Best estate cars 2022
The best estate cars are spacious, great to drive and packed with tech. Here are the models we recommend – and the ones to steer clear of...

The best estate cars offer more than just a big boot; the load area has to be a practical shape and allow easy access, and the rear seats must be simple to fold flat.
These cars are often used for business as well as family motoring, so they need to combine a spacious, comfortable and well-equipped interior with low running costs and an enjoyable drive. And they need to do all that for an affordable price.
Here we count down our top 10 choices and reveal the models to avoid. If any take your fancy, simply click on the relevant links to find out more or see how much of a discount you could get by using our free New Car Buying service.
Audi A4 Avant
While you can buy bigger estates for considerably less money, the A4 Avant is far from pokey, and it's comfort and refinement are superb. Go for our recommended 161bhp 2.0-litre diesel engine (badged 35 TDI) and you'll also enjoy gutsy performance and good fuel economy.
Pros
- Refined engines
- Comfortable ride
- Superbly made interior
Cons
- Not as fun to drive as the BMW 3 Series
- More practical estates are available
- You can’t add many options
BMW 3 Series Touring
BMW's latest 3 Series is its best-steering car of recent times and matches this with stellar body control and plenty of grip, yet it still manages to serve up good ride comfort and relaxing refinement. Add to all that a spacious interior and the tax-efficient plug-in hybrid tech of the 330e model, and there's an awful lot to like. True, plenty of other estates have bigger boots, but the 40/20/40 split rear seats and separately opening tailgate window are nifty practical touches.
Pros
- Agile around corners
- Accurate steering
- Brilliant infotainment system
Cons
- Not as well finished inside as the Audi A4
- Boot isn't the biggest
- Firm ride on M Sport versions
Volkswagen Passat Estate
Next to some of the other cars on this list, the Passat Estate looks like a bit of a bargain. It gives you a spacious interior, an economical range of engines and a huge boot – and all for a tempting price. The closely related Skoda Superb Estate is bigger and cheaper still, though.
Pros
- Broad engine choice
- Spacious interior and boot
- Stable and easygoing dynamics
Cons
- More expensive than some rivals
- Rivals have cheaper running costs
- Slightly unsettled ride in town
Toyota Corolla Touring Sports
The Corolla's rear seats are cramped for six-footers, but this hybrid estate offers super-low fuel consumption and CO2 emissions that make it an excellent choice for both private and company car drivers. In addition, the Corolla's ride is cosseting and its standard spec generous, while even the cheaper, 1.8-litre version offers all the performance you need.
Pros
- Impressively low CO2 emissions on hybrids
- Comfortable ride
- Lots of standard kit
Cons
- 1.8-litre engine can be a little noisy
- Below-par infotainment system
- Relatively small boot by traditional class standards
Mercedes E-Class Estate
Mercedes has a long history of building large family wagons, and the latest E-Class Estate is its best yet. It offers more luggage space than all its rivals, while passengers also get plenty of room to stretch out, and the interior is both sophisticated and plush. Just make sure you specify air suspension; it’s an expensive option, but delivers a dramatic improvement in ride comfort.
Pros
- Massive boot
- Well equipped
- E300de plug-in hybrid fuel economy
Cons
- Not as fun to drive as some rivals
- Expensive to buy
- Unsettled low-speed ride
Volvo V60
The Volvo V90 may be the biggest estate in the Swedish brand's modern range, but it's the V60 that's the company's best. It's still a very roomy choice and feels every bit as classy, yet it's cheaper to buy and run and both more comfortable and more enjoyable to drive.
Pros
- Well-struck ride and handling balance
- Smart and airy interior
- Excellent passenger and boot space for its size
Cons
- Distracting infotainment system
- Not as fun as a BMW 3 Series Touring
- Hesitant automatic gearbox
Seat Leon Estate
Based on our reigning Family Car of the Year, the Leon Estate handles tidily, offers loads of space for both passengers and luggage, and is well equipped too. Add in attractive pricing and running costs, and it's an excellent choice that only just misses out on a podium place.
Pros
- Surprisingly good fun – especially in FR form
- Big boot and roomy rear seats
- Well priced
Cons
- Not quite as capacious as Skoda Octavia Estate
- FR models have a fairly firm ride
- TSI 130 engine could be smoother
BMW 5 Series Touring
The latest 5 Series Touring shows BMW at the top of its game. This is a hugely appealing luxury estate car because it's comfortable, quiet and enjoyable to drive, with an interior that's as classy as it is practical. It even has standard self-levelling rear suspension to help it cope with the heftiest of loads.
Pros
- Frugal 520d and company-car-tax-beating 530e plug-in hybrid
- Excellent infotainment system
- Beautifully made, high-quality interior
Cons
- Volvo V90 has more rear-seat space
- Mercedes E-Class Estate has an even bigger boot
- Unsettled ride with M Sport suspension and bigger alloy wheels
Skoda Octavia Estate
All Octavias give you loads of standard equipment and masses of interior space, but the estate version adds a boot in which you could build a barn. We're particularly keen on the plug-in hybrid iV model, which has an official electric range of 41 miles.
Pros
- Supple ride most of the time
- Huge boot
- Low BIK rates for plug-in 1.4 TSI iV 204
Cons
- Rivals are more fun to drive
- A bit floaty over big undulations
- Heating controls are in the touchscreen
Skoda Superb Estate
As good as the Octavia is, it has to settle for second place on this list, because the even bigger Skoda Superb Estate strikes the sweet spot of practicality, comfort, low running costs and value. In fact, with masses of load space for flat-pack furniture or suitcases and palatial comfort for passengers it's one of the most impressive family holdalls in any class of car.
For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here
Pros
- Great value and well equipped
- Limo-like passenger space
- Huge boot with lots of additional practical touches
Cons
- Other rivals are more fun to drive
- Some premium rivals have better resale values
- The driving position isn't perfect
And the estate car to avoid...
While it comes well equipped, most of the the G70 Shooting Brake's key rivals are more practical, quieter, better to drive and cheaper to run. Read our review
The Subaru Levorg makes some sense if you regularly venture off road or need all-weather traction, but otherwise its high price and fuel-thirsty engine make it impossible to recommend. Read our review

Best used estate cars for less than £25,000 (and the ones to avoid)
Looking for an antidote to a large SUV? Then try any one of these premium used estate cars for less than £25,000