Multi-purpose vehicles, better known as MPVs, are the most space-efficient and sensible cars you can buy. However, the venerable people carrier faces a fight for survival as families’ heads are turned by the aspirational image of SUVs. Many buyers seem happy to sacrifice space and versatility for bolder styling and more car-park kudos.
As our list of the best MPVs reveals, you shouldn’t be too quick to dismiss practical people carriers. Whether you’re after a five- or seven-seater, you’ll find an MPV slots into family life like a new dog – and it won’t leave a mess on your kitchen floor or demand a walk on a wet Monday evening.
Here are the best MPVs you can buy right now, with our choices presented in alphabetical order.
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer
The 2 Series Active Tourer might be the least desirable BMW on sale. Accordingly, most people go for an X1 or X3 SUV instead. You’d be wrong to dismiss it, though, as the 2 Series Active Tourer brings a touch of quality to the compact MPV class. Along with upmarket styling (yep, we’re getting used to that giant grille now), it offers plenty of tech and excellent engineering.
There’s also lots of room for rear-seat passengers, a big boot and a great choice of engines, including a tax-friendly plug-in hybrid. Sadly, it looks like the old seven-seat 2 Series Gran Tourer won’t be replaced.
Driving the outgoing 2 Series Active Tourer, we said: “A charmless people carrier that’s not a true BMW, although it is roomy, practical and reasonably entertaining to drive.”
Read our BMW 2 Series Active Tourer (2014-2021) review
Citroen e-Berlingo
Once you’ve lived with a car with a pair of sliding doors, you’ll wonder how you managed without them. A wide opening into the passenger area, ease of access in tight parking spaces and feeling that you’re riding in the back of the A-Team van are just some of their benefits.
This Citroen is now electric-only, powered by a 136hp motor and 50kWh battery pack. That makes for an official range of 170-180 miles, which certainly isn’t spectacular. However, if you can charge at home, the Berlingo is perfect for school-run duties. You can choose the five-seat M version or the seven-seat XL, with the latter offering up to 4,000 litres of luggage space and a load length of three metres. It drives a bit like a van, but it doesn’t look like one.
We said: “In an industry that blurs the lines, there’s something refreshingly honest about the Citroen Berlingo. Put simply, no car at this end of the market is so very useful. Well, apart from the platform-sharing Peugeot Rifter and Vauxhall Combo Life.”
Read our Citroen e-Berlingo review
Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer
The MPV formerly known as the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso is one of the best seven-seat vehicles you can buy. Despite its advancing years, it still looks fresh today, while the interior has the feel of an aircraft cabin. More Easyjet than Emirates, perhaps, but an aircraft all the same.
In common with many seven-seat MPVs, space is a bit tight in the third row, but the seats are more useful than those in the majority of rivals. All versions come with a generous level of equipment, the engines deliver excellent economy and the Grand C4 SpaceTourer is pretty comfortable on the move.
We said: “It might not be fashionable, but the big Citroen Grand C4 Spacetourer offers a level of versatility a seven-seat SUV can only aspire to.”
Read our Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer review
Dacia Jogger
Part-people carrier, part-estate and part-SUV, the clever Dacia Jogger cherry-picks the best bits from several categories of car. Above all, it offers seven seats and a huge amount of practicality for remarkably little cash. Granted, prices have increased in recent months, but the entry-level Jogger still costs a smidge over £17,000. For that budget, all its rivals are second-hand.
Buyers can choose from three trim levels: Essential, Expression and the rugged-looking Extreme SE. Only one engine is offered at present – a 110hp three-cylinder petrol that returns 48.7mpg – but a hybrid version is due later this year. The Jogger’s weak-point is a poor showing in Euro NCAP crash tests, mostly due to its lack of electronic safety equipment.
We said: “A kerb weight of just 1,200kg helps the Jogger feel quite lively, too. It’s certainly more fun than many modern SUVs. And when you’re seven-up and taking it steady, the long-travel suspension and sensible 16-inch wheels do a good job of soaking up bumps.”
Ford Galaxy
The Ford Galaxy is one of the last of the old breed of seven-seat MPVs. Indeed, it faces the axe soon, with no direct replacement planned. But what the Galaxy lacks in flair, style and panache, it more than makes up for in space and practicality. Little wonder it’s still popular with private hire taxi companies.
It can seat seven adults with ease, and because the rear chairs can be folded down or stowed away, you can juggle between two, three, four, five, six or seven-seat configurations. It’s also pretty good to drive and surprisingly upmarket inside. The 190hp petrol hybrid – now the only engine option – offers the fuel economy to rival a diesel, along with lower emissions.
We said: “It might look uninspiring, but the Galaxy is quiet and composed on the move, loaded with safety equipment and utterly practical. Be warned: it can get rather expensive with some must-have options and it doesn’t corner like a Fiesta ST. But what does?”
Ford S-Max
For motorists in search of an MPV that’s genuinely fun to drive, there’s always been one obvious choice: the Ford S-Max. It’s the Galaxy’s sportier sibling, so it feels better from behind the wheel and the styling is a touch more attractive. The penalty is less space in the rearmost seats; they’re fine for children, but adults will prefer the second row.
Like the Galaxy, the S-Max is hybrid-only, and it too will be discontinued soon. It’s not a cheap car – all except the entry-level Titanium version edge over £40,000 – but it still holds plenty of appeal.
We said: “If you’re after a good looking, well-equipped and roomy five-seat MPV, with two extra seats for occasional use, the S-Max is hard to ignore.”
Ford Tourneo Connect
The third and final Ford on our list is the van-based Tourneo Connect. Its upright sides and flat tailgate translate into cavernous interior space. Two sliding side doors make access easy and the interior feels much roomier than an SUV. Even with the full complement of five people on board, boot space is a massive 913 litres.
We suspect a longer Grand Tourneo Connect – rather like the Berlingo XL – is also part of the product plan, although this hasn’t been confirmed yet.
The Tourneo Connect is available with a 114hp 1.5-litre petrol engine or a 122hp 2.0 diesel. Trim levels are Titanium, Active and Sport, with the latter boasting 17-inch matt grey alloy wheels, a sculpted front bumper and optional GT40-style bonnet stripes. Who said family life was dull?
Mercedes-Benz V-Class
With a starting price of around £70,000, the Mercedes-Benz V-Class isn’t a cheap option. It’s also a bit long in the tooth, so why does it warrant a place on our list of the best MPVs?
Well, it seats eight, which makes it more practical than most other people carriers. You’ll need the Long or Extra Long versions to seat eight, because the Standard version only accommodates seven. Either way, the V-Class is a spacious, upmarket and supremely practical MPV. The badge sets it apart on the school run, plus there’s an electric EQV version. Just don’t be surprised if other parents ask you for a price for a quick dash to Gatwick.
We said: “The V-Class people carrier might be the least alluring member of the huge Mercedes-Benz range, but it’s also the most practical. Quite simply, the V-Class is big – and it’s clever, too.”
Read our Mercedes-Benz V-Class review
Peugeot e-Rifter
The e-Rifter is a Citroen e-Berlingo in a more conventional suit. Subjectively, it looks more stylish than its equally French sibling, while Peugeot’s ‘i-Cockpit’ dashboard design makes it feel more SUV-like inside. The small steering wheel is an acquired taste, though.
Rear sliding doors, a huge boot and lots of headroom give the e-Rifter several advantages over Peugeot’s range of SUVs, while the electric powertrain should deliver low running costs – albeit a rather limited driving range (172 miles in the official test).
The five-seat e-Rifter offers 775 litres of luggage space, which swells to 3,000 litres with the back seats folded flat. Need even more room? The extended-wheelbase version is 350mm longer and has seven seats, plus a whopping 4,000 litres for cargo with all seven seats down.
Toyota Proace Verso
The Proace Verso shares many parts with the Peugeot e-Traveller, Vauxhall Vivaro-e Life and Citroen e-SpaceTourer. However, unlike its European cousins, the Toyota isn’t electric only: you can choose between two 2.0-litre diesel engines. This alone makes it far more practical for many families. You also get the benefit of Toyota’s impressive warranty: up to 10 years and 100,000 miles.
The basic Proace Verso has 140hp and a six-speed manual gearbox, while the upgraded version offers 180hp and an eight-speed automatic. Prices start from around £40,000 – little more than half what you’d pay for a Mercedes-Benz V-Class.
Yes, it’s a ‘van with windows’, but the Proace Verso is a very comfortable – and appealingly under-the-radar – way to travel. You can opt for seven, eight or nine seats, while options include leather trim and a panoramic sunroof.
Volkswagen Touran
Before the SUV arrived to gatecrash the MPV picnic, the Volkswagen Touran was one of Europe’s most popular family cars. It works best as a five-seater with lots of space for luggage, although the seats in the third row are fine for children or occasional use.
The Touran isn’t the least bit exciting. It has drab styling, a sombre interior and almost nothing in the way of flair. Still, none of this will matter to the core audience, who will appreciate the choice of engines, array of trim levels and feeling of quality throughout. Your heart says Tiguan, your head wants the Touran.
We said: “The seven-seat Volkswagen Touran is worth considering if you’re after fuss-free family motoring.”
Read our Volkswagen Touran review
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