The best estate cars - driven, rated and ranked

There's a lot to like about the Volkswagen ID 7 Tourer, the German car maker's first electric estate. 

It's one of the most well-rounded options for drivers with long commutes, boasting a range of over 400 miles and maximum charging speeds of 200kW. 

The ID 7 is arguably the most rounded package in the class.

Matt Saunders, Road test editor

The ID 7 comes as standard with a single motor set-up producing 282bhp and 402lb ft, topped by a 335bhp, all-wheel drive GTX variant. 

It might be large and heavy, and it's not quite as sporty as a Tesla Model 3 or a BMW i4, but the ID 7 is still one of the most well-rounded estates - and electric cars - on sale in the UK today. It feels agile, offers more than enough poke and grips well in the corners.

The ID 7 Tourer gets a 545-litre boot - 13 litres more than the saloon. That rises to 1714 litres with the seats folded down, which is more than the Peugeot e-308 and MG 5. 

Best for: All-round ability

The smaller sibling of the 5 Series Touring, the 3 Series Touring packs many of its larger stablemate’s strengths into a more compact package. 

It continues to handle like a powerful, poised, rear-driven sports saloon no matter how hard you care to push it

Illya Verpraet, Road Tester

Few estates at any price are as good to drive, the 3 Series wagon’s mix of agility, driver engagement and right-sized exterior making it feel at home on any twisting stretch of Tarmac. 

And while it rides a little firmer than some, the sense of solidity and excellent refinement mean it's also relaxing when you just want to mooch.

The 3 Series also features a lavishly appointed and finished interior, while the boot will swallow 500 litres (or 410 litres in the PHEV) with the rear bench in place.

A facelift in 2022 mostly concerned the interior, where the 3 Series gained a massive curved screen but lost a lot of its physical controls. We’re no great fans of BMW’s latest iDrive operating system, but at least the presence of the signature rotary controller makes up for a lot.

The 3 Series also had its engine lineup slashed in the UK. The regular range now consists of a 2.0-litre petrol and a 2.0-litre PHEV, but you can still have a straight six petrol in the form of the M340i.

These are also joined by the magnificent 503bhp BMW M3 Touring, which has all the M3 super-saloon’s incredible pace and poise but an extra dose of practicality as well.

Best for: Economy

There was a time not that long ago when 'Toyota Corolla' was a byword for humdrum transport: it was durable and dependable but dynamically flat and devoid of charm.

The Corolla isn’t the hottest, most exciting, or trendiest thing around, but there’s something very pleasingly fit for purpose about it.

Illya Verpraet, Road Tester

However, that all changed with the 12th-generation car, which features all the Corolla's traditional strengths but mixes in some style and a big dollop of driver appeal.

Thanks to the Toyota Next Generation Architecture, the Corolla is blessed with a fine ride and handling balance that makes it a genuine pleasure to steer down your favourite road and afford genuine comfort and refinement.

These days, the Corolla is always a petrol-electric hybrid, but you do have the choice of a 1.8-litre or 2.0-litre engine. The 1.8 can be incredibly frugal on congested roads, but the 2.0 might be the better option if you do a lot of motorway miles.

The interior isn’t quite up to premium standards and the infotainment is fairly lacklustre, but there’s decent space and it’s robustly built. Likewise, the boot lacks some of the clever features of rivals, but it’s roomy enough and benefits from a low loading lip and a decent shape.

It's worth noting that the 1.8 has a slightly bigger boot, because its 12V battery can go under the bonnet, whereas the 2.0-litre’s has to live in the boot – 696 litres plays 581.

Best for: Style

After being taken off sale in a shift towards SUVs, the Volvo V90 estate returned in the middle of 2024, and we're glad it did. 

The V90 counts suave design, a heightened focus on safety, exceptional rolling refinement, impressive practicality and impeccable roundedness as its star attributes.

Matt Saunders, Road test editor

Available exclusively as a plug-in hybrid, the V90 gets two power options with considerable punch: a 345bhp variant, and a more powerful 448bhp model.

Both will crack 0-62mph in less than 5.5sec and will do over 50 miles on electric-only power.  

We've long been big fans of the V90's exceptional refinement and practicality, but there are some concessions due to its PHEV-only line-up. Non-PHEV V90s previously offered 560 litres of boot space, but there's a reduced 490 litres on offer in plug-in cars due to the placement of the battery. 

Best for: Value

Is it an estate? Is it an MPV? Is it an SUV? It does have seven seats and a mildly raised ride height, but we reckon the Dacia Jogger is an estate - and a really good one too.

The Jogger is a product unlike any rival. An MPV/estate/crossover/SUV that’s both affordable and versatile enough to insert itself into myriad buying conversations and ownership scenarios.

Matt Saunders, Road test editor

Given the rampant rise in the cost of living that we’ve experienced in the past few years, the Jogger is particularly welcome. It offers all the space and utility you need, including a genuinely usable third row of seats, for significantly less money than most standard hatchbacks.

And it’s not as if Jogger drivers have to give up a lot of creature comforts. Yes, the plastics are hard and there's no plush leather on the seats, but Dacia has grown very adept at brightening up its interiors with a strip of fabric here and a bit of faux knurled aluminium there without breaking the bank.

Go for one of the still very reasonably priced higher trims and you get heated seats, cruise control and sat-nav, as well as a touchscreen infotainment system that works more logically than a lot of fancier systems.

The 1.0-litre petrol engine is no powerhouse, but thanks to the snappy six-speed manual gearbox, it gets out of its own way well enough.

If you must have an automatic transmission, the Jogger Hybrid is the one to go for, and it returns very impressive fuel economy.

The Jogger rides well on its soft suspension but has enough inherent balance to still be enjoyable on a twisty road. Some might scoff at the one-star Euro NCAP safety rating, but the Jogger protects still its occupants perfectly well in a crash. It was instead marked down for the absence of some active safety systems, but those can be less of a help than a hindrance on some cars, so it’s not the biggest loss.

The Jogger offers lots of space for relatively little money in what is quite a cheery and pleasant package. It’s the opposite of a luxury car, but it’s hard not to like.

Best for: Opulence

Does the E-Class get any more convincing than in estate form? We do not think so because if a big Mercedes's role is to convey enviable comfort to the whole family, this is where you should spend your money. 

The E-Class has a clear goal: to be the bridge between the traditional executive saloon and the electric, ultra-connected cars of the near future.

Matt Saunders, Road test editor

With the seats in place, there’s a healthy 615 litres of boot space, while dropping the 40/20/40-split folding rear bench liberates 1830 litres (although as with other cars here, the PHEV's version is smaller, at 460-1675 litres).

The cavernous, flat-floored load area is also well shaped, and there’s a low load lip and a powered tailgate, all of which make it easier to transport awkward items.

Higher trims get what Mercedes calls the Superscreen, which fuses a large central screen and a smaller screen for the passenger in a large expanse of black.

The E Class Estate has one of the more versatile engine line-ups in our top ten list, with a choice of petrols, diesels and hybrids powertrains, but our pick of the range is the plug-in hybrid, with its 67 miles of electric range and softer suspension set-up. 

Best for: Power and performance

The latest BMW 5 Series arrived with some controversy, losing its diesel engine in the UK and gaining the brand's edgier styling. 

A recorded 0-60mph of 4.4sec makes the 550e 0.2sec quicker than the V10-hearted E60-gen M5, and we suspect this is also the first sub-M-car to sprint to 100mph in less than 10sec.

Illya Verpraet, Road Tester

The range now consists of petrols and BIK-friendly plug-in hybrids, starting with the 202bhp 520i.

The PHEVs offer more punch, ranging from 297bhp to 482bhp, hitting 0-62mph in as little as 4.4sec. That's supercar speed, plus you get 54 miles of electric range. Then there's the all-electric i5 Touring, which offers up to 592bhp and 348 miles of range. 

Practicality is still the 5 Series' strong suit, with a boot measuring 570 litres, which increases to 1700 litres with the rear seats folded flat. 

And if those hybrid powertrains aren't enough, there's also the seriously powerful (and seriously heavy) M5 Touring. You'll get a hefty 717bhp and a 3.9sec sprint from 0-62mph, plus around 40 miles of electric-only range. 

Best for: Handling

For decades, Ford’s mid-sized car – first the Escort and then the Focus – was the default family choice, with estate versions available for those who needed more space.

The estates and more powerful hatchbacks that are fitted with a fully independent rear axle and three-mode adaptive dampers are, in dynamic terms, as sophisticated as the model gets - and it feels that way

Matt Saunders, Road test editor

With the rise of SUVs, the Focus has been marginalised a bit, to the extent that there won’t be a new generation once the current one’s run ends in 2025.

We still like it quite a lot, though. It doesn’t offer the premium-ish experience or PHEV drivetrains of some rivals, such as the Peugeot 308 SW, but if you like driving and really being in control, it ticks quite few boxes.

The regular Focus is always powered by a mild-hybrid 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine these days, either with 123bhp and a six-speed manual gearbox or 153bhp and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.

Both are pretty good, but we would stick with the cheaper manual. It’s no hot hatch, but it does offer a very natural, satisfying driving experience, and there’s very little to annoy you.

The Focus Estate is practical, too, without being massive on the outside. Boot capacity stands at 608 litres, increasing to 1653 with the seats folded flat. 

If you do want that hot hatch experience, the estate is available in 276bhp Ford Focus ST form as well.