Renault Laguna

I'm never very surprised that saloon/hatch versions of these sorts of cars don't sell well anymore. There are so many more interesting choices on the market. But estates, well estates make a much better case for themselves. Fit for purpose etc.

And so it proves with this Renault Laguna as well. The hatch is OK, but the estate is the better choice. It's better looking, and the boot gives it that extra shot of practicality.

OK, so the sloping rear window doesn't help with the overall volume, as the Sport Tourer can't compete with the Ford Mondeo for instance. The former gets a maximum of 1,593 litres, the latter 1,733.

But there are neat touches in the boot which the average family will love. The luggage cover is damped and has a proper set of rails which it travels along, so you no longer get that five-minute struggle to line up both ends of it to fit into the slots. And there are two levers in the boot which fold down the back seats, so you don't have to open the side doors to remove headrests, children etc.

The Mazda6 Estate had these years ago, and I've never understood why no one else embraced them. They just seem to make the estates an even better option in the range.

Piers Ward