The Skoda Octavia Estate tops this list of the best practical cars. Other cars offer more 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 has loads of interior space.

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 space though, 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 about if you’re in the mood. 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 Rifter looks a bit like a van with windows, but then that’s essentially what it is – it’s based on the Peugeot Partner van. As a result, you get an extraordinary amount of interior space for your money.

Up front, the Rifter's tall body gives you a better view out than in a regular family car and lots more headroom. It’s the same in the back where adults will feel very comfortable. High-end models even get three individual seats while the boot is tall and boxy with a huge opening that makes loading easy. 

There’s no need to worry that the Rifter will feel agricultural to drive. Its controls are light and its 130PS PureTech petrol engine, in particular, is spritely and cheap to drive. It’s even available with an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Skoda’s ability to offer more space than rivals for less money means the Skoda Superb Estate is the second of three Czech 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.

Get sat upfront and you’ll have no issues getting comfortable behind the Skoda’s steering wheel. Read legroom, meanwhile, is vast – it makes some large luxury cars look tight in the back – and you also get a massive and very practical boot.

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

The SEAT Tarraco is a family SUV that comes with seven seats as standard. It’s nicely built inside, very logically laid out and comes with a wide range of engines. It shares its parts with the Skoda Kodiaq and the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace.

SUVs are the cars of the moment and it’s easy to see why when you have a family. Their raised bodies make them easy to get in and out of and you won't need to bend your back so much fitting a child seat. There’s room for five adults and the spare pair of seats in the spacious boot are ideal for kids.

The Tarraco is big but it doesn’t feel cumbersome to drive. Its light controls make it easy in town but you can hurry it along country roads with no complaints. Its range of petrol and diesel engines are strong and there’s the option to specify four-wheel drive and a quick-shifting automatic gearbox.

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, is very logical and easy to use and 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 action. Inside, there’s loads of space for four adults and the boot has a practical square shape. All the back seats fold away flat for big jobs. 

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 miles. Four-wheel drive is available if you need the extra grip and you can also have a seven-speed automatic gearbox.

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

Space inside is 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 choose from 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 conventional 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 it’s 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 Mercedes does all this while packing the E-Class full of leather, wood and pretty infotainment screens.

You’re similarly spoilt when it comes to engines. Even the entry-level engines have plenty of power and if you feel like spoiling yourself the six-cylinder models are smooth and effortless. They’re the perfect match for the Mercedes’ cosseting suspension and slick automatic gearbox. 

The Audi Q7 is another practical car you can long to own. It’s beautifully built inside, has space for five and a massive boot complete with a spare pair of extra seats. It’s very comfortable and has an excellent range of engines, it’s even capable offroad if you feel the need.

Interior quality is very impressive and the Audi’s dashboard is dominated by a pair of colour touchscreens one of which has haptic feedback so it feels like you’re touching actual buttons. All the Audi’s seven seats will fit adults or you can keep it as a five-seater with a massive boot.

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 for the South Korean firm, showing it could compete on an even keel with the best Europe and Japan has 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 practicality at a knockdown price then look no further than the Dacia Sandero – it offers interior space comparable to a Volkswagen Polo for less than the price of a tiny Volkswagen Up. That being said, there’s no denying it’s basic motoring.

Entry-level models famously do without a radio and air-conditioning, but mid-range versions get both which makes it easier to overlook the Dacia’s cheap plastics. At this price, you really can’t complain, the Sandero has space for four people and a boot that’ll swallow a couple of large suitcases. It also comes with the practicality of five doors as standard.

The TCe 90PS petrol carries a tiny premium over basic models but it's worth it because it offers useful extra shove yet is also cheaper to run than the 75PS petrol. The Sandero is no sports car but it handles predictably and is perfectly comfortable on longer runs.