Sorry if this has been asked before,I did do a search but could only find people talking about SUV's etc..

I will be working,and living in Edmonton,from what I gather there really is no need for a gas guzzling 4x4 in the city,when winter tyres(tires) do the job from what I hear.
There are 5 of us in my family so no need for a 7 seater,like I read in another post if we do get visitors its cheaper to hire a minivan as and when needed than drive one all year long.

I currently drive an estate,or station wagon as they are called,and prefer to drive an estate than a van,or a hatchback/saloon etc..

Does anyone have any experience with different estate cars/recommendations on them over there?
My current transport is a Volvo V40 which I love,I couldn't touch a focus estate here as they feel too cheap,and poorly built compared to even my old Astra estate.

I don't want a gas guzzler,just something reliable,comfortable,and safe,much like my V40,I am not too sure on the V70,and do not want a turbo(another thing to go wrong)

Any advice from Alberta drivers?

Most of my driving is in and around town and I don't have a 4x4 but do have snow tires on in the winter and I manage just fine. My husband, on the other hand, does have a 4x4 which is great when you want to head off out of town any time. I in fact drove to Banff and back yesterday and borrowed his vehicle which I was very glad to have use of as the roads were a bit slippy going up.

Not really sure what estate cars are available here. Do you like these because of the extra boot space? Now, I know you say you are not bothered about a 7 seater but the back row of seats in many of the 7 seaters fold completely away to give a large boot space and therefore making them much like an estate car. My car (Toyota Sienna) is like this too. I have 8 seats when I want so great when either family or friends are over to visit or even when my kids have friends coming along with us anytime. The rest of the time, we fold the back seats away which gives me plenty of boot space for just about anything. I don't find it particularly a gas guzzler but, as I said, most of my driving is around town with the odd trip here and there into Calgary or the mountains. Just thought I'd throw this in there as it may be something else to consider.

I like the estates as they are low,its just an extended car.
Low centre of gravity so more stable than an SUV,or van.
The boot space is great for kids bikes,and the dog etc..
As it is just a slightly longer car the fuel economy is pretty decent(usually)

On top of that,I think it would be easier to get into the routine of driving on the other side of the road in a type of vehicle that I am most used to driving at home.
I would prolly adapt to a minivan type without any problems in saying that though,and the selection I found of estates on Kijiji was pretty poor

Are they known as anything other than estates/station wagons in Canada,or just not very common?

We started off with a Subaru Outback. I loved driving it and always felt quite "safe" in terms of its centre of gravity, how it handled, etc. however when child no. 2 came along we traded up because two car seats in the back was quite cramped. Currently have an older Toyota Highlander which doesn't feel much bigger in width but it has the extra third row which gets used occasionally with visitors. Being a bit higher up it doesn't hug the (few) bends as well as the Subaru though!

Not many station wagons around anymore. Most manufacturers have changed to small SUV's such as the Ford Escape, Toyota RAV 4 etc. If you google Motor Trend or check their web site at www.motortrend.com you will find a fairly short list of wagons. Most will be familiar to you such as BMW, Volvo etc. Also try www.consumerreports.com
As for stability issues with SUV's all have stability control along with anti skid and traction control. Plus, if you are buying new, the price for a wagon versus an SUV will shock you. There isn't very much between them. That's also true for gas consumption.
At one time wagons were all the rage. I owned 7 in a row. However, the big three, along with Honda and Toyota, dropped wagons altogether in favour of SUV's.
The above will be true no matter where you decide to settle. One tip is to equip whatever you buy with snow tires for winter driving. Much safer than so called all season tires. Also, unless you intend to drive outside a city AWD is not really needed.
I live in Nova Scotia and we get a fair amount of snow and ice. With a good set of winter tires I have never been stuck in almost forty years here.
You will get used to driving here in no time at all regardless of the vehicle. Good luck with your search

Thanks for the replies guys.

I'll check out that site mate.

VW Scirocco. Amazing on handling in icey weathers.