Most of us only own one car, so it needs to handle everything you're going to throw at it.
Naturally, that means you need something practical. But practicality is much more than simply how big a car is, otherwise we'd all just drive boxy vans all the time.
We're looking for the cars across a range of categories that go the extra mile to make life easier. Not only should they be spacious for their class, but they should have clever touches or designs to maximise the space they take up. You'll find most of these models are as nearly new or used cars for sale at Motorpoint.
- Honda Jazz – most practical hatchback
- Toyota Corolla Touring Sports – most practical family car
- Skoda Karoq – most practical SUV
- Land Rover Discovery Sport – most practical 4x4
- Tesla Model Y – most practical electric car
- Kia Picanto – most practical first car
- Audi TT – most practical sports car
- BMW 4 Series – most practical convertible
- Volvo XC90 – most practical luxury car
- Hyundai Ioniq 5 N – fastest practical car
Honda Jazz – most practical hatchback
The Honda Jazz is often associated with more experienced motorists, but we think drivers of all ages should embrace this clever little car. It's easy to park like other small hatches, but the clever layout shoves the engine forwards, unlocking a huge amount of passenger space and a unusually big boot. Recent Jazzes are all self-charging hybrids, which means they're smooth and easy to drive, and very efficient. The pièce de résistance, however, is the theatre-style Magic Seats that flip up to unlock a huge cargo well behind the front seats.
Shop used Honda Jazz cars or read our Honda Jazz review
Toyota Corolla Touring Sports – most practical family car
On paper, there isn't one particular area where the Toyota Corolla Touring Sports stands head and shoulders above its rivals. However, this is a car that's worth more than the sum of its parts. The estate bodystyle means there's enough passenger and cargo space for family car duties. The hybrid engine makes it effortless and efficient to drive. And Toyota's cautious approach to infotainment system design means the dashboard is immediately intuitive. All that comes with the backup of Toyota's 10-year service-activated warranty.
Browse used Toyota Corolla Touring Sports cars or read our Toyota Corolla review
Skoda Karoq – most practical SUV
In person, the Skoda Karoq looks like a tall, bulky car. However, its footprint is deceptively small at less than 4.4 metres long. That's on par with family hatches like the Ford Focus and means it's still quite easy to drive and park in tight city streets. You certainly reap the benefits of the Karoq's apparent boxiness inside, with excellent passenger space, and a tall, square cargo area. That's before you consider the Karoq's calm, composed driving experience, or extra features like the sliding rear bench seats, which can even be removed entirely.
Search used Skoda Karoq cars or read our Skoda Karoq review
Land Rover Discovery Sport – most practical 4x4
Sometimes, your challenge isn't just to carry passengers and cargo, but to carry them far from the beaten track. If your journeys aren't limited to just paved roads, check out the Land Rover Discovery Sport. Of course, you have four-wheel drive, lofty ground clearance and the brand's signature off-road tech. Cleverly, however, you also have a car that's less than 4.6 metres long, so it doesn't feel unwieldy in a multi-storey car park or on a tight country lane. Plus, there's the option of seven seats, so you can bring more passengers along for the ride.
Check out used Land Rover Discovery Sport cars or read our Land Rover reviews
Tesla Model Y – most practical electric car
It no longer has the EV market to itself, but the Tesla Model Y is still the most complete car from this US brand. All the electric aspects are as strong as ever with lots of range, rapid charging and even faster acceleration. The 2025 'Juniper' refresh substantially improved refinement and ride quality, addressing some of our complaints of older Model Ys. It earns its spot on this list, however, mainly thanks to its massive cabin, with lots of space for passengers to stretch out, along with a big boot and a handy under-bonnet 'frunk' for extra storage.
View used Tesla Model Y cars or read our Tesla Model Y review
Kia Picanto – most practical first car
The Kia Picanto is clearly a teeny-tiny little car, so what's it doing here? Like the Jazz above, the Picanto crams its mechanical parts into the corners, opening up as much cabin space as possible within its small frame. As a result, it's just 3.6 metres long, but can just about fit adults in the back seats, or a big shopping trip if you fold the seats flat. It's also a great choice if you're just starting off as a new driver, with cheap insurance, great visibility and predictable, intuitive controls.
Shop used Kia Picanto cars or read our Kia Picanto review
Audi TT – most practical sports car
If you want the thrill of driving a sports car, you're going to have to make some practicality sacrifices. However, models like the Audi TT prove that you can have a desirable, dramatic-looking car that's still fairly easy to live with everyday. Avoid the more compromised convertible TT Roadster, and you'll find hard-top models have a reasonably useful boot and even a pair of tiny back seats you can use in a pinch. You'd struggle to call the TT a family car but, if you're a single driver or couple, this swish sporty number might be all you need.
Browse used Audi TT cars or read our Audi TT review
BMW 4 Series – most practical convertible
Convertibles are another category that don't usually score highly in the practicality stakes. However, if you simply must have a drop-top model, you'll find the BMW 4 Series is one of the easiest to live with. Since it's based on the 4 Series coupe, you have a surprisingly generous pair of rear seats for starters, plus a respectable amount of cargo space in the boot. All versions are smooth and swift, but driving enthusiasts should head straight for the M440i version with its delightful turbocharged 3.0-litre engine.
Search used BMW 4 Series convertible cars or read our BMW 4 Series review
Volvo XC90 – most practical luxury car
Many luxury cars end up being reasonably practical by design, since they're usually some of the larger, more imposing models on the road. However, we think the Volvo XC90 truly nails the brief. It has sumptuous materials and a modern, attractive design as you'd expect from a luxury car, but it's cooler and less imposing than its German rivals. Of course, it's as huge inside as it is outside, with good passenger space across all seven seats and a boot that'll happily tackle whatever flat-pack furniture you can throw at it.
Check out used Volvo XC90 cars or read our Volvo reviews
Hyundai Ioniq 5 N – fastest practical car
For the avoidance of doubt, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is fast… really fast. Its dual-motor, all-wheel-drive setup fires a frankly excessive 640hp at the road, catapulting you and your passengers from 0-62mph in just 3.4 seconds – that's proper supercar speed. However, you still have all the same virtues as more pedestrian Ioniq 5 models, including the charming retro-futuristic styling, long standard equipment list and super-spacious cabin. Its remarkably wide pool of talents makes the Ioniq 5 N one of the most compelling performance cars on sale.
View used Hyundai Ioniq 5 cars or read our Hyundai Ioniq 5 review
Big savings on spacious cars
Shop thousands of nearly new and used cars for sale at Motorpoint. All cars have the lowest prices guaranteed and flexible finance available.
