Best estate cars 2022

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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