Used MPV for sale

Who are MPVs suitable for?

MPVs, or multi-purpose vehicles, usually offer a lot of interior space, so they’re great for families as well as anybody who spends a lot of time sharing the car with other passengers.

The best used MPVs cater to a wide range of needs, such as parents running the local football club who ferry all the kit to and from sessions or the adventurous types who will pack the boot with camping and hiking gear.

MPVs aren’t limited to just families though – even businesspeople and tradespeople will benefit from the extra space on offer.

Many van-based models have useful boxy dimensions with the added practicality of a few extra seats in the back, so they can double as workhorses.

Popular MPVs

Before SUVs were all the rage, the default option for families upgrading to a bigger car was the MPV, which means there’s a wide range of used MPVs for sale wherever you look.

You can pick from budget-friendly and more premium options, but Ford MPVs are among the most popular simply because there are so many. Beginning with the five-seater B-Max and C-Max, the range climbs up to seven-seater Grand C-Max, S-Max and Galaxy models.

There are also three Transit van-based variants, called the Tourneo Courier, Tourneo Connect and Tourneo Custom.

VW MPVs offer a more refined package, and the choice here is just as good. Models include the Golf SV, Touran and Sharan.

If you’ve got deeper pockets or style is important to you, premium alternatives like BMW MPVs might be more appealing. The 2 Series Active Tourer and 2 Series Gran Tourer, with five and seven seats respectively, are especially appealing.

MPV practicality

Some of the standout features of MPVs for sale are related to practicality, so if that’s what you’re after in a car, then this type of vehicle will really suit you.

In terms of seating, most options start with five seats, but unlike conventional hatchbacks, MPVs often have more space in the back and, in some cases, three separate seats, so fitting three adults side-by-side should be easier.

The biggest MPVs also have two foldout seats in the rear, which are usually only good enough for children, but adults can sometimes use them depending on the model you’re looking at.

Boot space is also a key highlight of MPVs, with many featuring flat-folding seats that create a smooth loading bay without any awkward bumps.

Sometimes even the front passenger seat will fold flat, so if you need to carry long lengths of timber home from your local DIY shop, you won’t even need to pay for special delivery.

This type of car, sometimes informally called the people carrier, can also be useful for those with additional mobility requirements. Wide-opening doors and high-up seats make getting in straightforward, and the slightly raised driving position combined with lots of glass makes it relatively easy to navigate tighter spaces.

What size MPVs are available?

MPVs come in all shapes and sizes, starting with supermini-type models like the Honda Jazz, Nissan Note and Kia Venga.

Although they’re not typically marketed as MPVs by their makers, they share some of those common features like ease of getting in and out, and plenty of front and rear seat adjustability.

The real MPV class starts with the five-seater, but there are bigger options with seven seats, too.

Most are based on cars, and therefore have conventional doors, but there are some models with sliding rear doors. Then there are cars like the Vauxhall Meriva, which has Rolls-Royce-like rear-hinged rear doors. Fancy. And practical.

Apart from car-based models, there are also van-based models. These generally have independent seats, so they’re better for carrying more adults, but tend to have less adjustability. Seating can range from two or three up to seven and beyond, sometimes to nine.

MPV practicality and efficiency

We’ve already shared just how practical an MPV can be for getting passengers and luggage in, so you’d be forgiven for thinking that these big cars can be expensive to run.

In fact, as a rule of thumb, they can be more economical than a similarly sized SUV because they’re more aerodynamic, which means they use less fuel to glide through the air.

Then there’s the fact that they’re almost always two-wheel drive, with the exception of some high-spec models, so they don’t need the heavy 4x4 system that some SUVs have.

MPVs are mostly designed for practical use cases, so rarely come with performance engines, which means they’re almost always geared towards efficiency.

Some, like the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, are also available with hybrid or plug-in hybrid powertrains, helping to cut the cost of motoring around town.