Ford's Focus is a class act. We could end this right there and get on the phone to Guinness to suggest a new world record for the shortest long term test ever performed but that would be too easy. You see, the Focus has dominated the family hatch sector for so long because it's the car that does everything. Other models surpass it in the odd regard but none are as adept in their all-round performance. It can transport five adults and still entertain its driver. It's well built, well equipped and yet manages to remain competitively priced. In a way, the Focus Estate featured here is the car that does even more than the car that does everything because it can carry 97 litres more than the hatchback, or 278 litres more if you fold the seats down. That is some car.

But is it that good? We've all heard or read experts waxing lyrical about Ford's unassuming hatch but what's it like to live with in the real world? Our Ford Focus Estate arrived packing a 2.0-litre TDCi diesel engine that produces 136bhp. The vehicle's Titanium trim level combined with the Estate bodystyle and that feisty diesel engine give it a list price of £19,145 but the glittering array of optional extras fitted bumps the actual purchase price up well beyond that. We learned from the off that, should you get carried away ticking boxes marked; 'touchscreen DVD navigation with six-disc CD autochanger', 'xenon headlights with headlamp levelling and washer jets', '18" seven-spoke alloy wheels' or 'leather-trimmed seats with powered seat adjustment' - you can end up paying quite a lot of money for your Ford Focus Estate. Having said that, sitting behind the driver's seat, safe in the knowledge that the monthly finance payments aren't coming out of my account, all those toys are very impressive.

Touchscreen satellite navigation systems are usually simpler to get to grips with because you can touch the thing that you want or the place where you need to go rather than embarking on a complex series of knob twirls and button presses to try and select it. The Ford system works well and it incorporates controls for the air-conditioning system and the stereo into the colour display panel. Crucially, however, the basic operations of the air-con and the stereo also have separate buttons so you can adjust them quickly while on the move. Only the more complex functions are confined to the menu system and you won't be tinkering with those too much anyway. The leather seats are supportive and adjustable enough so that a comfortable driving position should be easily attained by almost anyone and there's a general feeling of robustness about the cab. Perhaps some of the plastics used could have been higher quality but the toughness of those on the fascia and the switches isn't in doubt.

"Practicality's what you look for in an estate and the Ford Focus' take on the genre delivers with some aplomb."

Practicality's what you look for in an estate and the Ford Focus' take on the genre delivers with some aplomb. There's a prodigious boot at the rear with a roller blind-style cargo cover which extends rearward from the seat backs. Fully carpeted, the boot includes a pair of lashing hooks on either side to secure luggage during sharp cornering, although enterprising owners can also make use of the rear seat anchor points for much the same purpose. Given that these are metal loops rather than plastic hooks, this may well represent a more practical option for heavier items.

A 12v auxiliary power outlet on the side of the load bay is a neat touch, as are the indented grab handles on the inside of the tailgate. If you're reasonably tall, strong and limber of wrist, you can even close the tailgate in this way without getting your hands dirty on the grime plastered to the back of the car. The tailgate opens so high that even if you stand 6'4" tall, you won't bump your head. The downside to this is that shorter owners may well have difficulty reaching it.

The other issue when opening the tailgate is that approximately 75 per cent of the water that gathers on it falls onto the rear light cluster with the other quarter landing squarely on the luggage cover or, if it's retracted, your gear. The loading lip is low and features a non-slip surface, but it would have been nice to see some longitudinal rails built into the floor of the load bay so that bags can easily be slid into position. On the plus side, the load floor is perfectly flat with zero intrusion from the compact rear suspension assembly.

With the seats in place the load bay is just over 104cm long, 116cm wide and up to 89cm high. With the rear seats folded you have a 167cm distance from seat back to tailgate. Utilising schoolboy trigonometry, I believe this means that you can, in effect, carry a pair of 203cm skis diagonally. In practice on our long term test, the area has hosted a clapped-out tumble dryer, an old gas cooker and various pieces of dismantled fitted kitchen.

On the road, the Focus Estate is predictably adept. The suspension has a suppleness that eases you over the bumps but it remains firm enough to keep you in touch with what the wheels are up to. Refinement isn't a strong point of the 2.0-litre TDCi and all the bluster at start-up doesn't translate into anything too blistering off the line but when you plug into the diesel unit's power-band at 2,000rpm, that changes. The engine picks up and drags the Focus down the road with real verve and if you keep the revs on the boil, swift progress is assured. There's a slight hint of body-roll as the car turns in but then it settles and the levels of grip along with the composure in the chassis really inspire confidence.

So is the Focus Estate as good as it's cracked up to be? It's been a roundabout way of getting to the point but, ultimately, yes it is. You can get a higher grade interior and a more exciting styling with other models but nobody in the sector can touch the Ford Focus Estate for all round competence and practicality.