Proving you don’t need to spend a fortune on a premium people carrier, the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer is an alternative to the Volkswagen Golf SV and is our pick as the best small MPV you can buy right now. It feels every bit a BMW, with impressive comfort levels and a smart interior featuring top-quality materials.

It’s also great to drive, sharing a chassis and certain engines within the MINI range. Even the entry-level 1.5-litre petrol (badged the 218i) feels very punchy, and it won’t cost a great deal to fuel.

Prices for the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer MPV start in the region of £26,500 for the SE model, with standard kit including LED headlights, 16-inch alloy wheels and BMW navigation (with Apple CarPlay smartphone connectivity).

Buyers looking for outright practicality from an MPV should consider one of the many van-based people carriers on the market. Like the Citroen Berlingo. It makes a lot of sense when you think about it… what’s better for carrying a lot of people and their belongings than a van with some extra seats, side windows and a few car-like comforts? The Berlingo hass been doing this very well for years.

The latest model arrived in 2018, available in two sizes: the Berlingo M and Berlingo XL. Buyers also get the choice of diesel and petrol engines, as well as three trim levels: Feel, Flair and the rugged XTR.

It’s the Berlingo Feel that’s most affordable, priced in the region of £21,500. This does without some of the luxuries of higher-spec models (no alloy wheels or navigation here), but it has the basics covered: an eight-inch media system and a Safety Pack loaded with driver-assistance tech are both included.

The Ford Tourneo Connect is another van-based people carrier. But what better van to base a car on than the award-winning Transit Connect? It looks surprisingly classy for a s, comes with a wide range of engines and - most impressive of all - has a huge amount of interior space.

The five-seat Tourneo Connect provides an incredible 2410 litres of space behind the front seats, while buyers needing seven seats can buy a Grand Tourneo Connect with 2620 litres of space and a third row of seats.

Prices for the standard Ford Tourneo Connect start in the region of £23,000 for the 100PS diesel engine, while the high spec Titanium model will set you back around £1500 more. 

If a Citroen Berlingo ticks all the boxes for you, a Peugeot Rifter should also be on your shortlist. It’s essentially the same MPV - not quite as quirky in appearance as the Berlingo, but with the same incredible levels of practicality.

You get Peugeot’s now-trademark compact steering wheel, while the sliding rear doors help with access to the rear. There’s a huge boot, with a large opening and no lip of note (perfect for hoisting in bulky objects or encouraging your dog to jump in).

The Rifter’s at its most affordable in Active trim with the 1.2-litre PureTech petrol engine and manual gearbox. This comes with 16-inch steel wheels, air conditioning and cloth seat trim, with a starting price of around £22,000. You’ll need to splash out an extra £2000 or so for the bigger Rifter Long.

The Volkswagen Touran is based on the same platform as the Volkswagen Golf, yet it’s larger than the more affordable Golf SV. It’s a versatile people carrier, using a flexible seating system which lets you slide forward and fold each seat individually. All of the seats fold into the floor to offer a flat 1857-litre load space, which means the Touran is more practical than the likes of the BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer.

Most buyers are well catered for with the 2.0 TDI engine, which produces between 115PS and 150PS, while returning around 50mpg in official WLTP fuel economy tests.

Prices start in the region of £31,000 for an SE-spec model, which boasts highlights including parking sensors, tinted windows and roof rails.

The Mercedes-Benz B-Class small MPV is very similar to the excellent new A-Class, albeit with a greater amount of space and that desirable high seating position.

Because of its target audience (and A-Class ancestry), it’s loaded with useful technology. We particularly like its clever augmented-reality navigation system and built-in ‘Hey Mercedes’ personal assistant. It’s also great to drive, with efficient petrol and diesel engines on offer.

Prices start in the region of £27,500 for a B 180 in Sport trim, while a diesel B 180 d starts close to £29,000. 

The Volkswagen Golf is the answer to a lot of car buying dilemmas, but did you know you can also get a more practical version badged the Volkswagen Golf SV?

It’s almost as good to drive as the standard car, while a raised seating position aids access and helps visibility. Of course, one of its most desirable features is the extra space in the back - adults will be comfortable in the rear seats, while the boot can carry an extra 210 litres of luggage compared to the Golf hatchback. That’s a significant amount if you’re looking for a practical family car.

Volkswagen's discontinued the Golf SV with the arrival of the Mark 8 Golf, but there's plenty of used examples out there. Around £13,500 will get you a 3 year old model with a 1.5-litre TSI petrol engine and six-speed manual gearbox. Standard features include an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system, manual air conditioning and a myriad of driver assistance features (including a radar-controlled emergency braking system).

Vauxhall no longer sells the Vauxhall Zafira MPV, so if you want a Griffin-badged people carrier, you’ll need to look at the Vauxhall Combo Life. It’s born from Vauxhall’s partnership with Citroen and Peugeot, meaning it’s very similar to the Citroen Berlingo and Peugeot Rifter.

Like its peers, it’s available as a standard model or a long-wheelbase seven-seater badged the XL. Both models come with three Isofix points on the second row so you can fit three full-size car seats. The sliding side doors help make getting in and out easy. Both offer a whopping amount of boot space, too, even with the seats up: 597 and 850 litres for the standard and XL models respectively.

Prices start from a little over £22,000 in entry-level Design trim, with standard equipment including cruise control and air conditioning.

If you aspire to own a fashionable Fiat 500 but need an extra dose of practicality, the Fiat 500L is the small MPV for you. Not only is it one of the most affordable people carriers on sale, it’s also a quirky and interesting choice. 

There are three different Fiat 500L models available: the 500L Urban, City Cross and Cross. The Urban is the most affordable, starting in the region of £18,000, but even the top-spec Cross is only a smidgen over £20,000. Standard equipment on the Urban trim includes a seven-inch media system, cruise control and air conditioning.

Kids will love the 500L’s bold design, while there’s loads of room inside. It’s only a five-seater, but there’s plenty of head and legroom in the back, and a usefully square boot. Things like a three-level boot and a front passenger seat which folds back will make family life that little bit easier.

With a clever seating system and unusual rear-opening doors to improve access to the back seats, the Vauxhall Meriva designers have put plenty of effort into making this a top-notch family car. And they've been largelyt successful – there's loads of space inside and the versatility of the seats works really well. You can fold them flat into the floor in a variety of different ways, which also free up some 1500 litres of boot space for runs to to the tip or Swedish furniture shops.

There are myriad storage spaces around the cabin, and the FlexRail system between the front seats lets you slide various different modules backwards and forwards, such as armrests and cupholders.

The Meriva isn't perfect – the rear-opening back doors don't give you as much practicality as the sliding doors in a Ford B-Max – and it's not brilliant to drive. But the Meriva gives you a decent amount of family usefulness for not a huge amount of money.