Used People Carriers for Sale

If you want lots of interior space, it's hard to beat a people carrier. There's a clue in their name in the fact they're typically designed to seat as many people as possible in comfort, and they’re generally more practical than the equivalent SUV.

Most people carriers typically have seven seats too, making them an ideal choice for large families, and also for taxi and minicab drivers. They’re usually packed with storage space as well, to help keep all the odds and ends out of the way. While not the most stylish and in-demand cars on the market, if you value space over style, an MPV (or people carrier) is the car for you.

With the rise of SUVs, these high-riding models have taken massive market share away from people carriers, to the point where many manufacturers have stopped launching new models in this class. That said, there is plenty of choice of people carriers on the used car market, with popular brands like Ford, Renault and Vauxhall all offering a good degree of choice.

Some of the more upmarket brands have even launched people carriers in more recent years, including BMW with its 2 Series Active and Gran Tourer, as well as the Mercedes B-Class, if you fancy something a bit more premium.

These days the MPV market is predominantly made up of van-based people carriers – essentially commercial vehicles that are converted into passenger-carrying models. Some of the best options here are the Volkswagen Transit, Ford Tourneo Custom and Citroen Berlingo. Given the practicality of vans, it's easy to see the appeal where spaciousness is concerned. However, their designs tend to be quite drab, while the commercial underpinnings mean they’re often not as good to drive as a typical MPV car.

The choice of hybrid and electric MPVs on the market remains quite limited, though there are options out there. When it comes to hybrids, Ford offers a petrol-electric option on its S-Max and Galaxy, while the Toyota Prius+ is a popular choice with its hybrid setup. BMW’s 2 Series Active Tourer is also offered as a plug-in hybrid. If you want an electric people carrier, your only option is with a van-based model. A lot of models in this category are very new to the market, but there’s an increasing amount of choice, including from brands like Citroen, Mercedes, Peugeot and Vauxhall.

A people carrier is a type of vehicle that can effortlessly carry more passengers than a normal car. People carriers are designed to ferry people comfortably and practicality and versatility are their key strengths.

Generally, people carriers have seating for between 7 and 9 passengers. But it depends on the specific model and if it’s a longer wheelbase version to accommodate even more passengers.

Yes, you can easily fit a bike in a normal-sized people carrier. However, exact size and dimensions vary between models, so make sure you check if the people carrier has a large boot opening and if the seats can fold down to accommodate a bike.

Yes, you can drive a people carrier or an MPV with a normal car licence. According to DVLA, you can drive a minibus or people carrier with up to 16 passenger seats with a normal car licence as long as it is not a business or a hire trip where you take money from the passengers.