Compare the best used MPVs and people carriers

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Blue Sharan Driving 2 scaled

Best used MPVs of 2024

Sometimes an SUV or estate car just won’t cut the mustard as family transport - particularly if you have a fair few kids (and all of their stuff)  to cart about from place to place. Enter the humble MPV or, as its more commonly known, people carrier - a vehicle that, as its name suggests, has been designed to, well, carry people. These uber-practical cars were extremely popular back in the day, but following the rise of the SUV they’ve fallen out of fashion somewhat. Today, that means you can snap up excellent deals on used people carriers, so if you’re in the market for properly practical family transport, here are some of the best used MPVs you can buy through carwow.

SEAT Alhambra

1. SEAT Alhambra

8/10
SEAT Alhambra review
As far as used MPVs go, the SEAT Alhambra makes for an excellent choice. It’s a proper seven-seater with enough room for a carload of adult passengers, and it has a decent-sized boot even with all of the seats in place. It’s comfy over long distances too, but it does look and feel pretty dull on the inside.
Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer

2. Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer

7/10
Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer review
If you want a practical used people carrier that’s also capable of turning heads with its out-there styling, the Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer is worth a look in. It too has room for seven adult passengers, and it looks pretty posh on the inside - particularly if you find a higher-spec model. The infotainment system is a bit of a pain to use though, and its automatic gearbox can be a bit clunky.
Volkswagen Sharan

3. Volkswagen Sharan

7/10
Volkswagen Sharan review
The Volkswagen Sharan is an excellent box-ticker. It’s comfortable to drive (find one with the optional adaptive suspension if you can), very well-built and with room for seven adults, it’s extremely spacious too. Those looks are pretty dull though, both inside and out. It’s also one of the pricier used MPVs you can go for.
Renault Grand Scenic

4. Renault Grand Scenic

7/10
Renault Grand Scenic review
The Renault Grand Scenic is another seven-seat MPV that majors on style appeal, and makes for comfortable family transport over long distances. That said, it’s not quite as spacious on the inside as other MPVs on this list, and interior quality falls a bit short in places. It’s a pity it doesn’t look as good on the inside as it does on the outside.
Ford Galaxy

5. Ford Galaxy

7/10
Ford Galaxy review

What's good

  • Massive boot
  • Seats seven with ease
  • Decent to drive

What’s not so good

  • Styling's a little drab
  • Uninspiring interior
  • Alternatives have better infotainment
Although the Ford Galaxy has plenty of space on the inside for both people and luggage, it’s let down by the fact that its cabin both looks and feels a wee bit drab. This large seven-seater drives like a much smaller car, however, and if you go for the automatic you can get adaptive cruise control.

What's good

  • Massive boot
  • Seats seven with ease
  • Decent to drive

What’s not so good

  • Styling's a little drab
  • Uninspiring interior
  • Alternatives have better infotainment
Volkswagen Touran

6. Volkswagen Touran

7/10
Volkswagen Touran review

What's good

  • Spacious for passengers
  • Good choice of engines
  • Easy to drive

What’s not so good

  • Boring looks
  • Alternatives are cheaper
  • Sat nav expensive on basic models
The Touran is another seven-seat Volkswagen, but this one’s smaller than the Sharan - so it can’t carry seven adults quite as easily. It has a smaller boot, too, but it remains an impressively comfortable MPV to drive, if not a particularly fun one.

What's good

  • Spacious for passengers
  • Good choice of engines
  • Easy to drive

What’s not so good

  • Boring looks
  • Alternatives are cheaper
  • Sat nav expensive on basic models
Ford S-Max

7. Ford S-Max

7/10
Ford S-Max review

What's good

  • Comfortable to drive
  • More fun than alternatives
  • Decent standard equipment

What’s not so good

  • Rearmost seats are cramped
  • Alternatives feel nicer inside...
  • ... and come with better infotainment
The Ford S-Max might be smaller and slightly less practical as a seven-seater than the bigger Galaxy, but if you want an MPV that’s surprisingly fun to drive, this is as good as it gets. Like the Galaxy, its interior looks pretty cheap, however, and the rearmost seats are only really suitable for children.

What's good

  • Comfortable to drive
  • More fun than alternatives
  • Decent standard equipment

What’s not so good

  • Rearmost seats are cramped
  • Alternatives feel nicer inside...
  • ... and come with better infotainment
Citroen Berlingo

8. Citroen Berlingo

6/10
Citroen Berlingo review

What's good

  • Enormous boot
  • Easy to drive in town
  • Frugal diesel engines

What’s not so good

  • Not very refined on the motorway
  • Surprisingly tight rear seats
  • Low-rent interior
This funky-looking people carrier is actually based on a van, but that’s no bad thing. It’s available with a range of smooth, efficient engines, and is actually surprisingly comfortable to drive. There’s a load of space for passengers and luggage, and the seating flexibility is excellent (provided you avoid the entry-level model).

What's good

  • Enormous boot
  • Easy to drive in town
  • Frugal diesel engines

What’s not so good

  • Not very refined on the motorway
  • Surprisingly tight rear seats
  • Low-rent interior
BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer

9. BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer

7/10
BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer review
This posh seven-seater is another MPV that’s surprisingly fun to drive, and being a BMW it feels pretty swish on the inside too. That said, the rearmost seats are pretty cramped so chances are you’ll leave them for the kids. Its firm suspension can make it a bit uncomfortable over bumps too, but that’s the price you pay for a heightened entertainment factor.
Peugeot Rifter

10. Peugeot Rifter

6/10
Peugeot Rifter review

What's good

  • Spacious interior
  • Practical sliding rear doors
  • Cheap running costs

What’s not so good

  • Spartan basic models
  • Lots of hard interior plastics
  • Bumpy ride
The Peugeot Rifter is essentially the same car as the Citroen Berlingo, only without the eye-catching styling. It’s smooth to drive and very spacious, but very dull to look at both inside and out. It’s cheap to run, but it has an oddly bumpy ride in comparison to the Berlingo.

What's good

  • Spacious interior
  • Practical sliding rear doors
  • Cheap running costs

What’s not so good

  • Spartan basic models
  • Lots of hard interior plastics
  • Bumpy ride

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Advice about used MPVs

Used MPV and people carriers FAQs

Although all of the cars on this list are capable of carrying seven people, some are more spacious than others. If you foresee yourself regularly having a carload of adults to cart about, check that the one you want to buy can actually fit them all in comfortably. Of course, you should also check to make sure any of the used MPVs you’re considering have a full service history, and are in good running order.

Any used MPV that has exceptionally high mileage might have been used as a taxi vehicle, so its interior could’ve been subjected to greater wear and tear. If you’re comfortable with this though, there’s no reason you shouldn’t consider one. In terms of reliability, some manufacturers are better than others. You can see what cars rank highly for reliability in our rundown of the most (and least) reliable second-hand cars.

A lot of manufacturers are moving away from producing new MPVs these days owing to the huge popularity of SUVs, so if you want a really good deal on a practical family car the used market will be a good bet. Chances are you’ll also be able to snag a car with plenty of desirable equipment for a good price if you look to the used market, too.