A good estate car delivers practicality, space and low running costs – here are the 10 best estates on sale in the UK today
The estate car was once the must-have option for UK drivers seeking extra carrying capacity from their new vehicle, but the popularity of SUVs has led to estates becoming a less obvious choice. Yet, with a wide choice still on sale, the best estate cars can prove suitable for almost everyone, whether they prioritise carrying capacity, style, dog-friendliness, towing ability, performance, or a great all-rounder.
The bread and butter of any great estate is a large, usable boot with a wide tailgate that opens high to avoid bumping your head. The best estates will also have a flat load area, with minimal intrusion from the wheelarches and seats which fold flat with ease.
Top 10 best family cars to buy 2022
Top 10 best family cars to buy 2022Cars which offer innovative storage solutions along the sides and under the floor of the boot are winners in our book. While ski hatches, load rails and boot dividers go a long way to turning a good estate car into a great one.
While estates may lack the ultimate versatility of an MPV and the high driving position of an SUV, they tend to serve up a more appealing driving experience than either, while matching or bettering them on the load capacity front. It means that, for us, the appeal of the estate car remains strong. Below you’ll find what we believe are the best estate cars on the market today…
Best estate cars to buy 2022
- Skoda Octavia Estate
- 3 Series Touring
- Mercedes E-Class Estate
- BMW 5 Series Touring
- Toyota Corolla Touring Sports
- Skoda Superb Estate
- MG 5 EV
- Volvo V90 Recharge
- Peugeot 508 SW
- Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo
1. Skoda Octavia
The Skoda Octavia Estate has pushed the boundaries, as it’s bigger and better than its predecessor. It was first crowned best estate at the 2013 Auto Express New Car Awards, and again in 2019, 2020, and 2021. It’s a great all-rounder, offering brilliant flexibility for families and for anyone who prioritises space, comfort and reliability.
The Octavia Estate has always been one of the most spacious cars in its class, and the latest model boasts a 630-litre boot rising to 1,700 litres with the rear bench folded.
The latest Octavia Estate also looks far more sophisticated than its predecessor and is able to hold its head high among its premium rivals. The interior is also impressive, with some materials which could easily belong to an Audi.
It’s economical, too, with a range of efficient petrol and diesel engines, while plug-in hybrid tech is also available.
It doesn’t lack for equipment either, with Bluetooth, DAB radio and engine stop/start as standard. The Octavia offers a number of Skoda’s signature ‘simply clever’ features, too, such as a double-sided boot floor, a rubbish bin and an ice scraper hidden in the fuel filler cap. All this can be yours for around the same money as a VW Golf hatch, too.
2. BMW 3 Series Touring
The Touring version of the iconic BMW 3 Series is one of the most handsome estate cars on sale, but still offers great practicality with up to 1,510 litres of load space available when the rear seats are folded.
Although some rivals have the Touring beaten on load capacity, none of them can deliver the driving experience that BMW has created from its rear-drive set-up. The xDrive versions also benefit from all-wheel-drive, which could be enough to persuade some customers away from yet another SUV purchase.
Interior quality is typically high, with the Touring looking and feeling indistinguishable from the saloon model. There’s the clearly laid-out dashboard, incorporating plenty of quality trim with great fit and finish, while the intuitive iDrive infotainment controller is a real highlight.
BMW continues to offer petrol and diesel variants of the Touring, but there’s also the option of a plug-in hybrid powertrain. The 330e version is available in any of the standard BMW trim levels, which means there’s the SE Pro, followed by Sport and the more aggressive looking M Sport cars. For those that want even more visual impact and driving fun, BMW provides the M Sport Pro Edition which includes 19-inch alloys, unique paintwork, adaptive M suspension and an M Sport differential – helping to improve handling and traction out of corners.
3. Mercedes E-Class Estate
The giant of the estate market is the Mercedes E-Class Estate, although the latest model isn’t quite as big as its predecessor. It’s down from 695 litres to 640 litres, while the back seats fold to make 1,820 litres of space. Again, down from 1,950 litres in the old car.
But, boot size isn’t everything, and the rest of the car carries great appeal. It looks great, for starters, while it also has a huge towing capacity. All models get self-levelling rear suspension and a powered tailgate, too.
The interior offers plenty of room for five, plus there are cubbyholes and cup-holders dotted around the cabin. Seven airbags and ESP ensure driver and passengers are well protected. Optional safety kit includes night vision and lane departure warning.
Of course, all this comes at a price: the E-Class is competitive with rivals like the BMW 5 Series Touring, but options soon increase the cost. To limit their bills, buyers are advised to go for one of the diesels or plug-in hybrid models to keep fuel consumption down.
4. BMW 5 Series Touring
If you want an estate car to impress in the company car park, go for the BMW 5 Series Touring. It’s available in SE and M Sport trims and with a wide range of strong petrol and diesel engines, as well as a plug-in hybrid option.
Lower-spec four-cylinder diesel models bring great fuel economy – the 520d claims 55.4mpg economy and 134g/km emissions. Not only this, but it still provides plenty of performance, even when the Touring is fully loaded with people and luggage.
Offering even greater efficiency is BMW’s plug-in hybrid powertrain which, in 530e SE form, delivers up to 35 miles of all-electric running and an average fuel consumption figure of over 180mpg – as long as you keep the battery charged up.
The boot size is no match for its arch-rival, the Mercedes E-Class, but it still impresses, with the 560-litre space expanding to 1,700 litres with the back seats folded. And the BMW is set apart by useful features like the separate-opening tailgate glass, load dividing nets and self-levelling suspension.
Further forward, there’s plenty of space for passengers, although the transmission tunnel can get in the way for those in the middle rear seat. All occupants are likely to complain about the overly firm ride, too, unless you specify the optional adaptive dampers. But the 5 Series Touring is a very safe car, with ESP and a pop-up bonnet to protect pedestrians, has excellent towing capability and comes with good-value fixed-price servicing.
5. Toyota Corolla Touring Sports
The Corolla Touring is a supremely practical family estate, while also offering great handling, comfort and running costs.
The petrol-hybrid system works well, providing good fuel economy and low emissions which means more affordable company car tax bills. Reliability is also key for a positive ownership experience, and Toyota has always been renowned for producing dependable cars – in fact the manufacturer finished in fifth position, out of 29 brands, in our Driver Power customer satisfaction survey.
The Corolla Touring is pretty good to drive, too, with a smooth ride and an effortless ability to tackle potholes and harsher bumps in the road. However, its CVT gearbox is best suited to a more relaxed driving style, as it can be rather noisy when accelerating hard.
Toyota’s Safety Sense package includes a host of active safety kit and helped the Corolla achieve a full five-star Euro NCAP rating, which should give owners peace of mind when on the road.
6. Skoda Superb Estate
The Skoda Superb Estate is a great choice of car. Gone is the dowdy design of the previous model, replaced with sharp creases and a lower, wider body – yet the car is cheaper than all of its main rivals.
There’s a wide engine choice, starting with a 1.5-litre TSI petrol, although we’d recommend either the 2.0 TDI diesel engine with 148bhp, or the 1.4-litre iV plug-in hybrid model delivering 215bhp.
As with the last car, the main selling point of the Skoda Superb Estate is its unrivalled practicality. The boot has grown from the previous model and now provides a cavernous 660-litre load area, or 1,950 litres with the seats down. That’s on a level with cars like the Mercedes E-Class Estate.
For rear passengers, luxury is the order of the day – the Skoda Superb provides more rear legroom than every car across the VW Group, bar the long-wheelbase Audi A8. It’s wider than the previous car too, making it a better choice for carrying three abreast.
If there’s any criticism, it’s that the interior design is a bit plain – and of course, the sheer size of the Superb Estate can make it tricky to park.
7. MG 5 EV
The MG5 is proof that an affordable electric car can also be a practical one. With prices starting from just over £27,500, this estate is one of the cheapest electric cars currently on sale in the UK – with similarly priced EVs being far smaller in size.
It’s not like you have to make many sacrifices to enjoy the savings, either, as the MG5 comes with the MG Pilot driver assistance package as standard. This includes Active Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Traffic Jam Assist and Intelligent Speed Limit Assist.
It should prove easy to live with, too, as revisions to the range resulted in the larger 61.1kWh battery now being the only one on offer, with a claimed range of up to 250 miles. There’s even a reasonable amount of boot space at 578 litres – rising to 1,456 litres with the rear seats folded down.
If it all seems too good to be true, remember that MG has so much faith in its cars that a seven-year/80,000 mile warranty comes as standard.
8. Volvo V90 Recharge
Volvo has a long history of building spacious family estate cars. Models like the 240 and 850 delivered function more than form, but they have been trusted by families over the years to deliver safe, secure driving manners.
The difference with the V90 is that it adds a new level of quality to the mix, too. It uses the same platform as the XC90, and its styling is similar, although the low-slung estate is arguably more stylish. Either way, a 551-litre boot is nice and large, with a 1,517-litre capacity with the back seats folded.
As is synonymous with a Volvo, safety is a major plus point with the V90, with plenty of autonomous tech added to the mix.
9. Peugeot 508 SW
The Peugeot 508 SW ticks both the driving and practicality boxes, although still offers plenty of style and flair for all the family.
It isn’t the biggest estate car on the market, but the latest Peugeot 508 SW is still a fantastically usable family model. It’s a safe and predictable car to drive, yet a strong equipment list and low running costs count in this model’s favour. Peugeot has also added a plug-in hybrid option to the range, bringing lower emissions and improved fuel economy.
The 508 isn’t as sharp to drive as a BMW 3 Series Touring, but it’s predictable, neutral balance means it’s easy and relaxing to pilot. It’s quiet at a cruise, with the fantastic eight-speed auto and entry-level diesel proving an excellent combination on the motorway.
10. Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo
While the MG5 satisfies the budget end of the electric estate market, the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo sits at the other end of the scale – largely because of its potentially blistering performance and a starting price of over £81,000.
There are four variants of Taycan Cross Turismo currently available: the 4, 4S, Turbo, and Turbo S. All of which offer a slightly more practical approach to the regular Taycan, yet with just as much power. In fact, the Cross Turismo will launch from 0-62mph in a mere 2.9 seconds, this is thanks to its motors producing 750bhp in ‘Overboost’ mode.
The regular Taycan Cross Turismo is no slouch, either, with just shy of 470bhp on tap in ‘Overboost’ mode. It will also achieve a claimed range of up to 283 miles from its 93.4kWh battery.
Estate car buying advice
Here are some of the key questions you should ask yourself when choosing an estate car to help you get the best model for your needs…
How much luggage space do you need? Don’t assume all estates are born equal. Luggage capacity ranges from the relatively small MINI Clubman with 360 litres, to the colossal Skoda Superb with 660 litres – naturally these change significantly with the seats folded.
How much towing capacity do you need? Towing capacity can vary greatly from estate to estate as well. The Audi A6 Allroad and Volvo V90 Cross Country are amongst the best performing estates with a maximum braked towing capacity of around 2,500kg. Should you require less grunt, the Mercedes E-Class, BMW 3 Series Touring, and Jaguar XF Sportbrake all offer decent towing capabilities.
How often will you be using the car? If you are covering a lot of miles you may well want to consider a diesel or even a hybrid – the latter also comes with tax incentives helpful for company car drivers. While a traditional petrol will still prove an excellent option for those who drive less.
How many seats do you need? If it’s any more than five you are going to need to look elsewhere, as the days of the seven-seat estate are no more.
Will you require off-road capabilities? Many manufacturers offer estates with extra black body cladding, a raised ride height and four wheel drive. Such models include the Audi A6 Allroad and Volvo V90 Cross Country.
What about optional extras? Due to the fact estate cars appeal to both private and business users, they quite often have extensive options lists. Parking sensors and blind spot monitoring systems are incredibly useful, while cruise control, heated and cooled seats, and automatic tailgates all help make life a little easier.
Other estate car options
Despite not failing to make our top then, there are many other strong estates on the market. Premium models such as the Audi A4 Avant and Jaguar XF Sportbrake combine luxury and load carrying ability, while in the middle of the cost spectrum are the the Vauxhall Astra ST, SEAT Leon Estate, VW Golf Estate, plus larger cars like the Ford Mondeo Estate and Mazda 6 Tourer.
Looking for something just a little bit bigger? Check out our list of the best small SUVs and crossovers…
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