Top 10 best 8-seater cars to buy
Here are our picks for the best cars with room to seat up to eight people
Should you have a minibus company, lots of friends or even just a big family, you may well need a vehicle with at least eight seats and it can be a bit of a struggle to find something suitable.
If there are only three, four or five people in your household then you can’t move for options. Even bigger families are well catered for by assorted seven-seat MPVs (VW ID. Buzz / Dacia Jogger) and SUVs (Kia Sorento / Volvo XC90). Fear not, there are still some attractive and practical options out there if you need an eight-seater car.
Many of the cars listed below are based on vans. In the past, these van-based models have demanded plenty of compromise in terms of driving dynamics and luxury. But today's vans have stepped up in terms of the kind of kit they offer and the way they drive. Their interiors are also becoming well trimmed with carpet throughout and plenty of plastic cladding to cover up the metal bodies beneath. If you simply can’t be seen driving a car that looks like a van, we’ve also got a bit of an SUV-shaped curve-ball in our list.
Compare the 10 best 8-seater cars
You can compare our full review ratings for the best eight-seater cars using the table below, plus we’ve included comparison data for price, efficiency and boot space with all the seats in place.
| Rank | Car | Overall rating | Prices from | Max. WLTP efficiency/EV range | Boot space |
| 1 | Volkswagen Multivan | 4 | £49,913 | 43.5mpg | N/A |
| 2 | Land Rover Defender 130 | 4 | £84,070 | 31.6mpg | 389 litres |
| 3 | Ford Tourneo Custom | 4.5 | £58,213 | 131mpg | 797 litres |
| 4 | Vauxhall Vivaro Life Electric | 3.5 | £39,100 | 214 miles | N/A |
| 5 | Citroen e-SpaceTourer | 4 | £37,045 | 217 miles | 603 litres |
| 6 | Peugeot e-Traveller | 4 | £42,935 | 217 miles | 1,500 litres |
| 7 | Toyota Proace Verso Electric | 4.5 | £45,895 | 214 miles | 700 litres |
| 8 | Mercedes eVito Tourer | 3 | £54,230 | 217 miles | N/A |
| 9 | Renault Trafic Passenger | 4 | £49,505 | 42.2mpg | 1,050 litres |
| 10 | Ford Transit Custom Kombi | 4.5 | £41,770 | 138mpg | N/A |
Click the links in the table above or read on below to see our expert verdicts on the best 8-seater cars on the UK market..
1. Volkswagen Multivan
- Prices from £49,913
- Best balance between comfort and practicality
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Volkswagen still tops our list except where there was once a T6.1 Transporter in Shuttle/Caravelle form, there’s now the new Volkswagen Multivan that arrived as the replacement.
Don’t let the name fool you, it might look like a van but unlike its predecessor, the Multivan uses a car-based platform - VW’s MQB architecture to be exact. This means there’s the option of a 215bhp, 1.4-litre plug-in hybrid petrol - which would be our recommendation alongside the diesel models. The Multivan PHEV even comes with a somewhat useful 30 miles of electric-only range.
The real bonus to the Multivan are the removable, individual seats. There are three sets of floor rails which allow each one to slide back and forth independently and there’s also a practical table that can be folded away or removed altogether. The chairs can also rotate 180 degrees and are reasonably lightweight so you can turn the Multivan into a proper van pretty easily.
Utilising a car platform means the Multivan is also incredibly comfortable. Racking up long distances behind the wheel is no chore and there are plenty of handy storage compartments dotted around the cabin. Residual values tend to be great, too.
“The Volkswagen Multivan is the modern equivalent of the 1960s VW bus, a true classic. It’s as good as ever if you want a stylish and practical people-carrier.” - Dean Gibson, senior test editor
Latest Volkswagen Multivan deals
2. Land Rover Defender 130
- Prices from £84,070
- Most luxurious model on this list by far
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There’s not much out there that can rival the Land Rover Defender 130. If you have a big family, live atop a muddy hill and don’t fancy a Mercedes Unimog then the 130 is probably the only vehicle for you.
Up front it’s just like any other Defender. A well-balanced mix of tough materials and technology results in a premium look to the cabin that should also weather family life well. The middle row is also a welcoming place, with the standard fit panoramic sunroof providing plenty of light.
Building on the already rather large 110 Defender, the 130 has an extra 340mm behind the B-pillars making it 10cm larger than the latest seven-seat Range Rover. On the road it’s just as easy to drive as any other Defender and comfortable too with air-suspension and parking is a breeze with a 360-degree camera.
Third row occupants in most SUVs can only accommodate children but there’s genuine room for adults back there, although those in the middle-row will have to donate some leg space.
“The Defender is the ultimate luxury option, but it’s probably the least likely to be chosen by business users, as it’s very expensive to buy and run.” - Alastair Crooks, senior news reporter
Latest Land Rover Defender 130 deals
3. Ford Tourneo Custom
- Prices from £58,213
- Car-like to drive but van-like practicality
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The new Ford Tourneo Custom is a brilliant van-based MPV because it manages to hide its roots incredibly well. A more plush alternative to the similar Transit Custom Kombi, it drives like a car and the interior is very nice, especially when it comes to in-car tech. It’s a bit expensive to buy but certainly comes with all the kit you could want at the price, while bringing levels of interior space you’ll only find in a van-based model.
It’s available in diesel and hybrid forms, with the latter offering over 130mpg according to official figures. This isn’t likely to be possible in most real-world cases, but over 40mpg and regular access to low-cost and near-silent electric running is the main benefit of choosing that model.
“The Tourneo Custom is a versatile people-mover and probably one of the best options here if you’re not looking for something fancy. It’s just very good at what it does.” - Dean Gibson, senior test editor
4. Vauxhall Vivaro Life Electric
- Prices from £39,100
- Smooth and quiet electric model
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The Vauxhall Vivaro Life combines an EV powertrain with a strong level of practicality, plus it’s good value for money, sitting somewhere in between the Citroen and Peugeot versions of the same model. All are a great option, so choose the model you like the look of, or the one with the best deal on at your local dealer.
The latest version has a better 214-mile range than previous versions that had less than 150 miles available, but retains the smooth, quiet running and easy driving experience that we loved. It’s decent but not great to drive, as the suspension is still not the best at dealing with potholes and bumpy roads.
There’s lots of room inside, with seating for up to nine people and a big boot even with all the seats in place.
“Another benefit of the Vivaro Life Electric, along with other electric eight-seaters, is that you get long service intervals for lower overall running costs.” - Sam Naylor, Auto Express contributor
Latest Vauxhall Vivaro Life Electric deals
5. Citroen e-Spacetourer
- Prices from £37,045
- Good-value option, but base spec is bare
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Like the Vivaro Life Electric and Peugeot e-Traveller, the Citroen e-Spacetourer offers van-like practicality with emissions-free motoring. It goes further than that because you might be able to spot that the two cars share the same body. That means the same battery results in the same range and performance figures, as well as the interior layout. The Citroen trumps the others with a lower price, though.
Starting with the cheapest model, the e-SpaceTourer it’s pretty rudimentary inside so if you’re using it for family transportation then the mid-spec version would likely be a better fit with a larger central touchscreen, tinted windows, cruise control and some helpful little features like reading lights in the rear and automatic headlights.
At least the Citroen matches its rivals for interior space and has a lot of the same in-car tech available at a slightly lower price point. A new ten-inch screen available on certain models helps to modernise the interior a lot.
“Despite the new front-end look, the Citroen e-Spacetourer is feeling a little dated now. The new battery with increased range is a welcome addition, though.” - Dean Gibson, senior test editor
Latest Citroen e-SpaceTourer deals
6. Peugeot e-Traveller
- Prices from £42,935
- Updated model with modern-looking face
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The Peugeot e-Traveller is a great option for an electric eight-seater: it’s very roomy, cheap to run and has a useful range of around 217 miles. That’s not as good as some of the other electric MPVs here, but it’s enough for daily use if you have a charger and it’s also compatible with 100kW rapid chargers: it’ll take 45 minutes to charge between 10 and 80 per cent on one of those.
The interior layout is pretty much identical to the Citroen and Vauxhall, with the main difference being a switch for the gear lever rather than a dial. It comes fitted with tinted windows, rear parking sensors, three 12V sockets and a seven-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.
The middle row of the e-Traveller is removable - a handy touch to make it a six seater with a huge amount of storage space. That said, the Peugeot’s boot space is still a whopping 1,500 litres with nine people onboard.
“Updates to the battery have brought the range up from under 150 miles to over 210 miles, which is a useful amount and gives a bit more buffer for longer trips.” - Sam Naylor, Auto Express contributor
Latest Peugeot e-Traveller deals
7. Toyota Proace Verso EV
- Prices from £45,895
- Electric version now available
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The Toyota Proace is the brand’s version of the Traveller, SpaceTourer and Vivaro that you’ll see below in the list. In ‘Verso EV’ form that means it’s the MPV version rather than a van, and like its stablemates from Peugeot, Citroen and Vauxhall its powered by electricity, although the Toyota version has slightly worse range figures.
The best reason to choose the Toyota version is that it comes with up to ten years’ warranty, as long as you service it each year at an approved workshop. That beats the similar models by up to seven years, meaning the Toyota - despite being a bit expensive - is probably the best option for buyers looking at long-term ownership.
Practicality is as good as in all of these van siblings, meaning it’s very roomy inside - there’s 700 litres of boot space even with all the seats in place, so even with lots of passengers there’s room for luggage as well. It’s not the best to drive, but that’s easy enough to forgive as it’s otherwise a solid choice.
“There’s quite a bit of noise from the suspension as you drive along, which gives away the Proace Verso’s van roots. It’s not all that comfortable either.” - Dean Gibson, senior test editor
Latest Toyota Proace Verso deals
8. Mercedes eVito Tourer
- Prices from £49,505
- Van-based MPV with electric power available
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The Mercedes eVito Tourer does an excellent job of turning a simple, practical van into a premium-feeling, luxury people carrier.
The powertrain was improved in 2022 and now there’s a 100kW battery pack allowing for up to 217 miles of range - which rivals plenty of fully-electric cars, let alone van-based EVs. Maximum charging stands at 0-80 per cent in 40 minutes.
Eight seats are fitted to the eVito so some other electric vans in the list can hold more people, but none will offer the same amount of ride comfort and overall quietness as the Mercedes. Base-spec Pro models get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, air condition, safety systems such as active brake assist, attention assist and cruise control.
“The Mercedes eVito is a more upmarket choice and that’s reflected in the price, but it’s hard to justify that when there are newer, better-to-drive options available: the Merc is simply getting long in the tooth.” - Dean Gibson, senior test editor
9. Renault Trafic Passenger
- Prices from £54,230
- Van-based MPV with electric power available
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Another van-based people carrier, the Renault Trafic Passenger is a “best eight-seater” that actually has nine seats. Like others, this ninth seat is part of the front row so it can be inconvenient for adults to actually sit there, especially in models with a manual gearbox restricting knee room.
The Trafic Passenger is offered with three versions of Renault’s 2.0-litre dCi diesel engine, along with manual and automatic transmissions. Expect decent fuel economy of around 40mpg, or around 186 miles of range from the electric version (without passengers on board, naturally).
The cheapest models are pretty basic, with cruise control and tinted windows among the highlights on the spec list. You can upgrade to get a larger infotainment screen (that’s actually still quite small), various additional safety systems, alloy wheels and body-coloured bumpers.
“Even though the Trafic was first launched in 2014, updates over the years have kept it reasonably competitive, and it was a great basis to start with.” - Andy Goodwin, Auto Express contributor
10. Ford Transit Custom Kombi
- Prices from £41,770
- Roomy and good value
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The Ford Transit van is the backbone of British industry; it’s one of the biggest-selling vans ever and the Transit Custom Kombi is the slightly-smaller mid-sized version. It’s available in Kombi form as a minibus, offering seats for up to eight people and retaining a large boot space as well.
Since it’s a commercial vehicle rather than a car, it’s a cheap option for business users that skips a lot of the comforts found in more expensive models on this list. The interior is functional and smart rather than luxurious, and while the dash layout and steering wheel are a bit odd, you soon get used to it.
Plug-in hybrid powertrain options mean it’s capable of impressive efficiency numbers if you are doing a lot of short trips with time to recharge in between, but longer drives and sustained use are better done in the decent diesel versions. The good news is that it’s also great to drive, for a van, offering plenty of comfort and a nice easy driving experience especially in automatic models.
“Although the plug-in hybrid model boasts over 100mpg in official figures, expect closer to 45mpg for a more realistic figure in the real world.” - Dean Gibson, senior test editor
How to choose the best 8-seater car
There's still not much in the way of style with today’s 8-seat options but the more expensive executive shuttle-style models can feel pretty plush inside, if you can afford one on your family’s budget. With their large, boxy bodies and huge windows, these vehicles can still feel spacious, even when you're driving with a full load of passengers on board.
Another great advantage of the van-based people carrier is the seating flexibility on offer. In most van-based people carriers, the front two chairs will be fixed, but the second and third rows should offer a versatile range of seating layouts, from two rows of three-abreast seats, to seats facing each other. Some eight seaters have a dual passenger seat in the front but be aware that this isn’t always the most spacious seat for adult occupants.
Stronger owners will also be able to move seats and even remove them completely in some models to turn the people carrier back into a van - although you will need somewhere to store the seats when they're not in use.
Van-based people carriers can be large compared to purpose-built passenger cars, as they're normally based on mid-sized panel vans. But as they come with sliding side doors, access in tight spots is straightforward. To help with parking, most come with either a reversing camera or parking sensors, although sometimes these are optional rather than standard.
Even these large vehicles don’t always have a lot of luggage space when all eight seats are in use. The boot space can look generous when shown in litres on paper but in practice the load area behind the third row is often very tall with limited floor space. You’ll need to stack luggage to fit a lot in.
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