does matter, well it does doesn't it? So if it's more room for luggage that you need,

look no further than the practical Estate version.

It is longer and wider than the previous estate model and comes complete with practical roof

rails fitted as standard and a huge 610-litre boot earning it more practicality brownie

points. The longer wheelbase means there is acres of room inside, in both the front and

the back.

Back to that huge boot... In fact it is the biggest in class (and 30 litres bigger than

before) dwarfing its rivals with its immense space. And

to create even more space fold the seats down, like this. The rear seat folding mechanism

is now much simpler to operate from the rear of the car thanks to a new remote lever positioned

here.

As is the case with the hatchback, there is plenty of legroom and headroom, which the

estate also offers in abundance thanks to the longer wheelbase and larger dimensions.

The controls are logically laid out, the dials easy to read and the entire dashboard looks

smart and well put together.

There are plenty of soft touch materials as well, making the new Octavia estate feel much

more upmarket. Talking of touching this screen senses when your finger is near and lights

up the buttons - I like this clever feature. Spec levels are generous with all models coming

with 7 airbags, air conditioning, cooled glove box - for my Orangina - and alloy wheels.

Despite

being slightly heavier than the hatchback, this estate drives very well. The controls

are nicely weighted yet easy to operate and it handles well thanks to a decent suspension

setup. Plus you can adjust the settings of how it drives here.

Now, Mat shocked us with his recommendation for the tiny 1.2-litre petrol engine in the

hatchback, but what about the estate? Due to its extra bulk, this model suits the TDI

diesels a bit better, especially if you intend to tow a trailer or caravan. For example the

1.6 TDI can return 74.3 miles per gallon and the more powerful 2.0 TDI can achieve 67.3

miles per gallon, although obviously not with a trailer attached. All can be paired up with

a manual or DSG automatic gearbox and if for the smaller 1.6 diesel it's free to tax. Yes

free, that has to be everyone's favourite price tag.

Having said all that you might like to be one of those estate people that needs all

that room for their really cool hobbies such as rock climbing, abseiling, surfing, deep

sea fishing and BMX'ing but wants a powerful fast car to squeeze all the equipment into.

That will be the vRS version then with a 0-62 time of less than 7 seconds to keep up with

your fast paced hobby list.

Now we have praised this estate car so much, it is now time to move on the negatives. After

awarding the hatchback with best family car 2013, it is rather hard to find fault in it.

I do have one though...

Yes I know it's huge, HOWEVER it does have downsides. The load lip although smaller than

the outgoing model, is still large. The seats don't fold completely flat and the boot is

an awkward shape so very large items such as washing machines will be difficult to transport.

Just like the hatchback though, these are very minor points, and overall the Skoda Octavia

Estate is the perfect blend of practicality, comfort and it's cheap to run!