Vauxhall Meriva

Our verdict

The Vauxhall Meriva is a little box to put your kids in. But there are better solutions for most families.

Comfort

When the two rear seats are slid back the Meriva is a roomy place even for four grown-ups. But the driving position is a bit upright. To keep the cornering on an even keel, the suspension is a bit stiff and you rock from side to side.

Performance

The 1.3 diesel can hardly get out of its own way, but the VXR is frankly scarily fast. The wide range of other petrols and diesels fits between, on a sliding scale.

Cool

All small MPVs are uncool, even those that aren't ugly, old or badged Vauxhall.

Quality

The interior isn't badly made, but the design is unalluring. The complicated seat folding and sliding mechanisms are a bit prone to getting jammed by the grotty litter that child passengers surround themselves with.

Handling

The Meriva is a tall car so feels a little ungainly though bends. It doesn't like mid-corner bumps all that much either. But it's perfectly safe, and actually in town the small size and tall eyepoint can be turned to your advantage. As to the VXR version, it's fast only in a straight line.

Practicality

The key to the Meriva's practicality is flexibility. The rear seat is split 40:20:40 and can fold in any proportion. Also, the centre 20 bit can disappear and the outer 40s move in and back to increase legroom. The boot isn't titchy, either.

Running costs

The Meriva's running costs sit on a par with other Vauxhalls of the price, which means low - good insurance, low servicing, and thrifty consumption seal the deal. Even the depreciation isn't bad if you stay away from pointlessly high trim levels.