Volkswagen Touran

Radio-controlled cars may be only a fraction of the size of the real thing, but when you have to transport 20 of them (for our forthcoming Christmas test), you need serious space. And our Touran has it. We simply couldn't have got all the delivery boxes, fuel and radio gear into a conventional boot - but in the VW MPV we barely had to trouble the well thought-out rear seating. Stow the back chairs, flip the middle row forward and I was ready to have some remote-controlled fun.
Of course, running a car such as the Touran also means you're popular with anyone wanting to move anything bigger than the weekly supermarket shop. Production editor Gary Lord found the versatile VW ideal for shifting a washing machine - it could even be transported upright, reducing the risk of messy leaks. But the Auto Express DIY enthusiasts will soon have to look elsewhere, as VW's smallest MPV is departing our long-term fleet after eight months and 15,000 miles.
I will certainly miss it, because it did everything I asked of it. Whether hauling products for my job as consumer editor, towing a trailer or tackling a 50-mile commute, the Touran was never troubled. Star of the show is the 2.0-litre Pumpe D