Mercedes’ superlative load-lugger

Fresh from duties as the summer-holiday charabanc, Britain's estate cars will by now be back hard at work on the school run or commute, says Andrew English in The Daily Telegraph. Few cars fulfil such duties more perfectly than the Mercedes E-class Estate. It is "deliciously old fashioned, reassuringly grand and as commodious as Mary Poppins' handbag".

This updated model is a vast improvement over its wedgy and aggressive predecessor in terms of looks, has a "lovely" and airy cabin swathed in wood and leather, and is smooth and quiet to drive. It is an impressively luxurious and grand car if a very expensive one.

Prices kick off with the 220d SE at £37,935 £2,000 more than the saloon, says Tom Harrison in Top Gear. Not cheap then (Volvo's V90 entry-level model, which has impressed reviewers, is £34,555), "but if we had the money we so would". This Mercedes is a "mighty fine, well-engineered" car, with an impressively large boot, not to mention all the "hooks, cubbies, securing-rings and the like that Mercedes has scattered about the cabin. You could lose your youngest in one of the door bins."

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It is a real hit, agrees AutoExpress. The car has "everything you would want from an executive load-lugger" including one of the best interiors of any car in its price range. It "won't excite keen drivers", but it's good to drive nevertheless and has loads of impressive tech on board, too.

Price (for the E 220 d SE): £37,935Engine: 2.0-litre turbodieselTop speed: 146mph0-62mph: 7.7 secsEconomy: 67.3mpg