Best people carriers and MPVs to buy 2024
These cars are loaded with family-friendly features and acres of space
SUVs might arguably be more stylish and they are certainly more popular, but nothing quite beats a good old-fashioned people carrier when it comes down to pure practicality. The market isn’t as big as it once was, but the best MPVs and people carriers still offer a huge amount of space for you and your loved ones. Our expert road testers have driven every MPV and people carrier you can buy, and you’ll find the best ones right here.
Best people carriers and MPVs
- Dacia Jogger
- Citroen Berlingo
- Volkswagen ID. Buzz
- Ford Tourneo Connect
- Volkswagen Touran
- Toyota Proace Verso
- Volkswagen Multivan
- Lexus LM
- BMW 2 Series Active Tourer
- Maxus MIFA 9
1. Dacia Jogger
- Prices from £18,300
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The Dacia Jogger is literally a lot of car for little money. Not only does the Jogger follow the Romanian brand’s popular approach of simplicity and low cost, but it’s also a bit of an unusual package. The Jogger takes MPV, small SUV and estate car qualities and then rolls them all up into one.
There's up to 1,807 litres of luggage space, it’s surprisingly nimble to drive and there’s seating for up to seven people. This definitely isn’t bad for a model that starts from well below £19,000, and things get even better on the inside where you’ll still find the essentials including air-conditioning, cruise control and smartphone connectivity.
2. Citroen Berlingo
- Prices from £22,200
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The original Citroen Berlingo managed to make the idea of a van-based family car rather appealing when it first arrived carrying the Berlingo Multispace name, and today the latest model still offers plenty of practicality for a decent price.
While the fundamentals, such as space and low running costs, are more or less the same, we think the current Berlingo is more comfortable and better to drive than its predecessors. It can get a bit noisy on the move, but opting for the all-electric e-Berlingo helps to improve things.
Whichever version you choose, you’ll find a spacious 775-litre boot with five seats in place. Perhaps even more useful are the numerous storage cubbies around the cabin, which offer up a further 186 litres of space. There’s a vast amount of room for every passenger, too. If you have a large family, there’s also the option of the seven-seater Berlingo XL.
3. Volkswagen ID. Buzz
- Prices from £59,000
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The Volkswagen ID. Buzz can be thought of as a modern day interpretation of the legendary Type 2 Kombi, so it’s definitely a head-turner. More importantly, though, it’s also one of Volkswagen’s best all-electric models to date.
VW has focused particular attention on maximising the amount of space on offer within the ID. Buzz, all while keeping the large battery pack from being too intrusive. This effort has paid off as there’s plenty of room for every passenger, along with a number of cleverly-designed storage areas. The 77kWh battery should also deliver a range of up to 291 miles, according to the WLTP cycle.
4. Ford Tourneo Connect
- Prices from £33,800
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Available in five or seven-seat form, the current Ford Tourneo Connect is a result of Ford and Volkswagen’s new partnership. It shares plenty with the Volkswagen Caddy van in terms of styling and technology.
The tech and design aren’t the only things to come from VW, either, as inside you’ll find plenty of Germanic influence with the 10-inch screen and 10.25-inch driver’s display using Volkswagen’s infotainment system. Practicality should easily be enough for most families with the short-wheelbase model providing a maximum carrying capacity of 2,600 litres, increasing to 3,100 litres in the long-wheelbase variant.
5. Volkswagen Touran
- Prices from £36,700
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Volkswagen is one of the few companies to still sell more than one purpose-built MPV. The Touran is smaller than the ID. Buzz and Multivan, but it is also much cheaper.
The Touran features seating for up to seven people but, due to its compact size, the rearmost seats are probably best for only occasional use. Opt for the base SE Family trim level and you’ll still get a generous amount of kit including front and rear parking sensors, an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system, three-zone climate control and 16-inch alloy wheels.
6. Toyota Proace Verso
- Prices from £45,800
- Best for interior space
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It may look like a vehicle that your parcels are delivered in, but the Toyota Proace Verso is worth considering if you need an awful lot of space or seats from your next car. Seven-seat versions get two rear-facing seats, like a taxi, while you can have up to nine seats for minibus use or really big families.
Fold a couple of seats down and you’ll have an enormous boot to work with, with up to 4,000 litres on offer if you don’t need to use the space for passengers. As van designs are often shared between multiple brands, the Proace Verso uses the same underpinnings and most of the same styling as the Citroen SpaceTourer, Vauxhall Vivaro Life and Peugeot Traveller.
7. Volkswagen Multivan
- Prices from £48,400
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While the Volkswagen ID. Buzz marked the introduction of fully-electric power to VW’s MPV line-up for the first time, the Multivan offers either petrol, hybrid or plug-in hybrid power. As you can tell by its appearance — as well as the name — this seven-seater car is shaped like a medium panel van, so there’s plenty of space inside.
The best bit about the Multivan, though, is that it does a surprisingly good job of hiding its commercial physique. When we first drove the VW, we found it to be very refined and comfortable to drive, although the large cabin can act as an echo chamber for road noise.
8. Lexus LM
- Prices from £90,300
- Best for on-board luxury
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Just when we thought the luxury SUV had all but killed off the MPV, Lexus unveiled the LM. If you’re fortunate enough to be able to afford the starting price of over £90,000, this big Lexus is by far one of the poshest people carriers that you can buy. There’s the choice of a somewhat sensible seven-seater or a range-topping Takumi version with just four seats. Opt for the latter and your rear passengers will be living the high life.
Step inside the LM Takumi and you’ll find swathes of leather and soft-touch materials, and in the back you’ll also find two fully-reclining, massaging seats and an enormous 48-inch screen. There’s also a divide between you and those in front for complete peace and quiet. The 2.5-litre Toyota-sourced hybrid powertrain is effortlessly smooth and quiet, too. If we’re honest, this isn’t exactly the most family-friendly MPV on the market — or even on this list — but it’s certainly one of the finer ways to travel with multiple passengers on four wheels.
9. BMW 2 Series Active Tourer
- Prices from £34,000
- Best driving experience
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If you’re stuck in the quandary of wanting a reasonably sporty car but needing something sensible for the family, BMW might have the answer in the form of its 2 Series Active Tourer. Naturally, this front-wheel-drive MPV isn’t about to replicate the performance of a BMW M3, but even the least-powerful 220i will accelerate from 0-62mph in 8.1 seconds. You also get a desirable badge.
When it comes to carrying your loved ones, the 2 Series Active Tourer is exclusively available as a five-seater. Inside, there is plenty of room and the overall level of build quality is very high. There are a number of useful storage cubbies at your disposal, too, along with a 406-litre boot. The Active Tourer is fitted with BMW’s twin-screen dashboard, and this features the brand’s OS 8 software which looks sharp and is easy to use.
10. Maxus MIFA 9
- Prices from £78,300
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As a brand, Maxus traces its roots back to the days of LDV vans, but now it’s branching out into the luxury car world. The Maxus MIFA 9 is a premium MPV that features a similar design language to Japanese models like the Lexus LM, only this time with a fully-electric powertrain underneath.
As you’d expect, there’s plenty of room inside for up to seven passengers, and the interior offers its fair share of premium materials. The 90kWh battery pack allows the MIFA 9 to cover up to 273 miles on the WLTP combined cycle, which should prove plenty for family road trips. Maxus’s MPV is a good one, but the question is whether anyone will be prepared to shell out over £75,000 on a car from a relatively unknown brand.
Now read our list of the best family cars...
