• Summary
• What's Good
• What's Bad
• On the Road
• In The Cabin
• Prices and Specs
• Owners' Reviews

As luxurious and genuinely spacious people carriers go, few vehicles are as good as the Volkswagen Caravelle. As is pretty obvious, it's based on the Volkswagen Transporter van, so the boxy shape means there's masses of space in the back and it can carry seven adults in real comfort.

You're probably more familiar seeing the Caravelle being used by hotels or as an upmarket private hire vehicle, but it's ideal as a family carrier too - especially if you have a large family. It's very versatile thanks to rails that are integrated into the floor and allow the second and third row of seats (and the clever multifunction table) to be moved backwards or forwards to maximise luggage space or legroom.

The rear bench can also be converted into a large, almost completely flat bed. Plus there's an optional 'sleep pack' which can turn the Caravelle into a campervan with a bed extension for the rear seats and additional blinds for the windows.

This 2010 Volkswagen Caravelle isn't actually all new, it's a thoroughly revised versios of the T5 Caravelle from 2003, but there are key changes, particularly inside where there's a high-class interior that's very similar to Volkswagen passenger cars like the Golf. It also uses Volkswagen's 2.0 TDI common rail diesel which is far smoother and quieter than the previous diesels in the Caravelle range.

This newer engine is also more economical and has longer service intervals than before which means lower running cost. However the Caravelle is still expensive to buy new, especially when there are cheaper seven-seaters available - although few are as upmarket as the Volkswagen.