Launched in 2010, and only put out to pasture in 2020, the SEAT Alhambra is one of the best seven-seat MPVs you can buy. The Alhambra is also very similar to its Volkswagen Group cousin, the Volkswagen Sharan, which is a bit more expensive but less aesthetically-pleasing inside. If you’re looking at a life of nappies, toilet breaks and mornings at the soft play centre, this is the kind of vehicle you’ll want to have on your shortlist. 

Firstly, unlike the vast majority of the 7-seat SUVs available, it offers genuine seating for seven. That’s seven in comfort, not five plus two in the back row squeezed in like sardines. Secondly, you can fold the third row of seats away to reveal a massive 658 litres of space (or a huge 2297 litres with the middle row folded down as well). The sliding rear doors – electrically operated on some models – make it easier to get children safely seated in tight parking spaces. 

In addition to being practical, the Alhambra is actually pretty good to drive because it’s based on a Volkswagen car platform, rather than van underpinnings like some MPVs. There’s also a good range of engines, including a surprisingly rapid turbocharged petrol that is perfect for the school run. The torquey diesels are great for long journeys, or when travelling seven-up.

The Ford B-MAX offers a good driving experience, impressive spec and low running costs, which makes it hard to beat when it comes to getting your family from A to B. While a car this small was never going to be able to carry seven people, Ford managed to boost the practicality of its mini-MPV by installing a pair of sliding rear doors.

Better yet, it went one further and did away with the B-pillar - the vertical beam you normally get between the front and rear doors - by incorporating strengthening into the doors themselves, leaving a huge aperture that made it a breeze to get into the rear seats. Being based on the Fiesta of the time, the engine range is wider than you get with most cars, with a choice of four petrols and two diesel versions depending on the model year, and a Powershift automatic gearbox is available, too.

You might not be intending to hurl your B-MAX down a country road on the way home from school, but a car that steers and rides with confidence is always preferable to one that doesn’t. On the downside, it isn’t very premium inside, but it represents good value. Production ended in 2017, but there are plenty of used examples out there.

It might not be the most fashionable of family cars, but when it comes to affordable running costs, value for money and eight-seater practicality, few MPVs can match the Citroen SpaceTourer. Put simply, it’s a van turned people carrier, with the traditional load space replaced with two rows of seats and windows. Three versions of the SpaceTourer are available, too, named XS, M and XL, with the biggest being 5.3-metres long while the ‘compact’ version measures 4.6 metres in length. Five seats are standard, though buyers can specify seven, eight or nine seats.

All versions are well-equipped as standard, with cruise control, parking sensors and a full-size spare wheel. A hands-free opening for the motorised sliding doors (operated by waving a leg under the side skirts) is also an optional extra. The Citroen is also one of the most-efficient large MPVs you can buy, with its official economy beating the Ford Transit Custom by as much as 10mpg.

However, while the economy outshines its rivals, the big Citroen seldom feels as sharp or as good to drive as the Ford. That said, the SpaceTourer is nimble enough at low speeds and refinement is generally good. And, with its five-star Euro NCAP rating and high levels of standard equipment, it’s an appealing choice.

You might recognise the Toyota Proace Verso as the taxi that picked you and eight friends up from the pub recently. But, joking aside, the Proace Verso is a practical van-based MPV aimed predominantly at taxi drivers and airport shuttle firms. But it can also make a good choice for those with a big family, as long as you aren’t hoping to win any style contests.

It was also built as part of a joint agreement with Citroen and Peugeot, so the Citroen SpaceTourer and Peugeot Traveller are very similar. However, the Proace is sold with Toyota's 100,000-mile warranty that could last up to ten years if you get it service at a Toyota main dealer. It also offers low running costs and high levels of standard equipment.

Those in need of a fully-fledged nine-seater will have to opt for the entry-level Shuttle trim; these get three rows of seats and a useful tilt-and-tumble feature that makes it easy to move seats to get in and out of the third row. The only thing that holds Toyota’s MPV back is the price, which can be a bit steep for private buyers.

The Volkswagen ID.Buzz is effortlessly cool. A modern-day reimagining of the hippy-chic Volkswagen Type 2 Bus from the 1950s, this all-electric MPV has more style and image than any SUV, yet it offers huge space for passengers, and a huge boot as well. The interior is as stylish as the outside, and the quality is also seriously impressive.

Granted, it's not the most practical or most versatile car on this list. It's only available with five seats initially, but it won't be long before a seven-seater version hits the market. It's also a brilliant car to drive, with a smooth ride and surprisingly eager handling to complement its smooth and punchy electric drivetrain.

The Grand C-MAX is one of the smallest 7-seaters you can buy, but it packs a lot of practicality into its relatively small footprint, making it a good option for small families.

The Grand C-MAX costs more than the five-seat Ford C-MAX, but that money gets you sliding rear doors and a third row of small seats in the boot. The extra seats simply pull up from the boot floor and you then have room for seven. However, with all the seats up the boot is tiny.

Yet, it makes up for that by being one of the best seven-seat family cars to drive, bar none. Entry-level Zetec models are a bit basic, but Titanium trim offers almost everything you'll need, including rear parking sensors, an 8.0-inch infotainment screen and full smartphone compatibility with Android and Apple. It's a shame that the so-so build quality is so far behind rivals like the Volkswagen Touran.

As you’d expect from a big van-based Mercedes-Benz, the V-Class is plush, refined and pricey with a cabin that looks more like a luxury saloon's than an MPV's. There are eight seats as standard, or seven if you opt for one of the more luxurious variants. The rear seats can be slid back and forth, or turned around if you so wish.

Electric sliding rear doors are standard, plus there’s an electric tailgate. Comfort levels are very good both in the front and rear, leather upholstery is standard, and the front seats are heated as standard.

The V-Class might not be as cheap as a Ford Tourneo Custom or Volkswagen Caravelle, but if you need a genuinely luxurious, upmarket people carrier, it’s well worth the extra.

• Best luxury cars

The Tourneo Connect boasts an upmarket appearance and impressive range of engines. However, the key to its appeal lies in its durable and practical nature. The five-seat Tourneo Connect offers a whopping 2410 litres of space behind the front seats, while the 60/40 split rear seats ensure that you’ll never be short of options when it comes to moving large items.

The seven-seat Grand Tourneo Connect offers extra rear seating, which folds quickly and easily into a flat, unobstructed luggage platform with up to 2620 litres of space. The third-row seats also slide to allow owners the choice between extra legroom or increased luggage space.

There are three trims to choose from - Style, Zetec and Titanium – with standard kit impressive across the board. Indeed, even the entry level Style models get DAB radio, steering wheel controls and dual sliding doors.

The Rifter is a van-based MPV that majors on practicality - available with five- or seven seats - and featuring a smart low-loading flat floor that makes it easy to fold seats away and load pets, suitcases, bulky items, etc.

Practical touches include twin sliding doors and three separate full-sized centre-row seats, which fold into the floor, while a folding front passenger seat allows ladders and surfboards inside to a length of 2700mm in the short version, or 3050mm in the long. Economy is good with both the 1.2 petrol and 1.5 diesel engines as well.

Despite its van origins, the Rifter is packed with modern kit, and all versions are available with touchscreen infotainment, blind spot warning, adaptive cruise control and Peugeot's digital i-Cockpit system.

When it comes to cheap and practical family transport, the Citroen Berlingo Multispace is a big and boxy bargain, even if it’s getting on a bit. In fact, this generation of the model ceased production in 2018, but used examples are still a good option as long as they’ve been treated well. Easy to drive, comfortable on long trips and capable of providing an official 68.9mpg, the Berlingo Multispace should cope with everything life - and your kids - will throw at it. 

The Berlingo Multispace might never be the most fashionable MPV, but its 3000 litres of storage gives it unrivalled levels of everyday usability. The large and comfortable interior will easily accommodate five adults, while high-end models could be upgraded to seven-seaters. However, as with many van-based MPVs, the extra (and cramped) seats are only suitable for small children.