Gone full circle, at one time if you wanted a proper estate you bought a Volvo or Mercedes.

Then the other makers go it on the act, and cars like 406, C5, Vectra (huge), Mondeo Avensis, made superb practical and good value estates.

The latest models are now some sort of fashion statement, still roomy but have lost versatility through that rounded back end and half moon access , back to MB, BMW and Volvo then if you want a proper estate, and one or two others.

Glad i'm not the only one who doesn't like peering through onside arrow slits, and the getting towards horizontal windscreen with huge A pillars.

I read a report about a year ago from some University which compared an 80s Ford Escort to a 2008 Vauxhall Astra i think, and they concluded visability all round for the driver is vastly restricted in the Astra in comparison to the Escort. All the safety equipment, high windows, thick airbagged doors, strong pillars etc means in the Astra you're more likely to have an accident but also more likely to survive it. Of course in the Escort you're less likely to have an accident (cos you can see more out of it) but more likely to die or sustain serious injury should you have one.

Cars are now bigger than they used to be (the new Mondeo is a full foot longer than the last generation Cortina) to accomodate all this, the styling of a big backside and sloping front is dictated by EU safety regulations to make it hug pedestrians and it ultimatley means most cars end up pretty much the same. The likes of Ford, Vauxhall etc all look pretty much the same. Even the likes of BMW and Mercedes are blending in, mainly due to being more accessible than they used to be and now more common. It means often if you want something which looks a bit different you have to go for something which can largely bypass these rules, like an American car, or something in a bizarre colour.