Best estate cars 2024
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While you might think that everyone has turned their backs on estate cars in favour of SUVs, a good wagon still has its place in 2023. And there are plenty of good estate cars on sale.
Indeed, an estate car can make more sense than an SUV, especially if you've got a dog or a need to carry large loads on a regular basis. Estate cars also tend to be nicer to drive than SUVs and, although this is a matter of opinion, better looking to boot. Excuse the pun.
One of the cars on our list offers 660 litres of luggage space, while another has a 640-litre boot. Fold down the rear seats, and a trip to a Swedish furniture store needn't turn into the automotive equivalent of Tetris, as you attempt to find a space for every box.
Right now, these are the best estate cars on the market. Your dog will thank you for buying one of these wagons.
Skoda Octavia Estate
The Skoda Octavia Estate is one of the most common-sense cars on sale. And in estate guise, it simply bolsters these credentials still further. The headline figure is a 640-litre boot capacity with the rear seats in place. For a vehicle that measures less than 4.7 metres long, that’s very impressive. Fold the rear seats and it expands to almost 1700 litres. The space is impeccably designed for ease of use, and it doesn't come at the expense of passengers either. Affordable petrol and diesel engines provide great value for money, while you can get a sporty vRS with the option of four-wheel-drive.
BMW 3 Series Touring
The good-looking BMW 3 Series Touring is an upmarket and far more practical alternative to the regular 3 Series saloon. BMW has put a lot of thought into its design, with features including an ingenious ‘anti-slide’ boot floor that stops luggage banging around during driving. And so enjoyable is the handling, you’ll certainly want to fling it across twisting roads. All engines are fuel-efficient and BMW also offers a 330e Touring plug-in hybrid with a 38-mile EV range. There's also a range of M models, including a M340 in both diesel and petrol forms, along with the full-fat M3 Competition. Thanks to 510PS, the M3 Touring will hit 62mph in just 3.6 seconds.
Genesis G70 Shooting Brake
If we were dishing out awards for the best-looking estate car, the Genesis G70 Shooting Brake would be in without a shout of winning. Its 465-litre boot is dwarfed by the other cars on our list, but if you're after a stylish car that stands out in a car park and is more practical than the G70 saloon, the Shooting Brake is worth a look. Like a 3 Series Touring, it's rear-wheel-drive, but unlike the BMW, you get a lot of kit as standard. The icing on the cake is a comprehensive five-year warranty package, which includes servicing and a concierge service.
MG5 EV Long Range
The MG5 EV is currently one of only two electric estate cars you can buy, but there's hope that others will follow. It’s tremendous value for money, with a purchase price far lower than equivalent spec vehicles, but it doesn't feel like you’re scrimping, with a solid driving experience, good level of specification and lots of space inside. It’ll manage 250 miles on a single battery charge, which makes it a brilliant all-rounder and heartily recommended.
BMW 5 Series Touring
If the excellent BMW 3 Series Touring just doesn’t quite have enough space or luxury for you, then the 5 Series Touring is just the ticket. It does everything that makes the 3 Series such a good car, but… well, more so. More interior space, more features, more luxurious cabin, but the same blend of comfort and agility and broad engine choice that makes it a great load lugger, a cracking long-distance cruiser or an enjoyable drive on a country road. In Touring form the 5 Series has a cavernous boot that only the Skoda Superb, Skoda Octavia and Mercedes E-Class Estate can rival, but the BMW is better to drive.
Mercedes E-Class Estate
If space is your thing, the Mercedes E-Class Estate is almost unmatched. Seats up, it boasts a whopping 615 litres, but fold them down and the boot grows to an incredible 1830 litres. With the seats up, that's slightly less than the old E-Class Estate, but it should be enough for most families. Crucially, there's more space for rear-seat passengers, so your children will have one less thing to complain about. All E-Class Estates have standard rear air suspension to keep an even ride height when carrying heavy loads. Alongside conventional engines, you can get an E300 e plug-in hybrid version, which offers between 59 and 72 miles of electric range.
Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo
The Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo is the estate car alternative to the Cross Turismo crossover. It is a pure electric estate, with exceptionally high performance; even the basic version has 408PS and the range-topping Turbo S has a staggering 761PS for 0-62mph in just 2.9 seconds. The sleek Taycan has an easy-to-access 405-litre boot, which grows to 1171 litres with the rear seats folded. It’s not the biggest of estate cars, then, but is there a better-looking, more thrilling one to drive? You also get an additional 84-litre boot in the front, which is perfect for storing charging cables. Depending on spec, the Taycan can manage up to 304 miles of driving between charges.
Toyota Corolla Touring Sports
If you don’t have charging facilities at home, but still want to go green with your estate car, consider the Toyota Corolla Touring Sports. It uses a ‘self-charging’ hybrid drivetrain that doesn't need to be plugged in, but can drive for upwards of 50 percent of the time in engine-off pure electric mode. It has low CO2 emissions (and thus low car tax) and potential fuel economy of 60mpg or more, yet can still carry 598 litres with the seats up. Add in legendary Toyota reliability and competitive prices for a well-rounded estate that helps you do your bit for the environment without fuss.
Audi A6 Avant
The upmarket Audi A6 Avant is the latest in a long line of Audi Avant-branded estate cars. Like its predecessors, it has more of a sleek, GT-like angle to its rear end, in contrast to more upright estate cars. This does limit ultimate capacity, but with 565 litres of space – growing to almost 1700 litres with the rear seats folded – you’ll struggle to feel short-changed. Conventional petrol and diesel engines are joined by a plug-in hybrid TFSI e, while the thrilling range-topping RS6 Avant remains, too. A legend in its own right, this remarkable machine produces 630PS for 0-62mph in just 3.4 seconds, with all-wheel-drive to deliver reassuring traction in all weathers.
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Skoda Superb Estate
The second Skoda in our gathering of the best estate cars justifies its place because of its exceptional practicality and value for money. With the seats up, the Superb Estate boasts 660 litres of perfectly practical space. Fold them flat and this grows to a seriously impressive 1950 litres. Forget suitcases, this is a car that’s ideal for transporting white goods with ease. For such an upmarket-feeling machine, prices starting from less than £32,500 are amazing. Skoda can also sell you a sporty SportLine Plus, with 19-inch alloy wheels, suede sports seats and a performance monitor.
What’s the most spacious estate car?
The Skoda Superb takes the prize for most spacious estate car. Even with the seats up, it boasts 660 litres of space, which is more than even the giant Mercedes E-Class can offer. With the seats down, it starts to feel more like a van, with 1950 litres of well-shaped and ultra-practical boot.
What is the best looking estate car?
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but we think most estate cars look good. Judging by sales figures, car buyers seem to agree. It’s hard to argue with the svelte styling of the new Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo, though. Based on the already alluring Taycan saloon, this interpretation turns even more heads, particularly in sporty GTS or Turbo S guise. You can also get a more crossover-themed variant, the raised-up and more rugged Taycan Cross Turismo.
Can you buy electric estate cars?
The MG5 EV and Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo prove that electric estate cars are coming. These two sit at opposite ends of the price and performance spectrum, but we expect them to herald more choice in the relatively near future. For now, buyers can choose a plug-in hybrid version of many of the best-selling estates, giving pure EV driving ranges upwards of 30 miles before the petrol engine kicks in. They’re a great stepping stone to future electric estate cars.
What's the best estate car for sale right now?
