DON'T some car makers talk a lot of tosh in the brochures tempting you to buy one of their shiny new machines.

The one for this particular car is so full of Olympic grade flannel it might actually put you off. Hardly what Citroen was after, surely.

Which is a pity, because the C5 Tourer was a very pleasant surprise and quite the most comfortable car I've driven for ages.

Utterly practical as well, with a vast boot and clever suspension that keeps the car level however much you pile in the back. Well equipped for the price too and looking solidly bolted together too.

But it does not produce 'sure-footed exhilaration', it's lines do not show 'sporty exuberance' or 'evoke performance from every angle'. And stepping inside does not produce 'a pleasantly thrilling sensation'.

Yes, we know that car brochures have to accentuate the positive but the person who wrote this one needs to calm down. Faced with describing a new Lamborghini they would likely pass out with the thrill of it all.

Much better in this case to cut through the hype to reveal a car that has matured nicely in the several years it's been on sale, where the C5 has earned respect for the way it makes the everyday business of getting about as easy and comfortable as you could imagine.

Part of the comfort comes, in the top version tested here, from a suspension system that echoes Citroens from decades ago and replaces conventional steel springs with gas filled spheres. It is more complex and expensive but gives a wonderful ride - and the easy ability to keep the boot floor level whatever the load being carried.

A switch will engage 'sport' mode on the suspension but the difference was difficult to detect, with the edge on comfort - just - in the sportier setting. So it stayed that way for the duration of the test.

Add the £975 leather pack and as well as cowhide everywhere you'll find a driver's seat that not only adjust electrically in all directions (ditto for the front passenger) but also adds a gentle massage function. Having an invisible physio at work on your lower back is a newfound pleasure.

Then there's the sheer practicality of the Tourer. It is several inches longer than its saloon stablemate, with all the extra length devoted to added boot space. The tailgate can be raised electrically at the plip of a key fob button; useful as you struggle towards the car, arms laden with shopping.

Every C5 has a 2.0-litre diesel engine, with a choice of two outputs (115 or 160 horsepower), and prices of the Tourer estate start at £24,150 and top out at £29,275 for a version with automatic transmission that, as usual, loses some performance and economy.

The manual gearbox C5 showed a healthy 49mpg on the nicely clear dash readout after more than 500 miles of test. That's pleasantly close to the official average of 55mpg and hardly varied with different roads or driving style. An easy 600 miles ought to be possible between refills of the 15.6 gallon tank.

Standard kit on Exclusive Techo Pack cars include satellite navigation, cruise control, big 18 inch alloy wheels and part leather upholstery. No DAB radio, though, which is an oversight these days.