycle without an external rack, or tackling everyone's favourite flatpack-furniture shop on a Saturday afternoon.

The Golf Estate's interior is lifted almost entirely unchanged from the hatchback – the larger boot area being the only real difference.

That means you get the same simple, subtle dashboard design that feels robust and comes trimmed in suitably plush materials. We're not the biggest fans of the latest Golf's touch-sensitive controls for the audio volume and temperature, but you will get used to them with enough practice.

Passenger space is decent, with room in the back for adults to sit in reasonable comfort. Like all cars in this segment, sitting three across the back row is quite uncomfortable so will only work for very short journeys. Cargo room is, of course, excellent, and puts the Golf Estate among the most practical cars you can buy short of an actual van.

Put simply – yes, the Volkswagen Golf Estate is an excellent car. There's a reason that its hatchback sibling is often considered to be the yardstick by which other family hatches must be measured.

You get all the usual Golf benefits – a comfy cabin, a refined driving experience and slick, easy-to-use on-board tech – but with the added bonus of a vast 611-litre boot.

It's not the most affordable option in its segment, nor is it the most exciting, but there's a quiet brilliance with which the Golf Estate tackles the road ahead that makes it easy to recommend.

For that, you'll be wanting the Volkswagen Golf R. This model is available both as a hatchback and an estate and outfits these sensible family cars with a ludicrous 320hp 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine, mated to a rapid-shifting automatic gearbox and grippy four-wheel drive.

Performance is simply astonishing. All versions will rocket from 0-62mph in less than five seconds – a figure that puts the Golf R head and shoulders above most hot hatches and nearly into the realm of some seriously exotic supercars.

It's not just a straight-line master, either. The Golf R's four-wheel drive, sophisticated suspension and huge tyres means it generates enormous amounts of cornering grip – though we'd avoid pushing too hard if you're carrying passengers and don't fancy scrubbing their vomit from your upholstery!