Saloon
The enclosed boot is separate from the cabin, so it is quieter inside and warmer in winter. Good for city and motorway trips with two to four people, but loading bulky items through the narrow boot opening is awkward.
Body types
Models and features: body types and classes
Choosing a new car is easier if you start not with the showroom but with your own diary. Where you drive most often, how many people and how much luggage you carry, whether there is room at home for a long car — the answers rule out half the options before your first visit to a dealer.
Choose the body type for your most frequent journey, not for the one that happens once a year.
We describe body types and classes in general terms, without brands or models. The class usually reflects the car's size and level of equipment, while the body type describes how the cabin and boot are laid out. Compare options by dimensions, capacity, ground clearance, official fuel consumption figures and cost of ownership, not by the impression an advert leaves.
Body types
Six common options and the jobs each one does better than the others.
Hatchback
A short body with a rear tailgate that is easy to park in tight spaces. Handy for town and a small family; with the rear seats folded it carries a surprising amount, but in everyday use the boot is modest.
Estate
A long roof and an upright tailgate give a flat, roomy load space. Suits people who carry a pushchair, a dog, garden plants or sports kit and do not need high ground clearance.
Crossover
A high seating position and extra ground clearance help on broken roads and with tall kerbs. Bear in mind that not every crossover has four-wheel drive, and a tall body is more affected by crosswinds.
MPV
A spacious cabin, often with flexible or extra seats. The choice for a large family and long trips, but this body type needs room to park and some practice judging its size.
Pickup
An open load bed and a sturdy frame are built for work and country life. In town it is large and rides more firmly over bumps, and it is worth learning the rules for carrying loads in the bed in advance.
Read next
- Buying
What to do before signing the contract, which add-ons you can turn down and how to take delivery of the car without rushing.
- Reviews
Reviews of decisions, not brands: manual or automatic, engine type, finance or savings, optional extras, plus an article catalogue.
- Safety
Airbags, ABS, ESP and driver assistance systems, child seats and the first winter journeys in a new car.
Sources
- Vehicle owner's manual and service book (general provisions)
Information on laws and regulations reflects the versions in force when the material was prepared. Rules change over time, and every manufacturer sets its own warranty and service terms, so before any important decision check the current texts, your contract and your vehicle's documents.