Top 10 best estate cars 2022

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2. Skoda Superb Estate

Read our full road test of the Skoda Superb and you'll learn that this is a car on its way to becoming one of the very best family cars in the world'. It's not difficult to see why, either. In estate form, Skoda's chiselled flagship model boasts a cavernous 1950 litres of carrying capacity with the rear seats folded flat – more than even a Mercedes E-Class Estate.

There's also now a petrol-electric version – the Superb iV Estate – that pairs the 1.4-litre TSI engine with an electric motor. If you can make the electric range of around 25 miles work in your routine, the fuel (and tax) saving is just another reason to consider the big Skoda.

Meanwhile, finding noteworthy fault in the cabin ergonomics, materials quality or rolling refinement is also a fool's errand when you consider the range starts at so much less than you'll pay for the usual premium contenders. For extra versatility, Skoda offers a folding front passenger seat with its own Isofix child seat anchorages, as well as a variable-height boot floor and the usual nets and trays if you want them. Its only missed trick is forgetting to put a 40:20:40-split back seat on the equipment list.

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3. Alpina B3 Touring

Arguably the most compelling everyday proposition on this list is also the most expensive. Indeed, paying more than £60,000 for a 3 Series – especially one without an M badge on its bootlid – might seem foolish, but Alpina's deft retuning of the standard model's suspension and engine results here in a blend of handling, performance and comfort so compelling that it earned the latest car a five-star road test recommendation in 2020.

These rarely seen Q-cars are among our road testers' favourites, and Alpina's lavish interiors – which optionally use the same leather as Rolls-Royce – are another reason to consider these 190mph family wagons.

The new, G20-generation B3 Touring has peak output figures of 462bhp and 516lb ft, making it jump clear of its diesel-powered opposite number, the D3 S, by more than 100 horses. This is a four-wheel-drive fast wagon with great cruising manners, the balance and involvement of a rear-driven saloon, proper exclusivity appeal and all the family living space you could really want. Bear in mind, however, that BMW will be wading in with its own great estate in 2023, when the M3 Touring finally arrives on UK shores.

4. Ford Focus Estate

The least expensive car here punches well above its weight both in driver appeal and in practicality, not least because, at almost 4.7m long, its footprint is significantly greater than before. As a result, boot capacity rises from 375 litres in the hatch to 608, increasing to 1653 with the seats folded flat.

For long-haul family car duties, we'd spec our Focus Estate with Ford's adaptive dampers, which help massage a ride quality that otherwise strays into the realm of coarseness. However, you might also consider the ST version, which is available in both diesel and petrol form and with up to 276bhp in the latter. Whichever model you choose, the Focus estate is four-wheeled proof that having a family doesn't mean abandoning driving fun.

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5. Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate

Does the E-Class Рalso available in coup̩ and saloon bodystyles Рget any more convincing than this? We think not, because if the role of a big Benz is to convey the whole family in enviable comfort, the estate is where you should spend your money. On this list, only the cavernous Skoda can compete with the Mercedes' outright carrying capacity.

So cultured is the ride quality and effortless the driving controls that piloting the E-Class Estate is almost as relaxing as sitting in the passenger seat. Those who want entertainment when the road starts to twist will be better served elsewhere - but that doesn't mean you can't have one with huge power (E63 S), or with diesel-electric plug-in power (E300de) if you want. Best of the bunch, however, is the effortlessly muscular and cultured E400d complete with confidence-inspiring 4Matic all-wheel drive - quite possibly all the car you'll ever need.

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6. Jaguar XF Sportbrake

Jaguar did much for the rational appeal of its slightly long-in-the-tooth larger executive option, the XF, early in 2021 when it widely overhauled the interior, cut the engine range and slashed a four-figure sum off the list price. A rear-driven, diesel-powered D200 XF Sportbrake can now be had for a biscuit over £40,000, which makes it cracking value. To put that in perspective, a similarly powerful Skoda Superb 2.0-litre TDI Sportline is around £1500 more. We'll just let that sink in a bit.

WLTP emissions tests have robbed Jaguar's only estate of its multi-cylinder engines, sadly: Jaguar hasn't yet got around to dropping any of its straight-six Ingenium motors into the car, and it isn't likely to in the future. But whichever engine sits in the Sportbrake's nose, you're getting arguably the best-handling chassis in this class here, and one that changes direction beautifully thanks to the weight and response of Jaguar's trademark steering.

The top-billing petrol model pairs the same 296bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine from the F-Type with all-wheel drive and is a superbly competent all-weather family car, now finally with a cabin and infotainment system worthy of a premium executive operator. If you're looking for those traditional Jaguar values of space, pace and grace, then the Sportbrake has them by the bootful.

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7. Volkswagen Arteon Shooting Brake

As regulars of the estate car niche will know, there are estate cars and estate cars Рand a shooting brake can be a very special estate car indeed. Volkswagen bolstered the showroom fortunes of its ailing flagship four-door coup̩, the Arteon, by adding a shooting brake version as part of the last facelift - and it's turned what used to be quite a good-looking car into something really quite alluring.

The Arteon was a surprisingly roomy car already, and an extended roofline improves accessibility to the load bay as well as increasing its volume. This is a car that's fit for two rows of adult passengers and plenty of luggage, and that also has a quietly plush and upmarket although not an overbearingly luxurious cabin.

Four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, producing between 148bhp and 197bhp, are available, as well as a 215bhp eHybrid PHEV that can be had from a whisker over £40,000 and that might appeal to fleet drivers. Meanwhile the range-topping 316bhp Arteon R, with its all-paw Golf R powertrain, might well tempt a few keener drivers looking for a handsome and distinctive but alternative performance wagon.

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8. Audi A6 Avant

Audi might have diversified its range to include superminis and a mid-engined supercar, but a four-wheel-drive mid-sized executive estate, preferably powered by an effortlessly smooth-spinning diesel V6, exemplifies what the brand is about.

And although a BMW 5 Series will better reward its driver every day of the week, the Audi pips its compatriot in terms of mechanical refinement, technological sophistication and perceived cabin quality. Along with luggage capacity to spare, this car delivers the authentic Audi experience.

Audi's engine range for the car is extensive: convention four-cylinder petrols and diesels; six-cylinder petrols and diesels; two distinct petrol-electric plug-in hybrids; and two further performance wagons in the S6 and RS6. Whatever you have, be sure to choose air suspension if you can.

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9. Volvo V90

Just five miles in a V90 is enough to show you firmly where Volvo's priorities lay when designing this car. The high waistline and steeply raked dashboard cocoon passengers within a materially rich cabin, and the V90 feels supremely robust and secure, given the luxury on offer. The ride quality makes good on that promise of insulation from the outside world, and although the suspension can feel a little brittle at low speeds, it's right up there with the best as a motorway cruiser.

Few cars gobble up colossal mileage in such style and comfort, but the V90 ultimately trails the class leaders because of its loose body control, a slight imprecision in the driving controls and relatively coarse four-cylinder engines. Talking of which, the choice is between four-cylinder petrols or a similar diesel - or there's the T6 Recharge petrol-electric plug-in hybrid, which is one of our favourite Volvo electrified powertrains, especially as the addition of a larger, 18.8kWh battery delivers an EV range in excess of 40 miles and a company car tax BiK rating of just 8%.

If there's a niggle, then it's the fact that the V90's not a particularly effective load lugger. If your memories of a Volvo estate stretch to the square-rigged 200- and 700-series cars beloved of grandfather-clock-carrying antiques dealers, then you're likely to be disappointed. With a carrying capacity of 551 litres with the rear bench in place and 1517 litres with it lowered, the V90 has to give best to cars several classes below, such as the Skoda Octavia.

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10. Peugeot 508 SW

With its higher roofline, the 508 Station Wagon immediately outscores its saloon sibling because rear head room isn't so restricted. Granted, this estate is not as spacious some rivals, nor as good to drive, but it rides well enough at speed, steers with pleasing accuracy and is arguably the prettiest estate car in any segment.

Those who haven't set foot inside a Peugeot for some time will also be pleasantly surprised not only by the fit and finish of the interior but also by the imagination on display.

Economical – although not particularly expressive – engines are another reason to give the 508 SW at the very least your consideration. The range-topping 508 PSE performance hybrid, meanwhile, raises the 508's dynamic standard by no little margin: it's pricey, but if you like the idea of an extra-versatile family car that can keep you interested on a country road, and impress you with its urban economy, it deserves your attention.