Here are some superb estates we found this week for under £5k

Starting this week’s list off strong is a Volvo V50 estate with the fancy ‘R Design’ froth for £4,450. You’ve got a 1.6-litre diesel unit for company, which means an average of 65.7mpg between trips to the watering hole. You also get some Swedish reliability thrown in for your coin, so expect plenty of life to remain in this 103,000-mile example.

While the 1.9 and 2.0-litre versions are common for under five grand, the 3.2 V6 isn’t. We managed to find one for a two-piece KFC meal below budget, and despite the expected wear and tear, this 159 Sportwagon still looks brilliant. The spherical diamond headlights out front and the gorgeous Alfa grille from the Noughties remain intact, but above all else, you get that engine.

If you’re in the market for a cheap estate, performance likely isn’t very high on your list of priorities. But if it is, how about a 4.2-litre V8-powered Audi S4 Avant? The resulting 344bhp and 302lb ft of torque means 60 is dispatched within six seconds, and the Quattro drivetrain means it should stick to those figures in just about any environment.

The gentle touch to break up the strong Deutsche presence. Despite covering 190,000 miles in just 11 years by two owners, this Jaguar XF Sportbrake still looks exceptional. It’s a testament to just how well Jaguar nailed the brief with this car, which is even more impressive given Britain’s hit-and-miss reputation with estates in the past.

Depreciation and luxury vehicles are more suited to each other than David and Victoria Beckham. Just look at this 15-year-old Mercedes-Benz E280 estate for proof. Given the sheer amount of tech and comfort on offer, you’ve got to ask yourself: why bother with a new one?

We miss Saab. A lot. The jet fighter-inspired design language and the continued evolution of its engines seemed destined for evergreen success, but sadly, the Swedes filed for bankruptcy in 2011. Fortunately, the used car market is still swamped with examples like this 9-3 Aero Sportwagon, which houses the coveted 2.8T engine and is up for less than three grand right now. Bargain.

We can’t make a used estate listicle and not include at least one Subaru - it wouldn’t feel right. So how about sparing a thought for the third-generation Outback estate? Thanks to its unassuming looks (barring the excess cladding), this all-wheel drive, 3.0-litre ‘R’ edition is a prime example of something being good because it’s so boringly well-engineered. 

A manual-converted Lexus IS300 estate gets a big ‘yes please’ from us. Not only is it rare, but this example has seen a number of modifications applied to it, including a tow-bar attachment and alloys from a Nissan 350Z. These changes in turn make it even more interesting than the 300C, so it's a fitting wildcard for this week.