Hi Michelle,

Well, it depends on your budget, but you’re right; compact crossovers tend to have surprisingly small boots and you are definitely much better off with an estate. If you’re buying new, I’d recommend the new Opel Astra Tourer – lots of space, good looking, good to drive and very frugal. Toyota’s Auris estate is another good shout, as is the Volkswagen Golf Estate, but arguably the king of them all is the Skoda Octavia Combi – massive boot, lots of room in the rear seats and ultra-reliable. As for the small 4x4s, the only one I can really recommend is the new Suzuki Vitara, which has a marginally bigger boot than most of the competition, is good to look at and decent to drive.