Liquid biofuels represent a valid option for traditional fossil liquid fuels, but their sustainability is still under enquiry. In this work, we merge the Life-Cycle-Assessment methods with the Multivariate Statistic Analysis (MVA), to define a general methodology to compare biofuels derived from different feedstocks and fossil fuels. We tried to assess in an unambiguous way whether the biofuels are more sustainable than liquid fuels, in terms of both emissions and depletion of non-renewable sources. Whereas first generation products present even higher environmental impacts than fossil fuels, which in turn rely on consolidated, optimized processes, whose environmental footprint and yields have been improved over the years. Our results trace a good sustainability profile for second generation biofuels, especially for biogas that seems to be the best trade-off both from a LCA perspective and as a single dimensionless score derived from the MVA. © 2016 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.