The 10 best saloon cars to buy in 2025

Audi A6

If you want to stand out among the sea of German cars on UK roads, an Audi A6 saloon is the way to do it. In Europe, estates account for way over half of A6 sales, making the three-box version a relatively unusual sight. In fact, so wagon-heavy is A6 production that when Audi released the current C9 generation car the estate arrived first.

The styling reflects the latest evolution of Audi looks – in essence, the Russian Doll approach that Audi has adopted for years continues. To look at, the A6 is a larger A5. It’s none the worse for it, the understated lines being neat and tidy. Opt for S Line or Edition 1 trim and you get a sportier appearance than the entry-level Sport. 

Engine options are limited to a 2.0-litre petrol or 2.0-litre diesel, both with four cylinders. A mild hybrid brings a 24PS (17kW) electric motor to the party. A 3.0-litre V6 is available in other territories but denied the net zero targeted UK market. We will, however, eventually receive a V6 version of the S6.

Skoda Superb

In 2001, Skoda reprised the Superb model name which it had first employed in 1934. The new generation car was based on the Volkswagen Passat, and has been a staple of Skoda’s range at a time when other non-prestige marques have vacated the large saloon market.

For successive generations, Skoda was able to develop the Superb with a longer wheelbase than the Volkswagen it was based on. For the most recent iteration, however, it has co-developed the car from the ground up – and took the lead on its design.

Prices now start from £35,925, and buyers can choose from two petrol, two diesel and one plug-in hybrid drivetrains. The most powerful petrol and diesel options have four-wheel-drive and all variants have a dual-clutch transmission. Alongside the saloon is an estate that’s there to tempt buyers away from SUVs. The Superb is one of the few large saloons available to those who want to steer away from a prestige German brand. 

BMW 5 Series

For as long as anyone cares to remember, the BMW 5 Series has been the driver’s choice in its segment. But can that still hold up in today’s world of hybridisation, connectivity and touchscreens? It’s fair to say that, for most consumers, saloon cars are no longer on the radar so it would make sense that the 5 Series has had to shift with the times.

And so it transpires. The eighth generation car, codenamed G60, is larger than its predecessors. At over five metres long, it’s more 7-series in its dimensions which doesn’t help on a British B-road. Big screens dominate the interior too.

The good news, though, is that the 5 Series remains an enjoyable drive despite its size. The aluminium suspension (double wishbones at the front and a multi-link rear) keep things in check, while the six-cylinder petrol engines are keen and willing. They all come with electrification and there is no diesel option. Despite the world around it imposing its influence, the 5 Series retains its position in the market as the dynamic choice.

Mercedes-Benz E-class

Like the BMW 5-series, the Mercedes E-class is well established in the marketplace and the sixth generation W214 is fighting to retain its character in a changing world. Quality and refinement have always been its stand-out characteristics, and in the former category it appears to be a return to form after a period of cut corners.

On the refinement front, the E-class remains one of the only places you can still buy a six-cylinder diesel, and many will welcome the easy performance and torque on tap. Like its closest German rivals, Mercedes-Benz also offers more efficient four-cylinder options. Petrol and diesel are available, as are choices of rear and four-wheel-drive.

Interestingly, Mercedes-Benz is still offering its ICE E-class as a distinct model from the all-electric EQE. It means the EV can have its own architecture and more radical styling while the petrol and diesel E-class tilts more towards traditional buyers. That’s reflected in its conventional three-box styling which perhaps looks a bit dated against the controversial BMW 5-series and avant-garde Audi A6.

Alfa Romeo Giulia

Forget its unflattering portrayal as a foil for the Italian Job Minis. From the deceptive simplicity of its three-box design to the zesty performance of its twin-cam engines, the Alfa Romeo Giulia set the template for the sporting saloon car. Its successors kept the style, but later front-driven Fiat platforms were left behind by rear-driven BMWs for driver appeal.

Enter Alfa Romeo’s new ‘Giorgio’ platform underpinning both the new-age Giulia and the Stelvio SUV. Rear-driven in the Giulia, the blistering Quadrifoglio sets hearts a flutter. Even regular versions retain that sense of sportiness characterised by that ‘60s original. An Alfa Romeo you can buy with both your heart and your head, the Giulia is once again putting the sport back into sports saloon. A major facelift is reportedly on the cards, too, so if you were worried it was getting long in the tooth, the Giulia has a few years left in it yet. 

Porsche Taycan

The effortless power delivery and refinement of electric cars can never be matched by a petrol alternative, but can they ever equal the waterbomb-to-the-face engagement of a fully sorted sports saloon?

If you were going to bet on anyone it would be Porsche, and the Taycan makes a decent fist of being a car you yearn to drive. Like most Porsches, the Taycan gets the basics spot on. The driving position is excellent and the Taycan’s ruthless body control is a match for straight line performance that will literally take your breath away. Problem is, the Taycan can’t hide its 2.3-tonne weight, its dustbin-lid sized brakes wince at stopping it from speed and while it’s playful on the limit, it can also be downright scary.

BMW 3 Series

For what seems like forever, the BMW 3 Series has been the go-to choice for anyone needing a practical family car they can enjoy driving properly. That remains true even if today's 3 Series is arguably the least sporty of all. 

You can’t have it with a manual gearbox, and if you want six cylinders you’ll need the top-of-the-range M340i that, by the way, is only available with four-wheel drive. It has also grown to the extent that it’s as big as a 5 Series was five years ago. But the BMW’s sweet chassis balance, neat body control and excellent eight-speed automatic gearbox mean it’s still the driver’s choice, only it’s now roomier, safer and packs a huge infotainment screen.

Mercedes S-Class

The Mercedes S-Class, seen by so many as the apex saloon, dictated its own spot on this list. Loved by company execs and chauffeurs alike, the S-Class shows us what tech will be widespread in the industry in ten years’ time — 3D displays and advanced self-driving if the current S-Class is anything to go by.

But to think of the S-Class as a mobile gadget shop would do it a disservice. It’s one of the most luxurious cars on sale with a ride quality that’s smoother than butter and an interior so quiet it makes a library seem like a German rave hall's warm-up act. Sadly, V12s and V8s are off the menu, but the S580 hybrid’s refinement (it can run on electricity for more than 40 miles) and 5.2-second 0-62mph performance are a perfect match for the Merc’s luxury. 

Tesla Model 3

If the BMW 3 Series is the car that shows us how small posh saloons started, the Tesla Model 3 shows us how it’s going. Tesla proved EVs were viable with the Model S and the Model 3 follows in its tyre tracks, offering up a usable range with outrageous performance and an infotainment-heavy, mould-breaking interior. 

Under threat from a slew of alternatives, not to mention new EVs from more established opposition, the Model 3 underwent an update. Even basic versions of the Model 3 can get from 0-62mph 5.7 seconds and have a range of more than 340 miles between charges. In fact, Tesla gets the fundamentals so right you’re left to be annoyed like the fiddly steering indicator buttons and on-screen gear selector. 

Jaguar XF

The Jaguar XF feels like it comes from a time that predates EVs, huge infotainment screens and self-drive technology, but it’s a welcome tonic if you like your car to be a car rather than Tomorrow’s World on four wheels.

It helps that Jaguar gets the fundamentals right. The XF’s oily smooth ride quality filters out the jagged secondary bumps EVs tend to crash into but not at the expense of body control because the XF has the kind of agility that most EVs can’t get close. Sadly, while the Jaguar is pleasingly analogue to some, others will find it unforgivably outdated.