Cars with the biggest boots

Shopping, Swedish flat-pack furniture, and kids. All three of these things are very important, and also require an astonishing amount of space.

To cope with all three of these afflictions, you’ll need to get a car with a big boot. But there are loads out there.

Luckily, you’ll find ten of the cars with the biggest boots that are on sale now, ranging from surprisingly spacious small cars to hangar-like people carriers.

We’ve based our findings on a boot’s measurements as well as their real-life practicality: you might have a massive space inside but it’s no good if the opening’s so oddly shaped that you have to saw the legs off your sofa to fit it in.

Cars with the biggest boots

Small cars Skoda Fabia, Hyundai i20
Family hatchbacks Skoda Octavia, Nissan Pulsar
Family crossovers VW Tiguan, Peugeot 3008
Estate cars Skoda Superb, Mercedes E-Class
People carriers Ford Galaxy, VW Sharan

Small cars with the biggest boots

Skoda Fabia 1.2 TSI 90 SE

Seats up 330 litres
Seats down 1150 litres

Skoda has a reputation for cramming bags of space into its models. The Fabia is no exception. Just compare it with the competition: it’s got 40 litres more space than the Ford Fiesta with the seats up and 76 extra litres when you fold the seats down. The Fabia’s much better value, too.
Read the full Skoda Fabia buying guide

Hyundai i20 1.0 100PS Turbo Edition

Seats up 326 litres
Seats down 1042 litres

It might be shaded by the Fabia, but the i20 still has one of the biggest boots in its class, with more space than some large family hatchbacks. You’ve also got plenty of reassurance that it can cope with a hard life of load lugging, thanks to a five-year warranty.
Read the full Hyundai i20 buying guide

Family hatchbacks with the biggest boots

Skoda Octavia 1.6 TDI Greenline III

Seats up 590 litres
Seats down 1580 litres 

The Octavia is another example of Skoda’s Tardis-like tendencies. The Octavia’s boot is simply enormous, seats up or down - with almost twice the capacity of some rivals and more than some estate cars. 
Read the full Skoda Octavia buying guide

Nissan Pulsar DIG-T 115 Acenta

Seats up 385 litres
Seats down 1395 litres

The Pulsar would be a pretty uninteresting car but for its roomy interior and large boot. It can’t match the Octavia and would also seem to be smaller than the Peugeot 308, with its 470 litre luggage area, but that’s just on paper. In reality, the Pulsar’s boot has a more useful squarer shape, which is more practical for bulky items.

Family crossovers with the biggest boots

VW Tiguan 2.0 TDI 150 SE Nav

Seats up 615 litres
Seats down 1655 litres

There’s more than enough room for the monthly shop here, never mind the weekly – and that’s with the rear seats upright. Fold them down and you could hold a party back there. The latest VW Tiguan, launched in 2016, is superbly practical, even more so thanks to rear seats that slide backwards and forwards.

Peugeot 3008 1.6 BlueHDi 120 Allure

Seats up 591 litres
Seats down 1670 litres

The new Peugeot 3008 is big in terms of boot space, particularly with the seats down. It’s easy to load up too, thanks to a small lip at the bottom of the opening, so you don’t need to lift bulky items very far to slide them in. A removable floor provides extra room, while a storage net keeps luggage from rolling around.
Read the full Peugeot 3008 review

Estate cars with the biggest boots

Skoda Superb SE 2.0 TDI 150 

Seats up 660 litres
Seats down 1950 litres

Estate cars offer some of the most practical storage space available, thanks to their tall and long luggage compartment, accessed by opening a large  square-shaped bootlid. If size is your main criteria, then the Skoda Superb is hard to beat, even though there’s a bit of a drop from the bumper to the boot floor, which can make it tricky to slide heavy items in.

Mercedes E 200d SE

Seats up 640 litres
Seats down 1820 litres

It may have sacrificed some boot space for its curvy styling, but the Mercedes E Class estate still offers a large luggage area and luxurious interior without the bulk of a taller SUV. Fold the seats and you can slide items into the fully flat boot without any obstructions. It’s not popular with antique dealers for nothing.

People carriers with the biggest boots

Ford Galaxy 2.0 TDCi 150 Titanium

Seats up 300 litres
Seats down 2339 litres

The seven-seat Ford Galaxy is one of a few people carriers that has at least some boot space when fully loaded with passengers. But if you’re looking for a large luggage capacity, you’ll have to fold at least one row of seats. With both rear rows folded into the floor, it can shift the kitchen sink and more besides.

VW Sharan SE 2.0 TDI 150

Seats up 300 litres
Seats down 2297 litres

Like the Galaxy, above, the Sharan offers a small amount of boot space with all seven seats in place. When the rear seats are folded away, though, it feels like a small van.