10 best cars for motorway driving

Motorways can be a real slog, and if you know you’re going to spend all your time on one you’ll want to make sure you get a car that’s really well suited to it.

This often means a big car with comfy seats and a diesel engine, but there are a whole host of other factors to consider too.

Our expert road test team has rounded up 10 of the best cars for motorway driving that’ll leave you feeling fresh as a daisy at the end of a long journey rather than deafened by road noise and clutching your lower back in pain.

Top 10 best cars for motorway driving

1. Mercedes E-Class Estate
2. BMW X5
3. Tesla Model 3
4. Volkswagen Tiguan
5. Citroen C5 Aircross
6. BMW X1
7. Polestar 2
8. BMW 5 Series
9. Skoda Karoq
10. Volkswagen Polo

Jump to best motorway cars FAQs

1. Mercedes E-Class Estate

wowscore: 8/10
Carwow price from*: £57,780

The E-Class Estate is our favourite big car for long motorway journeys. The estate model is best – it has different suspension at the rear to the saloon, making it more comfortable. But regardless of which model you go for you’ll have a comfortable time in supportive seats and sat in a very hushed and relaxing environment.

Opt for the 220 d diesel and, thanks to a big fuel tank and great economy (it’s one of the most economical cars on sale) you could easily see over 800 miles between fill-ups – something you can no longer do in the petrol-only BMW 5 Series (below). Or, you could go for the diesel plug-in hybrid – a clever choice that gives you the low company car tax of a PHEV, but with the long-distance fuel economy of a diesel.

2. BMW X5

Big SUVs don’t come better than the BMW X5 – as you can see by its 10/10 score in our review. This is a car that’s comfortable yet handles corners brilliantly, is luxurious for all of its passengers but still practical enough for a family – a range of talents the Mercedes GLE or Audi Q7 can’t match. And it excels on the motorway too, being relaxed and serene even at autobahn (rather than M25) speeds.

The 30d diesel is the pick of the engines thanks to its long-distance fuel economy, though the 40i petrol is surprisingly efficient on a long run too. All models have the same great automatic gearbox that keeps the revs low at top speed, as well as unobtrusive but effective driver assistance features.

BMW X5 deals

wowscore: 10/10
Carwow price from*: £67,251

3. Tesla Model 3

wowscore: 9/10
carwow price from*: £39,990

Teslas of all kinds have long been favourites of people who want one of the best electric cars but also need to cover lots of motorway miles, and the Model 3 is the best currently available. Not only can they cover a long distance on a single charge – the Long Range Model 3 has an official range of 390 miles, which still equates to over 300 in the real world – but they have access to Tesla’s Supercharger network.

These high-speed chargers are positioned ideally up and down the country’s major routes, and are super-easy to operate and navigate to from your Tesla’s infotainment screen. Around half are open to owners of other EVs, but for now the rest are an exclusive Tesla perk. As is Autopilot – some of the better assisted driving features we’ve used.

4. Volkswagen Tiguan

wowscore: 8/10
Carwow price from*: £32,009

The new Volkswagen Tiguan is every bit as sensible as the car it replaces. That means a super-practical interior, an enormous boot, a range of efficient engines including a very economical diesel, and nothing too jazzy or distracting that’ll annoy you while you’re stuck in heavy traffic,

Sure, the infotainment screen isn’t quite as straightforward as you’ll find on a Kia Sportage, and a Mazda CX-5 is way more enjoyable once you’re onto a twisting B-road – but neither are as good for eating up the miles as the Tiguan.

5. Citroen C5 Aircross

wowscore: 9/10
Carwow price from*: £21,283

The Citroen C5 Aircross has always scored highly with our road test team because it’s quite frankly stonking value – it’s a big car for the price of a mid-spec hatchback. It’s not cheap and nasty, either, and earns its place on this list thanks to its clever ‘Advanced Comfort’ suspension, which really helps eat up the potholes, tramlines and expansion joints of a typical British motorway.

There are petrol, diesel, hybrid and plug-in hybrid options available – no points for guessing that the diesel is the best for very high mileage drivers, though both hybrids are pretty efficient too.

6. BMW X1

BMW X1 deals

wowscore: 8/10
Carwow price from*: £34,382

The BMW X5 (above) is a brilliant SUV. Well, at the other end of the BMW pay grade sits the X1, which is almost as good. The X1 is comfortable, feels amazingly solid for a small SUV, and has a great interior to while away the hours on the road.

All of the engines are efficient and you can even get the plug-in hybrids with four-wheel drive if you have some muddy lanes at either end of your long drive. There’s even an all-electric BMW iX1, though this doesn’t have the longest motorway range.

7. Polestar 2

Polestar 2 deals

wowscore: 8/10
Carwow price from*: £43,950

An update in 2023 made the Polestar 2 one of the only electric cars you can buy with an official range figure of more than 400 miles. That in itself is a great achievement, but it wouldn’t be enough on its own to put the Polestar on this list.

The good news is that it’s comfortable to drive, has some really good assisted driving features that take the sting out of long boring journeys, and charges very quickly indeed – so a top-up in the middle of a journey won’t take you hours and hours. Its cramped interior isn’t quite as good as the Tesla Model 3’s (above) but it might be more to your taste with a less minimalist design.

8. BMW 5 Series

wowscore: 9/10
Carwow price from*: £47,027

The last-generation BMW 5 Series would definitely have topped this list, but for the 2024 car BMW doesn’t offer it with a diesel engine which sadly limits its utility to those extreme mile-munchers. That doesn’t mean you should ignore it completely though, as the petrol and plug-in hybrid engines that remain are still really good to drive even if you do have to fill them up a bit more often. There’s also a fully electric BMW i5 which is a brilliant cruiser.

Plus, you get a fantastic interior, pretty good space for the family (especially in the Touring estate model) and driving manners that will make you savour those few moments on a twisty road before you get on and after you get off the motorway.

9. Skoda Karoq

Skoda Karoq deals

Wowscore: 9/10
Carwow price from*: £27,857

The Skoda Karoq is one of the most solid and dependable family cars you can buy. It has an interior packed with clever touches – from a clip for parking tickets to headrests with wings that let rear passengers sleep – which should make life much comfier for your passengers on a long trip.

If you’re flying solo, you’ll still enjoy the Karoq’s well-built interior and no-nonsense, dependable feeling on the road. The diesel engines are powerful and efficient, the gearboxes smooth, and the suspension does a good job at dealing with bumps. Look elsewhere for excitement, but the Karoq ticks most of the other boxes.

10. Volkswagen Polo

wowscore: 8/10
Carwow price from*: £19,385

Just because you have to do a lot of motorway miles doesn’t necessarily mean you want a massive car, right? The VW Polo is one of our favourite small hatchbacks and it’s certainly the best on a long motorway drive because it feels like a bigger car while you’re driving it.

We’d suggest going for one of the more powerful engines with an automatic gearbox to really eat up the miles, but even the basic models have comfortable seats, a good interior and excellent soundproofing for a small car.

*Prices correct at time of writing

Best cars for motorway driving FAQs

What car is the best for motorway driving?

Any of the cars on this list will eat up the miles like a champ, so it depends on what you need from a car outside of its motorway driving ability. If you’ve a large family, you might want to look at the BMW X5 or VW Tiguan – if you really want an EV, check out the Polestar 2 or Tesla Model 3. The Mercedes E-Class Estate is a fantastic all-rounder, though it’s quite expensive.

What is the best small car for motorway driving?

The Volkswagen Polo is great to drive on the motorway, with a solid and sturdy feel that has the attitude of a much larger car. This makes it much more reassuring than lighter vehicles that may get blown about by crosswinds or intimidated by overtaking lorries.

Is a bigger engine better for motorway driving?

Not necessarily. A more powerful engine will make motorway journeys feel more relaxing, especially when it comes to merging off short sliproads or trying to overtake in a small gap. It’s just that, in the days of hybrid engines and turbochargers, an engine’s size doesn’t necessarily dictate how powerful it is. Check out our in-depth reviews where our road test team recommends which engine options are best for each car.

Which car is best for long-distance driving?

If you’re going seriously long distances there’s no doubt you’ll want a diesel engine – nobody likes visiting petrol stations and the best diesel cars can go hundreds of miles further than a petrol between fillups. The diesel Mercedes-Benz E-Class, BMW X5 or VW Tiguan will all do a solid job here.

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Made your mind up on your next motorway cruiser? Well, take a look at the latest offers on your chosen model through carwow.

A network of trusted dealers will come to you with their best offers. No need to haggle, and you can compare your offers in one place without even having to leave your house.

If you’re looking to sell your old car, you can do that through carwow, too. Again, a network of dealers will come to you with their best offers for your car — no haggling, no hassle and the price you’re offered is the price you’ll get.