Small MPVs are, obviously, designed for carting small people about. They get bored easily, tend to make a mess and have loads of stuff. Usually I would be talking about children and I thought about rounding up some kids from the local playgroup to ask their feedback, but to be honest, three year olds just aren’t that articulate.
So Used Car Expert designed the ideal small MPV test. We used it for a Stag weekend. Luggage-wise the boot had to cope with 11 fancy dress costumes, overnight gear for four adults, two iPods, three hundred CDs, snacks, drinks and all manner of other gubbins. The passengers, like toddlers, demonstrated the attention span of gnats, and their collective ramblings lead me to conclude that the Grand Scenic is an excellent small MPV.
First of all, it just consumed the luggage. Then the passengers scrambled in the back and I could hear groans of positive approval as they realised they had their own highly adjustable seats. The Renault head rest design was a particular favourite. The co-pilot quickly discovered that the centre console between the front seats slid back and forth while making a satisfying hydraulic noise. When he had positioned the console so that our drink holders were at the ideal angle for our Lattes, he moved on to the stereo. It was, he concluded, pretty average.
Fully laden, we whizzed through town. The Grand Scenic offers light steering and excellent visibility. The 1.5 Dci engine also found in the Clio and several Nissans continued to impress. It offers low down torque in town and when we hit the M1, heading for Birmingham, it pulled assertively up to speed and cruised quietly. The Scenic’s chassis did its bit too, fending off cross-winds with firm courage.
Looking for the ‘Rage Buggy’ venue where my now bored passengers intended to demonstrate their virility by charging round and round a field, I found that the Scenic’s light steering makes progressing through medium-speed corners and twisting b-road environments slightly nervy. The steering gives you more confidence the quicker you go; through the long slip-road corners connecting the M1 and M6, for example, it felt very precise.
Who is buying them?
As well as families, a few O.A.P.s buy small MPVs for the same reason that Motability drivers buy them. Motability buyers (disabled drivers using the Government-supported scheme to buy cars) like small MPVs because they are easy to step into and access. There are lots of pluses to buying an ex-motobility car: they are usually driven gently, automatic and of reasonable mileage. These cars usually turn up in supermarkets, so that’s a good place to start.
What’s the market like?
There are a large number of this car’s little brother - the original Scenic - on the market, but the market for the Grand Scenics is about one third of the size. Amazingly used prices for the roomier Grand Scenic are the same as for the standard model. Equally interesting is the fact that the brilliant 1.5 Dci engine is not its biggest historical seller. So if you want to get a good deal, you will need to shop around as you are going to be looking for needle in a haystack: a 1.5 DCI Grand Scenic that is still sensibly priced amongst all the 1.6 petrol Scenics that have filled the market.
What else can this budget buy?
£8,000 - £10,000 for a family car opens up the small MPV and small family car sector if you want something that still has a warranty. If you don’t mind the car being older, you can look at large family cars too. There is lots of choice, so don’t be limited. As well as the obvious look at things like the Mazda3. But if you are definitely looking for a small MPV, you need to put this car head-to-head with a Citroen Picasso and Ford C-Max. The Ford is usually going to be cheapest to run, the Scenic will be the nicest driving experience and the Picasso will be the cheapest to buy used, but not by enough to make it a first choice.
Summary
A versatile workhorse that is affordable to many. Most used examples are petrol engines, which means MPG is not as good. But the diesel is quiet, quick and economical. The ride is stable, the interior is well made and equipment levels, for the price, are very reasonable.
By: Matthew Tumbridge