The race for (boot) space | Six of the Best

Large cars are not automatically a great fit for the UK. The country is small, and so are many of the roads that weave through it. But that hasn’t stopped anyone: just this week, the Guardian breathlessly reported that more than one million cars considered too large for a ‘typical urban parking space’ were sold here each year. Accordingly, and on the assumption that some of you are in a race for interior space, which one should you choose? Well, a quick one obviously. The leading contender in our book (and probably catnip to Guardian readers) is the Superb wagon and its famously capacious interior and boot. This one actually has the slightly undernourished 2.0-litre TSI, but that doesn’t matter because we’d get it remapped on day one anyway. As Skoda itself proved last year, a fantastic and very roomy sleeper ought to result. 

If the thought of spending 25 big ones on an oversized Golf doesn’t appeal, then you could always spend a fraction of the price securing one of the original school-run Panzers – the XC90. Typically, it’s the XC60 that is credited with saving Volvo from the turn-of-the-century doldrums, but its larger sibling absolutely helped set the tone, especially when paired with the Yamaha-built 4.4-litre V8. It would be wrong to expect sizzling performance from its 315hp, yet the flagship still has an endearing old-school feel to it – and if the engine was good enough for Noble (admittedly with a brace of turbochargers bolted on), it’s probably good enough to get a wardrobe up the M4 at a respectable speed. And for not a lot of money either: this nice-looking one, with 129k on the clock, is very affordable (assuming you’re willing to squint at the running costs). 

Of course, if you’re as partial to the local petrol station as Alan Partridge, there really is no reason not to consider the V8-powered Land Rover Discovery 4. Its maker missed a trick by not selling the model in the UK when it was new, so admittedly you’ll have to settle for an import (a thought not helped in this case by the steering wheel appearance on the wrong side), but with its 5.0-litre go-getter and a famously cavernous rear end, the car encapsulates pretty much everything that is appealing about the big car niche. Moreover, the Disco blends in everywhere, will tow a horsebox effortlessly, can be bought for less than £20k, and is right at home in whatever conditions you throw at it. Also, if you buy the V8, you won’t have to worry about the crank like it’s an unexploded bomb. Bonus. 

The history of the Benz ‘bahnstormer with the big boot is a long and storied one. Between AMG and Brabus, there were some truly wild creations back in the day, cars like the Hammer wagon and S73, but even series-production Mercedes estates have been brilliantly barmy for a good while. 5.5-litre V8 in an original C-Class? Sure, good thinking. 6.2 a couple of generations later? Go for it. Arguably though it’s the E-Classes that best represented both extremes of Mercedes-AMG. Because they were genuinely spacious, well-appointed estate cars that just so happened to be powered by unfathomably awesome engines. Thousands of cubic centimetres of capacity at both ends make for a happy PHer – especially when the boot can boast seven seats, as this E63 can. 6.2-litres and six passengers – what more could you ask for? Below average miles, low owners and a long MOT? Best get that bidding finger ready.

The joker in the pack, obviously – but If bigger and better really is the name of the game, you’re going to want to head Stateside. And what’s the biggest, baddest Yank tank around? A Hummer, of course. Massive and massively inappropriate even by the standards of American cars, there’s nothing quite like it when it comes to overpowered, oversized and over the top. Especially with the new, battery-powered version. We’ve seen it crab walk, we’ve seen it drag race – now we can see it in the UK. Here it looks just as ludicrous as you might think, wheelbase the length of a bowling green and load bay large enough to rent as an AirBnB. With the potential from its trio of electric motors to reach 60mph in three seconds. If you want space and pace and aren’t too fussed about the grace, the Hummer has to be number one. Nobody’s going to ask you to leave the charger early, either. 

Probably we should have had a Flying Spur here to show how wonderfully practical a modern limousine is, but the Bentayga boasts one thing it does not – a diesel engine. The mild-hybrid V8 4.0-litre found throughout the VW empire, debuting in the Audi SQ7 yet also found in Porsches and Bentleys like this one, was an engineering tour de force. The electrification was key, eliminating any semblance of lag that might have existed in the pair of turbos. So there was more torque, more of the time, than in pretty much any other diesel – 664lb ft from 1,250rpm remains a startling headline figure. It made for effortless progress in every installation; while a diesel Bentley might have upset the purists, the way it made going very fast so simple suited the application perfectly. The big lump made for a very desirable Bentayga right up until it went off for sale. The first press car PH drove was specced to £200,000 – now early ones are little more than a quarter of that.