93: Seat Alhambra – you’ll never desire one but it does the family job

Abandon hope of youthfulness and fun, all who enter here, for ye have abrogated your enjoyment in favour of space and practicality for your family. Well, that’s the long-held image of big, monobox people carriers anyway, and probably explains why so many family buyers are deserting them in favour of (less practical) SUV-shaped seven-seaters.

The thing is, if you really need the space and you really need the seats, here's the best place to find them - the Seat Alhambra. No, it's not especially stylish on the outside, but those sliding side doors (great in car parks) open up to reveal an interior so big, it echoes and third or seats that can actually cope with the heads and legs of adults. It's no joy to drive, but it's hardly disgraced in that department either, and Seat's quality levels and reliability prospects are excellent. Will you ever crave it? Probably not, no, but hey - you're doing this for your kids, right? It'll be replaced soon by, you've guessed it, the new Taracco seven-seat SUV.

Best model: 2.0 TDI 115hp SE for €41,770

Price range: €39,370 to €47,015. Finance from €POA per month.