Our Fleet: Seat Exeo 2.0 TDI Sport Tech Multitronic - February 2013

Estate cars are family cars, right? So the onus should be on interior space, storage and overall practicality.

However, as much as I like the Exeo, problems have recently started to appear in all of these areas.

The silver (very light grey) alcantara seats that were once modern and upmarket are now being put to the test. Despite constant reminders to my daughter not to spill anything on them and to keep her feet off the seats, it’s me who has managed to stain the driver's seat with melted chocolate. It is also becoming more obvious that my cheap Primark jeans are slowly starting to discolour the drivers seat base, leaving it slightly more grubby looking than it used to be.

I had also forgotten how much room a new-born baby's car seat takes up. With my son fully installed in the back of the Exeo, his seat almost touches the back of the front passenger seat, leaving only just enough legroom in the front to be comfortable. My daughter on her booster seat hasn’t got enough room behind the driver's seat to properly fit her feet.

The boot, however, is the perfect size and height and with its low, level floor, is perfect for wheeling the pram straight in, but there is a lack of storage compartments for everything else that goes along with a family of four.

All of a sudden the Exeo is starting to feel a bit small.

By Luke Neal