[Gildarts]

Voted YES. As a youngster I found MPVs lame, but now taste has evolved.
For me the best looking Audi is not A6, A8 or Q7, but RS6 Avant.
And the Top gear River Nile special episodes were the most fun in my opinion, even though they featured only MPVs.

[jeygani]

Voted No.

MUV is good though for a large family who travel together or chauffeur driven where one can enjoy the comfort of middle row. Every body style has a use case.

Personally for me as a driver it has to be either a good sedan or a proper SUV.

[StepUP!]

Voted No.
MPVs are boring, monolithic, borderline ugly and scream utilitarian (no offense to any owners here). It's built for a purpose which it serves well and that's about it. It lacks desirability or aspirational value in my books. When I say or see or drive a car, it should pull strings. MPVs pull none.
MPVs are best left to be hired when needed rather than owning one.
Reminds me of a dialogue from ZNMD wherein Katrina says "you should be in a box only when you are dead". Modifying a bit - you should be in MPV only when you are being driven.
P.S. I drive XUV7OO and Figo.

[ShivC]

Cannot Vote but would have voted Yes.

MPV's - are like the unsung heroes. Here's my humorous take why:

MPVs, the unsung heroes of family transportation! They're like the Swiss Army knives of the automotive world. Need to transport a cricket team? No problem. Moving day and your friends suddenly remember they own furniture? Easy peasy. You keep putting stuff in, and it somehow accommodates everything!

Picture this: You roll up to a party in your sleek sedan, looking all suave. But wait, where's the space for that giant inflatable pool float your friend insisted on bringing? Cue the MPV! It's the party animal of cars, always ready for a good time, and it won't judge you for your questionable taste in inflatable accessories.

And let's not forget the sliding doors – the automotive equivalent of saying, "Hey, come on in, make yourself at home!" No more worrying about dinging the car next to you in the parking lot. It's like a VIP entrance to your own private lounge, complete with cushy seats and enough legroom to host a mini dance party.

Sure, some may call them "uncle wagons," but let's be real – the MPV is the ultimate practical joker. It laughs in the face of impractical sports cars and oversized SUVs, saying, "Who needs you when I can fit the entire circus – elephants included – in my back seats?"

So, next time you see an MPV on the road, give it a nod of appreciation. It's not just a car; it's a lifestyle choice, a statement that says, "I value comfort, space, and the ability to carry an absurd amount of stuff without breaking a sweat.

[Draken]

Voted Yes.

I used to have MUVs and preferred the SUVs. The Innovas gruff engine and vibrating gear level. The utilitarian old ertiga. But with the current generation especially the Hycross, the lines are pretty much blurred. From my perspective the hycross looks as much as an SUV as the xuv700. Its no more the utilitarian vehicle. Now MUVs pack a lot of style and comfort along with the practicality of it.

[voldemort]

Voted No.

MUVs are practical; maximum interior space for the area occupied by the car. The higher ground clearance is a bonus for our roads!

However, for my usecase, I simply just don't have to haul around that many people or luggage. For most of my drives it's just me or one other person in the car. And since it's mostly just me, there's always going to be space for my luggage no matter how small the car is. And I might as well take advantage of the superior driving dynamics of a number sedan.

Hatchbacks makes most sense for the sort of driving that I do (I currently have no hatchbacks though). And hatchbacks tend to be more efficient than an MUV, which is a bonus. Having said that, I don't really fancy any hatchback that's currently in the market in India (my favourite hatchback by far is the BMW 1 series (the older one with RWD)).

Also I've noticed that where I'm from, lots of non-taxi MUVs tend to run around with just 1 or 2 persons anyway; hauling around two sofa sets for no reason.

[pranavt]

Originally Posted by Gildarts

For me the best looking Audi is not A6, A8 or Q7, but RS6 Avant.
And the Top gear River Nile special episodes were the most fun in my opinion, even though they featured only MPVs.

That's not an MPV/MUV. That's an estate. Welcome to the club.

[Air_Kerala]

Voted YES.

As always has been the case for me, I am believer after I experience it. The first time I rode a bike in the mountains, the first time I experienced flight, the first time I fired a gun. Clear distinct before and after moments in life. Core memories if I may say so. So has been the case with driving an MUV/SUV. We have always owned hatchbacks and sedans in the family. I have continued in the same vein. But over time, I have managed to spend time behind the wheels of multiple MUV/SUV’s and boy oh boy, what an enlightening experience.

In country, where no matter how well you drive, respecting all the rules, respecting your fellow road goers, there will be that one car/bike/LCV/truck which will disrespect all that you hold sacred, as far as driving on roads are concerned. And there in comes the maxim, size matters on Indian roads. The deviants clear the right lane, way faster when you are in an SUV/MUV than in a car a size smaller.

I understand that as automobile enthusiast, we all derive pleasure when the steering, the chassis and the driver are all aligned and carving the same corner on the road. And sedans and hatchbacks deliver. But given the volume of cars on the road, the opportunity rarely presents itself. But like death and taxes, potholes and errant drivers are guaranteed.

I will take the MUV/SUV for the daily grind called life, pack in a one-BHK worth of luggage, take my loved ones in the same car, crack jokes, catch up on extended family drama and not be bothered with that pothole that pops up mid corner.

Maybe, have two car garage, something from the stables of Stuttgart, to remind myself what driving pleasure is all about. Peace

[n_naik]

Originally Posted by Bhodrolok

Oh god! NO.

MPVs otherwise known as mini vans have as much driving pleasure as much riding a boat, plus they are too big and a huge pain to maneuver in our congested cities and an absolute pain to park.

I owned a Swift from 2008 to 2014 and shifted to Ertiga in 2014. It has been almost 10 years now with my diesel ertiga and i am perfectly okay with the car. Never missed my swift. I live in bangalore. I have driven ertiga extensively in all corners of bangalore, including many congested areas. But i have got used to it and have had absolutely no issues. My ertiga has clocked 1.90 lakhs kilometers on the odometer in the last 9 years.

The one thing that i noticed as soon as i switched from swift to ertiga was the respect that i started getting wherever i went. Be it while overtaking on state highways or inside the parking lot of malls. The car was now bigger and was not to be ignored. The incoming vehicles now started thinking twice before attempting to overtake as soon as they saw me. The parking lot staff, instead of tight spots reserved for hatchbacks, now redirect me to bigger and better spaces reserved for MUVs and SUVs.

And on the highways, it is a much better car than my previous swift.

[Anijsh]

No offence but sometimes its not the ‘respect’ but proactive act of self defence as there are many bad drivers driving bigger SUV or MUVs who don’t care about smaller cars around on the road.

[Shorya1412]

Not eligible to vote yet but would vote for YES.

MPVs/SUVs though missing out on the drive appeal and looks of SUVs, are a really practical choice. We have a mixed garage of SUVs (compact and full size) and 1 MPV - the almighty Innova. Though, I enjoy driving the SUVs, but the comfort is not upto the mark.
I’ll take a very relevant comparison of Innova Crysta and Fortuner.
Both the vehicle are more or less similar barring the body shape. Having owned both for more than a year, we enjoy them in respective scenarios.
Fortuner, though a dream to drive on highways with its high seating position and that beast of an engine, is just not comfortable enough. The front 2 seats are a bit too cramped and second row is not great. Innova, in comparison feels like the living room in all seats. The only advantage which I can find for the Fortuner, is the steering response.
Now, coming to the other car in our household- the Endy, it may not be half as comfortable as the Innova, but the driving experience is on another level. Also, the seats have good support coupled with a sense of space in first 2 rows.
Apologies for the long post. To sum it up, I feel that if the car’s purpose is driven heavy than driving, an MPV is the best choice in almost all segments. If self drive is the priority with less family usage, SUVs give the driver a great amount of fun and confidence on all roads.

[EvilZombie]

Voted NO!

If I were looking to buy a car today, I would either go for a butch 4x4 SUV, or a sexy sedan that I can just throw around corners and feel the adrenaline.

On the other hand, if I get to a point where I would prefer being chauffeured, an MPV would be my pick any day of the week. And that's because if I am not driving, I'd rather enjoy the comfort that only a Captain seat can offer.

[amolathalye]

Voted Yes.

But I have one concern. We can fold down the third row of seats to accommodate more / bigger luggage items. But then the occupants are not separated from the luggage unlike in sedans or even in some hatchbacks which have a parcel tray to cover luggage. This could be sometimes unsafe or annoying too. It would be great if manufacturers start providing some optional accessory to separate the luggage compartment.

[subbarp]

Voted Yes.

Having experienced Toyota service, I was waiting for a monocoque AWD from Toyota/ equivalent. Fortuner was not approved by the family due to the ride/ comfort factor. I have gotten used to a same day or at most next day car service and not waiting for days on end for the car to be serviced.

The closest I got was the Endeavour before Ford decided to exit. Even though it was ladder on frame and not a monocoque, surprisingly the family approved it.
Kodiaq was also an option, but I was somehow not convinced about the service quality, service duration, reliability in the long run, and the need to think and plan quite a bit about what fuel, where and when you refuel.

I figured that I will not find a vehicle that ticks all boxes. Got a HyCross. Other than the image factor (it is not an SUV) and poor headlights, ticks all other boxes.
- Is fast, responsive, accelerates and drives like a sedan, has most contemporary features leave aside massaged seats & wireless android auto (gets wired android auto).
- Is reasonably fun to drive, accelerates well (0-100 in under 10s claimed is faster than a few SUVs out there) does not feel its size, is nimble/agile, does not pitch/ bounce and very sedan like in driving mannerisms.
- Is not luxurious like the premium SUVs but not utilitarian by any stretch.
- Have not driven this on very bad roads but it will for sure not be worse off than a sedan.

[Time_Machine]

Voted YES.

Ofcourse all would like to drive sporty sedans or butch SUVs BUT if you are not privileged enough to have more than 1 car in your garage, MPVs make more sense as DO-IT-ALL vehicle for their versatility.