Best family MPVS
£12,000 for a family MPV, but which one?
Our experts pick their favourite on a budget of £12,000
THE ECONOMICAL CHOICE Renault G. Scenic FOR: Smooth ride, spacious, economical AGAINST: Heavy seats, boot floor not flat
RENAULT’S previous-generation Grand Scenic was facelifted twice between its launch in 2009 and its recent replacement. And with the new model in dealers, finding a good used version is even easier. The old Mk3 is one of the best-value people carriers – it’s practical, efficient, roomy and a fine family car.
For around £12,000 you can have a Dynamique Tomtom version, featuring sat-nav as standard. A 25,000-mile 15-reg car can be yours for £11,357.
FIT and finish in the Grand Scenic is reasonable, but the cabin materials aren’t up to the standard of the Citroen’s. The kit list is good, though; most cars priced around this budget come with sat-nav as standard.
THE Renault was highly rated in our Driver Power 2016 satisfaction survey, taking the top spot in the MPV category. It scored particularly well with owners for its practicality and seat comfort.
THE COMFORTABLE CHOICE Grand C4 Picasso FOR: Upmarket cabin, comfortable ride AGAINST: Reliability concerns, pricey
THE Citroen Grand C4 Picasso rules the roost as our favourite people carrier, having won Best MPV at Auto Express’s New Car Awards for three years in a row.
For your budget, you’ll be looking at highermileage examples than with its competitors here, but you’ll be getting a car that’s practical, with a comfortable ride and an upmarket interior.
That makes examples like the 44,700-mile 14-reg model we found for £11,393 look like a real bargain.
INSIDE, the Picasso is fresh and funky, with soft-touch materials throughout making it feel every inch the plush people carrier. Its real strength is space, as its crisp design is also incredibly functional and roomy.
THE Grand C4 Picasso impressed owners with its ride comfort and practicality in our latest Driver Power poll. Build quality and reliability gave more cause for concern, though, and dragged the car down to 96th overall.
THE LEFT-FIELD CHOICE Ford Tourneo FOR: Very practical, not bad to drive AGAINST: Boxy looks, wide tailgate
FORD’S Tourneo Connect is essentially a hardworking Transit Connect van complete with a set of rear seats and windows. But if you’re looking for practicality, it’s a real winner.
Although it trails on style with boxy looks, the 913litre boot can be expanded to 2,410 litres if you fold the seats; load bays don’t get much more spacious.
Our classifieds search unearthed a 15-reg example with just 14,000 miles on the clock for £11,750.
THANKS to the panoramic roof on some models, there is lots of light inside the Ford. All versions are airy and fairly refined, and feature a soft-touch dashboard similar to the Fiesta’s. Robust plastics are used throughout.
THE Tourneo Connect didn’t chart in our survey, but Ford finished down in 26th in the manufacturer rankings. This model’s roots as a van bode well, with commercial vehicle drivers in Britain swearing by Transits for decades.