Used estate cars

The best used estate cars offer extra practicality over the hatchback or saloon models they’re based on thanks to their longer, squarer body shape yet cost little extra to buy or run. Our favourites include the BMW 3 Series Touring and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate.

The best small estate cars give you a very practical and versatile interior in a car that is easy to park and cost-effective to own. Our top picks include the Skoda Fabia Estate and the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer.

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate, Peugeot 308 SW, Skoda Superb Estate and Volkswagen Passat Estate have the largest boots of any used estate cars, with each having a capacity of about 650 litres with the back seats in place. That’s enough for four large suitcases or two very large dogs!

The Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer is the biggest used estate car in terms of overall length (at 4986mm), although it doesn’t have the largest boot. Next longest are the BMW 5 Series Touring and the Jaguar XF Sportbrake.

Estate cars are easy to park because they’re often not significantly longer than an equivalent hatchback or saloon and many have large, upright back windows that are easy to see out of. Many estate cars also come with a range of parking sensors and cameras, and some have automatic parking systems.