Volkswagen Touran

Sensible but anonymous compact MPV based on current gen VW Golf. On the pricey side and private buyers won't enjoy poor residuals.

• Comfort

  The ride is nicely supple without being sick-makingly floaty, and among the compact MPVs the Touran offers excellent space and great seats. For the driver, the best bits are a comfy driving position and a good view out.

  

• Performance

  There's a choice of a 1.4 TSI, 1.6 and 2.0 litre petrol and a 1.9 and 2.0 litre diesel with either 140 or 170bhp. The 1.6 offers little torque, so on any hill you need to keep changing down and down, while on the motorway it can become loud and thrashy. The 1.4 TSI with 140bhp is a rel gem of an engine - it's very powerful, torquey and flexible, equally at home on small roads or for longer journeys. The 1.9 diesel is pretty sluggish, so unless you're saving money by buying the cleaner Bluemotion, it's best to stick with the 2.0 TDI, the 170bhp especially. It's very smooth and extremely powerful and turns the Touran into a half decent mover.

  

• Cool

  The Touran looks like a fridge, and is as cool as a fridge. Not literally, of course.

  

• Quality

  There are some rough edges around the seat mountings and the lower dash, but basic quality isn't too bad. Good for the class, slightly off-form by VW standards.

  

• Handling

  On the move, it's a mixed bag. The ride really isn't great despite the much vaunted multi-link rear axle from the MkV Golf. The Touran's greater size and weight has diminished the advantages of that system, and the car seems more brittle and prone to picking up imperfections in the road than the nimble hatchback with which it shares so many mechanical gubbins. But general levels of refinement are still excellent, particularly on the motorway where the Touran settles into a smoother stride, devoid of excessive wind or tyre noise. The steering is very light - to much for slower stuff - but it finds a happier balance at speed.

  

• Practicality

  Plenty of head and legroom for everyone, and the Touran has the added advantage of being a seven seater. When not in use, the third row folds flat into the floor, leaving a huge 695 litres of space. And even with one rear seat in use, it's still big enough for an industrial-sized pushchair to fit in sideways. And unlike many seven-seat compact MPVs, when the third row of seats are in use there's still a useful 121 litres of space for the shopping.

  

• Running costs

  Costs are pretty well contained in the Touran. You'll be hovering somewhere around Passat levels of spending.