MPVs: The seven best buys from the Volkswagen Touran to the Vauxhall Zafira

The market for people carriers is full of talent – here is the best of the best

Once, MPVs were just plain big. Now, simply offering a huge interior isn’t enough – all that space has to be cleverly used, too.

And manufacturers have realised that just because you drive a people carrier, carrying people isn’t all you ever want to do. So the best MPVs can be quick, agile and refined – much, much more than just a big box on wheels.

All that leaves you is the arduous job of picking one from the huge range of choices on offer. Plucked from the various sub-sectors of the market, here are nine of the best:

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Volkswagen Touran *****

Despite not being at all bulky outside, the brilliantly practical Touran dishes up ample room for a full complement of seven people. The one in the driver’s seat will enjoy his or her time there, too. It’s not the cheapest MPV in its class, but you absolutely get what you pay for.

Best buy: 1.6 TDI 110 Bluemotion Tech SE

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Seat Alhambra *****

An old-school full-size MPV, the Alhambra blends its vast space with strong refinement and cabin quality. It practically defines the term ‘lots of car for your money,’ too.

Best buy: 2.0 TDI 140 Ecomotive S

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Vauxhall Zafira ******

Excellent value for money, and still a much better MPV than many give it credit for. The 1.6 CDTi engine is impressively frugal – and a well chosen spec level will give you all the kit you’ll ever need.

Best bet: 1.6 CDTi Ecoflex Tech Line

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Citroen C3 Picasso ****

Comfortable to ride in, if hardly thrilling to drive, this smallest member of Citroen’s Picasso family mixes abundant interior space with all-round stylish design and a good-value price.

Best buy: 1.4 VTi 95 VTR+

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Citroen C4 Picasso ****

Proving that even a high-value MPV can be a stylish, desirable thing, the C4 Picasso is as flexible as it is roomy – and as smartly designed inside as out. Loads of space for people and luggage alike, good kit and a genuine air of class – oh, and running costs are impressively modest.

Best buy: 1.6 e-HDI 115 Exclusive

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Citroen Grand C4 Picasso ****

Like the C4 Picasso only, er, grander, this bigger model dishes up all the same qualities but adds a dollop of extra space on top. When it was launched, it won its class in What Car? magazine’s Car of the Year awards, which is the sign of a good motor. The following year, it won again – and that’s the sign of a great one.

Best buy: 1.6 e-HDI 115 Exclusive

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Ford Galaxy ****

Another full-size MPV, and this one rewrote the rules on interior flexibility. Its three second-row seats slide separately, and those behind them can disappear into the floor – allowing you to run in seven-seater mode, turn it into a van or achieve almost anything in between.

Best buy: 2.0 TDCi 150 Zetec

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Kia Carens ****

If you’re buying on a budget, the Carens offers some serious MPV skills at less than twenty grand. You expect lots of equipment for your money, and it delivers; you might not expect levels of comfort and practicality that stand comparison with far more expensive vehicles, but it delivers those too.

Best buy: 1.7 CRDi 114 1 ISG

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Nissan Note ****

A rival to Citroen’s C3 Picasso, the Note is a little less configurable but still far more spacious than its tidy exterior dimensions would have you believe. It’s very good value, too, and running one certainly won’t break the bank.

Best buy: 1.2 DIG-S Acenta