With the assorted clutter needed for young children these days, it’s easy to see why a typical five-seater quickly runs out of room. If that sounds familiar, you’ll want to read through our list of the best seven-seaters for a growing family.
With petrol and diesel on their way to being obsolete from 203 onwards, we’ve included plug-in hybrid and electric options on our list. If you’re looking at second hand cars, don’t forget to check an online valuation tool to make sure you’re getting a good deal, and check out the DVLA website to double check how much tax you’ll be paying every year.
Volvo XC90
If you’re looking for a family car, safety will no doubt be near the top of your list of priorities. That’s an area where the XC90 excels, proving to be one of the safest cars available by helping to prevent you having an accident in the first place, and protecting you exceptionally well in a crash.
Whether you go for a petrol, diesel or plug-in hybrid you get seven seats suitable for adults and a luxurious ambience. It is a pricey option, though.
Peugeot 5008
Despite the 5008’s SUV styling, it’s actually a cleverly packaged MPV. The third row is best left to children and smaller adults, but the middle row has three individual seats that make fitting three Isofix child seats side by side easy.
This isn’t just a practical box on wheels, though. The interior has a distinctive style to it and it’s made from plenty of classy materials. With efficient engines, it’s a great choice.
Citroen Berlingo
There are no prizes for guessing that the Berlingo is essentially a van with windows, although that’s no bad thing. The interior is a little more workmanlike than most options on this list, but it’s very spacious with plenty of space even in the third row.
A choice of frugal petrol and diesel engines is available with manual and automatic gearboxes. Best of all, it’s one of the cheapest options on this list.
Ford S-Max
The MPV isn’t a particularly fashionable choice, but the S-Max proves it’s still a good one. It’s surprisingly sharp to drive and the addition of a hybrid version in 2021 makes it very efficient around town. However, the interior is starting to look a bit dated and the third row seats are a little tight.
Volkswagen Caravelle
Another van-based MPV, although the Caravelle is a fair bit bigger than the Berlingo above. It’s also more flexible with seats that can be folded, rotated or removed entirely depending on how you want to configure the interior. It’s certainly plush, especially if you tick a few option boxes, but is unmistakably a van when it comes to the driving experience.
Land Rover Defender 110
If you need a seven-seater with serious off-road ability and decent manners on it, look no further than the Land Rover Defender. The smooth six-cylinder diesel engines available from 2021 onwards are a delight, as is the easy-clean interior that still has an appealing style. There are more spacious options out there, but none as desirable.
Kia Sorento
The Sorento combines bold styling with the choice between diesel, hybrid or plug-in hybrid power. All come as standard with seven seats and four-wheel drive while even base trim gets plenty of equipment. Not only is it a practical choice, it should be a reliable one and comes with the added reassurance of a seven year warranty.
Mercedes-Benz EQV
Like the Caravelle, the EQV is a van based MPV although one powered entirely by electricity. It’s an exceedingly spacious and luxurious option yet still has a gigantic boot even with all seven seats in place. A real world range of around 150 miles beats lesser electric MPV rivals, although you pay a hefty price to get all that.
Tesla Model X
Sticking to electric options, the Tesla Model X is arguably the most desirable of them all. With rapid acceleration, those dramatic ‘falcon wing’ doors and Tesla’s excellent charging network, it makes a lot of sense if seats six and seven are for occasional use only. It’s an expensive choice and Tesla build quality isn’t the greatest, though.
Mercedes-Benz GLS
If you need maximum luxury from your seven-seat SUV, the GLS is well worth a look. The leather-lined interior has lots of space and the 400d diesel is reasonably efficient and pretty punchy. If that’s too sensible, the 612hp GLS63 is ridiculously fast.