Compare the most economical estate cars

For most family cars, we’d consider anything in the 50mpg ballpark to be ‘good’ and anything around 40mpg to be ‘average.’ Most of the cars on this list are plug-in hybrids, so have the potential to achieve much, much better economy (think 100mpg-plus), but only if you plug them in with absolute regularity and have journeys almost exclusively within the confines of their electric driving ranges.

The biggest benefit is lower running costs — the less fuel you’re burning, the less money you’re spending, and with petrol and diesel prices on rise, that can only be a good thing. Less fuel burned also means lower emissions, of course, so the whole planet benefits, and almost any estate car will be cheaper to run and have lower emissions than an equivalent SUV.

Ironically, given the load-lugging abilities of an estate car, taking excess weight out is one of the best ways to improve fuel efficiency. Don’t use a bulky roof box unless you really have to, and you can save lots of miles per gallon by driving a little more carefully — anticipating traffic situations ahead, driving smoothly, braking gently. The easiest way to save on fuel? Slow down a bit — just knocking 10mph off your speed can chop a whole heap off your fuel bills.

To find out more about how you can improve your car's fuel economy, check out our guide on ways to get better mpg.