Best 7-Seater Cars and 7-Seater Deals in 2024 | carwow (2024)

If you need to maximise interior space and minimise spending, then the Skoda Kodiaq should be high on your list. It has tonnes of passenger and boot space, with a sharp-looking interior. It's not the most tech-heavy cabin, though, while the suspension can be a bit bumpy at lower speeds. But above all, the Kodiaq is cracking value. True, its interior may not be as posh as the Audi Q7 below, but it's still a very nice place indeed, especially if you choose a higher trim level. The Kodiaq also has a pleasingly commanding driving position, and there's a reason you see so many out and about on the roads: it's an absolutely brilliant, well-priced car.

The Land Rover Defender’s remit is simple: Be a big, comfy, practical family car while also being able to traverse wild terrains. Just in case you fancy taking on Ben Nevis on the way back from the school run. Accessing the third row isn’t the easiest, and there’s not a huge amount of space once you do, but the ‘stadium’ configuration means you can see over the seats in front so it doesn’t feel too claustrophobic. Still not enough seats? There’s room for eight in the Defender 130, which is the biggest Defender you can buy.

If you need seven seats but want an electric car, the Kia EV9 is one of fairly few options. Fortunately, there’s little sacrifice required to own one – except from your salary, as the EV9 certainly ain’t cheap – because this is a really spacious SUV that will be able to tackle whatever family life throws its way. You also get super-fast charging so weekend road trips won’t require regular long stops to top up, and there’s a clever (optional) six-seat layout with chairs that rotate 180 degrees. Despite all these positives, the EV9 doesn’t feel quite as posh inside as its price tag suggests.

The Dacia Jogger SUV looks like a mix of an estate car and MPV which makes it a rather practical seven-seater. It’s functional rather than plush inside, and it isn’t very powerful, but it offers amazing value for money and higher trims have pretty much all the tech you really need. Plus, six-foot-tall adults can sit in the third row with decent knee and head room, which is hugely impressive. Do be aware that the Jogger isn't a quick car, though, and if you regularly travel seven-up, you'll need to rev the engine quite hard and change gear a fair bit when going up hills. The hybrid version improves things slightly, but whichever way you look at it, the Jogger's not much of a sprinter.

Few large seven-seaters have an interior as well built and practical as the Audi Q7. At any price. It’s comfortable over bumps whether you’re sitting right up front or back in the third row. Sure, you will get a more enjoyable driving experience from the likes of the BMW X5 below, but the Q7 is still an extremely refined and luxurious car. Besides, how much handling dynamism do you really want from a seven-seater? We'd argue a plush, comfortable and spacious cabin is more important for most people, and the Q7 certainly has that to offer.

Much like the Audi Q7, the BMW X5 is a lovely upmarket SUV that also just so happens to be incredibly practical for big families. It has a five-seat layout as standard, but you can pay extra for the third row. It’s a bit cramped, so might be better reserved for kids, but the rest of the cabin is lovely and roomy. Keen drivers will be drawn to the X5 for the fact that it’s probably the best large SUV to drive, particularly when tackling a twisty road.

The Range Rover is up there with the very best luxury SUVs. The interior is lovely and it drives with the refinement of a stately home. If a stately home could drive, obviously. Anyway, it’s not just posh, the Range Rover is also practical, with a third row available on long-wheelbase models. Unsurprisingly it’s not a cheap option, being comfortably above £100,000 and over £5,000 more than an equivalently specified short wheelbase version.

The Sorento offers a lot of kit as standard, and the interior is very spacious and filled with practical touches. The engine choice is decent if limited, and the hybrid can get a bit loud under acceleration. Kia has moved a fair bit upmarket in recent years, so while you may find the Sorento isn't quite as affordable as previous generations have been, it's a lot posher than Kias of old. It still represents good value when compared to big SUVs from Audi and BMW, too.

High-tech, luxurious and imbued with that inimitable Scandinavian style, the XC90 stands out amongst big, practical SUVs. The third row is a bit cramped, and some alternatives are a bit more comfortable, but the boot is huge and you get a lot of safety equipment as standard. Interestingly, crash data research shows no XC90 occupants in the UK have ever died in a collision, and it is this impressive safety record that is likely to be a big selling point for families.

If you want practicality over all else, the Volkswagen Multivan is a fantastic choice. And despite its van-like proportions, it actually looks pretty cool, especially with a two-tone paint job. Inside it has five individual seats in the rear that can be completely removed when not needed, allowing you to fit big, bulky items such as bikes with little hassle. The seats are on rails so they can be moved around as needed, a six-seat layout is a no-cost option, and swivel seats are a paid option that allows for a lounge-like layout. The possibilities are endless. Well, almost.