Seven of the best cars for Santa Claus

Forget Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph – these are the seven best cars for Santa Claus to keep him warm, safe, and allow him to get the presents delivered to children across the globe on time.

Picture this.

12:30am, Christmas Day.

Father Christmas, having kissed Mrs. Claus goodbye, is belting it across the skies to get the first lot of gifts dropped off - when disaster strikes.

The magic is broken, the reindeers are grounded, the sleigh is snapped in half.

What is a man to do? 

The immense pressure of getting millions of presents delivered to all the children is enough to make anyone start crying – but there’s a solution.

It’s time for old Saint Nick to look elsewhere for his transportation. After all, sleighs and reindeer are so 19th Century.

We’re talking four wheels, big boot, comfy (and warm) cabin. Though he might want something a bit sportier for the off-season, when Santa has a job to do, it’s time to crack out the big boy cars.

To make sure Father Christmas can do the best job possible, we’ve rounded up seven of the most practical car lease deals on the market, so he can traverse land, sea and sky without fear of anything going wrong.

Sure, he might still need a little extra magic, and a whole heaping of belief.

But we’re still convinced he’d rather be ensconced in a cosy car than out battling the elements in an exposed sleigh.

Land Rover Defender

If we said the word ‘off-roader’ to you, you’d likely picture a Land Rover Defender.

It is the off-roader. And perhaps the perfect pick for Saint Nick.

An icon for an icon.

It’s strong, it’s capable, it’s more than happy to tread where other cars would not dare to tread. And it would look very nice sitting on Santa’s driveway for the other 364 days of the year, when he’s not throwing presents out of the window and hoping they fall down a chimney.

At least, that's how we assume he gets the job done so quickly.

The boot is plenty spacious enough for said presents, and the cabin is comfy enough to spend the long journey from the North Pole around the globe in.

There are very few SUVs that can match it, and there’s a reason why its popularity has endured across the years, and it’s the car of choice for farmers and city dwellers.

Toyota Hilux

Perhaps the most sleigh-esque car of the lot, the Toyota Hilux is a capable pickup with a lot going for it.

It’s one of the most reliable pickups on the market and remains a durable and dependable workhorse. 

A faithful business partner. 

An indestructible machine that’ll laugh in the face of mortal peril.

And a pickup probably does make more sense for Mr. Claus than an SUV or an estate, when you really think about it. We’re picturing that scene from The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, when the Grinch is balancing a gigantic sack of presents on the back of his sleigh.

I reckon you could get a decent-sized sack in the back of the pickup, because there’s no roof to constrain its size.

Lash it down with some heavy-duty bungee cords, and you’ve got yourself the perfect modern alternative to the classic sleigh.

You can thank us later Santa.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Or the Mercedes-Benz S-Claus, if you will.

No, we didn’t just pick this one for the pun. But you can’t deny that Santa wouldn’t get a little chuckle out of being able to name his new wheels after himself.

Listen, as much as Father Christmas needs something that’ll withstand the many miles he has to traverse across the globe, with all those presents weighing it down, he’s also deserving of something that gives him the luxurious experience that he deserves after serving the good people of earth for all this time.

And why not plump for one of the most sumptuous saloons of all time?

Though the Mercedes S-Class has been around since 1972, it remains supremely luxurious and packed to the rafters with all the high-tech kit Santa could ever need.

It’s the perfect car for affluent and successful individuals. If that doesn’t describe Santa, then we’ll eat our (appropriately festive) hats.

And, being a saloon, it still has a big enough boot to deal with the gifts he needs to deliver.

Hyundai Santa Fe

If one pun wasn’t enough, how about the Hyundai SANTA Fe?

No?

This one is less clever, sure. Being that the Santa Fe is actually the name of the car. But again, we say, why would Santa not want a car with his name in it?

He is perhaps the most famous man on earth, after all.

And the Hyundai Santa Fe is a good budget option, if the cost-of-living crisis has hit the Claus’ up in the North Pole as much as the rest of us.

It’s a solid family SUV, about as big as you’d want a car to be when traversing smaller British streets, and it has enough tech to keep Santa entertained through the long night before all the children wake up on Christmas morning.

The Santa Fe is also an excellent tow car, should Santa need a little extra space for all the boxes and bags he has to lug around. Practical, good-looking, and dependable.

What more could Saint Nick need?

Toyota Land Cruiser

Toyota are very good at sensible cars.

And the Toyota Land Cruiser is perhaps the second-most sensible car for Santa Claus, after the Hilux pickup.

If he has to travel thousands of miles in one day (and he does – or we’ll all wake up giftless and sad), then he really does need something capable of conquering every terrain. Desert, jungle, snow, mud, English country lane that hasn’t been maintained and is absolutely littered with potholes and grass…

You name it, Santa has to drive it.

And the Toyota Land Cruiser really is capable of tackling anything you could throw at it.

It’s a remarkable off-roader, and with the boot space clocking in at 1,943L with the rear seats down, he’ll be able to cram all his gifts in the back.

He can even stash his ever-growing pile of mince pies in the handy cubbies dotted throughout the cabin.

Go on, Santa. Give the reindeer the night off and get behind the wheel of the Land Cruiser instead.

You know you want to.

Volvo EX90

Though his white beard might denote Santa as being of a certain age, we’re sure he still keeps up with the times.

And what better way to get ahead than opt for an electric car lease instead of a sleigh?

The Volvo EX90 is perhaps the best large electric SUV on the market. The Swedish brand’s flagship model, the EX90 is classy, spacious and refined.

All the things that Santa Claus deserves in his new vehicle.

And, being a Volvo, it’s also extremely safe, and packed with all the safety kit that you could ever need. Handy, when he must travel so far and for so long.

Its WLTP Comb range of 384 miles will get him a decent way before he needs to stop off for a quick charge, and the absolutely enormous boot will hold all the packages very nicely.

SKODA Superb Estate

If we’re talking cars with a frankly astonishing amount of storage space, then you simply can’t leave out the SKODA Superb.

The final car on the list – and the only estate – the SKODA Superb has long been one of the best cars for big families who need to cart many things about. And while Santa doesn’t have a big family (unless you count his elves), he does need to cart about many things.

And with the latest generation of the Superb having a cavernous boot that comes in at 690L, he won’t have any issues getting in the last few parcels.

The Superb really is bordering on being a colossal machine these days, but it’s still easy enough to drive, and the hybrid powertrains boost efficiency.

Fundamentally, it’s a very good car. 

It does what it says on the tin, has some fun little extra touches that Santa will appreciate on his travels, including the ice scraper on the fuel filler cap and umbrella in the driver’s door, and is pretty affordable considering its size.

It’s an excellent car for anyone, but particularly good if Santa doesn’t fancy an SUV or a pickup.

And of course – though you might not be Santa (though we are not ones to judge), these are still very good (and extremely practical) cars to get you from A-B and back again.

Seen one that takes your fancy? Our leasing experts are always on hand to help you get behind the wheel of your dream car lease.