Boot space is an important consideration when you're buying a car, particularly if you're looking for something to fit your family's luggage, or perhaps your golf clubs.
With so many models to choose from though, it can be hard to know where to begin, so we've broken the options down for you.
Consider your lifestyle
While an estate may seem like the obvious place to start if you're looking for plenty of boot space, you may want a smaller vehicle overall, or one with more space for passengers.
You could consider 4 x 4s, MPVs, or smaller estates.
Estates
According to consumer watchdog Which?, the Ford Mondeo estate has more boot space than any other on the market. When the rear seats are up and the luggage cover on, it has 530 litres of room. Alternative models you may want to consider include the Mercedes-Benz E-class (515 litres), the Citroen C5 Tourer (505), the Skoda Superb (475) and the Hyundai i40 (470).
For even more space, you could fold the rear seats down and you would get a massive 950 litres of capacity in the Ford Mondeo estate.
By comparison, the
Mercedes-Benz E-class would give you 930 litres, the Citroen C5 905 and the Toyota Avensis 900 litres.
Smaller estates
You may like the idea of an estate but could be put off by the sheer size of them. Which? suggests the Peugeot 308 SW is a good mid-sized model and that watchdog describes it as "spacious and stylish". The Volkswagen Golf estate falls into this category, and while it is well put together, you will find yourself paying a high price for the quality.
The Ford Focus mid-sized estate may also be worth considering.
Good looking estates
Estates can look stylish and if space and style are important factors for you, then you may want to try out the Mercedes-Benz C-class, the Volvo V60, the Seat Leon ST or the Audi A6 Avant.
MPVs – the best models
MPVs are the obvious choice for families. Some models can fit as many as seven seats and you can configure the seating in multiple ways.
They are also good for those needing to transport taller people or objects, as there's more headroom than you'd get in a car.It also has seats that are easily foldable and it has a lot of extras included as standard.
The Seat Alhambra is also worth a mention as it is a quality seven-seater.
4x4s – proceed with caution
If you want the practicality of an estate car, but think you might need to go off-road, you could consider a 4×4. Some models have excellent boot space, although they can be expensive to purchase and maintain.
Which? warns they may not be as practical as an estate or MPV because the mechanics that enable the four-wheel drive can end up losing you interior space. This can be a particular problem when it comes to compromising boot space.
The Audi Q7, Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento, Mercedes-Benz GL and BMW X5 all have seven seats and reasonable room in the back.
It's not all about the boot
Roof racks are a great way to increase capacity in a car and many estates come with them as standard. You could add up to 100kg of luggage with a roof-top box.
There is also underfloor storage in plenty of estate cars and you could consider travelling with a tyre repair kit instead of your spare wheel if you want to free up some extra space.