The five best luxury MPVs to lease

The humble MPV – the people carrier. It’s only mission in life is to be practical. At a stretch, comfortable and practical. A car for those drivers who need to transport full loads or need a more spacious vehicle for a family.

They’re good value and functional, right? So surely they couldn’t be luxurious too?

Wrong. And here’s five luxury MPVs to prove it.

BMW 2 Series Active Tourer

The BMW 2 Series Active Tourer is spacious, comfortable and functional. It’s also got the premium build and interior quality that we’ve come to expect from BMW.

So you can drop the kids off at school and tackle the weekly shop with ease all while luxuriating in the plush cabin.

As you can probably glean from the name, the Active Tourer is a sportier, more dynamic vehicle for the range. For the active family that likes to adventure. But if that’s not you, that’s ok. Because it’s practical too.

Spacious, with a user-friendly interior, everything is within reach, including the free-standing infotainment display screen.

On the outside, it’s a car that wants to be looked at. The entry-level SE trim features 17-inch wheels, LED headlights and a powered tailgate.

And with a further three trim levels available, you can ascend all the way up to the M Sport X for the sportiest engine and highest tech spec.

Mercedes Benz V Class

Unsurprisingly, the Mercedes Benz V Class is one of the most upmarket MPVs around. From the outside, it keeps the van-like dynamics, but it’s instantly recognisable as a Mercedes. With its centrally positioned iconic three-pointed star, huge alloy wheels and eye-catching chrome trim, it’s never going to be mistaken for any old minivan.

Inside smacks more of a luxury SUV than anything else with large smooth surfaces and soft plastic trims. It’s more than just comfortable – it’s Benz comfortable. And it’s packed full of user-friendly features, starting with a floating tablet-style central display that houses the Mercedes-Benz User Experience infotainment system which is controlled via voice and touch.

Climb through the V-Class’s huge sliding doors and more comfort awaits. Six padded seats, which you can configure to suit what you need. There’s plenty of space and it’s both functional and attractive – not something many MPVs can boast about.

It’s also happily rather economical with its 2.0-litre diesel engine returning a very reasonable fuel economy of 44.8mpg.

Volkswagen Sharan

Nobody does people carriers quite like Volkswagen and the Sharan is another example of this. Unquestionably one of the best in its class, it boasts comfort, quality, space and great economy.

This is possibly one of the most family-friendly in the sector too with lots of features that have been carefully thought out. Large rear doors slide open – ideal when you’re trying to wrestle your child into their car seat, carry the shopping and not scratch the neighbouring parked car. Inside, the central row of seats also slide forward for ease of loading and unloading your mini passengers.

It’s not a great head-turner on the outside, but inside it feels luxurious. The driving dynamics are also outstanding. For a car of its size, it’s nimble and impressibley refined when tackling motorways. With a choice of one 1.4-litre petrol and two 2.0-litre TDI diesel engines, it’s easy on running costs with the diesels returning around 40mpg.

Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer

The Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer has been a family favourite for a while now. It’s fresh, distinct look combined with innovative interior layout makes it a stylish solution.

The C4 SpaceTourer’s sleek futuristic looks spill over into its interior where you’ll find a 7-inch digital information display replacing the instrument cluster and another central 12-inch infotainment touchscreen. An upmarket comfortable cabin, its armchair-like seats will ensure you drive in the utmost comfort.

An incredibly spacious interior coupled with a generous boot capacity of 632 litres, it’s easy to understand how its versatility appeals to families. It sports an innovative interior layout with seven individual seats and all the back seats also recline for even more comfort.

It’s easy to drive, its light steering making it simple to manoeuvre around town and fun for longer journeys. Fuel economy is also a big selling point, as you can expect the SpaceTourer to return around 50mpg with the entry level diesel engine.

Renault Grand Scenic

The Renault Grand Scenic really sets the tone with its name and, to look at it, you won’t be disappointed. This eye-catchingly futuristic MPV comes stacked with space, safety features and sleek looks.

What it gains in looks, though, it doesn’t lose in practicality. Inside it’s solid, uncluttered and well thought out. Featuring a large digital display on the central dash, the sophisticated cabin is filled with plenty of technology as standard with TomTom sat nav, adaptive cruise control and dual-zone climate control.

There’s plenty of space for everyone to stretch out, although the third row of seats is really ideally suited to children and will be rather more cramped for adults. There’s also a generous boot space, maximised with the seats folded down.

With its 20-inch wheels and a decent range of petrol and diesel engines, it’s fun to drive too. It’s one of the most efficient in our line-up to run with the 1.5-litre dCi 110 diesel engine returning a highly impressive 68.9mpg.