Best cars with sliding doors in 2025

The Volkswagen ID.Buzz blends nostalgic design with modern electric tech to deliver one of the most eye-catching MPVs  on the road. Its retro-inspired styling is a nod to the classic VW Type 2 Bus from the 1950s, while the spacious and futuristic interior makes it ideal for families. Twin sliding doors come as standard, proving superb access to the versatile five-seat or seven-seat interior, which is made of top-quality materials.

It's also great to drive, with a smooth and punchy electric drivetrain and surprisingly agile handling. OK, it's not particularly cheap, but it's one of the most desirable and stylish and has a decent range and a huge boot for everyday family needs. If you're after a fun and practical people carrier with real personality, the ID.Buzz is hard to beat.

The latest Ford Tourneo Connect is one of the most flexible family cars you can buy, available in two sizes – the standard model and the five-seat Ford Grand Tourneo Connect. Both have an upmarket appearance and an impressive range of engines, but the key to the Tourneo Connect appeal lies in its durable and practical nature.

Developed alongside Volkswagen, the five-seat model offers a whopping 2410 litres of space behind the front seats, while the 60/40 split rear seats ensure that you’ll never be short of options when it comes to moving large items.

The seven-seat Grand Tourneo Connect offers extra rear seating, which folds quickly and easily into a flat, unobstructed luggage platform with up to 2620 litres of space. The third-row seats also slide to allow owners the choice between extra legroom or increased luggage space. Both versions come with sliding doors on both sides and evern entry-level trims come well equipped. It's a cracking choice for families who want a practical and reliable vehicle without the van-like feel of some rivals.

The Peugeot Rifter is a van-based MPV brimming with clever features and family-focused practicality. Its boxy, van-derived shap maximises its interior space, and sliding rear doors make it easy for passengers to get in and out.

It's available with five or seven seats and features a low-loading flat floor that makes it easy to fold seats away to load pets, suitcases and the like. Practical touches include three separate full-sized centre-row seats, while a folding front passenger seat allows ladders and surfboards inside to a length of 2700mm in the short version, or 3050mm in the long. Fuel economy is good with both the 1.2 petrol and 1.5 diesel engines as well.

Despite its van origins, the Rifter is packed with modern kit. It may not be the most stylish MPV out there, but it's affordable, durable and extremely versatile.

The Toyota Proace Verso is a big van-based MPV with a strong focus on practicality. Toyota is aiming at taxi drivers and airport shuttle firms with its Proace Verso marketing, but it can also make a good choice for those with a big family, as long as you aren’t hoping to win any style contests.

It shares its underpinning with the Citroen SpaceTourer and Peugeot Traveller, but benefits from Toyota's 100,000-mile warranty that could last up to ten years if you get it service at a Toyota main dealer. It also offers low running costs and high levels of standard equipment.

Up to nine seats are available, but only in the entry-level Shuttle trim; these get three rows of seats and a useful tilt-and-tumble feature that makes it easy to move seats to get in and out of the third row. The only thing that holds Toyota’s MPV back is the price, which can be a bit steep for private buyers when new. That could make used examples that bit more attractive.

The Citroen e-Berlingo is all-electric version of the popular Berlingo MPV, combining everyday versatility with zero-emission motoring. It's great for families that want to go green without compromising on space.

Sliding doors on both side and moludlar seating layouts make it easy to adapt the e-Berlingo to your needs. It's available as a five-seat M model or the seven-seat XL, and both have lots of space and headroom.

The e-Berlingo's 54kWh battery is fairly small by modern standards, with a real-world range of about 150 miles on a full charge. But that's perfect for school runs and daily errands. Ultimately, the e-Berlingo is a great-value electric MPV with practicality and its very heart.

If you need maximum seating capacity and plenty of kit, the Citroen SpaceTourer is a very compelling option. Configurable with up to nine seats, in comes in multiple lengths – named XS, M and XL – to suit different needs.

Sliding doors are standard on most versions and are electrically operated on high-spec models. Inside, there's a flexible layout and robiust build quality, and there's lots of standard equipment including cruise control, air-con and parking sensors on most versions.

The Citroen is also one of the most-efficient large MPVs you can buy, with its official economy beating the Ford Transit Custom by as much as 10mpg. It's not the most refined MPV to drive, but the SpaceTourer is nimble enough at low speeds and refinement is generally good. And, with its five-star Euro NCAP rating and high levels of standard equipment, it’s an appealing choice.

The Vauxhall Combo Life Electric is closely related to the e-Berlingo and the Peugeot Rifter, and offers all the same benefits although often at a slightly lower price. That makes it a fantastic value electric MPV.

Available in standard and XL body lengths, with five or seven seats depending on the version. Sliding doors, a high roofline and a flat floor make it very family-friendly, and it gives passengers a smooth and quiet ride.

Like its siblings (all three are based on mechincal underpinnings from their parent company, Stellantis), the Combo Life Electric offers a real-world range of about 150 miles, which makes it ideal for those in towns and cities that want space and efficiency in a single package.

The Mercedes-Benz V-Class is a big, van-based MPV that belnds people-moving ability with the type of comfort you'd expect in a luxury saloon. With seven or eight seats, plush leather interiors and heaps of standard equipment, it's perfect for large families or chauffeur work.

Twin electric sliding rear doors are standard, and the cabin is packed with tech, from heated seats and climate control to an advanced infotainment system. There's also a decent boot space, even with all the seats in place.

The V-Class might not be as affordable as a Ford Tourneo Custom or Volkswagen Caravelle, but th ebuild quality is top-notch and the refinement is excellent.

The Volkswagen Caddy has long been a go-to choice for families needing space but without bulk. The latest model is smarter, more refined and more car-like than ever, with the option of five or seven seats.

Sliding doors on both sides come as standard, which makes it easy to manage passengers and all their styff. The Caddy Life trim (not to be confused with the earlier Caddy model, which was called... the Caddy Life) adds a softer interior and more standard kit, which makes it feel more like a family car than the van upon which it's actually based.

You can buy a Caddy with efficient petrol and diesel engines, and it comes with plenty of driver assistance tech. If you want something hugely practical but still relatively compact, the Caddy is worth a look. 

Although no longer in production, the SEAT Alhambra is one of the best seven-seat MPVs you can buy. Like its more expensive, less pretty Volkswagen Group cousin, the Volkswagen Sharan, which it offers seven-seat flexibility and loads of luggage space, while sliding rear doors – electric on higher trims – makes life easy for families.

Unlike the vast majority of the 7-seat SUVs available, it offers genuine seating for seven in comfort, not five plus two squashed in the back row. You can fold the third row of seats away to reveal a massive 658 litres of space, or a huge 2297 litres with the middle row folded down as well.

The Alhambra is pretty good to drive, too because it’s based on a Volkswagen car platform, rather than being van-derived. There’s also a good range of efficient diesel and punchy petrol engines. If you're after an MPV on a budget, the Alhambra is excellent value and does the job better thanm many newer, more expensive alternatives.