The S-Max has long had a reputation for being the only large MPV you could buy and still keep your social life running. Its relatively sleek shape and dynamic driving experience (thanks to sharing a chassis with the Mondeo) meant that it was the family car of choice for someone who hadn’t quite given up on driving enjoyment yet. The only change from last generation to this, then, is that the S-Max is now a bit bigger, a bit roomier, bit more tax-efficient and a bit pricier. It does suffer from having a dashboard which, like that of the donor Mondeo, is a bit too plain and plasticky and the bigger, more expensive Galaxy is still a better choice if you regularly carry fully-grown adults in the third row, but otherwise this is still the top-drawer choice for those who have people to carry but want to do so with some enjoyment.
Best buy: S-Max Titanium 2.0 TDCI from €41,385. Prices start at €35,860.
PCP packages start from POA a month.
Read the review: Ford takes it to the Max . . . almost
Even VW insiders will tacitly admit that the old Touran MPV was more than a little dull, but this second generation model has rather made up for that. It’s never going to be truly exciting (what MPV is?) but the styling looks much sharper than it used to, and the interior has definitely taken a big step forward in both style and quality. Space is excellent, as you’d both hope and expect, but as with almost all cars in this class, the third row seating is really for small kids, not adults. You can have it with all manner of high-end options and bigger engines, but really you’re best off with a straightforward 1.6 TDI Comfortline. As a family car, it does the job nicely. If you don’t need seven seats, you can save yourself a few quid and get the five-seat Golf SV instead - they’re basically the same car.
Best buy: Touran 1.6 TDI Comfortline from €33,745. Prices start at €29,725
PCP packages start from €324 a month.
You’ve got to hand it to the French - they know how to make a good family car, and the C4 Picasso (especially the seven-seat Grand Picasso version) is a perfect illustration of that skill. It ticks all the roomy, functional and comfortable boxes which you need, but then it adds styling that looks as if it were originally designed as a Star Trek shuttle. That’s carried on inside, where you get one but two massive display screens for your instruments and infotainment. The menus and functions are a little fiddly, it’s true, but there’s no other MPV with a cabin quite so striking as this. The 1.6 BlueHDI diesel engine is generally excellent and the optional EGS automated manual gearbox is far, far better than once it was.
Best buy: C4 Grand Picasso 1.6 BlueHDI 120hp VTR+ from €31,295. Prices start at €24,945.
PCP packages start from €134 a month.
Wild card:
So, you need the space for seven full-sized persons and their luggage, but don’t want to sacrifice luxury nor comfort? Well, then, Mercedes has the solution in the shape of the V-Class. For a kick off, it’s not just a van with windows. Well, of course it is really, but the passenger versions of the V-Class have a much more stylish dashboard than that of the Vito van, and it does a reasonable impression of a high-rise E-Class inside. In the back, you can really go to town with seat layouts and extra trim and equipment, until you start to feel that the badge should be Gulfstream rather than Mercedes. The altitude of the price tag climbs about as fast as a business jet too… Don’t expect saloon-like dynamics on twisting roads, but it’s an awesome motorway tool.
Best buy: V220 Bluetec Avantgarde Auto LWB from €64,380. Prices start at €52,950.
PCP packages start from €631 a month.
Buying used?
The Carens name has been around for quite some time (the first generation came along in 1999) but this is the first Carens which you could actually buy for reasons other than cheapness or longevity of warranty. Of course, those are still both entirely valid reasons to buy one, and the fact is that the Carens is better-equipped as standard for the same price as most rivals, and it comes with the reassurance of that seven years of cover - a vital bit of second hand market salesmanship. This model was only recently introduced, in 2013, so it’s too soon to say precisely what needs checking on a second hand version, beyond the obvious history and background checks and making sure that it comes with a full service history. The 1.7 CRDI diesel seems to be a long-lived and reliable unit and the cabins should stand up to rough and tumble from the family, albeit we’ve heard of issues of squeaking and rattling trim setting in early.
Best buy: 2013 Carens 1.7 CRDI TX for circa €20,000.