Looking for a large family car? Guide to 7-seater cars

Do you need a spacious family car with room for an entire soccer team? We've dug through trade magazine reviews and the opinions of actual owners to list some of the best 7-seater family cars on the market.

If you are looking for a spacious family car with room for many, you have found the right place. Our big car guide gives you a good overview of big cars.

1. Volvo XC90: spacious 7-seat family car

The Volvo XC90 was presented for the first time at the Detroit Auto Show in 2002 and the success was immediate. In 2005, annual sales of the XC90 reached a peak of 86,000 cars and it was then Sweden's most valuable export product.

The XC90 is also highly sought after on the used market, which is reflected in the high prices. A used car with three years behind it goes for around SEK 400,000 and for the top model T8 you have to pay upwards of SEK one million. But it's easy to understand why. The XC90 is luxury on wheels, according to many. The high-quality interior materials stand out, as do its many convenience features. And then we won't even talk about the stately body shape. Finding a nicer family car is difficult, perhaps impossible, according to some. Aim for models manufactured after the first facelift in 2006. Expressens Allt om bilar and the magazine Automotorsport give that advice anyway, where the latter refers to owner reviews in its database. On the minus side, XC90 owners list trouble with the electronics.

Comfort: 5

Cargo space: 4

Design: 5

Driving characteristics: 4

Economy: 4

Overall: 22 out of 25

Price: from around SEK 400,000 (three years old)

2. Mercedes Benz V-Class: large 8-seater family car

The V-Class is Mercedes Benz's largest passenger car ever and comes as a 6-, 7- and 8-seater. It accommodates everything from a group of football-hungry children to a 4-person meeting table. Just like the Volvo XC90, the Mercedes V-Class is a car that breathes luxury. Or how about rear seats in business class design? This exclusive comfort element came in connection with the 2019 update and gives the closest feeling of driving a limousine, not a family bus. All passengers get a high level of seating comfort and the luggage compartment is enough for a couple of large suitcases. The driving characteristics cannot be complained about either. "Driving the V-Class is pure joy and Mercedes has really succeeded in removing the bus feeling that often accompanies this class," writes the magazine M3 after a test. Parking, however, is another story and M3 test editor Andreas Bergsman recommends the optional parking assistant to handle this larger model car.

Comfort: 5

Cargo space: 4

Design: 5

Driving characteristics: 4

Economy: 3

Overall: 21 out of 25

Price: from around SEK 300,000 (three years old)

3. Peugeot 5008: spacious 7-seater SUV

The Peugeot 5008 made its debut in 2009 as an MVP model, but is today a spacious and affordable crossover. The 5008 is actually an extended version of the 3008, the smaller model in the program that in 2017 received the car of the year award.

For the 5008 model, 19 centimeters have been added, which adds one of many appreciated spaces. 5008 is characterized by a fine fit in the interior and quality material choices, without it being too ostentatious. The car is basically a 5-seater, but two extra seats can be had as an option. These are primarily intended for small children so that adults, or slightly larger children, can fit in the back seat. If you have that need, however, you have to be careful because behind the third row of seats there is no room for more than a couple of grocery bags. But folded down, it's a completely different story. Then a whopping 1,060 liters go in, which is more than most of the rivals. In a test by We Bilägare, the larger petrol engine of 165 hp is recommended for quiet and smooth running.

Comfort: 3

Cargo space: 4

Design: 4

Driving characteristics: 4

Economy: 4

Overall: 19 out of 25

Price: from around SEK 225,000 (three years old)

4. Toyota Proace Verso: 9-seater family car or minibus

When it comes to transporting people and objects, nothing beats a minibus, and the Toyota Proace Verso is one of the truly large ones on the market. The car is built through a collaboration with the PSA group, which also builds

Citroën Spacetourer and Peugeot Traveller, with which the Proace Verso shares a platform, powertrains and equipment. What sets the trio apart is, among other things, options and price. The car is available as a 6-, 8- and 9-seater. In the 8-seater Premium and 9-seater Shuttle, however, the individual seats are replaced by sofas, which makes the journey less comfortable than in the 6-seater top version Executive. With the seats in the "normal" position, 912 liters of luggage can be accommodated. Unpicked and the car loaded up to the roof, it takes in over 4.5 cubic metres. When Vi Bilägare's Anders Helgesson tested the car, it was unsurprisingly the space that was prized. Above all in relation to the price. Minuses were given for driving feel and tire noise. The Toyota Proace Verso is a lot of car and just like the Mercedes Benz V-Class, parking sensors and reversing camera are something you cannot do without.

Comfort: 4

Cargo space: 5

Design: 4

Driving characteristics: 3

Economy: 4

Overall: 20 out of 25

Price: from around SEK 200,000 (three years old)

5. Ford S-Max: classic 7-seater family car

Futuristic Ford S-Max first saw the light of day in 2006 and was named car of the year the following year. The car not only boasts a modern design and lots of space, but also fine driving characteristics, which is something

rare in the class of large family and transport vehicles. Both the German newspaper Bild and Expressen's Allt om Bilar praise the S-Max's resilience and balance. "Even worried passengers relax, the spacecraft is safely on its way. It also runs relatively quietly. Spontaneous assessment from someone who has never driven an S-Max: Fantastic!", writes Bild's motoring journalist Stefan Novitski. "The Ford S-Max is the exception that confirms the rule about the boringness of minibuses," Allt om Bilars Erik Gustafsson agrees. The S-Max originally had five seats with two extra as an option, but from 2016 onwards it is a seven-seater as standard. The Ford Galaxy sibling is largely the same model, but with a slightly more angular and spacious interior. Which of these you choose depends on your everyday need for more than five seats.

Comfort: 4

Cargo space: 4

Design: 5

Driving characteristics: 5

Economy: 4

Overall: 22 out of 25

Price: from around SEK 225,000 (three years old)

6. Skoda Kodiaq: spacious 7-seat family SUV

The Skoda Kodiaq came out as late as autumn 2016, but in a short time has achieved almost rock star status among motoring journalists. Today's PS Håkan Nilsson states, among other things, that it is the first car

he tested which he could not comment on. Even the newspaper M3 expresses enthusiasm. “We are overwhelmed! Kodiaq is a really nice acquaintance and delivers on point after point without costing the shirt for that matter. We find it difficult to find any real weaknesses". It has also been a real sales success for the little brother in the VW group. The volume targets for the Kodiaq were already reached before the model was in the showrooms. But then what kind of car is the Kodiaq? The Kodiaq is a family SUV that measures almost 4.80 meters and has up to seven seats. In the seven-seater version, however, only the really small can fit in the back row of seats and it should be seen more as an emergency solution for very short distances. But otherwise the car is generous with spaces. It also has a magnificent and well-thought-out interior and is tricked out with Skoda's intelligent solutions called "Simply Clever", which makes the journey pure pleasure. In 2021, an upgraded version of the Skoda Kodiaq came and according to Nilsson on Dagens PS, it has every opportunity to continue the five-year success journey. But he puts in a firecracker: "The only thing that speaks against the model is that it does not come as a plug-in hybrid, but only with petrol and diesel variants."

Comfort: 5

Cargo space: 4

Design: 5

Driving characteristics: 5

Economy : 5

Overall: 24 out of 25

Price: from around SEK 180,000 (three years old)

7. Tesla Model X: spacious and electric with 7 seats

Model X is Tesla's first SUV and is seen as a flirt with families with children. It is delivered with five seats, but can be had in both six- and seven-seater versions. And of course, the spacious Model X can be used as a family car, even if there are some practical ones

burst. The newspaper M3 points out, among other things, the difficulties of mounting a rear-facing child seat and the fact that it is not possible to have a roof rail or roof box, a detail that is quite disturbing when it is time for this year's ski holiday. No, as is usually the case when it comes to Tesla, it is instead futurism, elegance and technical functions that are at the center. The Model X has spectacular gullwing doors, or falcon wings as Tesla chose to call them. A design approach that undeniably attracts the eye and screams children's dreams. Of course, here is also the giant touchscreen with infotainment system that Tesla has become so famous for. Through this you manage most things in the car, from following your route on the map to managing Spotify, the air conditioning, opening and closing doors, surfing and much more. The Model X is also a car with topless performance. In the sharpest engine option, the P100D, you do 0-100 km/h in a mighty 3.1 seconds. If this presumably wasn't enough, the Plaid upgrade is coming soon. This one does 0-100 in, hold on now… 2.6 seconds! Both the standard model and the Plaid have a range of 54.7 miles, according to Tesla.

Comfort: 5

Cargo space: 4

Design: 5

Driving characteristics: 5

Economy: 3

Overall: 22 out of 25

Price: from around SEK 700,000 (three years old)

8. Audi Q7: large 7-seat family SUV

The Q7 was Audi's first SUV when it was launched in 2006 and is still the brand's largest. The model was developed to compete with other premium colossus such as BMW X5, Mercedes M-Class and Volvo XC90.

And in that sense, they have really succeeded. This is a really big car. The Q7 is almost 5.2 meters long, two meters wide and 1.7 meters high. The well-proportioned outer dimensions make it spacious and comfortable to ride in, as well as providing plenty of cargo space. At least if you fold the extra seats in the back. With the third row of seats folded down, 770 liters go in, which is more than competitors from BMW and Mercedes. If the remaining seats are also folded, more than two cubic meters, 2050 litres, are loaded. That's 200 liters more than the Volvo XC90. The Q7's size can mean some maneuvering problems and require some getting used to when driving in the city, Expressens Allt om Bilars David Jakobsson notes after a test round. But outside the city, the car is experienced completely differently. “When you leave the tightest streets, the Q7 is surprisingly smooth to drive. The large car has a good and resilient chassis that gives the model lively road characteristics," writes Jakobsson. The Q7 is therefore perfect for long-distance trips and when many children and a lot of luggage are going in. However, a minus, which characterizes most Audi cars, is that extra equipment is expensive. The smallest addition and the price shoots up. Fortunately, the Q7, with its magnificent spaces and sumptuous interior, is already well equipped as standard. Options for hundreds of thousands of kroner are not really needed.

Comfort: 5

Cargo space: 4

Design: 5

Driving characteristics: 4

Economy: 3 Total:

21 out of 25

Price: from around SEK 500,000 (three years old)

All cars have been awarded the highest rating in Euro NCAP's crash tests.