Top 100 Cars 2014: Top 10 MPVs (people carriers)

THE DAYS of being amazed because a multi-purpose vehicle has enough bottle holders to open a small off-licence, seats that fold flat into the floor, picnic tables and sliding side doors are long gone. These features are now standard fare and the cars in this class have most of them — and a few more tricks besides.

Clarkson says… “Many people do like cars of this type, in the same way that many people like marzipan. I admit, grudgingly, you get more space than in a hatchback”

So we have judged these MPVs not solely on how good they are as beasts of burden, but also on whether you might want to own one. Are they actually any good to drive? Are they stylish as well as practical?

If you think that’s a contradiction in terms then BMW, which has launched its first MPV, clearly disagrees.

1 Citroën C4 Grand Picasso

Imagine ringing your mates and suggesting they come and check out your new MPV. It sounds laughable, but if it’s this Citroën C4 Grand Picasso, you might want to do just that. With its all-round smoothness and swept-back windscreen, it is capable of drawing appreciative stares from most street corners — and that is a rare quality in an MPV.

Its interior is even better: it has so much glass that it’s as light and airy as a gondola on the London Eye, and your forward view is dominated by the sleekest-looking futuristic dashboard.

As if to prove that it isn’t aimed solely at middle-aged dads who, as Jeremy Clarkson once suggested, “have given up on life”, the hi-tech cabin lets its occupants connect with Facebook and Twitter (providing you subscribe to Citroën Multicity Connect). The C4 Grand Picasso is still good at the boring stuff, of course, reasonable to drive and even economical in its 115bhp, 1.6-litre diesel guise.

This Citroën is easily the most accomplished of the latest generation of family MPVs.

Price: £19,460-£28,110
Our pick: Exclusive e-HDi 115 Airdream, £23,510
Engine: 1560cc, 4 cylinders
Acceleration: 0-62mph: 12.1sec
Top speed: 117mph
Fuel | CO2: 70.6mpg | 105g/km

Browse the Citroën C4 Grand Picassos for sale on driving.co.uk

2 BMW 2-series Active Tourer

As well as being the first BMW MPV, this is also the first BMW to be front-wheel drive. Unsurprisingly, the company has got it right first time: with vast door bins, underfloor boot storage and a wealth of hidden cubby holes, this new MPV is as practical as veterans of the genre. Its interior is a cut above in style and quality, though, and folding down the seats frees enough space to lie down and sleep in.

But does it drive like a BMW? The 218d version gives a good blend of performance and economy, and while it can’t be mistaken for an M3 through corners, it’s good enough to do no harm to the credibility of its badge. For a compact MPV, that’s more than sufficient.

Price £24,205
Our pick 218d Active Tourer SE, £24,205
Engine 1995cc, 4 cylinders
Acceleration 0-62mph: 8.9sec
Top speed 127mph
Fuel | CO2 68.9mpg | 109g/km

Browse the BMWs for sale on driving.co.uk

3 Ford B-Max

The B-Max is innovative and attractive but not gimmicky. Its party piece is the lack of fixed side-window B-posts — opening the front and rear doors at either side reveals the entire, unimpeded length of the cabin. BMW’s similarly sized Active Tourer pips it to top spot in our “baby” MPV list.

Price: £12,995-£19,095
Our pick: 1.0T 100PS EcoBoost Titanium, £16,595
Engine: 999cc, 3 cylinders
Acceleration: 0-62mph: 13.2sec
Top speed: 109mph
Fuel | CO2: 55.4mpg | 119g/km

Browse the Ford B-Max for sale on driving.co.uk

4 Ford S-Max

The S-Max is so old that at the time of its launch Tony Blair had a year of his premiership left to run. And yet, while other MPVs now eclipse it for features (no sliding doors or space-age cabin here), if you want a seven-seat car that’s good to drive, there is little to touch it.

Price: £23,310-£33,085
Our pick: Titanium 2.0 TDCi 140PS, £26,045
Engine: 1997cc, 4 cylinders
Acceleration: 0-62mph: 10.2sec
Top speed: 122mph
Fuel | CO2: 53.3mpg | 122g/km

Browse the Ford S-Max for sale on driving.co.uk

5 Seat Alhambra

There’s a good reason for buying a Seat Alhambra: it’s one of the biggest MPVs on sale. Step through its sliding rear doors and you enter a world of adjustable fold-down seats, gigantic storage areas and Isofix child-seat fittings. Unlike some of its rivals, its seven seats provide plenty of room.

Price £25,630-£33,705
Our pick Alhambra SE 2.0 TDi CR Ecomotive 140, £27,510
Engine 1968cc, 4 cylinders
Acceleration 0-62mph: 10.9sec
Top speed 120mph
Fuel | CO2 50.4mpg | 146g/km

Browse the Seat Alhambras for sale on driving.co.uk

6 Ford Grand C-Max

Price: £19,745-£25,750
For Sliding rear doors; decent to drive
Against Less attractive than the Citroën C4 Grand Picasso

Browse the Ford Grand C-Max for sale at driving.co.uk

7 Vauxhall Zafira Tourer

Price: £20,195-£29,285
For Spacious interior; stylish cabin
Against No sliding rear doors

Browse the Vauxhall Zafiras for sale on driving.co.uk

8 Peugeot 5008

Price: £19,050-£26,415
For Far better to drive than you would think; flexible seating
Against Not much luggage space for a seven-seater

Browse the Peugeot 5008s for sale on driving.co.uk

9 Renault Scenic

Price: £17,955-£22,195
For A conventional, no-nonsense multi-purpose vehicle
Against Not as attractive or interesting as some of its rivals

Browse the Renault Scenics for sale on driving.co.uk

10 Citroën C3 Picasso

Price: £13,080-£18,050
For Large boot; good value for money
Against Rear legroom not generous

Browse the Citroen C3 Picassos for sale on driving.co.uk

Vote for your favourite!

Top 100 Cars 2014 sections

Search for and buy your next car on driving.co.uk

Top 100 Cars 2014: the fine print

Top 100 Cars is compiled by Andrew Frankel, Joseph Dunn, Dominic Tobin and James Mills. Prices are correct at the time of going to press; fuel-economy figures are for the combined urban and extra-urban cycle (source: Newspress); electric-car prices quoted include government grants where applicable.

News

Features

Diversions

Clarkson

Quotes

Classic Clarkson

Reviews

Video review

Extended tests

Products

Haynes How-Tos

Buying Guides

Advice

Advice

Driving Green

Interviews

Classic Cars

Luxx

Technology

Video