Price range: £5000 – £30,000
The Superb wagon is so big that with a bit of judicious pruning you might even be able to sneak Trafalgar Square’s giant Norwegian spruce into the back of it. Cars in SE Technology trim with the 1.5 petrol engine are good value. Check for damage in the load bay.
Price range: £35,000 – £50,000
When the Christmas tree is at the back of the nursery and still in the ground, this will be the perfect device to get to it. Then, when you’ve dug it out, toss it in the load bay and, with the Raptor’s adaptive dampers smoothing out the rough stuff, make a sharp exit thanks to its 288bhp and 316lb ft. Expect wear and tear, but check for body and interior marks.
Price range: £10,000 – £25,000
Another estate with almost as much load space as the Skoda Superb. For effortless hauling, the powerful 2.0-litre diesels are just the job, but the 1.5 petrol is better value and pulls reasonably well. Beware warning lights and loose trim.
Price range: £2000 – £15,000
An alternative to carrying a Christmas tree lengthwise is to stow it vertically, but which cars have the roof space to permit that? The 500C is one. At the press of a button, its canvas roof peels back to offer sky’s-the-limit room for even the tallest spruce. Should it topple, the car’s roof sides will catch it. Check the roof is watertight.
Best sensible A to B cars
What the head wants for Christmas
Price range: £2000 – £20,000
For A to B motoring you can’t go wrong with a reliable, practical and comfortable Octavia. The 2017 facelift gave it sharper looks, but its key attractions – acres of boot space and a roomy rear cabin – remained unchanged. The earlier 1.4 petrol engine is a good all-rounder, but its successor, the 1.5, is more economical. Check interior trim and that the infotainment system is glitch-free.
