There is no substitute for cargo space. Well, unless it’s even more cargo space. Families, commercial travelers, couples, and singles with elaborate hobbies need a large trunk volume. But it doesn’t have to be a van or a bus.

Nor does it have to be an SUV. They are heavy and tall, which affects fuel consumption and agility. That leaves the station wagon. The only drawback is that station wagons need more length than vans to offer the same amount of space. An important factor when looking for a parking space.

Benefits of large station wagons

In the following, we will take a quick look at some of the advantages of the station wagons:

Large trunk volume, often low loading edge
Good rear-seat space
Lower profile, improved aerodynamics compared to vans or SUVs
Comparatively low weight, lower center of gravity
More agile than vans or SUVs of similar size
More economical than SUVs or vans of similar size

Because it is not a special achievement to get a lot of trunk volume over the length of the vehicle, we do not simply crown the one with the largest trunk volume as the “largest station wagon” in our top 7 largest station wagons. Instead, we’ve chosen the one with the best liter-per-meter ratio.

5. VW Passat Estate

With a trunk capacity of 1,780 liters, in absolute terms, the Passat Estate only makes it to 4th place among the largest station wagons. Still, it only needs a good 4.77 meters of length to do so. A coefficient of 2.681 lifts it just into third place. And rightly so, because the Passat loads a lot in practice. ADAC measurements show 475 liters of space up to the window edge with the rear seat upright. A figure that is only exceeded by the Superb (490 liters) and the recently discontinued Octavia (525 liters!).

Everything else is well-known VW merchandise. Plain design, solid workmanship, especially on long journeys a high comfort level with all kinds of technology extras. But be careful: VW has added a lot of infotainment and assistance with the latest facelift. Neither was fully convincing in our latest test. These are problems that other manufacturers are also struggling with. The prices start at 33,035 euros for the new VW Passat variant; the second-hand market is huge and offers even in the latest generation more than 15,000 offers: from cab to top-equipped business station wagon at a premium price.