Market overview 7-seater: out and about with family and friends

Anyone looking for a car with more than five seats will be surprised: In the lower middle class there is no car with more than five seats! And yet: the range of 7-seaters has become more diverse. The current ADAC market overview shows which cars are suitable for whom.

Especially families can never have enough seats in their own car. Because in addition to your own children, their friends, relatives or teammates from the junior football team also have to come along. A five-seater is often not enough.

Until a few years ago, those interested in a seven-seater could only look around at vans or minibuses. There are now over 80 different car models that are available in Germany with seven seats as standard or as an option: vans, SUVs, high-roof station wagons, minibuses and off-road vehicles. In the best case, a new seven-seater can be had for around 15,000 euros. ADAC has put together an overview of the various 7-seater models.

Minibuses: Practical and comfortable as a 7-seater

Minibuses remain the ideal vehicle for transporting more than five people. There are comfortable seats even in the back row, on which three adults can usually comfortably sit next to each other. Nothing stands in the way of a trip with friends. The fact that the visual appearance of most minibuses is more reminiscent of a construction site than a luxury limousine is bearable in view of the practical virtues. In addition, with the Mercedes V-Class there is even an almost elegant minibus. However, it is not cheap, because in terms of price it is in a higher league.

The biggest competitor there is the VW bus, the king of minibuses: no other representative of this type sells as often as the Hanoverian, because it has become a status symbol for many families. But: With good equipment, it is anything but a bargain - and only affordable with very basic equipment.

The competing vehicles are noticeably cheaper, but offer similar utility. The French competitors Peugeot and Citroën as well as their technical siblings Opel and Toyota are much easier to finance. When it comes to the arrangement of the seats, there are usually a variety of options with individual seats, two-seater and three-seater benches, as well as three or four rows of seats.

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Vans: 7-seat offering is decreasing

The variety of vans models has decreased in recent years: MPVs have been gradually replaced by SUVs. Nevertheless, there is still a certain selection, especially from European manufacturers : some of the vans are at least optionally available with seven seats. The sixth and seventh seats are typically third row and fold down when not in use. This expands the trunk significantly, because when the third row of seats is folded up, there is usually only a small amount of storage space available. Compared to high-roof station wagons, there is often significantly more comfort - which the customer naturally has to pay for.

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High-roof station wagons: Best price-performance ratio

When it comes to the relationship between price and performance, there is no getting around the high-roof station wagons. The more rustically designed cars offer a lot of space on a small footprint and are particularly suitable for families with small children thanks to the standard sliding doors. They shine with excellent space especially in the mostly available long versions. Then they still offer a good usable trunk even with full seating. In the short versions, however, there is almost no storage space left behind the third row of seats. The selection of high-roof station wagons is surprisingly large.

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SUVs with 7 seats: Large selection, little space

In this vehicle category, there is currently the largest selection of seven-seaters.The high-legged ones have been around for years really trendy. The models, which offer at least seven seats as an option, often come from the upper middle class and the upper class - you notice that at the latest at the checkout. The cheapest seven-seater SUV is the Nissan X-Trail, which is available for just under 30,000 euros. However, most seven-seat SUVs are significantly more expensive. The Tesla Model X has one of the most expensive basic prices, for which you have to spend at least 96,000 euros.

The trunk volume shrinks considerably when all seven seats are used. A lot of luggage can then no longer be taken with you. Since the space in the third row of seats is usually rather cramped anyway, longer journeys with seven people on board should remain the exception.

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Large off-road vehicles: Inexpensive and iconic

If you regularly have to transport seven people over hill and dale , there are classic off-road vehicles for you. A surprising number of them are at least optionally available as a seven-seater. With the SangYong Rexton there is even a relatively inexpensive model available. The new Landrover Defender, on the other hand, is really iconic. The Toyota Landcruiser is considered extremely robust.

Similar to SUVs and vans, however, there is hardly any luggage space left when the seats are fully used. Also: classic off-road vehicles are often large fuel-guzzlingvehicles - you should definitely consider this before you buy them.

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Conclusion: Space and comfort have their price

Anyone who decides to buy a 7-seater is spoiled for choice. That's why it's important to think carefully beforehand about what and how often all seven seats will be used. For example, if you only occasionally sit in a car with seven people, you will also find the right companion in an SUV or van. When used as a seven-seater, however, there is hardly any luggage space left in these classes. There are huge differences in price between new seven-seaters. The cheapest model comes, as is so often the case, from Dacia: the Van Lodgy is available in the simplest configuration for around 15,000 euros. The Alpina XB7, which is based on the BMW X7, proves that it can also be significantly more expensive: more than 150,000 euros have to be spent on this massive hum. Very few families can afford that.