What Car? Used Car of the Year - Best MPV

Up to £8000
Citroen Xsara Picasso 2.0 HDi SX ’02/51, 32k, £6900
If you want a value-for-money MPV, look no further. The Citroën Xsara Picasso has always made a sound used buy, but a healthy fall in used prices over the last year or so has made the Picasso an absolute bargain.

The Citroën can’t match a Vauxhall Zafira for ingenuity – the seats don’t fold into the floor, for example, and there’s only space for five rather than the seven seats of the Vauxhall. There are, though, enough permutations to suit most families. The rear seats are light and easy to remove, and should you take out all three there’s loads of space for luggage.

We’d go for the 2.0 HDi diesel. It has plenty of low-down pull to cope with a full load of parents, kids and holiday gear, while delivering around 50mpg. There are plenty around, too, whether you shop within the franchised dealer network or at a car supermarket.

Of the various trim levels available, we’d plump for the mid-spec SX. That means the car will be well equipped, including that all-important air-conditioning system: just try driving a full MPV on a hot day without it and you’ll realise…

Citroën has hardly been a byword for reliability in the past, but the Picasso has a solid reputation. At this age, don’t be surprised to hear the odd squeak or rattle, but the mechanical parts should be pretty robust.

Also consider
Ford Galaxy 2.0 GLX ’99/S, 58k, £6940

£8000 to £13,000
Vauxhall Zafira 1.8 Elegance ’02/52, 24k, £9535
The Zafira’s party piece is the Flex-7 seating system, which allows the two rearmost seats to be folded into the floor. Since the middle bench can slide and fold, you’ll be buying one of the most flexible compact MPVs around. We’d plump for the 1.8 Elegance – the engine is man enough and Elegance trim brings luxury touches. Reliability should be fine.

Also consider
Fiat Multipla JTD ELX 115 ’03/53, 12k, £9790

Over £13,000
Peugeot 807 2.2 HDi GLX ’02/52, 24k, £13,300
It’s hard to choose between the Peugeot 807 and the near-identical models offered by Citroën and Fiat. The Peugeot gets the nod because it’s easy to find and keenly priced. While some MPVs have awkward seats, the 807s chairs are simple to shift. There’s plenty of space for seven people, too, and sliding rear doors are a boon in narrow parking spaces.

Also consider
Toyota Previa D-4D GLS ’01/51, 36k, £15,535