LIST your priorities when choosing a family estate car and they'll probably read like this - space, economic running and value for money.

Sure, good looks and decent driving ability are also up there, but people usually buy an estate more for its practicality than its aesthetics or dynamics.

That's where the long-established Toyota Corolla comes in - it's now in its 12 incarnation. Called the Touring Sports, the mid-sized estate ticks the relevant boxes offering almost unbelievable economy, a boot big enough to accommodate an emigrating family's luggage and it comes with a price tag of little more than £30k.

You may have to forget the fact that its key fob isn't the most snazzy one to flash at the golf club. And you might have to turn a blind eye to the line of similar Toyota estates parked at the station taxi rank.

Top and bottom of is that the hybrid Toyota fulfils its promise in spades. Power comes from a 2.0litre self-charging hybrid coupled to an automatic CVT gearbox, knocking out a very useful 176bhp which is sufficient to propel it to 62mph in a respectable time of under eight seconds, better than the class average.

It's a friendly, easy drive with light but positive steering and a particularly compliant suspension that allows a smooth ride, even over the pock-market surfaces that litter the country, Handling, while not exactly dynamically sporty, is sound, safe and is better than many rivals.

Cabin space in the front is generous with ample shoulder and legroom. Seats are well-shaped and supportive. Rear seat passengers aren't quite so well catered for with less legroom than ideal. Taller passengers may also find the headroom a bit limited,

The boot however, with a capacity of almost 600 litres, is large and has a low platform which makes loading heavy items much easier.

Nothing particularly luxurious about the cabin, but it's practical, well laid out with plenty of stowage space and gives an impression of being tough and hard wearing. There's a fair bit of plastic around but most is soft-touch which makes it more user-friendly.

Physical buttons operate the climate controls, a move that's appreciated by most owners.

Toyota engineers have done a good job in refining the Corolla - noise levels are subdued with little wind intrusion and a hushed engine note unless revved hard. In many cases the CVT gearbox can be somewhat frenetic, but in this form it's well contained and refined.

The hybrid moves away in electric mode and the four cylinder petrol engine generally cuts in smoothly and unostentatiously towards 20mph.

The benefit is definitely felt at the pumps - our overall average hovered around the 60mpg mark despite some press-on motoring and fast A-road routes. Few rivals are capable of matching such frugality. A further economic incentive is Toyota's, 10-year/100,000 mile warranty.

In most people's eyes, the Touring Sports is better looking than its Corolla hatchback stablemate as well as offering considerably more boot and passenger space. Yet the price penalty is just a little more than £1,500.

£38,045

2.0-litre, 4 cyl, 176bhp petrol hybrid driving front wheels via automatic gearbox

112mph

7.7sec

61.4

22

27%

108g/km

10yrs/100,000 miles

4.5