Used cars of the week: sub-9k seven-seaters

The Seat Alhambra is our 2013 MPV of the Year, but which other seven-seat family cars can you buy for around a third of its £25,340 starting price?

If you have up to £9000 to spend on a used MPV, seven-seaters from Citroen, Renault, Vauxhall and Volkswagen are all within reach. You can choose from petrol or diesel engines, and manual or automatic gearboxes. Many are well-specified with features such as cruise control, air conditioning and even satellite navigation.

We found the following great examples through our Approved Used classified listings.

Vauxhall Zafira 1.6i Exclusiv

The Vauxhall Zafira offers outstanding value as a used buy, with clever foldaway rear seats and decent ride and handling. It’s one of the cheapest seven-seaters you’ll find. We found this 2010 example with 33,669 miles on the clock for just £6979.

Citroen Grand C4 Picasso 1.6 HDi VTR+

The previous generation Citroen Grand C4 Picasso is good to drive for an MPV, with a soft ride on faster roads and motorways. The third row of seats is quick and easy to fold into place, and there's still space for luggage when they're in use. This 2008 model has a panoramic windscreen, electric rear windows and an MP3-compatible stereo. For £7400, it’s a spacious and stylish people-mover.

Renault Grand Scenic 1.5 dCi Privilege TomTom

The Renault Grand Scenic is a compact MPV with reasonable room in all three rows. It comes with good equipment levels, and the interior has a quality feel for the price. The 1.5 dCi engine blends respectable pace with a claimed 53.3mpg. The 2010 example above is the top spec model, and for £7995 you get part-leather seats, climate control, Bluetooth and sat-nav.

Volkswagen Touran 1.9 TDI SE

The Volkswagen Touran has a versatile seating layout, with a spacious middle row that folds, slides or comes out altogether. There’s a good range of engines to choose from, although we’d pick the 103bhp 1.9 diesel. For £8740, the SE specification car above has twin front, side and curtain airbags, climate control and all-round electric windows.

Approved Used scheme

The Approved Used scheme, in conjunction with Trusted Dealers, offers real peace of mind, thanks to our '10 Points of Difference' charter.

Every car sold through Approved Used comes with checks to make sure it hasn't been stolen or written off, and that all finance has been settled. It also includes a mechanical inspection, a mileage confirmation, a minimum of three months' MoT, the option of a test drive, finance offers, a full valet and a warranty.

Visit our Approved Used Cars finder to uncover hundreds of other choices from Trusted Dealers.