I have had a Ford S-Max for four years and 40,000 miles. Bought it at 11 months old and 11,000 miles from Ford Direct. Very very happy with it. Its a great drive, very comfortable and offers flexible internal arrangements. The only non-service item I have had to replace was a shock absorber a month ago. I highly recommend them.

These '5+2' cars are not the all-purpose cars they often purport to be.

The +2 seats are usually too small for most adults. When they're up the boot is then too small to carry the buggies and the accessories for the three small children sitting in the middle seats.

That said, if it works for you, check out the Toyota Verso, especially the 1.8 petrol with the V-Matic auto gearbox. It's a very stress-free and comfortable car (important with young children in the back), with a long warranty and Toyota's generally excellent after-sales customer service

If the 'usable boot or 7 seats' opinion above has got you thinking, then check out the Honda FR-V, the best MPV of recent years, but I'm biased ;-)

Edited by Sulphur Man on 18/06/2014 at 11:45

This is a matter of the car's width: some just haven't got it. The Ford S-Max should be wide enough: you could also look at the Citroen C4 Picasso and various Peugeots. I think the 308 SW and 3008 as well as the 5008 may have space for three child seats. So of course will the big MPVs like the ones you mention.

Do let us know how you get on: this is a question which is often asked and an up-to-date idea of what's currently on the market would be very useful.