The Essentials

• Price from £28,245
• What Car? says:
• Fuel economy: up to 33.6mpg
• What is it? Vast and flexible MPV is great for families who spend a lot of time in the car

• Drive

  Perfect for a gentle family road trip across the USA, but no match for the best big MPVs for fun, agility or efficiency

• Inside

  Some cheap-feeling plastics inside but a great view out from the elevated driving position

• Safety

  Stability control and six airbags standard, however the previous model achieved a poor result in crash tests

• Reliability

  Previous model was a disappointment; owners not impressed

• Space

  Big and clever, thanks to five rear seats which fold away to leave a cavernous loadbay

• Standard and extras

  Standards and extras: Mid-range Touring spec has almost everything you'll need; upgrade to Limited for the real luxuries

• What's it like to drive?

  When the best MPVs are as good to drive as a normal car, it's disappointing that the Chrysler Grand Voyager's engine struggles to cope with hauling the car's great weight, while getting round corners emphasises its bus-like physique. At least an automatic gearbox is standard, to save you doing all the hard work - it will need to change down a lot.

• What's it like inside?

  It's not just big inside, it's clever, too. Both rear rows of seats stow away into the floor and when the seats are in use they leave large stowage areas underneath. In the top-spec Limited edition the two middle row captain's seats swivel round to face the back row. Perfect for wink murder on long journeys. Electric sliding doors make getting in and out easy and we like the electric tailgate too. There's a great bus driver-style view out from behind the wheel, however shorter drivers may find the lack of reach adjustment for the steering wheel makes it more difficult to get comfortable.

• How reliable is it?

  Reliability hasn't been a strong point for Grand Voyagers in the past  the previous model scored particularly badly. Owners haven't rated it highly in the JD Power customer satisfaction survey, either. The previous model didnt score well for safety either, notching up a paltry 2 stars in Euro NCAP crash tests. This version has six airbags and stability control, which is good.

• Should I buy one?

  A whopping great seven-seat MPV is never going to be a cheap option, but the Chrysler Grand Voyager isn't helped by the low fuel economy - just 33.6mpg on average - high emissions and big bills for servicing and insurance. We would also recommend spending a little more on a Touring spec version because this adds useful features such as electric seat adjustment, overhead storage bins, a luggage cover, a rear parking camera and touch-screen infotainment system.