Top five seven-seat MPVs for €15,000

We've chosen five great seven-seat MPVs for €15,000 or under from the Carzone.ie database.

1 - Citroen C4 Grand Picasso

Year: 2012
List price: €14,950
Owners: 2
Mileage: 83,000km
Engine: 1.6 diesel
Location: Dublin

The Citroen C4 Grand Picasso has proven to be exceptionally popular in Ireland and is sought after on the used market because of its mix of low fuel consumption and tax and a spacious, well thought out cabin with seven seats. If you're looking at an 'EGS' auto model, make sure you're happy with how it drives, as it can be jerky between gears, and look out for damaged interior trim - it is a family wagon, after all.

2 - Ford S-Max

Year: 2010
List price: €14,900
Owners: 2
Mileage: 123,900km
Engine: 2.0 diesel
Location: Clare

The Ford S-Max and Galaxy are built on the same platform and share a lot of components, and though the Galaxy is bigger in the rear and has more boot space, we're going to stick our necks out and say go for the S-Max instead. It looks less bus-like and it drives as well as any normal car. Go for the 2.0-litre TDCi diesel engine if at all possible, as the 1.8 isn't as good.

3 - Mazda5

Year: 2011
List price: €13,995
Owners: 1
Mileage: 138,000km
Engine: 1.6 diesel
Location: Galway

Now, the Mazda5 is a bit of a squeeze for seven, but then again, none of the cars featured are designed to carry seven burly adults around. Best to think of the Mazda5 as a comfy six-seater instead. It has a lot more going for it, such as its economical 1.6-litre diesel engine (watch out for DPF problems) and a decent drive.

4 - Peugeot 5008

Year: 2012
List price: €14,950
Owners: 2
Mileage: 142,029km
Engine: 1.6 diesel
Location: Dublin

Yup, it's another 1.6-litre diesel French MPV, and this one has a potentially jerky automatic gearbox too. There's not a lot to choose between the 5008 and the Citroen above, though we prefer how the Peugeot drives and this one is very well-equipped. Make sure there's a decent service history.

5 - Vauxhall Zafira

Year: 2013
List price: €13,450
Owners: 1
Mileage: 69,202km
Engine: 1.7 diesel
Location: Dublin 12

So long as you don't care about the Vauxhall badge and the fact that this car was imported from the UK, then we reckon it's our star find. It's the newest of the five, with the lowest mileage - and the Zafira is well-proven. Need a functional, economical large people carrier? Then this could be the one.