They might look unassuming, but these covert wagons hide a few secret weapons. From twin-turbocharged powerplants to pioneering new Michelin tyres, find out why they make the ultimate all-season driving machines.
Estate cars and all-season tyres: it doesn’t exactly sound like a combo destined to deliver driving thrills. However, as the old adage goes, you shouldn’t judge them by their cover…
Packing over 300 bhp and channeling it through ruthlessly efficient all-wheel drive systems, these three subtly-styled family estates boast a turn of speed that could put a
Porsche Boxster to shame — on any road, in all conditions.
And, if these high-powered sleepers are designed to deliver practical performance year-round, it only makes sense to fit tyres that can maximise that all-season ability. Handily,
Michelin’s new CrossClimate 3 Sport offers just such a blend of agile handling and engaging feel, with the security of a true 3PMSF-certification come winter.
Has the time come to trade your garage queen (and those winter wheels) for a performance car and tyres which perform 24/7, 365 on our British shores? Take a look at our top three fast estates, to find out.
3. Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 4MATIC Shooting Brake
Image credit: Mercedes
We kick things off with a somewhat left-field choice: the Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 4MATIC Shooting Brake. That’s quite a mouthful, but it’s that last part (Shooting Braking) which might have you confused. Unlike more traditional estates which simply bolt a big boot to the back of a regular saloon, the Shooting Brake tries hard to retain the CLA’s coupe-esque lines, whilst also offering a much more practical load bay.
So it’s win-win as far as styling is concerned, but the Shooting Brake doesn’t make this list for its handsome looks. It’s the baby estate’s exceptionally versatile performance, which bags it a bronze medal. Just like the regular CLA 35, the estate houses a 302-bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged four-pot which, when hooked up to Mercedes’ 4MATIC all-wheel drive, can dispatch the 0-60 mph sprint in less than five seconds.
Then there’s the pin-sharp handling. Compared to the regular CLA, the 35 model boasts fully overhauled suspension, plus a new steering rack, and added chassis stiffening. Combine that with CrossClimate 3 Sport’s superb feedback and confidence-inspiring wet grip, and you have a performance car that can be enjoyed in even the most dismal conditions.
Oh, and as an added bonus, it’ll even muster a respectable 31 mpg. What’s not to like?