Compact estate cars, I have to admit, are hard to fathom. I mean, given the whole point of an estate is to be able to cram as much stuff as possible in it, surely you want it as big as possible?

Well, true to a point, I guess. Estate cars were once ugly brutes, so loadspace was the only thing going for them. But now, partic- ularly when they are masquerading as sport wagons and tourers, they possess as much style, if not more, than the cars they are based on.

So, if a small family hatchback or saloon is what turns you on, or what your pocket can afford, then you may decide it's worth paying that little bit extra to get the valuable, additional, load capacity an estate will provide. Looks-wise and status-wise, there's certainly nothing to lose anymore.

Which brings me to the latest Ford Focus Estate.

The Focus hatchback has been hugely popular for years, and ticks all the relevant boxes for most buyers – it's solid, well-built, attractive, comfortable and functional and offers a superior ride quality, compared with most rivals.

The cheapest Focus hatchback is £13,995 on the road. The cheapest estate is £17,095 which, I agree, is more than "a little bit extra". But this is not quite like for like – the entry-level hatchback is badged Studio – a spec not available in Estate form. The price I quoted for the cheapest estate is for what's called the "Edge" model and the hatchback Edge is priced at just a fiver under £16,000. Suddenly, the difference in price makes the choice one worth considering.

The question of value for money is a thorny one. Ford itself admitted that Focus prices needed realigning back in 2010 and with the introduction of this latest model, list prices have crept up again. The result is they are almost Golf prices, but Ford counters with the claim that the Focus now delivers a knockout blow to the Volkswagen in terms of the amount of standard equipment included with each car.

Even the entry-level Edge model gets a DAB radio, ESP, torque vectoring, Bluetooth and voice control. Zetec trim includes 16in alloys, sports seats and a heated windscreen, while Titanium, tested here, adds keyless start, hill-start assist and a premium Sony stereo. Titanium X tops that off with 17in alloys, active park assist, bi-xenon lamps and heated half-leather seats.

Some of the options offered on the Focus are the sort of thing only seen on flagship super saloons not so long ago.

The park assist system, which guides you into a parking space, is one and then there are five systems that use a set of in-built cameras. These comprise lane departure warning, lane-keeping aid, driver alert, traffic sign recognition, and auto high beam.

The amazing low-speed safety system is active at speeds below 20mph. It uses a forward-facing infra-red laser mounted next to the rear view mirror to detect objects in front of the car. The system continuously (100 times per second) monitors the distance to the vehicle in front and the closing speed, to determine the risk of a collision. If an imminent collision is foreseen, the system pre-charges the brakes and if the driver does not react, automatically applies them.

The estate possesses all the previously mentioned qualities of the hatch but, importantly, is 20cm longer. Now eight inches (see, I can do the maths) might not sound massive, but believe me, it does make a big difference. Particularly when you've a full complement of passengers aboard and you want to pack in a load of possessions, too.

The load bay measures 476 litres to the parcel shelf and if you drop the rear seats you get up to 1,502 litres of available space. Unlike in the hatchback, there's no full-size spare wheel option available, Ford offering only the choice of a slim space-saver spare or repair kit.

The interior is a massive step forward in terms of materials quality and fit and finish from its already solid predecessor. Some commentators have claimed that the Focus has targeted the Volkswagen Golf, but the interior is a far more extrovert design than you'll find in any Wolfsburg vehicle. The centre console looks busy, but it's fairly easy to figure everything out quickly and the Sony stereo in the upper-spec models is a classy touch.

We usually count on Fords to offer low running costs and by and large the Focus scores in this regard. The engines are certainly clean and impressively mean with fuel, too. The petrol engines, all of 1.6-litre capacity but with 105, 125 or 150bhp outputs to choose from, have the same 139g/km emissions.

I tested the 125bhp version and found it a superb all-round performer whatever the conditions.

It's much the same story with the 1.6 diesels, as both 95 and 115bhp models are good for 109g/km. The 2.0 TDCi come in 139 and 159bhp outputs and emit 129g/km with a manual box and 139g/km with the optional PowerShift transmission.

Fuel economy is good with a 1.6-litre 125bhp petrol car averaging 47.1 and a 1.6-litre TDCi with 115bhp some 67.3mpg.