WHAT ARE THEY LIKE INSIDE?

SPEND AROUND £30K on an estate and you expect lots of space for carrying people and their stuff, plus premium cabin quality.
The Audi gets off to a great start. Close the door – thwump – and you’ll think the A6 is built to outlast you. Everything from the lower-dash plastics to the steering column stalks radiate quality. Add the simple, clear controls and the Audi’s cabin is a pleasure to spend time in. Not even the splashes of silver trim can stop it all being a bit soulless, though.
That’s not something you could say about the BMW’s interior. True, the high-sided dashboard and the riot of sharp angles aren’t to all tastes, but the quality of the materials is a match for the Audi’s. The major controls are easy to use, even if the iDrive multi-function controller isn’t as intuitive as Audi’s MMI version.
The Volvo sticks to a traditional – and very logical – layout, although the cabin is not as classy as the Audi’s or BMW’s.

You might not be totally comfortable with the Volvo’s driving position, though. There’s plenty of adjustment to the seat and steering wheel, but the seat base doesn’t go down far enough for taller drivers. The Audi and BMW offer greater adjustment, plus more space up front.
What about your rear-seat passengers? Two adults will be comfortable in all three cars, although they’ll have most space in the BMW. The Volvo has least rear headroom, but counters with particularly comfortable rear seats. It also has the option of in-built child seat boosters that can be set at two heights.

Being estates, a big, practical boot is vital, and here they’re all closely matched. The Audi has the longest boot (which it needs because its rakish tailgate eats into the load area), the Volvo the biggest and the BMW the lowest loading height. The BMW also offers a separately opening tailgate glass and a two-layer under-floor storage area (the others make do with a single layer).
If you need to move bigger objects, the Audi offers the most space with the rear seats folded. Still, the Volvo’s rear seats fold totally flat, unlike those of the others.

WILL THEY BREAK THE BANK?

LETS GET TO the nitty gritty. If you’re planning to run one of these as a company car, the A6 imposes the lowest tax bills. A higher-rate payer will have to pay the Treasury £236 a month, while the 5 Series comes in at £272 and the V70, £301.
Over a year, this adds up to a whopping £780 difference between the A6 and V70, but don’t be surprised if the Volvo is your fleet manager’s favourite.

What about other bills? Well the A6 should cost you 57.4 pence per mile – 1.5p less than the
5 Series. The V70, on the other hand, will cost 76.2p. It is the most powerful car here, but a near-20p difference is still hard to justify.

The Audi is making a strong financial case for itself so far, then, and private buyers will also be tempted because of its comparatively low list price. Things aren’t as clear-cut as they first appear, though.

Our Real Cost service, which factors in everything from discounts to running costs to depreciation, shows that there’s almost nothing between the A6 and 5 Series over a typical ownership period – thanks to the BMW’s strong residuals and low servicing bills.

A Real Cost figure for the V70 isn’t available yet, but it’s a safe bet it will be a more expensive ownership prospect than its German counterparts, due to high servicing bills and relatively poor fuel economy. It should have the strongest retained values, though.

Whichever car you choose, standard equipment includes alloy wheels, cruise control, climate control and stability control. The Audi misses out on an MP3-player connection and an electrically adjustable driver’s seat, though, while only the 5 Series comes with parking sensors.

Satellite-navigation will be a popular option, and it’ll cost you a whopping £1850 to have it specified on the V70. That’s £600 more than either the A6 or 5 Series. Leather upholstery will also be a common addition, and this bumps up the Volvo’s price by £1200. Audi charges £1250 and BMW asks £1315.

WHATCAR? VERDICT

CHOOSING BETWEEN THE A6 Avant and 5 Series Touring is tougher than ever at this end of the market, but for us, the BMW just edges it.

It’s more than roomy enough to carry four adults and their holiday luggage, yet you never feel like you’re driving such a big car thanks to the composed handling and responsive steering.
The 5 Series also leaves you feeling fresh at the end of a long journey because it’s impressively refined and, while the ride can be fidgety over patchy surfaces, it’s smooth on the motorway.
Still, as good as the BMW is, you wouldn’t be making a mistake by opting for the Audi. It’s beautifully made, has a huge boot and strikes a fine balance between comfort and control.