In association with Pod Point
Electric Car Awards 2024: Best electric estate car
With fully electric and plug-in hybrid cars now coming in all shapes and sizes, we’ve named the best new and used buys in every class. Here we look at the best electric estate cars...
BMW i5 Touring eDrive40 Sport Edition
A fierce rivalry often pushes up standards, but the BMW i5 Touring is proof that greatness can still be achieved even when the only one you’re really fighting with is yourself.
True, it’s not quite the only electric estate on sale; the MG 5 EV, Peugeot e-308 SW and Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Electric all compete in this class, while the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo and Taycan Sport Turismo are also estates of sorts. However, the latter two cost more and put performance before practicality, while the other three are nowhere near as well rounded as the i5, so they feel like the cheaper models they are.
For starters, none of them can match the 570-litre boot capacity of the i5 Touring. Meanwhile, rear seatbacks that split and fold in a handy 40/20/40 configuration and lie at the same level as the load floor add to the i5’s usability. And you can get to your luggage even when you’ve parked with the back of the car close to a wall or another vehicle, because the powered tailgate opens in a very small space.
Two passengers will be very happy in the back of the car, thanks to the generous leg and head room on offer. Meanwhile, in the front, the Touring is identical to its saloon sibling, which means it has intuitive controls and a rich mixture of high-quality materials.
Our favourite i5 Touring is the entry-level eDrive40 model, which still sends a healthy 335bhp to its rear wheels. As a result, a prod of the accelerator pedal has the car surging forward strongly even when it’s heavily loaded.
In addition, the eDrive40 has an official range of 333 miles on standard 19in wheels (or up to 344 miles on optional aero ones), beating the 310-mile capability of the flagship i5 M60. And when you do need to charge it, the i5’s 81.2kWh (usable capacity) battery can accept a rate of up to 205kW, so a 10-80% top-up takes just half an hour if you use a suitably powerful charging point.
As mentioned, the i5 isn’t as overtly sporty as the Taycan, but it still responds crisply to steering inputs and its body stays quite upright through corners. What’s more, the i5 is quieter than any other electric estate, and more comfortable with it –particularly if you specify the optional adaptive suspension.
Only the price of the i5 Touring really counts against it. But as a company car, our favourite version will cost you just £20 per month more than an entry-level Astra Sports Tourer Electric.
Best used electric estate
MG 5 (2020-present)
Price from £11,000
For this sort of money, few electric cars can compete with the MG 5 estate’s 250-mile official range and 464-litre boot.
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