Most practical cars in 2025

The Skoda Octavia Estate tops this list of the best practical cars. Sure, there are bigger cars that offer more outright practicality than the Skoda, but none offer it’s compelling all-round ability. It is good-looking inside and out, comfortable and easy to drive, and, of course, is enormously practical..

The cabin is dominated by a large infotainment screen and the dashboard is finished in tasteful fabric trims that make you feel cosy. There’s loads of interior space, with plenty of rear-seat legroom, a big boot and various interior storage spaces scattered throughout.

The Octavia’s a quiet and comfortable car, but is also perfectly happy being hustled along if you’re in a hurry. It’s available with a wide choice of engines to suit a range of needs, and you can also have a quick-shifting automatic gearbox if you do lots of town driving.

Yes, yes, so the Peugeot e-Rifter looks like a van with windows, but that’s no surprise when that’s essentially what it is. It’s based on the Peugeot Partner van, and as a result, you get an extraordinary amount of interior space for your money, whether you go for the standard five-seater version or the slightly longer seven seater version.

All the pews have enough space for a burly adult, and even when you're filly loaded with passengers, there's still generous boot space, too. The interior quality is basic but hard-wearing, and most of the essential luxury and safety kit is provided.

The electric-only powertrain offering means that the Rifter is easy and quiet to drive, and it's comfortable, too. Sure, the small battery means that the range isn't great - either theoretically or in the real world - but if that's a problem for you, simply buy a used Rifter from between 2018 and 2022, when it was available with regular petrol and diesel engines.

Skoda’s ability to offer more space than rivals for less money means the Skoda Superb Estate is the second of three of the Czech firm's cars to feature here. The Superb has serious levels of interior space, but it also feels very well built and is available with a great range of engines.

If you're the one doing the driving, you’ll have no issues getting comfortable behind the Skoda’s steering wheel. Rear legroom, meanwhile, is vast – it makes some large luxury cars look positively cramped in the back – and you also get a massive and very practical boot with great access.

The Superb’s soft suspension gives it a cosseting ride and you can choose from petrol-, diesel- and plug-in hybrid engines, as well as from front- and four-wheel drive for extra grip in winter. 

The Hyundai Santa Fe has always been a watchword for family-friendly practicality, but the latest iteration of the Korean firm's enormous seven-seat SUV does the job even better than ever. It has more room for passengers and luggage than ever before, most of the seats fold flat into the floor, and you can even specify it with a optional inflatable mattress, allowing the car to double as a camping pod for weekend adventures.

The cabin is also smartly trimmed and absolutely stuffed with luxury kit, while the flashy-looking infotainment system also happens to be one of the best in the business for ease-of-use. All of this goes some way to justifying the car's admittedly rather lofty price.

It's available with hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, and while performance from both is modest, it's still an easy and comfortable car to drive. The Tonka-toy styling will be a love-or-hate affair, but you can always be sure of standing out.

The Skoda Karoq is the third and final Skoda on our list of the best practical cars. It’s got lots of space for its size, everything is very logical and easy to use, and it has a wide range of engines that offer something for everyone.

Inside, the large infotainment screen means there’s no messy sea of buttons to sift through and the switchgear there is has a slick, expensive-feeling action. Inside, there’s loads of space for five adults and the boot has a practical square shape. On most versions, all the back seats fold away, or can be removed altogether, for when you need to carry a really big load. 

The Karoq’s a very easy car to drive, and you can choose from petrol engines that are perfect for town, and diesels that make sense if you do lots of motorway miles. Four-wheel drive is available if you need the extra traction, and you can also have a seven-speed automatic gearbox.

The Mercedes V-Class is another passenger car with commercial vehicle roots. Look at it from the outside and it's clearly based on a van, but from the inside, it’s not so obvious thanks to its plush interior plastics, sculpted dashboard and leather upholstery. It actually feels very posh.

Space inside is hugely generous. You can choose from a variety of configurations offering up to eight seats for adults, all of which are separate seats that offer plenty of elbowroom. You can also specify captain's chairs that swivel around and recline. Even with all its seats occupied, the V-Class still has room for suitcases.

You can choose from a variety of punchy diesel engines that don’t cost a fortune to run and come in tandem with a smooth-shifting automatic gearbox.

Having a practical car doesn’t mean you have to own something that doesn’t make you feel good about yourself every time you turn the key: take the Mercedes E-Class Estate for instance. You’ll not find a car that feels posher inside for the price, but at the same time is also very roomy.

There’s loads of space for four, the boot is vast and its low load lip means you can just slide heavy luggage safely into place. And all the while, the E-Class is packed full of leather, wood and pretty infotainment screens.

You’re similarly spoilt when it comes to engines. Even the entry-level petrol and diesel engines have plenty of power, and at the other end of the range, there's a sporty E53 AMG model, too. In between lies a variety of economical plug-in hybrid versions, although do be aware that these have far less boot space than the rest. All the engines are a good match for the Mercedes’ cosseting suspension and slick automatic gearbox. 

The Audi Q7 is another practical car you'll long to own. It’s beautifully built inside, with gorgeous materials, and it has generous space for five and a massive boot, complete with a spare pair of extra seats - with room for adults - for when you need them. It’s very comfortable and has an excellent range of engines: it’s even pretty capable off-road if you feel the need to venture that way.

The Q7 is available as the fast SQ7 or the town-friendly e-tron hybrid, but it is at its best fitted with the lusty 272PS six-cylinder diesel, which is smooth, powerful and not extortionate to run. The cosseting air suspension is a perfect match for the quiet cabin and smooth-shifting automatic gearbox.

The Kia Sportage is a practical SUV you can have for the same price as a low-slung family hatchback. The Sportage was a watershed moment for the South Korean firm, showing it could compete on an even keel with the best that Europe and Japan had to offer.

Inside, it’s very logically laid out and has a pleasant design with a large infotainment screen taking the place of numerous buttons. There’s space for four adults and you get loads of smaller storage areas hidden throughout the cabin. The boot is well designed and very practical.

The Kia is available with a strong selection of engines, including a plug-in hybrid, and you can choose from manual and automatic gearboxes. Perhaps the Kia’s biggest selling point is its industry-leading seven-year 100,000-mile warranty. 

If you need as much practicality as you can get for a knockdown price, then look no further than the Dacia Jogger. This is a compact estate car with no fewer than seven seats, and yet it costs less that a Vauxhall Corsa supermini. How's that for value?

Granted, there are compromises: you don't get something for nothing in this world, after all. Those extra two seats are pretty cramped for space, so are really only for emergencies, and the interior quality - while thoroughly acceptable given the car's budget pricetag - is decidedly brittle in places.

However, the Jogger still has plenty going for it. Most versions come with most of the kit you want, it's easy and comfortable to drive, and with the two extra seats removed (yes, they come out), the boot is an absolute whopper.