From Top 10 MPV Buying tips
http://www.which.co.uk/cars/choosing-a-car/buying-a-car/mpv-buying-tips/
Buying a car Top 10 MPV buying tips
MPVs are all about practicality. And this doesn't mean
merely people-carrying or luggage-stuffing - it's about being adaptable
and flexible too. MPVs may not be sexy, but they are probably the most
practical, versatile cars on the market.
Our top 10 buying tips will help you decide which MPV suits you best, and our Best Buy MPVs and people carriers guide tells you which cars we recommend.
Small but well-formed MPV: Vauxhall Meriva
Small MPVs are not about people-carrying - they'll be five-seaters - but they offer adaptable, practical cabin space at low cost. Some have handy space-saving sliding rear doors which open wide for easy access to the back seats, or, like the Vauxhall Meriva, clever rear-hinged doors that ease access for fitting child seats.
Mid-size MPVs like the Ford C-Max have much more room for luggage and can often be bought in seven-seater form, usually with a stretched wheelbase. Yet they still occupy no more road space than a regular hatchback, so they're efficient and practical.
Large MPVs have declined in popularity recently as their sheer size, price and running costs have turned buyers off. But for maximum carrying capacity and the option of transporting seven people plus their luggage, you can't beat the full-size MPVs like the Volkswagen Sharan, Seat Alhambra, or the Ford S-Max and Galaxy.
If you do need to carry seven people regularly, then make sure you can fit their luggage in, too. All but the very largest seven-seaters have seriously compromised boot-space when all their seats are occupied, and many seven-seaters suffer from cramped, hard-to-access rearmost seats.
Our Best Buy seven-seater guide reveals the seven-seaters that came top in our tests.
An interesting compromise is a six-seater, with two rows of three seats, though the Fiat Multipla and Honda FR-V are no longer on sale new.
Sliding rear seats can be a real bonus; you can push them back to increase rear legroom, or slide them forwards to improve boot space. Some cars also offer a small degree of recline on the rear seats – a good feature to stop kids’ heads lolling forwards if they fall asleep.
Having three separate seats for rear passengers rather than a single fixed bench is a great feature, especially if the seats are individually removable. However, some seven-seaters only have two usable middle-row seats, meaning that if you want to carry five people in comfort, you'll need to have the third row in place. And usually these rearmost seats are uncomfortable and eat up boot space.
MPVs are all about space and versatility
It's not just about volume, though. Check whether your MPV has a flat load floor with the seats folded, and look to see how low the load height is. Is the boot a boxy, tall shape, so you can fit in large and awkward objects? Is there an extra area under the boot floor?
Think about cabin storage too, for things like children’s toys and drinks. Underfloor storage in the rear footwell might seem useful, but not if you’re using an Isofix-mounted child car seat that has a support leg - these can't be placed on cubby holes.
If you need even more luggage space, look for cars with roof rails as standard - you can typically add up to around 100kg of luggage on rails in roof-top boxes.
Will your child seats fit easily?
If you need to fit child car seats, Isofix mounting points make this easier and quicker. But make sure these mounting points are easy to access, and take your child car seat along when you view a car to see how easy it is to fit.
Another clever new idea is Vauxhall's rear-hinged FlexDoor system on the Meriva, which makes life easier for anyone strapping kids into child seats.
Space bargain: Citroen Berlingo
Our top 10 buying tips will help you decide which MPV suits you best, and our Best Buy MPVs and people carriers guide tells you which cars we recommend.
Buying a car Top 10 MPV buying tips
MPVs are all about practicality. And this doesn't mean
merely people-carrying or luggage-stuffing - it's about being adaptable
and flexible too. MPVs may not be sexy, but they are probably the most
practical, versatile cars on the market.
Our top 10 buying tips will help you decide which MPV suits you best, and our Best Buy MPVs and people carriers guide tells you which cars we recommend.
Our top 10 buying tips will help you decide which MPV suits you best, and our Best Buy MPVs and people carriers guide tells you which cars we recommend.
Small but well-formed MPV: Vauxhall Meriva1. Size matters
MPVs are available in three distinct size categories: small, such as the Citroen C3 Picasso, medium (Ford C-Max) and large (Volkswagen Sharan). They're all very different in terms of their target market.Small MPVs are not about people-carrying - they'll be five-seaters - but they offer adaptable, practical cabin space at low cost. Some have handy space-saving sliding rear doors which open wide for easy access to the back seats, or, like the Vauxhall Meriva, clever rear-hinged doors that ease access for fitting child seats.
Mid-size MPVs like the Ford C-Max have much more room for luggage and can often be bought in seven-seater form, usually with a stretched wheelbase. Yet they still occupy no more road space than a regular hatchback, so they're efficient and practical.
Large MPVs have declined in popularity recently as their sheer size, price and running costs have turned buyers off. But for maximum carrying capacity and the option of transporting seven people plus their luggage, you can't beat the full-size MPVs like the Volkswagen Sharan, Seat Alhambra, or the Ford S-Max and Galaxy.
2. Five, six or seven seats?
It's very handy to have seven seats, even if your family isn't large enough to need all of them, all of the time. But ask yourself how often you really need to carry seven people - if it's only very rarely, you can potentially save a lot of money by choosing a five-seater.If you do need to carry seven people regularly, then make sure you can fit their luggage in, too. All but the very largest seven-seaters have seriously compromised boot-space when all their seats are occupied, and many seven-seaters suffer from cramped, hard-to-access rearmost seats.
Our Best Buy seven-seater guide reveals the seven-seaters that came top in our tests.
An interesting compromise is a six-seater, with two rows of three seats, though the Fiat Multipla and Honda FR-V are no longer on sale new.
3. The seating situation
You could argue that MPVs are all about their seats. Every single MPV has something clever to offer in the seating department, but there are a surprising variety of different ways of designing flexible seating - and some will suit certain families better than others.Sliding rear seats can be a real bonus; you can push them back to increase rear legroom, or slide them forwards to improve boot space. Some cars also offer a small degree of recline on the rear seats – a good feature to stop kids’ heads lolling forwards if they fall asleep.
Having three separate seats for rear passengers rather than a single fixed bench is a great feature, especially if the seats are individually removable. However, some seven-seaters only have two usable middle-row seats, meaning that if you want to carry five people in comfort, you'll need to have the third row in place. And usually these rearmost seats are uncomfortable and eat up boot space.
MPVs are all about space and versatility4. Your flexible friend
MPVs live or die by the flexibility and size of their luggage space. It's handy if the main boot is as big as possible, of course, and Which? Car makes independent measurements of boot space for every car we test. Check out the Comfort & Practicality sections of our MPV and people carrier reviews to find out exactly how much luggage each car can swallow.It's not just about volume, though. Check whether your MPV has a flat load floor with the seats folded, and look to see how low the load height is. Is the boot a boxy, tall shape, so you can fit in large and awkward objects? Is there an extra area under the boot floor?
Think about cabin storage too, for things like children’s toys and drinks. Underfloor storage in the rear footwell might seem useful, but not if you’re using an Isofix-mounted child car seat that has a support leg - these can't be placed on cubby holes.
If you need even more luggage space, look for cars with roof rails as standard - you can typically add up to around 100kg of luggage on rails in roof-top boxes.
5. You don't have to stop having fun
Start a family, stop having fun - that's the way things used to be. But the latest generation of MPVs can be just as much fun to drive as a regular hatchback. Take the Ford C-Max for instance: it's essentially a Focus underneath, and superb to drive. Other MPVs that drive crisply include the Vauxhall Meriva and Peugeot 5008. Will your child seats fit easily?6. MPVs and child seats
If you have three young children, all needing to be seated in child car seats, an MPV may be the only viable option to transport the entire family safely and securely, as many conventional cars can't accommodate three child seats abreast. Check the rearmost fold-up seats in seven-seaters too - not all can carry child seats.If you need to fit child car seats, Isofix mounting points make this easier and quicker. But make sure these mounting points are easy to access, and take your child car seat along when you view a car to see how easy it is to fit.
7. Doors and access
MPVs have become increasingly clever in terms of passenger access. Sliding doors are a real boon, especially in tight parking spots - the Ford Grand C-Max, Mazda 5 and Volkswagen Sharan all have very good sliding doors. Access to the rearmost row of seats in some seven-seaters is very tricky, but some (like the Mazda 5) offer easier walk-through access.Another clever new idea is Vauxhall's rear-hinged FlexDoor system on the Meriva, which makes life easier for anyone strapping kids into child seats.
8. Park life
Before you buy an MPV, check that you're comfortable with manoeuvring it. Seeing out is one issue, as many MPVs suffer from poor visibility (you may want to consider parking sensors or cameras). The sheer size of larger MPVs can be daunting too: parallel parking a wide MPV is tricky, and often the distance the car needs to make a turn can make low-speed manoeuvres unwieldy.9. Make sure you choose the right stuff
There are lots of family-friendly options for your MPV. For example, the more 12-volt power sockets you have, the better for items like phone chargers, sat navs, DVD players and handheld games consoles. What about fold-down trays? Or swivelling seats so passengers can face each other? Climate control is another must-have, as the large cabin space in MPVs takes a long time to heat up and cool down, and the large expanses of glass can take a while to demist. Space bargain: Citroen Berlingo10. How about buying a van?
Some MPVs are nothing more than commercial vans adapted to become MPVs by adding windows. But don't discount them just because of this - vans are built to carry as much as possible at low cost, after all. Van-based MPVs are among the best-value cars you can buy, and their practicality is usually second to none. Examples of these include the Citroen Berlingo, Renault Kangoo, Peugeot Partner Tepee, Citroen Nemo, Fiat Qubo, Peugeot Bipper Tepee, Fiat Doblo, Volkswagen Caddy Maxi Life and the full-sized Volkswagen Caravelle.
There
was a time when all a good MPV needed to do was to provide space for
all the family and their luggage, and have a big enough fuel tank to
cope with long motorway journeys.
Things are a little different now, though. Outright space is still critical, but how that space is packaged is even more important. A new people carrier should offer a versatile cabin that can adapt to a raft of scenarios. If it seats seven, does the rear pair of seats fold flat into the floor? Can its seats be moved and folded independently of each other? If you're specifically after something with seven seats, check out our guide to the best and worst 7 seaters.
Our favourite MPVs also need to impress us with a comfortable, relaxing cabin environment plus plenty of safety kit to protect passengers from harm. We’re looking for a generous standard specification, combined with running costs that won’t break the bank, too.
- See more at: http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/best-worst-mpvs-people-carriers/1201813#sthash.sg1jEh9f.dpuf
Things are a little different now, though. Outright space is still critical, but how that space is packaged is even more important. A new people carrier should offer a versatile cabin that can adapt to a raft of scenarios. If it seats seven, does the rear pair of seats fold flat into the floor? Can its seats be moved and folded independently of each other? If you're specifically after something with seven seats, check out our guide to the best and worst 7 seaters.
Our favourite MPVs also need to impress us with a comfortable, relaxing cabin environment plus plenty of safety kit to protect passengers from harm. We’re looking for a generous standard specification, combined with running costs that won’t break the bank, too.
- See more at: http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/best-worst-mpvs-people-carriers/1201813#sthash.sg1jEh9f.dpuf
There
was a time when all a good MPV needed to do was to provide space for
all the family and their luggage, and have a big enough fuel tank to
cope with long motorway journeys.
Things are a little different now, though. Outright space is still critical, but how that space is packaged is even more important. A new people carrier should offer a versatile cabin that can adapt to a raft of scenarios. If it seats seven, does the rear pair of seats fold flat into the floor? Can its seats be moved and folded independently of each other? If you're specifically after something with seven seats, check out our guide to the best and worst 7 seaters.
Our favourite MPVs also need to impress us with a comfortable, relaxing cabin environment plus plenty of safety kit to protect passengers from harm. We’re looking for a generous standard specification, combined with running costs that won’t break the bank, too.
- See more at: http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/best-worst-mpvs-people-carriers/1201813#sthash.sg1jEh9f.dpuf
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Things are a little different now, though. Outright space is still critical, but how that space is packaged is even more important. A new people carrier should offer a versatile cabin that can adapt to a raft of scenarios. If it seats seven, does the rear pair of seats fold flat into the floor? Can its seats be moved and folded independently of each other? If you're specifically after something with seven seats, check out our guide to the best and worst 7 seaters.
Our favourite MPVs also need to impress us with a comfortable, relaxing cabin environment plus plenty of safety kit to protect passengers from harm. We’re looking for a generous standard specification, combined with running costs that won’t break the bank, too.
- See more at: http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/best-worst-mpvs-people-carriers/1201813#sthash.sg1jEh9f.dpuf