SUV v MPV v Hatch - used test

One of the tallest orders for modern car designers is to come up with a vehicle which can withstand the rigours of everyday family use.

From spilled drinks to muddy footprints, models in this class are put through a lot during their working lives. But is a hatch, people carrier or SUV the best bet for durable family motoring? To find out, Auto Express headed to the village of Drakes Broughton, near Pershore, Worcs, where we met three families who chose one of each.

None of these vehicles is shielded from the hazards of 21st century life: our trio of cars is stretched to the limit every day, whether it’s commuting to work or carrying out the school run, taking the family shopping or going on holiday. That means the owners demand an impeccable blend of
reliability, comfort and practicality.

Lining up are two Japanese cars and one American model. You may think you’ll be able to guess how the three would compare – but you could be in for a surprise. Read on to find out what the families think.

Verdict

No matter how many people you need to carry – or how much you have to spend – it’s clear there is plenty of choice on offer for family car buyers.

So is a hatchback, an MPV or an SUV best? As ever, it comes down to your circumstances and personal taste. The Wilcoxes wouldn’t consider anything but a seven-seater MPV, yet they carry up to seven people at a time. A five-door hatch is perfectly adequate for the five-strong Branfield family, while the Paynes find a 4x4 suits their needs best.

There has to be a winner, though, and that accolade goes to the traditional family hatch. Not only are they cheaper to buy and run than their more practical MPV and SUV stablemates, they’re typically better to drive as well. And with so much choice, there really is a car to suit every budget.

While larger families and those needing four-wheel drive will have to go for something else, simple hatchbacks represent amazingly good value.

The key is to decide what you need from your family transport, then stick to a budget. We’d look at model-specific online forums, too, to find out what owners say about their cars. You may uncover a few surprises.