Best used MPVs and people carriers to buy 2025

​Multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs) — also known as people carriers — have been overtaken by sportier and more rugged SUVs as the large family car of choice for many drivers, but no model type can outdo the MPV for sheer practicality and space. So, while they may not be as stylish, these cars are still a fantastic choice for families, and the best used MPVs make for some literally huge bargains.

The best used MPVs to buy 

While the choice of brand-new MPVs has shrunk over the years, there are still plenty to choose from in the classifieds. So which model should you choose? Our experts have put every model to the test and have rounded up the very best used MPVs to buy right now. Read on to find them listed below.

1. Dacia Jogger

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Multi-Purpose Vehicles were once in vogue, and lots of car makers produced purpose-built people carriers with brilliant packaging and astonishing versatility. Those days are largely over, but there are still numerous van and estate-based MPVs that do a great job. One of our favourites, especially as a used car, is the Dacia Jogger – for many great reasons.

When orders for the Jogger opened in 2021, Dacia claimed it blended the practicality of an estate with the spaciousness of an MPV, alongside the styling of an SUV, creating a family car in a class of its own. Just one turbocharged petrol engine was offered, the 1.0-litre three-pot TCe 110, but at the start of 2023 the Hybrid 140 joined the range, with an electrified 1.6-litre petrol unit – Dacia's first such model.

We love the Jogger for all of the same reasons we love most of Dacia’s other models. You don’t need to make excuses for shortcomings due to the cost – because there aren’t any major issues. Sure, the Euro NCAP rating is poor, but that’s not because the car will fold up in a crash; it’s because Dacia has decided not to fit many of  the driver-assistance systems some people don’t want.

What Dacia does provide is lots of equipment that will make your journey more comfortable; the powertrains are excellent, as is the cabin space. Even with seven people on board, the boot is perfectly usable, and although the cabin materials are far from luxurious, they’re tough and the build quality is genuinely very good.

Equipment levels are also impressive; even the entry-level Expression has niceties such as air-con, cruise control with speed limiter, and rear parking sensors. Prices start from around £12,000, but we were rather taken by the 17,000-mile 1.0 TCe Expression on Auto Express Buy a Car, priced at a very tempting £13,995.

Used Dacia Jogger deals

2. SEAT Alhambra

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Incredibly roomy inside, a genuine seven-seater and rather good to drive, the SEAT Alhambra was the sister model to the Volkswagen Sharan and came with some excellent VW Group engines and transmissions that make long-distance family journeys a breeze. And the best bit? You can buy an early high-mileage, second-generation Alhambra for as little as £4,000.

Used SEAT Alhambra deals

3. Citroen Berlingo

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Some of the best MPVs are based on light commercial vehicles and they don’t hide the fact. The Citroen Berlingo is such a car and it’s all the better for it. Filled with neat touches to improve its practicality, the Berlingo is also good to drive. Sold in petrol, diesel and electric forms, in two lengths and with five seats or seven, these Mk3s Berlingos are now priced from £8,000.

Used Citroen Berlingo deals

4. Citroen Grand C4 Picasso/SpaceTourer

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If you prefer something more car-like and not so obviously van-based, the wedge-shaped Citroen Grand C4 Picasso should be just the ticket. Launched in 2014 but renamed Citroen Grand SpaceTourer in 2018, it offered an wide range of petrol and diesel engines and manual or automatic transmissions. The Auto Express Buy a Car Service has a 42,000-mile Grand C4 SpaceTourer 1.5 BlueHDi from 2022 available to buy now for just £14,850.

Used Citroen C4 SpaceTourer deals

5. Volkswagen Touran

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More compact than the other contenders here, the Volkswagen Touran Mk2 is everything you would expect from the brand. It isn’t exciting to drive, but it goes about its job unobtrusively. The dashboard is easy to understand, the build quality is superb, and there’s a choice of perky and efficient petrol and diesel engines for this trusty seven-seater. It's great for tackling anything with the family, and you can buy one from just £6,000.

Used Volkswagen Touran deals

6. Vauxhall Zafira Tourer

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Although Renault invented the compact MPV with the original Megane Scenic, it was Vauxhall that perfected the formula with its first-generation Vauxhall Zafira. A third row of seats was key to achieving that class-leading position when the car was launched in 1999, and the same was true of the all-new model that arrived in 2005. This in turn was supplemented (then superseded) by the more upmarket Zafira Tourer in 2012. Whether you buy one of the original Zafira Tourers or a post-2016 facelifted car, it’ll be refined and comfortable, plus of course, brilliantly spacious.

Used Vauxhall Zafira Tourer deals

7. Honda FR-V

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Honda has a history of doing things differently – as it did with the FR-V. With a novel three-seat layout in the front, it combines space for six and compact exterior dimensions. Its reliability is bulletproof, while the trade-off for a firm ride is accurate handling.

8. Renault Grand Scenic

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Renault pioneered the compact MPV class with the Renault Scenic back in 1996, and it’s been a contender for decades through multiple iterations, including the even more spacious Grand Scenic version. The fourth-generation Renault Grand Scenic MPV arrived in 2016, and it followed the same formula that brought its predecessors so much success: seven seats are offered, although the body is no wider than the standard five-seat Scenic.

A plentiful engine line-up with both petrols and diesels to choose from ensures that you can get the engine that strikes the right balance between performance and fuel economy for your needs. Five- and six-speed manual gearboxes were standard, while a dual-clutch gearbox was an option on the 1.5-litre diesel and standard on the more powerful 1.6-litre diesel. These diesels are the more capable options in the line-up thanks to the torque on offer, which should cope better when the car is at capacity with passengers.

Used Renault Grand Scenic deals

9. Ford Galaxy

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Given Ford’s long-standing reputation for offering a car that will suit just about any kind of family, it comes as no surprise that one of the most popular MPVs in the UK, the Ford Galaxy, appears on this list. The third-generation model arrived in 2015, with clean examples now available for less than £8,000.

The Mk3 Galaxy is (typically for Ford) available with a wide choice of engines: 1.5- and 2.0-litre petrols sit alongside a 2.0-litre diesel that produces either 119, 148 or 177bhp. A 237bhp version of the diesel was added in 2018. Most used examples you’ll find will be diesels, with their better torque and higher fuel economy making them more popular than the petrol alternatives. Manual or automatic gearboxes are available too and both perform well.

Used Ford Galaxy deals

10. Ford S-MAX

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The Ford S-MAX is a car that adds a slightly more driver-focused and sporty take on the MPV formula, given its lower roofline that makes it a little sleeker than rivals, although this reduces luggage capacity. However, the S-MAX represents brilliant value for money as a used car, and Ford’s impressive engines make it both enjoyable to drive and easy on your wallet.

Used Ford S-Max deals

The best used cars to buy now

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