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Real MPG: most economical estate cars
What Car?'s Real MPG tests show what fuel economy you can really expect from a car. Here, we reveal the best and worst performing estate cars we've ever tested...
Despite the popularity of SUVs, estate cars remain a smart choice for people seeking a practical family load-lugger. This role means estate cars often clock up big miles, making fuel economy an important consideration for buyers.
Unfortunately, the official WLTP economy figures quoted by manufacturers don’t always reflect what you can expect in the real world. That’s why we conduct our unique Real MPG tests – to provide a more accurate picture of the fuel economy your car can really achieve.
Diesel power has traditionally been the top pick for the budget-conscious estate car driver. However, it might surprise you to know that four of the 10 most economical estate cars on this list are fitted with petrol engines – and a further two are hybrids. So, read on to find out which estate cars should cost you the least to run, and which performed the worst in our tests.
How we test for a car's Real MPG
Our Real MPG tests are carried out at a rolling road under laboratory conditions. That means that variables such as weather or traffic conditions don't affect our results – making them repeatable – however, the route the cars take is based on one in the real world.
Every test car is weighed and has its tyre pressures checked, plus we fit an exhaust connection to allow the car's emissions to be measured. The car's internal climate is set to 21 degrees or, if it has manual air conditioning, the temperature is set to its midway point, and the fan speed to its lowest setting. We turn off the headlights and any other electrical equipment, such as heated seats or the stereo.
In the test, we sample each car's tailpipe emissions every second. The Real MPG scores you see in this story are calculated from an average of those results.
Find out more about how we test for Real MPG >>
Strengths
- Class-leading space
- High-quality interior
- Excellent value used
Weaknesses
- Diesels sound a bit gruff
- Some rivals are more fun to drive
- 2.0-litre petrols are quick, but rather thirsty
Real MPG Average 54.8mpg | Town 45.8mpg | Motorway 49.5mpg | Rural 70.4mpg
Not only does the Skoda Superb Estate promise to carry everything you could ever want to take with you, but provides comfort while doing so. The 2.0-litre diesel engine you get here was tweaked as part of a 2018 facelift, which made the Superb even more efficient (the pre-facelift version managed 49.8mpg). In fact, the winning Superb performed so well in our real-world testing that it actually exceeded the combined WLTP figure by 6%.
Read our full Skoda Superb Estate (2015-2024) review
Our pick: 1.5 TSI 150 SE L 5dr
Strengths
- Comfortable
- Incredibly spacious
- Plenty of kit and great value
Weaknesses
- Floaty handling
- Touchscreen can be fiddly
- Concerning reliability record
Real MPG Average 51.5mpg | Town 39.1mpg | Motorway 48.6mpg | Rural 66.6mpg
If you want a car that's spacious, won't cost a lot to buy and little more than pennies to run, then the Skoda Octavia Estate should be on your shortlist. It's ruthlessly efficient if you get it with a 2.0-litre diesel engine; just make sure that you'll be covering enough miles each year to justify the extra upfront cost of a car that drinks from the black pump. If you do, then you'll enjoy punchy performance and phenomenal low-end pulling power.
Read our full Skoda Octavia Estate (2020-present) review
Our pick: 1.8 Hybrid Motion 5dr CVT
Strengths
- Low CO2 emissions
- Comfortable ride
- Cheaper than equivalent Corolla
Weaknesses
- Can be rather noisy when pushed
- So-so warranty compared with the Corolla
- Limited choice of engines and trims
Real MPG Average 50.3mpg | Town 86.6mpg | Motorway 38.4mpg | Rural 58.4mpg
Being a hybrid, the Suzuki Swace puts low running costs at the heart of its agenda. You can only get the Swace with the 1.8-litre hybrid engine we tested, but that’s no bad thing – it's especially efficient and, although it won't help you set any speed records, it offers adequate performance for most situations. We also like that the Swace comes with lots of standard kit, and that it’s more affordable than the closely-related Toyota Corolla Touring Sports like-for-like.
Read our full Suzuki Swace review
Our pick: 1.8 Hybrid Icon 5dr CVT
Strengths
- Impressively low CO2 emissions on hybrids
- Comfortable ride
- Great reliability record
Weaknesses
- More wind and road noise than in rivals
- So-so infotainment system
- 12.3in digital instrument cluster could be easier to use
Real MPG Average 49.4mpg | Town 68.1mpg | Motorway 39.8mpg | Rural 57.0mpg
Speaking of the Corolla Touring Sports, it was (unsurprisingly) closely matched to its Suzuki-badged twin in our tests. However, there’s more to this than meets the eye. The Corolla was fitted with a much more powerful 2.0-litre engine – which you can’t get in the Swace – and still proved nearly as economical. And the Corolla is no one-trick pony; its blend of efficiency, practicality, comfort and reliability makes it the best new estate car you can buy. Plus, unlike the Swace's three-year/60,000 warranty, the Toyota can be extended to 10 years/100,000 miles if it has its annual service at a Toyota dealership.
Read our full Toyota Corolla Touring Sports review
Strengths
- Spacious interior
- Large boot
- Compellingly inexpensive to buy and run
Weaknesses
- Low quality interior
- Poor handling
- Examples are sparse
Real MPG Average 47.7mpg | Town 38.1mpg | Motorway 43.5mpg | Rural 62.4mpg
Dacia has formed a handy niche for itself over the years, offering a lot of car for not a lot of money. The Logan deepens that practical appeal with plenty of space for your family and luggage at a price that'll leave you smiling. The 0.9-litre petrol engine you get with this version offers flexible performance given its size and, as our results show, is pretty fuel-efficient. There are quite a few used Logans out there, although examples of this more rugged Stepway variant are harder to come by.
Read our full Dacia Logan MCV (2013-2020) review
Strengths
- Super spacious
- Economical engines
- Good to drive
Weaknesses
- Hard interior plastics
- Low speed ride could be better
- Used examples are notably outnumbered by the standard hatch
Real MPG Average 46.6mpg | Town 35.2mpg | Motorway 44.0mpg | Rural 60.5mpg
The Skoda Fabia might be best known as an efficient and practical small car, but the previous-generation version is also available as an even more spacious estate. We put two turbocharged petrol versions of the Fabia Estate – a 1.2 TSI 90 and a more powerful 1.0 TSI 95 – through our Real MPG test, and it’s the 1.2-litre option that came out on top. Despite being the less powerful of the two, it offers all the performance you need.
Read our full Skoda Fabia Estate (2015-2021) review
Strengths
- Large and practical boot
- Comfortable ride
- Good choice of efficient engines
Weaknesses
- Infotainment fiddly
- Costs more used than one or two of its rivals
Real MPG Average 45.0mpg | Town 36.1mpg | Motorway 41.3mpg | Rural 58.2mpg
You can no longer buy this 1.0-litre version of the VW Golf Estate new, but it’s worth considering a used one if you’re after a big, petrol-powered estate car that won’t cost the earth to run. The Golf is almost as comfortable on the move as a Skoda Octavia Estate (or even comfier if you find one with the optional adaptive suspension), and comes well-equipped as standard. The infotainment system is confusing and fiddly, though.
Read our full Volkswagen Golf Estate (2020-present) review
Strengths
- Frugal diesel and PHEV engine options
- Excellent infotainment system
- Beautifully made, high-quality interior
Weaknesses
- Volvo V90 has more rear-seat space
- Mercedes E-Class Estate has an even bigger boot
- Unsettled ride with M Sport suspension and bigger alloy wheels
Real MPG Average 44.9mpg | Town 33.4mpg | Motorway 42.4mpg | Rural 59.5mpg
The BMW 5 Series Touring is one of our favourite estate cars, and the 520d is the best version in the range. As well as being impressively fuel-efficient, it’s reasonably quiet at speed and offers punchy performance. No matter which version you buy, the 5 Series Touring is brilliant to drive, and its roomy interior means occupants get to enjoy the class-leading fit and finish without feeling cramped.
Read our full BMW 5 Series Touring review
Strengths
- Surprisingly good fun – especially in FR form
- Big boot and roomy rear seats
- Well priced
Weaknesses
- Not quite as capacious as Skoda Octavia Estate
- FR models have a fairly firm ride
- TSI 130 engine could be smoother
Real MPG Average 43.7mpg | Town 33.9mpg | Motorway 40.9mpg | Rural 56.4mpg
As you might expect from a close relative of both the Skoda Octavia Estate and Volkswagen Golf Estate, this long Leon has a big boot and a solidly-built interior. However, the Leon Estate has the distinction of being considerably more fun to drive than its siblings – especially in sporty FR trim, which adds stiffer, sports suspension. And, driven sensibly, even this 1.5-litre petrol version should be able to return more than 40mpg on longer journeys.
Read our full Seat Leon Estate review
Strengths
- Generally comfortable ride
- Well equipped
- Strong engine range
Weaknesses
- Sleeker looks don’t translate into a sharper drive
- Premium rivals are smarter inside
- Relatively steep depreciation
Real MPG Average 43.2mpg | Town 39.3mpg | Motorway 39.3mpg | Rural 55.8mpg
Don’t let the Arteon Shooting Brake’s stylish looks fool you; it’s still a pretty practical estate car, and one which should prove fairly affordable to run if you get it with the 2.0-litre diesel engine. Despite the sloping roofline, there’s enough head room in the rear, and the Arteon has a bigger boot than a BMW 5 Series Touring. However, unless you’re able to snap up a bargain through our New Car Deals service, the Arteon Shooting Brake can cost as much as better-rounded premium rivals such as the BMW 3 Series Touring.
Read our full Volkswagen Arteon Shooting Brake review
And the least economical estate cars...
Real MPG Average 32.1mpg | Town 22.6mpg | Motorway 31.5mpg | Rural 41.8mpg The Golf R Estate is even better to drive than the hot hatch on which it’s based, but its thirst could make for a costly commute. Read our review
Real MPG Average 31.8mpg | Town 21.8mpg | Motorway 31.4mpg | Rural 42.4mpg If you plan on regularly venturing off-road, the Subaru Outback can take you farther into the wilderness than many rivals. Sadly, if you'll be staying on Tarmac, it's not a very fuel-eff... Read our review
Real MPG Average 28.0mpg | Town 17.8mpg | Motorway 28.9mpg | Rural 37.8mpg This go-faster version of the BMW 3 Series Touring takes the title as the least fuel-efficient estate car we've ever tested, and by some margin. However, while its thirst may spell bad n... Read our review
