The Best Estate Cars In 2025
We seem to be constantly getting told these days that, as people swarm more and more towards SUVs, the old-fashioned saloon and estate cars are on their last legs. Thatâs a shame because we like cars like those, especially estates, which tend to be more practical, nicer to drive, more efficient and, to our eyes, much cooler than their SUV brethren.
The fact is, though, that while there arenât nearly as many estates around as there used to be, there are still plenty of good ones on the market. Hereâs our round-up of our favourites you can get hold of new in 2025. Long live the longroof.
BMW M3 Touring BMW M3 Touring
Until 2022, the BMW M3 Touring was something that only existed in the feverish fantasies of car nerds, only occasionally escaping into the real world as homebrew custom builds and one official E46 prototype that tragically went no further. With the current-gen M3, though, the almost mythical M3 Touring finally became a reality and, surprise surprise, itâs brilliant, blending all-weather traction with typical M car handling deftness and an added dash of practicality. Well worth the wait, even if we have to live with that face.
Audi RS6 Avant Audi RS6 GT
Acres of space. Class oozing from every understated but beautifully finished pore. Subtle intent visible only to those that know what theyâre looking at. The uninitiated will see a nice-looking Audi estate, but we know about the 4.0-litre V8 and the 600-odd horsepower. Is the RS6 Avant the ultimate factory-built sleeper? We canât say for sure, but yes, yes it is. Okay, that sort of goes out of the window if you opt for the pumped-up, limited-run GT version with its IMSA-inspired graphics, but⊠you just would, wouldnât you?
Volvo V90 Volvo V90
To some people, âVolvoâ and âestate carâ are pretty much synonymous, but in 2023, the Swedish brand announced it was dropping its wagons from the UK in the face of slipping sales. The response to this was so overwhelmingly negative that Volvo said âonly kidding!â and brought them back last year. You can choose between V60 and V90, but for maximum Volvo-ness, it has to be the massive V90. It may be getting on a bit, but itâs almost five solid metres of ultra-chill Scandi ambience, finished off in top T8 guise with a 449bhp plug-in hybrid powertrain. Lovely.
Volkswagen Passat Volkswagen Passat
Volkswagenâs doing something a bit unexpected with the new seventh-gen Passat: itâs only building it as an estate. We wonât complain, though, because a fine estate it is: big-booted, super relaxing to drive, and with a far better-resolved interior than a lot of the nonsense VW was putting out a few years ago. It may not be what the masses want, but weâd take it over a Tiguan any day of the week.
Skoda Octavia vRS Estate Skoda Octavia vRS Estate
âJust buy a Golfâ may be the stock response to many a car-buying question, but truthfully, those in the know and less prone to badge snobbery have long been served just as well â if not better â by just buying a Skoda Octavia. The Golfâs value-friendly Czech cousin has just been facelifted and, in sporty vRS guise, now comes with a GTI-matching 261bhp. Except thereâs never been a GTI estate, but, as always, you can get the hot Octavia as a load-lugger. The less powerful versions are lovely too but, yâknow, this is Car Throttle.
Cupra Leon Estate Cupra Leon Estate
The Octavia vRS isnât the only sporty estate based on Golf underpinnings. If your go-to pint is an Estrella rather than a Staropramen, you might be better served by the Cupra Leon Estate, which brings the added bonus of two ways of going rather fast: a 268bhp plug-in hybrid, or a 328bhp pure petrol setup. The latter even gets a torque splitter system that will allow you to indulge in some skiddy antics when you find yourself in an empty car pa⊠sorry, on a private race track.
Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo
Was the world asking for a very fast electric estate car from Porsche? Probably not. Is it even that practical by estate standards? Definitely not. Is it one of the best electric cars on the market right now? Yup. With the Taycanâs recent facelift, the top Turbo S version of the Sport Turismo now delivers a face-melting 939bhp with its launch control system active, helping it get to 62mph in 2.4 seconds. Ridiculous. Plus, itâs a Porsche, so itâs lovely inside and handles very well for a big, heavy EV too.
What about the rest?âWhat about *insert car here*?â, youâre probably yelling at your phone. Or maybe not. We donât know what you get up to. Weâd have dearly loved to include the very pretty and, in PSE guise, rather fast Peugeot 508 SW, but Peugeot has just dropped it in the UK. The charming dinosaur that was the Jaguar XF Sportbrake has just been laid to rest too.
Peugeot 508 SW PSE
The Audi RS4âs never quite been a firecracker in its current guise â although weâre yet to try the run-out Edition 25 Years â and anyway, it, along with the wider A4 range, is on its way out to be replaced by the new A5.
You couldnât go far wrong with the BMW 5 Series Touring, but thereâs not yet been a version thatâs properly piqued our interest. Maybe thatâll change when weâve had a go in the very fast but extraordinarily heavy M5 Touring.
We’d also commend the VW Golf Estate, especially in R guise, although at that point, we’re a little more swayed by the mechanically identical Cupra.
None of Mercedesâ long-roof offerings quite whet our whistle at the moment either, especially the fast versions that weâre the most keen on.
Genesis G70 Shooting Brake
Ford Focus ST Estate? Nice, but quite old, and wonât be around for long. Weâd applaud anyone left-field enough to go for a Genesis G70 Shooting Brake, but weâd be worried about depreciation and having to constantly explain to people that no, itâs not a Bentley and no, it has nothing to do with Phil Collins.