10 Oct 06
The big-bummed Seat Toledo is roomy, but don't be fooled - it isn't the biggest. With all the rear seats down, the VW Touran gives 1,989 litres of luggage space and with five seats in use it's a handy 695 litres, but with seven up it's got a rather bijou 121 litres.
The Golf Plus, with 505/1,450 litres, is arguably a better all-round choice if you want to keep the VW badge but prefer a lower seating position.
Ultimately, though, it's got to be a Skoda double whammy: the saloon-styled hatchback is huge (560/1,350) and the estate is even huger (580/1,620), but you'll struggle to find one that's as cheap as the hatch.
Cheap choice: Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDI, 2003, £10,000.
Nearly new choice: Skoda Octavia estate 1.9 TDI, 2005, £11,495.
Rest of the world: Peugeot 307 estate, 2005, £12,000. Not the sharpest blade in the box, but it's well priced and it's an absolute whopper: boot size of 503 litres with the seats up, 1,805 with them down.
