Honda's Accord Tourer. That name gives it away doesn't it? You would expect this to be one of those compromised' lifestyle' compact executive estates, a car with little more room to offer than your average family hatchback. Well, 'lifestyle' it is, but 'compromised' it isn't.

It was about time someone came up with a car like this one. Surely it couldn't be beyond the wit of the average auto designer to create something that's both stylish and practical? Until this car arrived, we'd begun to wonder. Buyers either chose something practical like a Mondeo Estate or opted for a sleeker 'hatchback with a backpack' like an Audi A4 Avant.

Lots of manufacturers claim to be able to offer estate cars with the best of both worlds but almost all disappoint, if not aesthetically, then against the tape measure. So let's judge this one. We'll leave assessment on the styling to you but most will probably feel more than comfortable with an Accord Tourer gracing their driveway. The latest car goes in for a few styling tweaks, the most obvious of which is the wide chromed bar running across the front grille where before there was none. The front and rear bumpers have also been subtly resculpted and the sides of the car look a little swoopier, thanks in no small part to the fitment of side skirts. The Tourer estate model also gets a little more chrome around the rear end to give a more upmarket look.

The Tourer is big out back but we're not talking grandfather clocks here. The wheelbase of the Tourer is increased by only 50mm over that of its saloon stablemate and the increase in overall body length is only an extra 85mm. No use expecting a van-like loading bay then. Still, a load volume of 576 litres with all the seats in place is no mean achievement for this class of car: that's over 100 litres more than the more ordinary Renault Laguna Sport Tourer can manage for example. This was achieved through changing the design of the 5-link rear suspension so that both dampers and springs are positioned separately: as a result, the width between the wheel housings is dramatically increased.

"'Life' and 'Style' don't have to be incompatible?"

The total volume of 921 litres with the rear seats folded is rather less impressive, but compensation does come in the form of a clever 'One Motion' system for easy access to what space there is. The idea is that collapsing everything into a folded position should be a simple, quick, one-action, one-handed operation. As most estate car owners will know, that's not usually the case. To access all of the loadspace, you've usually to detach the rear head restraints and pull up the rear seat cushions before you can fold the rear backrest forward. It's a fiddly, time-consuming operation.

But not here. Positioned on top of the 60:40-split rear seat backs are the operating catches, one either side of the car. To fold either seat section, you simply pull the lever forward which simultaneously releases the seat back lock and automatically flips the headrest forward via an interlocking cable. You then continue to pull the seatback forward and, since this is interconnected with the seat base via a sliding linkage, the effect of this action is to flip the seat base up automatically into a vertical position behind the front seat. Since the headrest is flipped forward, it comfortably clears the seat base. There's no messing about with seatbelts and anchor points either, since everything is integrally designed into the seat mechanism. Easy.

Mind you, as Honda well knows, the 'One Motion' system will be called into operation quite rarely (one reason why the relatively low total 'seats folded' luggage capacity of this car shouldn't hurt sales too much). Buyers in this sector attach greater emphasis to the size and versatility of the estate compartment itself. Fortunately, considerable thought has been given to this too.

Take the 49-litre compartment set into the rear half of the luggage floor. It's covered with a flush-fitting lockable lid that rises automatically 45 degrees so that you can easily access the contents. On either side of this compartment are two further lids that cover additional storage space. There are a couple of tricks missed here though: the tailgate glass doesn't open for easy storage of smaller items.

As with the Accord saloon, there's a somewhat restricted engine choice on offer. No entry-level 1.8 and no petrol V6. Buyers have to decide between 154bhp 2.0-litre, 188bhp 2.4-litre units and 138bhp CTDi diesels, with models priced from £18,377. Whether you see this as a bit pricey or impressive value for money will depend on whether you end up mentally positioning the car against Mondeo Estates and Laguna Sports Tourers or lifestylers like BMW's 3 Series Touring or Audi's A4 Avant. No prizes for guessing what perspective Honda has.

Mind you, take into account both power and equipment and you can make a decent argument for an Accord Tourer even against humdrum opposition. All models are fitted with alloy wheels, dual zone climate control, a 6-speaker CD-based stereo and front, side and curtain airbags. Some other inclusions we're getting used to on plenty of other cars but are welcome additions. The Vehicle Stability Assist (VAS) and Drive-By-Wire (DBW) throttle system are just a couple of acronyms to get you started. There's also the option of VASN. Any guesses on that one? Voice Activated Satellite Navigation is your answer there although how it will cope with the profanities I end up directing at most sat nav systems is still open to conjecture.

Overall, this Honda makes probably the best fist yet of combining style with sense in this sector of the market. 'Life' and 'Style' don't have to be incompatible.