I'm trying to work out which is the best smallish MPV that can take 6-7 people. I've got two kids, 1 and 3, and hope to have another in the future, so I need space for 3 kid's car seats. I live in town and have to park on the street, so while there's usually plenty of spaces I don't want a monster sized car (the only thing stopping me from looking at the full size MPVs, but I'd like the extra seats for friends / family when they visit. While most of the weekday driving is just in town to the shops, etc, we often do 1 - 3 hour trips at the weekend on Scottish motorways and A-roads.

Reliability is important (though I recognise that guaranteed reliability of some makes can be a myth, as can unreliability from other makes), safety is important. Fuel economy not so important, but I don't want to lose too much on depreciation, so it'll probably have to be a diesel.

Initial thoughts were Corolla Verso, but didn't like the back seats or the overall feel. VW Touran is the current favourite, but have yet to drive. Would it be worth getting the Touran with a DSG, as I've heard that the DMF can fail (and doesn't on the automatics?). How is the reliability though as VW has less than a glowing reputation in the last 10 years.

I've always liked Honda and had a 03-08 Accord Tourer for a month recently which was great. I'd do that again except for the lack of space for all the car seats plus another passenger, so maybe the FRV is the answer (wouldn't even have to be a diesel as the petrol is quite efficient).

Ford S-Max looks great, but I'm worried by the reliability - lots of problems reported, which is a shame as Ford reliability has been pretty good in the last 10 years.

Advice appreciated. Thanks,

Optimus