Top 10 7 Seaters

BMW targeted a gap in the market with the 2 Series Gran Tourer. Premium market families with more than 3 children would previously have to buy a big seven-seat SUV or move down the pecking order and buy an MPV from a more mainstream manufacturer. The 2 Series Gran Tourer is the first seven-seat MPV from a prestige manufacturer. This car is targeted at buyers who currently use cars like the Ford Grand C-Max or Volkswagen Touran, who will be impressed by the huge levels of practicality and usability of the new BMW, not to mention the agile and dynamic driving experience.

The Touran might be a bit of a conservative choice when looking for a 7 seater, but it’s very much a safe bet. You get smart, sophisticated styling on the exterior as well as a functional, practical interior. You get a nice big range of engines to choose from, the 2.0 diesel offering the best power to economy balance. This isn’t the Sharan though, it’s not their biggest 7 seater. The Touran is quite a bit smaller than the Ford Galaxy and SEAT Alhambra, but it’s on par with the Grand C4 Picasso, S-Max and the new 2 Series Active Tourer and against these competitors it leads the way in terms of interior space.

Next up is the new S-Max from Ford. It’s difficult to create a people carrier that’s easy on the eye; they’re all going to be somewhat bulging and imposing, but Ford have done a rather good job with their latest S MAX. We reckon it’s the best handling on the market and comes with a string of engines that will entertain the driver immensely. The handling characteristics also flatter the one behind the wheel; we felt that the S-Max seemed to handle more like a large sporty hatchback than a big people carrier. Go for one of the 4 diesel engines and expect up to 56mpg in return, but the lesser powered (118bhp) one does run out of juice quickly. It’s equally difficult to recommend the highest powered diesel (207bhp) because it’s quite a bit more expensive to buy and doesn’t justify the difference over the 178bhp or 148bhp models. 

The new Q7 is a properly large vehicle which demands respect on the roads. The front end is intimidating and not-so-subtly instructs other road users to move over. As 4x4s go, this is an extremely imposing piece of kit, which at the same time is actually rather pretty. The new Q7 shares a lot of its underpinnings with the (extremely expensive) Bentley Bentayga, but it also comes with the option of 7 seats as well as some exceptional engine choices and a raft of luxury options. All of this doesn’t come cheap, though! The SE model starts at £49,505 which is expensive by anyone's books. You get a lot as standard though and you won’t feel obliged to shell out for optional extras as all models are relatively well equipped. 

Have a read of our full review of the Audi Q7 here...

A lot of 7 seaters on the market are good for 5 adults and 2 little’uns on the rear row, which is fair enough as these cars are intended for family buyers with young children. Young children grow up though and eventually the family buyers will need to change up due to the leg room becoming too short in the rear row, not the Alhambra. This is a 7 seater that can genuinely fit 7 people in relative comfort, even those over the 6 foot mark will be able to sit comfortably in the back seats. Great stuff. What’s better is that the Alhambra is powered by the VAG engines, so the same as the Touran and Sharan. These are highly reliable turbo-units, particularly in diesel form.

There’s a brand spanking new 5008 hitting the market very soon and you need to forget everything you know about the 5008 up to this point, as this new model is a completely different beast. The car is no longer a cross-breed of people carrier and SUV, it’s now just an out-and-out SUV and we think the styling is best-in-market. Prices are yet to be confirmed but we expect the new model to land itself between £23,000 - £25,000. Can’t wait until launch? Then go and enquire about the current model, it’s still a great car and there’ll be some competitive deals going as it comes to the end of its production.

This car needs no introduction, while countless manufacturers have tried, none have been able to surpass the incredible Range Rover Sport, which is by far the most luxurious, prestigious and capable 4x4 in this list. The Range Rover Sport features the off-road technology which made the Range Rover famous, as well as the interior and ride quality that made the car one of the most desirable on the roads. Naturally, this does come at a rather steep price, the Sport starts from £60,015 but that only gets you 5 seats, you have to add on another £1,500 to get that extra rear row...

Skoda had never released a seven seat car until the Kodiaq came along. This is a bulky SUV that shares its underpinnings with cars like the SEAT Ateca, Audi Q2 and VW Tiguan, while offering a package sizeable enough to compete with the new Nissan XTrail and Land Rover Discovery Sport. You've got loads of options with the Kodiaq; petrol or diesel? manual or automatic? Front wheel drive or four wheel drive? This level of flexibility ensures that consumers will have no problem finding a Kodiaq that suits themselves and their budget.

Read our full review of the Skoda Kodiaq here

The X-Trail from Nissan is the popular elder brother of the top-selling Qashqai. It is a different beast though, with more rugged styling and an eagerness to get off the beaten track and into the wilderness. Featuring a capable 4x4 system, this is a car that will really appeal to the outdoors types among us. Now is a really good time to talk to your local dealership about an X-Trail - as there is a new model only months away, so deals will be looking good for the meantime. Keep your eyes peeled for the review of the new X-Trail, we've already been and driven the car but we've been told to keep quiet about it until the 1st of August.

You can read our full review of the X-Trail here...

The XC90 has really put Volvo back where it belongs in the hierarchy of manufacturers. It’s fair to say that the Swedish manufacturer did fall behind the German competitors in the ‘noughties.’ Thankfully there’s now a revised Volvo range featuring some incredible technological advances and safety features that will blow you away (literally, pedestrian airbags!) The XC90 is best served in the top-spec T8 Twin-engine, which is a non-hipster way of saying ‘Hybrid’. This spec uses a 2.0litre 4cylinder engine to propel the 2.5tonne tank from 0-60mph in just over 5 seconds and returns 134.5mpg as well. No, those numbers are not misprinted.

You can read our full review of the Volvo XC90 here...