Best MPVs & people carriers in 2025

Want an MPV that feels like a compact executive car to drive? You'll want the latest BMW 2 Series Active Tourer. The challenging design won't be to all tastes, but the quality, tech and driving experience are class-leading. 

The latest version, while far from the cheapest car on this list, - new prices start from £34,000, offers so much to like for the driver and passengers alike. For starters, there's that family-friendly cabin, with sliding and reclining rear seats that suit even six-footers, a big boot and useful storage solutions. But, being a BMW, you also get a high level of fit-and-finish, a smart design and the very latest infotainment: you'll think you're in a taller BMW 3 Series.

There's a variety of engines to choose from, including a powerful-yet-efficient plug-in hybrid version. You also get smoothness and refinement in abundance, while the keen, almost hot hatch-like handling means even the most exhausted parent can enjoy themselves. Sure, the ride is a smidge on the firm side for an MPV, but it's never uncomfortable. 

Can't quite stomach the cost of the new one? The previous-generation BMW 2 Series Active Tourer is still a good value all-round choice, and can be also had as the seven-seat BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer.

The Volkswagen Multivan is the firm's replacement for the Volkswagen Caravelle, a car that was recognised as one of the finest van-based people carriers money can buy.

However, the Multivan is based on VW's car platform underneath. While it still looks like a van on the outside, this means that it's much less utilitarian to drive, with better refinement, handling and comfort. It also means you get the option of a plug-in hybrid version, giving you 31 miles of pure electric range, and then a 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine for longer trips. 

With a lower roof than the old Caravelle, it'll fit into most multi-storey car parks, but you still get plenty of space inside, with up to seven seats that can be configured in a wide variety of ways. Still not enough space? There's a 20cm longer version with a truly massive boot. 

You also get the latest gadgets and safety assistance features you'll find in VW's cars, too. But, you pay a hefty whack for a Multivan, with new prices starting at almost £50,000. Don't expect many used bargains, either.

The Volkswagen Touran comes with seven seats as standard and the extra two at the back fold flat into the floor when not in use, leaving you with a usable boot. The Touran is smaller than the Sharan that's now no longer available new, so there's less space overall for your seven passengers and luggage.

There are plenty of upsides to the Touran's more compact size, though. For starters, it's basically a last generation VW Golf underneath, which makes it not only easy, comfortable and surefooted to drive, but also much easier to park and thread through traffic than a full-size MPV.  

Most Volkswagen Tourans for sale on the used market (although you can still buy it new despite its advanced years) come with either the 1.6-litre or 2.0-litre TDI diesel engines. They're not the most refined units by today's standards, but offer punchy performance and very strong fuel economy. However, if you want something smoother, then the 1.2- or 1.4-litre TSI petrol models are worth a look. The later 1.5 TSI petrol, which replaced the 1.4, is even better. 

Good used examples of Tourans without high mileage start at just over £12,000, with newer models likely to set you back over £25,000.

No, we can't pretend the van-based Vauxhall Vivaro Life is remotely sexy or likely to turn the heads of other parents on the school run. But ask any parent of more than three children what matters most in a car, and it's rarely desirability. 

Getting the maximum amount of space and seating flexibility for the money is what matters for multi-child families, and you don't get much more of either than you do in the Vivaro Life. You can choose five- (don't bother), eight- or even nine seats, with medium and long wheelbases available. Going for the full nine seats does cut back on boot space, however, which is (obviously) van-like in other versions. There's even the option of luxury captain's chairs on the Elite model. 

Features such as adaptive cruise control, massaging seats and a head-up display are available on the Vauxhall Vivaro Life. Plus, it's better than you might think on the road, although the ride only really settles with five or more passengers. 

The Vivaro's engine line-up is diesel-heavy, and either the 150PS or 180PS models offer plenty of pulling power. However, what adds to the appeal is the fully electric Vivaro-e Life, offering smooth, silent and local emissions-free transport, although a maximum range of just 143 miles isn't great for long family holidays. And, if you want a brand new Vivaro Life, then the electric one is your only choice.

If you're after a seven-seater that won't break the bank, then stop scrolling now. The Dacia Jogger is it, and it's a bargain, even when bought brand new. Go for the base spec Essential and it's only a shade over £18,000. Even the top of the line Extreme is a mere £20,600.

There's a raised ride height giving you a better view of the road, and the two third-row seats can be easily removed when not required to expand the boot space to a suitcase-gobbling 699-litres.

It's not a huge car, either, meaning the Jogger is easy to navigate down tight roads, while parking sensors are standard across the range. If you want better efficiency (and an automatic gearbox), there's a full hybrid option available with a claimed combined mpg of 57.7.

We'd recommend going for the Comfort (or Extreme SE) trim when buying used, as you’ll get a number of handy extras such as a reversing camera and infotainment display, which will make driving and owning the Jogger far more pleasant.

The Ford Tourneo Courier follows in a long line of Blue Oval vans that have been spun into very useful people carriers by adding windows, seats, and some decent interior accoutrements.

Being based on a van means the Tourneo Courier has masses of cabin space despite its relatively compact exterior dimensions. You can pack loads in the boot without bothering to fold the rear seats, so a family of five can head off on holiday trips very easily.

The van underpinnings also don't hinder the way the Tourneo Courier drives. It's nimble enough for an MPV and rides the bumps well, while the 125PS 1.0-litre Ecoboost petrol engine can be had with six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic gearboxes. We'd take the manual in Titanium trim over the Active with its off-roader-ish cladding, which comes with a price starting at just shy of £26,000 for a new model.

While the previous Mercedes B-Class was too flawed to recommend, this latest model is far superior in every respect. Based on the excellent Mercedes A-Class, it's a comfortable and high-quality MPV with one of the best interior designs around. While there’s little in the way of excitement, it is very comfortable and relaxing, making this ideal for longer journeys as well as the school and nursery run of a morning.

There’s plenty of room in the back, so it’s ideal if you have toddlers in car seats or younger children with rear facing car seats. Here, the flat seats are very helpful, with the base of the child seat able to sit flush with the seat cushion. 

The B-Class also gets Mercedes’ excellent MBUX infotainment system, which works like Amazon’s Alexa allowing you (and more likely your children) to shout commands at the car. “Mercedes, drown out the kids moaning with Radio 4” and so on...

The Citroen Grand C4 Spacetourer is the artist formerly known as the Grand C4 Picasso, but fundamentally its the same car that's been around since 2014 underneath bar a few tweaks. 

What hasn’t changed is the fact this is one of the best seven-seat MPVs on the market. It’s also one of the better looking ones, hiding its 4.5 metre length with a neat and modern design. This is no box on  wheels.

Where the Citroen truly shines is when it comes to ride quality. The French firm has traditionally had a great reputation for comfort, and the Grand C4 SpaceTourer continues that. The soft suspension set-up smooths out rough roads and doesn’t crash over potholes.

There’s generous room inside, too, which is noticeable in the second row. There's lots of legroom in particular, helped by the fact you can slide the seats back and forward and tilt the backrests. There are three individual seats in the middle row, too, and it's not too much of a squeeze with three abreast, while the big windows and light and airy feel really appeal. You can also have an extended windscreen to bring even more light in, plus luxury features such as massaging seats.

Citroen no longer sells the Grand C4 SpaceTourer, so you'll have to look to the used market if you want one, but that just means more affordable prices.

If you're considering a Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer, then the Ford S-Max should also be on your shortlist. Both of these brilliant seven-seater MPVs are of the same vintage, and both provide similarly tempting value-for-money on the used car market. However, the two cars go about the business of fulfilling the MPV brief in rather different ways.

The Citroen is arguably the more stylish car of the pair, it's marginally more spacious, and it has marginally more clever seat-folding mechanisms. When we say marginally, though, we really mean it: the Ford really isn't far behind in any of these areas, and its still great in all of them.

Where the Ford stands out, though, is on the road. While the Citroen is comfortable, it can sometimes feel rather clumsy when changing direction. The S-Max, meanwhile, turns with the urgency and crispness of a small hatchback, so not only is it a lot more fun to drive, it's also more controlled and more confidence-inspiring. There's a wide choice of engines and trim level to choose from, so finding a car to suit you and your budget shouldn't be too difficult.

Far from the newest design around, the SEAT Alhambra looks like the kind of car you’d find at a minicab rank late at night, but it actually has plenty to recommend it. For starters, it has sliding rear doors. No more worrying about the kids whacking the doors into that shiny new Porsche you’ve just parked next to.

The rearmost seats are just about roomy enough for adults - not a given, even in this class of car - and children will be even happier back there. Folding and unfolding the rear seats is easy peasy, too, meaning it’s a straightforward undertaking to free up huge amounts of van-like space for those trips to your favourite Swedish furniture shop.

You can, of course, go for the Alhambra’s sister car - the Volkswagen Sharan - but the SEAT tends to be cheaper to buy on the used market (it was discontinued some time ago) and better equipped. Most examples have the strong and efficient 2.0 TDI diesel, and while SEAT sold a 1.4 TSI petrol, they are pretty rare. It's not as sharp to drive as the Ford S-MAX, but it's still better than you might think, and it offers good comfort and decent refinement.