Compare the best saloon cars

High quality saloons from rated and reviewed dealers

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Best saloon cars of 2024

While the average family five-door hatchback serves a practical purpose, there will always be a place in the market for the more handsome traditional silhouette of a saloon. Premium and luxury cars are often built as saloons, though there are still models available at much more reasonable budgets. We've got a selection of the best you will find on carwow.

Tesla Model 3

1. Tesla Model 3

9/10
Tesla Model 3 review
Battery range up to 436 miles

What's good

  • Very fast
  • Massive range
  • Loads of tech

What’s not so good

  • Can be awkward using the screen for everything
  • German saloons still higher quality
  • Controls can be a little fiddly
The Tesla Model 3 is an electric saloon that’s super modern. Its electric motors mean it’ll beat most cars at the lights, has a range up to 360 miles and features a fabulous-looking 15-inch touchscreen. This controls most of the car’s functions, which can get quite fiddly.

What's good

  • Very fast
  • Massive range
  • Loads of tech

What’s not so good

  • Can be awkward using the screen for everything
  • German saloons still higher quality
  • Controls can be a little fiddly
Skoda Superb (2019-2023)
Battery range up to 44 miles

What's good

  • Huge interior space
  • Generous standard equipment
  • Competitive pricing across the board

What’s not so good

  • VW Passat is a touch plusher inside…
  • …and slightly more comfortable
  • Lacks the most up-to-date equipment
Need a saloon that offers lots of space for both storage and passengers? The Skoda Superb offers that and then some, and it’s well-equipped, too. It’s cheaper than most rivals, but its finish isn’t the best.

What's good

  • Huge interior space
  • Generous standard equipment
  • Competitive pricing across the board

What’s not so good

  • VW Passat is a touch plusher inside…
  • …and slightly more comfortable
  • Lacks the most up-to-date equipment
Audi A6

3. Audi A6

Black Friday deal
7/10
Audi A6 review
Battery range up to 32 miles

What's good

  • Roomy inside
  • Lots of high-tech kit
  • Comfortable to drive

What’s not so good

  • Alternatives are sportier
  • Expensive optional extras
  • Slightly fiddly touchscreens
The Audi A6 is a supremely comfortable large saloon that comes with plenty of high-tech kit and is particularly spacious. Other rivals will be more fun to drive though, and its options can make the price skyrocket.

What's good

  • Roomy inside
  • Lots of high-tech kit
  • Comfortable to drive

What’s not so good

  • Alternatives are sportier
  • Expensive optional extras
  • Slightly fiddly touchscreens

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Audi A8

4. Audi A8

9/10
Audi A8 review
Battery range up to 32 miles
If you want luxury and an air of restraint with your car’s styling, you should consider the Audi A8. It has a high-quality interior with lots of space – oh, and it's comfy too. You only get the choice of two engines though, and some sought-after equipment is extra.
BMW 3 Series

5. BMW 3 Series

Black Friday deal
9/10
BMW 3 Series review
Battery range up to 34 miles

What's good

  • Still the best-in-class to drive
  • Excellent new screens in the cabin
  • Touring estate is very practical

What’s not so good

  • No more physical buttons for air-con
  • Plug-in hybrid models lose lots of boot space
  • Expensive options
Offering a superb driving experience and quality equipment, the BMW 3 Series also looks smart and is spacious too. However, some kit that’s normally considered basic is extra and it can be quite pricey.

What's good

  • Still the best-in-class to drive
  • Excellent new screens in the cabin
  • Touring estate is very practical

What’s not so good

  • No more physical buttons for air-con
  • Plug-in hybrid models lose lots of boot space
  • Expensive options
Mercedes-Benz S-Class Saloon

6. Mercedes S-Class

9/10
Mercedes-Benz S-Class Saloon review
Battery range up to 59 miles

What's good

  • Incredible luxury and safety technology
  • Stunning looking interior
  • Comfortable and supremely quiet

What’s not so good

  • Exterior styling subtle rather than striking
  • Some interior trim can smudge and scratch easily
  • Key fob feels a bit cheap
Want a car that’s well ahead of the game on safety and technology? Well that’s what Mercedes S-Class is all about. It also features cutting-edge infotainment and is supremely comfortable to match the spacious cabin. It’s a shame it’s not that inspiring to look at.

What's good

  • Incredible luxury and safety technology
  • Stunning looking interior
  • Comfortable and supremely quiet

What’s not so good

  • Exterior styling subtle rather than striking
  • Some interior trim can smudge and scratch easily
  • Key fob feels a bit cheap
Skoda Octavia

7. Skoda Octavia

Black Friday deal
8/10
Skoda Octavia review
Battery range up to 49 miles

What's good

  • Unrivalled space inside
  • Cabin feels well screwed together
  • Efficient engines and keenly priced

What’s not so good

  • Pretty bland to look at inside
  • Alternatives are more fun to drive
  • VW Golf is comfier and quieter
The Skoda Octavia is a saloon that provides space and efficiency in spades. It’s also very affordable for the kit and practicality it offers, but it’s not the most thrilling to drive, nor the comfiest.

What's good

  • Unrivalled space inside
  • Cabin feels well screwed together
  • Efficient engines and keenly priced

What’s not so good

  • Pretty bland to look at inside
  • Alternatives are more fun to drive
  • VW Golf is comfier and quieter
BMW 5 Series (2020-2023)
Battery range up to 30 miles

What's good

  • Exceptionally high-quality interior
  • Great fun to drive on a country road
  • Superb infotainment system

What’s not so good

  • Not as striking to look at as alternatives
  • Mercedes E-Class comfier over bumps
  • Thirsty V8 petrol version
If you’re after a saloon car and love driving it’s difficult to look past the BMW 5 Series. It’s fun to drive, has top level equipment and is finished to a very high standard. Alternatives might be more exciting to look at though.

What's good

  • Exceptionally high-quality interior
  • Great fun to drive on a country road
  • Superb infotainment system

What’s not so good

  • Not as striking to look at as alternatives
  • Mercedes E-Class comfier over bumps
  • Thirsty V8 petrol version
Volkswagen Passat (2015-2022)
The VW Passat shares many of its under-the-skin parts with the Skoda Octavia and Audi A3 Saloon. It feels well made and is comfortable to drive, but not that exciting.
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Saloon (2020-2023)

What's good

  • Luxurious interior
  • Comfortable to drive
  • Great hybrid engine options

What’s not so good

  • Alternatives are more fun to drive
  • Infotainment can be fiddly
  • Only AMG models get air suspension
The Mercedes E-Class is an upmarket saloon that offers a comfortable driving experience alongside a plush interior. Mercedes also provides quality hybrid engines with it, but it’s not that fun to drive and the infotainment can be fiddly to use.

What's good

  • Luxurious interior
  • Comfortable to drive
  • Great hybrid engine options

What’s not so good

  • Alternatives are more fun to drive
  • Infotainment can be fiddly
  • Only AMG models get air suspension

Best luxury saloon cars

Luxury saloon cars have a wide remit. Not only do they need to be, er, luxurious, but also quiet on the move, comfortable to sit in and drive as well as packed with the latest features and technology. Naturally, all that will come at a price. We’ve pulled together a list of the luxury cars that do it best.

Audi A8

1. Audi A8

9/10
Audi A8 review
Battery range up to 32 miles
The Audi A8 is the brand’s flagship luxury saloon car. The build quality is brilliant and the soft touch plastics, chrome accents and swathes of leather all help the A8 feel worth its luxury car price. It’s also very quiet, supremely comfortable sat in the front or back and comes with lots of advanced technology.
Mercedes-Benz S-Class Saloon

2. Mercedes S-Class

9/10
Mercedes-Benz S-Class Saloon review
Battery range up to 59 miles

What's good

  • Incredible luxury and safety technology
  • Stunning looking interior
  • Comfortable and supremely quiet

What’s not so good

  • Exterior styling subtle rather than striking
  • Some interior trim can smudge and scratch easily
  • Key fob feels a bit cheap
The Mercedes S-Class has a long history at the top of the luxury car game. Unlike its somewhat plain rivals it offers sleek looks inside and out – its bold, swooping interior is particularly spectacular. Of course, it also excels on quiet and comfort, while Mercedes offers the choice of more economical diesel power, or sporty petrol AMG models if you’re keen to spend more time in the front rather than the back.

What's good

  • Incredible luxury and safety technology
  • Stunning looking interior
  • Comfortable and supremely quiet

What’s not so good

  • Exterior styling subtle rather than striking
  • Some interior trim can smudge and scratch easily
  • Key fob feels a bit cheap
BMW 7 Series

3. BMW 7 Series

8/10
BMW 7 Series review
Battery range up to 29 miles
The BMW 7 Series has traditionally been the driver’s choice amongst big luxury saloons, but at the expense of comfort. Not so with this latest 7 Series, which manages to feel more agile than its German alternatives yet extremely cosseting at the same time. It has a fancy carbon construction helping keep its weight down, the best infotainment system currently on sale and will impress you with its upmarket interior.
Tesla Model S

4. Tesla Model S

8/10
Tesla Model S review

What's good

  • Astonishingly quick
  • Extremely quiet
  • High-tech cabin

What’s not so good

  • Only available in left-hand drive
  • Alternatives are more comfortable
  • Very expensive
The Tesla Model S is a remarkable electric car, blending high performance with luxury, a high-tech cabin and zero emissions. One of its few downsides is that it’s quite a bit more expensive than your average upmarket saloon.

What's good

  • Astonishingly quick
  • Extremely quiet
  • High-tech cabin

What’s not so good

  • Only available in left-hand drive
  • Alternatives are more comfortable
  • Very expensive

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Advice about saloon cars

Saloon FAQs

A saloon car has the traditional shape of the three boxes on wheels you drew as a kid. Box no1 is at the front where the engine is, box 2 is the cabin where the passengers sit and box 3 is the boot.

But that doesn’t mean saloon cars are simple or unsophisticated these days. The saloon car is the core model for premium car makers such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes. Families may prefer the hatchback boot you get in, well hatchbacks and SUV cars, but the boots in the best saloon cars have wide openings and a good square shape that makes it relatively simple to get stuff in and out.