Compare the best small 7-seater cars

High-quality compact 7-seater cars from rated and reviewed dealers

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skoda kodiaq driving

Best small 7-seater cars of 2024

If you’ve got a growing family, you’ll be needing lots of seats but won’t have the budget for constant minibus hire. So, a small 7-seater car could be just the ticket — plenty of room for everyone, but without the big running costs. Which ones are the best?

Skoda Kodiaq (2017-2024)

What's good

  • Good value for money
  • Loads of space inside
  • Smart-looking interior

What’s not so good

  • Over-the-shoulder blindspots
  • VW Tiguan has more tech
  • A little bumpy at low speeds
Skoda has the knack of making excellent family cars, and the Kodiaq has its brief nailed. It’s massive inside, and apparently built from solid granite. It’s also not at all bad to drive, and the 2.0 TDI diesel engines are frugal. Seven seats cost extra, though, and the ones in the boot are on the tight side.

What's good

  • Good value for money
  • Loads of space inside
  • Smart-looking interior

What’s not so good

  • Over-the-shoulder blindspots
  • VW Tiguan has more tech
  • A little bumpy at low speeds
Dacia Jogger

2. Dacia Jogger

9/10
Dacia Jogger review

What's good

  • Excellent space and practicality
  • Comfortable ride and cabin
  • Easy to drive and park

What’s not so good

  • Material quality isn’t the best
  • No flat floor when removing seats
  • Petrol is slow with seven on-board
If you can look past the poor NCAP crash test rating, the Jogger is super-spacious (there’s room for 6ft adults in row three) and endlessly practical, not to mention being by far the most affordable car here. It’s even quite nice to drive, and there’s a hybrid version on the way.

What's good

  • Excellent space and practicality
  • Comfortable ride and cabin
  • Easy to drive and park

What’s not so good

  • Material quality isn’t the best
  • No flat floor when removing seats
  • Petrol is slow with seven on-board
Mercedes-Benz GLB

3. Mercedes GLB

7/10
Mercedes-Benz GLB review

What's good

  • Boxy styling looks superb
  • Comfortable to drive
  • Plush cabin and great infotainment

What’s not so good

  • Entry-level cars lack kit
  • Engine choice isn't huge
  • Alternatives have bigger boots
No, it’s not a mini G-Wagen, but you can kind of fool yourself that the GLB looks like its bigger brother. A bit. On a dark evening. It has got a cracking cabin, borrowing the digital dashboard from the A-Class, and there’s lots of space in the middle seats (although row three is a little tight). Pricey, but then you’re paying for the badge.

What's good

  • Boxy styling looks superb
  • Comfortable to drive
  • Plush cabin and great infotainment

What’s not so good

  • Entry-level cars lack kit
  • Engine choice isn't huge
  • Alternatives have bigger boots

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Volkswagen Tiguan AllSpace

4. Volkswagen Tiguan AllSpace

8/10
Volkswagen Tiguan AllSpace review

What's good

  • Well-built cabin
  • Slick infotainment system
  • Roomy middle row seats

What’s not so good

  • Alternatives have bigger boots...
  • ... and more exciting interiors
  • More expensive than some seven-seaters
The bigger Tiguan gets extra seats in its vast 700-litre boot, and it’s certainly a practical family-all rounder. Recent facelift means it’s sharper to look at, but it’s pricier than its Seat and Skoda cousins, and space in row three isn’t brilliant.

What's good

  • Well-built cabin
  • Slick infotainment system
  • Roomy middle row seats

What’s not so good

  • Alternatives have bigger boots...
  • ... and more exciting interiors
  • More expensive than some seven-seaters
SEAT Tarraco

5. SEAT Tarraco

9/10
SEAT Tarraco review

What's good

  • Extremely practical
  • Good standard equipment
  • Simple but good engine range

What’s not so good

  • Plain interior
  • Not particularly comfortable in town
  • Not easy to access the third row
The upright Tarraco looks like a ‘proper’ SUV, and that big, boxy body means it’s hugely roomy inside (although, like the closely related Skoda and VW versions, there could be more space in the back row). It’s significantly cheaper than the VW Touareg though, and seven-seats come as standard, which beats the Skoda Kodiaq for value.

What's good

  • Extremely practical
  • Good standard equipment
  • Simple but good engine range

What’s not so good

  • Plain interior
  • Not particularly comfortable in town
  • Not easy to access the third row
Volkswagen Touran

6. Volkswagen Touran

7/10
Volkswagen Touran review

What's good

  • Spacious for passengers
  • Good choice of engines
  • Easy to drive

What’s not so good

  • Boring looks
  • Alternatives are cheaper
  • Sat nav expensive on basic models
Almost the last sensible family MPV standing, the Touran may not look like the most exciting car to drive (and it isn’t…) but it’s roomy, practical, and very well made. This is what practical motoring looked like before SUVs took over.

What's good

  • Spacious for passengers
  • Good choice of engines
  • Easy to drive

What’s not so good

  • Boring looks
  • Alternatives are cheaper
  • Sat nav expensive on basic models
Land Rover Discovery Sport

7. Land Rover Discovery Sport

7/10
Land Rover Discovery Sport review

What's good

  • Plenty of space for the family
  • Comfortable over lumps and bumps
  • Superb off-road, should you need it

What’s not so good

  • Noisy diesel engines
  • Infotainment can be awkward to use
  • Third row is crameped for adults
Looking barely any different since it was launched in 2014, the Disco Sport has been hugely updated under the skin, and now has a much-improved cabin, and better engines. You can get it as a plug-in hybrid but not — boo-hoo — with seven seats, so bigger families will have to stick with diesel. Excellent driving experience, but watch the reliability.

What's good

  • Plenty of space for the family
  • Comfortable over lumps and bumps
  • Superb off-road, should you need it

What’s not so good

  • Noisy diesel engines
  • Infotainment can be awkward to use
  • Third row is crameped for adults
Peugeot 5008

8. Peugeot 5008

9/10
Peugeot 5008 review

What's good

  • Looks great
  • Plenty of space in all seats
  • Interior feels well-built

What’s not so good

  • Not much boot space with all seats up
  • Steering wheel may block view of dials
  • Trays in middle row are flimsy
The 5008 has long been a good-value family favourite, and it’s still one of the best seven-seaters. It’s more versatile than most, because the extra seats in the boot can either fold flat, or be removed entirely, opening up a massive 1,060-litre boot. Up front, the cabin looks classy, even if the digital displays are starting to look old.

What's good

  • Looks great
  • Plenty of space in all seats
  • Interior feels well-built

What’s not so good

  • Not much boot space with all seats up
  • Steering wheel may block view of dials
  • Trays in middle row are flimsy
Citroen Berlingo

9. Citroen Berlingo

6/10
Citroen Berlingo review

What's good

  • Enormous boot
  • Easy to drive in town
  • Frugal diesel engines

What’s not so good

  • Not very refined on the motorway
  • Surprisingly tight rear seats
  • Low-rent interior
The Berlingo has always been one of life’s simpler and more practical cars, but while the useful and versatile cabin hasn’t changed all that much (three seats across the middle row, indestructible van-like plastics, handy sliding rear doors) the move to all-electric power has compromised it a bit, with a relatively short 182-mile official range.

What's good

  • Enormous boot
  • Easy to drive in town
  • Frugal diesel engines

What’s not so good

  • Not very refined on the motorway
  • Surprisingly tight rear seats
  • Low-rent interior
Vauxhall Combo Life

10. Vauxhall Combo Life

6/10
Vauxhall Combo Life review

What's good

  • Huge interior space
  • Fits three child seats
  • Practical sliding doors

What’s not so good

  • Utilitarian rather than stylish
  • Spartan entry-level model
  • Van-like looks
The Vauxhall Combo is fractionally cheaper to buy than its Citroen sibling, but is still slightly hobbled by that short 182-mile electric range. Still, for families who only do short journeys it’s ideal, with lots of space, a huge boot, and five individual seats in the back.

What's good

  • Huge interior space
  • Fits three child seats
  • Practical sliding doors

What’s not so good

  • Utilitarian rather than stylish
  • Spartan entry-level model
  • Van-like looks

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There’s an easy winner here — it’s the Dacia Jogger, which has prices starting from a mere £16,645 with seven seats as standard. You even get air conditioning, cruise control, and rear parking sensors on the basic Essential model. You don’t get a five-star NCAP safety rating, though.

It’s the SEAT Tarraco, which scored a massive 97% for adult occupant protection in its Euro NCAP crash test, when it was tested in 2019. It also got 84% for child occupant protection. Somehow, the Tarraco scored better than the mechanically-identical Volkswagen Tiguan (96% and 84%), and Skoda Kodiaq (92% and 77%). It’s worth noting, though, that the Mercedes GLB scores a little better for child occupant protection — 88%.

The Peugeot 5008 takes the prize here — fold the third row of seats flat, and you get 780 litres of boot volume up to the luggage cover. Take the seats out altogether, and you’ve got 1,060 litres to play with. Fold down the middle-row seats and it expands to a van-like 2,150 litres. If you want the car with the biggest boot when all seven seats are occupied, then it’s the Skoda Kodiaq, which gives you 270 litres of seven-up boot space.