Skoda Superb Estate review – a near-faultless, practical family car
Best estate cars on sale in 2025
Whether you’re after petrol, diesel, hybrid or electric power, there’s a spacious estate car for you
More buyers are turning to SUVs for their next family car than ever, but there are still plenty of good reasons to pick one of the best estate cars instead. Sure, you don’t get that high-riding view of the road in front, but estate cars are still hugely practical and often better to drive than their SUV counterparts.
There are other benefits, too. As they’re lower and lighter, estate cars often deliver better fuel economy when compared to a similar SUV. Many are still offered with traditional petrol and diesel engines, but there are now several plug-in hybrid estate cars on the market, too – perfect for company car drivers and those who can charge at home. Even those wanting an electric estate car are catered for, although you’ll have more choice by opting for an electric SUV.
The top 10 best family cars 2025
But estate cars are all about practicality. You get far more boot space than you’d typically find in a hatchback, making family holidays or trips to the tip that little bit easier. With a lower ride height than an SUV, it’s often easier to load heavy items into the boot of an estate car – and easier for the dog to hop in, too!
We have spent time behind the wheel of each of the cars featured on this list and scored them considering a number of factors, from practicality to technology, comfort and value for money. You can find out our thoughts on a specific model in more detail by reading its in-depth review.
If you’re looking for a more niche selection of estate cars, you can read our guides to the best hybrid estates, the best fast estates and the best used estates
- Priced from around £37,000
Last year saw the introduction of an all-new Skoda Superb Estate, and it somehow manages to improve upon the award-winning outgoing car. It’s even more practical than before, with a vast 690-litre boot, growing to 1,920 litres with the seats folded flat. You still get a wide range of engines to pick from, including petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid options. The latter can travel up to 62 miles on electric power alone and makes good sense for business drivers, while the diesels are the best choice for towing, pulling up to 2,200kg.
The inside of the Skoda Superb Estate has been given a thorough overhaul, too. There’s a large 13-inch central infotainment touchscreen, while physical controls remain underneath for important functions, such as climate control, media volume and driving modes. No matter which mode you pick, the Superb Estate isn’t exactly thrilling to drive, but it’s comfy, capable and refined. We don’t think you can find a better estate car for the money, so we awarded it the Carbuyer Best Estate Car award for 2025.
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- Priced from around £28,000
The Skoda Octavia Estate is, simply put, one of the best new cars money can buy. It’s not quite as spacious as the large Skoda Superb above, but it will easily meet the needs of most families with plenty of room for buggies, suitcases, and the family dog, thanks to a boot that rivals those of cars from the class above. A premium interior that still feels sturdy ensures that the Octavia is a nice place to be on longer journeys. While its price has crept up in recent years, the Skoda is still great value, especially when compared with premium competitors from Audi and BMW.
A five-star Euro NCAP safety rating is another plus point for the Octavia, and the choice of both diesel and petrol engines means car buyers should be able to find the right model to suit their needs. It may not be the most glamorous car in the world, but for a dependable vehicle that has to work for a living, the Octavia deserves its spot at the top of our list.
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Find the latest new and used Skoda Octavia Estate deals on our sister site Auto Express…
- Priced from around £44,000
The BMW 3 Series Touring is another excellent car – one that builds on the enjoyable driving experience of its saloon sister model. BMW always manages to strike a balance between handling prowess and everyday usability, and despite its sporting appeal on country roads, the 3 Series is also a comfortable car for long motorway journeys. Its boot measures just shy of 500 litres with the seats up, which is a bit less than you get in some of the other cars here, but it’s still a sensibly shaped and useful space that can expand to 1,500 litres with the seats folded down.
Families will appreciate its generous standard equipment and strong Euro NCAP crash-safety rating, as well as the fact that BMW’s engine line-up is one of the strongest – and most economical – on the market today. Finally, there’s little doubt that the BMW badge carries the image and status that many owners crave.
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- Priced from around £58,000
Not every estate car has to be purely practical, as proved by the luxurious Mercedes E-Class Estate. Launched in 2023, the latest E-Class is the most upmarket yet, even stepping on the toes of the flagship S-Class in terms of refinement and technology. The Estate variant takes everything we like about the saloon and grafts a much bigger boot on the back, making it a seriously practical family car for buyers who want to travel in supreme comfort.
A key rival to the BMW 5 Series Touring, the E-Class Estate leans towards the comfort end of the spectrum, as opposed to offering a sporty driving experience. For most buyers, that will be a positive thing, as the E-Class Estate can soak up the worst of British roads with no problem. Motorway refinement is excellent, with practically no road or wind noise to speak of, and it’s more than happy around town, too – the turning circle is impressive for a car of this length and the steering is light and responsive.
All of the E-Class Estate’s engine options have some form of hybrid assistance. The base, mild hybrid petrol and diesel engines work well, although the diesel can be a little coarse if you floor it. There are petrol and diesel plug-in hybrids, too, giving buyers plenty of choice. Just be warned that the batteries in these models take up some of your boot space.
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Find the latest new and used Mercedes E-Class Estate deals on our sister site Auto Express…
- Priced from around £70,000
The BMW 5 Series Touring has long been the premium estate car of choice, but there’s now an electric alternative that we think is just as good. The BMW i5 Touring is nearly indistinguishable from its petrol-powered twin outside and inside, but power is instead supplied by an 84kWh battery and either a 335bhp single-motor or a 595bhp dual-motor electric setup. While the beefier of the two delivers some supercar-rivalling performance, the smaller motor will be more than enough for most drivers – it’s just as smooth to drive, but costs around £30,000 less.
The 570-litre boot matches the petrol car and is much bigger than you’ll find in the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo. Interior space is far more generous, too, and the cabin is just as nicely appointed. You get BMW’s latest pair of digital displays, while material and build quality are top notch. Its range of up to 343 miles – while more than plenty for most drivers – is still some way off the longest-range EVs on sale today. You’ll get more miles on a charge from a Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer or a Polestar 3.
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- Priced from around £47,000
The latest Mercedes C-Class Estate builds upon the strengths of the old model, bringing some form of hybrid technology to every version in the range. You might struggle to spot the visual differences with the old estate, but it’s more efficient than before and families will be pleased to know that it’s just as spacious and comfortable on the inside.
The interior really is the party piece for the C-Class Estate. We think it's the best in its class, with superb materials and build quality, backed up by genuinely useful technology. Comfort levels are top-notch both up front and in the rear seats, while the boot has grown by an additional 30 litres – now up to 490 litres. Opting for the plug-in hybrid model reduces this slightly, but you’ll be trading boot space for a real-world electric range of up to 68 miles.
If you want a more traditional engine, Mercedes offers the C-Class estate with petrol and diesel mild-hybrid powertrains, all offering good levels of performance and refinement.
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- Priced from around £34,000
The Cupra Leon Estate is a quirky alternative for estate buyers wanting hot hatchback performance with a roomier boot. Based on the SEAT Leon Estate, the Cupra ramps up the driving enjoyment and finally has a unique look of its own thanks to a mid-life refresh in 2024. Available with either a pure-petrol engine or a plug-in hybrid powertrain, there’s a Cupra Leon Estate for buyers who prioritise speed or efficiency.
You’ll struggle to find a car with such high practicality and performance at this price. With the rear seats up, there’s an impressive 620 litres of boot space – plus the load area is usable shape. When you’re not busy carrying the kids and the family labrador, the fastest Cupra will provide bundles of excitement down a twisty road, helped by its four-wheel drive and 328bhp engine from the Volkswagen Golf R. With the flick of a switch, it can also transform into a smooth, comfy family car.
The plug-in hybrid variant is slightly down on horsepower, and therefore isn’t as quick, but offers excellent efficiency and is still a fun steer. If you’re not bothered about performance from your estate, you can always read our reviews of the Cupra’s sister cars: the SEAT Leon Estate and the Volkswagen Golf Estate.
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Find the latest new and used Cupra Leon Estate deals on our sister site Auto Express…
- Priced from around £44,000
While the BMW 3 Series Touring is one of the most enjoyable estate cars to drive, not everyone needs pin-sharp handling for tackling B-roads. The Volvo V60 does things a bit differently; instead, it focuses on comfort and relaxation, offering one of the most refined driving experiences on this list. That’ll be very appealing to many buyers, especially those who appreciate supple suspension and light steering – plus, your canine companion in the boot won’t get thrown around along a bumpy road.
Importantly for estate buyers, the boot is bigger than many key rivals. At 519 litres, it beats both the BMW 3 Series Touring and Mercedes C-Class Estate, while opting for a plug-in hybrid model doesn’t eat into boot space – unlike those German rivals. The V60 plug-in hybrid can tow up to two tonnes, as well, which is more than the BMW and Mercedes. The interior, while not as cutting-edge as those rivals, is still a very pleasant place to sit and is finished to a high standard with plenty of premium materials.
The Volvo V60 is getting on a bit though, having first hit the market in 2018. That becomes apparent when you look at its relatively small nine-inch infotainment screen, but the Volvo’s old-school tech approach will be a positive for some buyers. Minor updates here and there over the years have kept things feeling fresh, so the V60 still holds its own in 2025.
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Find the latest new and used Volvo V60 deals on our sister site Auto Express…
- Priced from around £45,000
If there’s one type of car that Audi is best known for, it would be its Avant estate cars. They have built a reputation over the past three decades of offering excellent practicality, rock-solid build quality and a well-sorted driving experience. The new Audi A5 Avant has arrived to replace the old A4 Avant, offering all of the above, plus more.
Like all Audis, the A5 Avant exudes a classy image thanks to its new, sleeker design. It’s worth bearing in mind that the Audi does cost a little more than its BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class rivals, but there are still a few reasons why you’d spring for the four-ringed badge. The highlight is the interior – it’s impeccably built and the tech is easy to get your head around. The driving experience isn’t as sporty as the BMW’s, but it’s hard to fault the A5 Avant for comfort and refinement.
You have a choice of two 2.0-litre petrol engines and a 2.0-litre diesel engine, with power outputs of up to 201bhp. None are particularly sporty, and there’s no option of a plug-in hybrid yet, which will disappoint company car drivers. Still, you can get the diesel engine with Audi’s renowned quattro all-wheel drive system, which is our pick of the range if you can afford it.
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Find the latest new and used Audi A5 Avant deals on our sister site Auto Express…
- Priced from around £52,000
Despite the industry-wide push towards electric cars, there are still very few fully-electric estate cars on sale today. While we think the BMW i5 is among the best, the Volkswagen ID.7 offers a lot of what that car does for considerably less cash. It’s still not cheap, mind, costing well over £50,000, but you get a giant boot, excellent refinement and a prodigious range.
When ordered in ‘Pro S’ guise, the ID.7 Tourer will travel up to 424 miles on a charge, which is 80 miles more than the i5 Touring can muster. It picks up some serious usability points for that reason, and many families would have no issue using it as their only car. The middle seat in the back is a bit tight, but four adults can travel in comfort with plenty of legroom, while the 605-litre boot should swallow all of your luggage without issue.
On the move, the ID.7 Tourer has a reassuring driving experience, offering a comfortable ride, smooth brakes (not always a given in an EV) and good visibility. The standard suspension does well to keep the body controlled over rough surfaces and isolate bumps from the cabin, while the optional adaptive suspension is even more comfortable. It’s certainly no sports car, but the ID.7’s calm demeanour makes it very easy to live with.
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Find the latest new and used Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer deals on our sister site Auto Express…
Why should you pick an estate car?
There is more competition for cars with a big boot than ever before, as SUVs and family hatchbacks continue to grow in size to accommodate the demands of buyers. However it can still be worth buying an estate car as they are generally cheaper to run and more fun to drive than SUVs, while providing more space than smaller hatchbacks.
In some ways, estate cars can be even more accessible than an SUV or MPV for load-lugging and transporting pets. The best cars for dogs are estate cars as they generally have a lower loading lip, so even if your dog is in their senior years, they should be able to get in about without a problem.
An estate car’s boot can be even more practical than an MPV’s, too. The rear seats in an estate will usually fold flat in one simple movement, leaving a long, flat load bay which makes it very versatile for carrying large items in place of passengers. In many seven-seater MPVs the third row can intrude on the load space, leaving a disappointing amount of room even when the bulky seats are folded down – these seats are often removable, but it can be cumbersome and frustrating to find a place to put them in the meantime.
Another big advantage estate cars have over cumbersome SUVs and MPVs is the way they drive. Driving an estate is typically indistinguishable from driving the saloon version of the same model. And even if you’re not someone who relishes the prospect of driving, you’re sure to be pleased by the biggest benefit an estate brings – that it’s unlikely to cost much more to run than a saloon or hatchback.
Best estate cars price and score list
The table below provides the starting price and Carbuyer score for each of our top 10 best estate cars.
| Best estate car ranking | Make and model | Priced from | Carbuyer rating (out of 5) |
| 1 | Skoda Superb Estate | £37,000 | 4.3 |
| 2 | Skoda Octavia Estate | £28,000 | 4.5 |
| 3 | BMW 3 Series Touring | £44,000 | 4.4 |
| 4 | Mercedes E-Class Estate | £58,000 | 4.3 |
| 5 | BMW i5 Touring | £70,000 | 4.3 |
| 6 | Mercedes C-Class Estate | £47,000 | 4.3 |
| 7 | Cupra Leon Estate | £34,000 | 4.2 |
| 8 | Volvo V60 | £44,000 | 4.2 |
| 9 | Audi A5 Avant | £45,000 | 4.1 |
| 10 | Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer | £52,000 | 4.1 |
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