Just recently I got my hands on the biggest pair of sun visors I’ve ever seen in a car.

So big were they that they obscured my view out of the windscreen. It was only the fact that I was stationary that prevented a serious accident.

Fortunately the rest of the Civic Tourer 1.8 i-VTEC SR that I found myself in last week is a much safer proposition. A lot of that is due to the fact that you’ll probably only ever drive this car with care because the 1.8-litre petrol engine will punish you if you don’t.

In ‘eco’ mode, selected by pressing a button on the dashboard, an indicator light urges you to change up much, much earlier than you would really like to and, consequently, progress can be somewhat pedestrian.

If you are inclined to throw caution to the wind and work the car a little harder it can be a lot of fun. Of course, we’re not talking hot hatch handling but the steering is communicative and reassuringly weighty, while the suspension feels unruffled by most of what the UK’s roads can throw at it.

Even under duress the engine is a refined unit, barely audible from the passenger space, but you'll constantly find yourself looking for a lower gear when you're trying to overtake.

That pain is made a little bit easier thanks to the slick gearbox which has a nice short throw and a pleasing, positive action.

The gear lever's position, however, which is slightly raised and further forward than you would normally expect, does slightly hamper access to some of the controls. It's a minor niggle, really, and not something that I imagine would concern most people.

Stepping outside for a minute and it's hard not to admire the effort that's gone into disguising the shape of the Civic Tourer. Ignore the tapering windows and steeply sloping bonnet and this is a typically boxy estate, as an estate should be. However, Honda have clearly worked hard to not only incorporate some of the hatchback's DNA but also to add a little spice to the styling and I think they've done an excellent job.

Back inside and what immediately catches the eye is the dashboard's design. It’s a stepped design with conventional gauges right where you’d expect them to be but, set higher and further back, a second digital display which shows your speed, at-a-glance sat nav instructions, range, fuel consumption as well as other useful tidbits of information. It does take a bit of getting used to, but it complements the exterior styling well.

There is a light smattering of hard plastics but it’s scarce enough not to impact on the overall feeling of quality, which is excellent.

Equipment in the SR includes touchscreen sat nav, DVD player, dual zone climate control, parking sensors, rear camera and cruise control with speed limiter, and there’s bluetooth for handsfree calling and music playback and video in jacks. Plenty to keep you occupied while your eyes should be on the road, then.

The leather seats proved to be quite slippery, even when not wet and, left exposed to the sun, they can get very, very hot. Still, despite occasionally having to clench to prevent myself sliding around the seats were reasonably comfortable. I would have liked a little more lumbar support but then, as you all know, I can never get enough.

Space in the back is on a par with its rivals which means that taller passengers will be fighting over a seat at the front but there's plenty of headroom wherever you park your bum.

Now we’ve arrived at the business end which, in an estate, is the back. The boot is huge; class-leading huge. It’ll swallow 624 litres of your luggage, in fact. It’s easy to access all that space as well, with impressively versatile loading back and seat combinations.

The Civic Tourer is a refined, spacious and refined machine, but the 1.8 petrol engine is a bit of a conundrum. To get the best out of it, you have to work it hard, work it hard and you'll find that you're a frequent visitor at the pumps. It's cheaper than the diesel version, but you'll pay higher road tax. It's quicker in a sprint, but a distinct lack of torque might hamper it's ability to do the very job it was bought to do.

It's a conundrum, all right...

to find out more about the Honda Civic Tourer.hereClick

HONDA CIVIC TOURER 1.8 i-VTEC S

PRICE FROM: £20,265

ENGINE: 1.8-litre 4cyl petrol

TRANSMISSION: Six-speed manual, front wheel drive

ACCELERATION 0-62mph: 9.6 seconds

MAXIMUM SPEED: 130mph

URBAN: 36.2MPG

EXTRA URBAN: 51.4mpg

COMBINED: 45.6mpg

CO2: 146g/km