Which is the best family car of 2022, an SUV or a regular station wagon?

This combined with the smaller diameter wheels means it is even more comfortable than the Karoq. You also get a little less noise on the road, although both cars are still extremely quiet.

One could expect the Karoq to suffer from a lack of performance as a larger, heavier car. It’s true, but the edges are so small you won’t notice them. In the real world, both Karoq and Octavia are actually quiet and smooth under normal circumstances, and satisfactorily brave when you need a little extra grumbling to overtake or get away quickly.

SUV: 4/5
Property: 5/5

Conclusion

One thing is for sure: both cars are brilliant. Whether you prefer an SUV or a station wagon, they run their classes while radiating performance, quality and comfort.

But which one is the best? Well, if you add up our ratings in the category, they turn out to be in complete dead heat. The SUV is more versatile, easier to use and drive, and perhaps slightly better equipped; the estate, meanwhile, is cheaper to drive, more comfortable and just a little smarter inside.

So really, these are horses for courses. If we had to choose a winner, we would choose – with the lowest margins – an estate, its healthy combination of partly better security and greater environmental friendliness ahead of us.