Sometimes you simply need more room in your car. Eight-seaters are the perfect compromise between seven-seat MPVs that are often cramped for adult passengers, and minibuses seating nine to 16 people that are excessively large for personal use.
If you have a big family or like to travel with a group of friends, an eight-seater MPV might be exactly what you need. Check out this list to discover the top 10 eight-seater vehicles currently on the market.
The Vito Tourer is the second of the two Mercedes eight-seater cars for sale. Where the V-Class is luxurious, the Vito Tourer is practical. It does away with the flashy interiors of the V-Class, but still has the great build quality that you would expect from a Mercedes-Benz. While it is the cheaper option, the car still feels like a family vehicle rather than a converted van like some of the competition.
There are multiple size options, with the larger models easily seating eight adults and still having space for luggage. The seating is also easily customisable, and the back seats can be removed to carry large loads.
The Vivaro Life is another car based on the chassis also shared by the Citroen SpaceTourer, Peugeot Traveller and Toyota Proace Verso. There are two size options and five engine options, including both manuals and automatics.
This car has some great safety features, including the emergency city braking collision-avoidance system as well as driver drowsiness detection. Like the other cars based on the same platform, a panoramic sunroof and ‘hands-free’ electric sliding rear doors are also available.
Vauxhall also manufactures an electric version of the eight-seater, the Vivaro-e Life.
The SpaceTourer is available in two size options in the UK: M and XL. While the M size leaves little room for luggage, the XL seats eight adults comfortably while still providing a large amount of boot space.The seating is highly customisable, and the seats are high, towering over even some smaller SUVs.
There is a good choice of engines in the Citroën eight-seater. The entry level six-speed manual has an impressive combined mpg of 58.9 with a 0-62mph acceleration speed of 12 seconds.
The top-of-the-line eight-speed automatic, on the other hand, manages a combined mpg of 44.1 while accelerating from 0-62 in a speedy 8.8 seconds – impressive for a car with a kerb weight of nearly 2,000kg.
Citroën’s electric offering in the eight-seater sector is the eSpaceTourer.
The Renault Trafic Passenger comes in two size options. The Long Wheelbase version is 5.4 metres long, and offers not only spacious seating for eight adults but plenty of room for luggage. While the basic version lacks some of the features like rear parking sensors that come as standard in some of the competition, the Trafic Passenger also has the lowest starting price of all the eight-seater cars on this list.
The Peugeot Traveller is available in two size options. While the Standard size seats eight adults comfortably, boot space is almost non-existent. The Long size, on the other hand, offers a cavernous 1,384 litres of storage space. Seats can also be folded and removed to make extra space when needed.
The Peugeot eight-seater offers great options including a panoramic roof and ‘hands-free’ electric sliding rear doors. The optional Family Pack includes a child rear-view mirror as well as tray tables and sunblinds for the back seats.
An electric version, the Peugeot e-Traveller, is also now available.
Built on the same platform as the Peugeot Traveller and Citroen SpaceTourer, the Toyota Proace Verso also offers three size options. Space is generous on the Long version especially, and the ‘hands-free’ electric rear doors are a highly useful extra option. The family version of the Toyota eight-seater starts at around £34,000 and offers great safety features including collision warning with pedestrian detection.
The Volkswagen Transporter shuttle people carrier comes in two size options, with the Long Wheelbase offering extended boot space. The base model comes with standard safety features including drowsiness alert and automatic post-collision braking system. The Shuttle SE version, starting at around £36,600, upgrades the upholstery to a more luxurious Pandu cloth and offers carpeted flooring.
The Mercedes-Benz V-Class aims at the top end of the market – its starting price is higher than the costliest configurations of most of the competition.
You will need to get the Long or Extra Long version of the V-Class to get eight seats, but both offer generous space for eight adult passengers. If your passengers are planning to bring luggage though, you will want the Extra Long version. The eight-seater car comes with a choice of two powerful automatic engines.
The inside has a luxurious feel, similar to other Mercedes on the market. There is no shortage of features, even on the base Sport model: a panoramic glass sunroof, electric sliding doors and active parking assist are just a few. The high price point however brings the V-Class down from the top of this list. Mercedes’ electric eight-seater is the EQV.
The Ford Tourneo Custom is available in two size options. With the larger L2 you’ll not only be able to comfortably seat six adults in the back, but have an enormous 1,900 litres of boot space. With the smaller L1, boot space is still generous at 1,200 litres.
The Tourneo is roomy, front and back, and the sliding doors make entry to the back easy. Front and rear parking distance sensors and emergency brake assist also come as standard.
While the Tourneo Custom has plenty of space and some great features, it is more expensive than most other eight-seat cars bar the luxurious Mercedes-Benz V-Class. There is a hybrid version too, the Tourneo Custom Active.
The Hyundai i800 comes in one size option, but offers a decent amount of space without being too huge to handle. Boot space is fairly limited at 842 litres when compared to the competition, but the seats can be adjusted to make space when needed.
The Hyundai eight-seater has two engine options, a manual and a more powerful automatic. Standard features include rear parking sensors, Bluetooth connectivity and heated front seats.
Whichever eight-seat car best fits your needs, Adrian Flux offers affordable insurance to suit you and your vehicle. Call 0800 369 8590 for a fast and hassle free quote – 81.5% of all customers receiving an online quote in August 2022 could have obtained a cheaper quote over the phone.
When it comes to reliable and roomy eight-seaters there is a lot of competition. Read our blog to find out about six of the best Japanese eight-seaters on the market.
And, read this blog if you are wondering what licence you’ll need to drive an eight-seater car.
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