In association with MotorEasy
2022 What Car? Reliability Survey: MPVs
Our exhaustive annual survey rates the dependability of cars aged up to five years old, based on the experiences of nearly 25,000 owners...
What went wrong? Air-con 5%, non-engine electrics 5%
The B-Class isn't only smart and practical; it's also proving robust and virtually fault-free. Only 9% of B-Classes went wrong, and when they did, repairs were carried out swiftly. Half of them were back on the road within a day, and the cherry on top of the icing is that all costs were covered by Mercedes.
Owner’s view "I love the reliability and level of service I get"
2. Kia Venga (2010-2019)
Reliability rating 97.5%
The Venga is a dependable used MPV option, with owners telling us only 7% of their cars went wrong. The battery, non-engine electrics and sat-nav/infotainment system were the main bugbears. All cars were driveable and half were repaired within a day at no cost to owners, but a quarter of bills exceeded £1500.
3. BMW 2 Series Active Tourer (2014-2022)
Reliability rating 97.1%
Although 13% of Active Tourers suffered a problem, they were generally quick and cheap to put right. Two-thirds of faulty cars were fixed for free and no bills exceeded £300, while 67% were fixed within a day. The engine and associated electrics were the main trouble spots.
Reliability rating 75.2%
What went wrong? Gearbox/clutch 13%, air-con 8%, battery 8%, brakes 8%, engine 8%, fuel system 8%, non-engine electrics 8%, bodywork 4%
The Touran can be costly to fix and slow to repair. Half of the cars we were told about went wrong and only 47% of the costs were covered by Volkswagen, leaving 13% of drivers with bills of more than £1500. On top of that, a third of the affected cars spent more than a week in the garage.
Owner’s view "My car has broken down twice and I’m worried about it doing so again. Repairs have been costly, too"
2. Volkswagen Golf SV (2014-present)
Reliability rating 75.8%
With a 44% fault rate, the Golf MPV isn't as reliable as the hatchback, which has a 25% fault rate. Problem areas included the air-con, bodywork and brakes. Although two-thirds of issues were fixed for free, some bills cost up to £750, and 27% of cars were off the road for more than a week.
3. Citroën Grand C4 Picasso (2013-2018)
Reliability rating 92.7%
Only 12% of C4 Picassos caused trouble, with issues affecting the infotainment and engine electrics, but they took longer than most to be fixed; 67% of cars were out of action for more than a week. Bills weren't extortionate, ranging from £51 to £500, but no cars were fixed for free.
Reliability of MPVs aged up to five years old
| Rank | Make and model | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Mercedes B-Class 2019-present | 98.5% |
| 2. | Kia Venga (2010-2019) | 97.5% |
| 3. | BMW 2 Series Active Tourer (2014-2022) | 97.1% |
| 4. | Ford C-Max/Ford Grand C-Max (2011-2019) | 94.1% |
| 5. | Citroën Grand C4 Picasso (2013-2018) | 92.7% |
| 6. | Volkswagen Golf SV (2014-present) | 75.8% |
| 7. | Volkswagen Touran (2015-present) | 75.2% |
Best MPVs and people carriers 2023
Which people carrier is the best buy? There's a wide variety of seven-seaters, as well as smaller MPVs, to choose from. Here we count down the top 10 – and reveal the one to avoid
