This weeks edition of Top Gear (15/07/04) featured a look at mini mpvs/tall hatches.
There was a very silly test with the Ford C-Max and the Renault Megane.
Both 5 seaters.
The conclusion was that they didn't offer much over the equivalent 5 seat hatch except some extra headroom.
They then went back to the studio for a quick discussion on the merits of 5/7 seats. Done in front of sample vehicles, including a green touran, an SE I think.
The conclusion they came to was that the 5 seaters didn't offer anything extra apart from a price tag roughly £2000 above the normal hatch.
If your going to buy a mini mpv they recommended going for the full 7 seat experince to get the most out of the car.
That left them with the Touran, the Zafira and the Toyota Corolla Verso.
The Touran was dismissed by Clarkson as having a dull interior which would be like driving round in Eeyor's bottom.
The Zafira was "ok" **said with a sideways look at the camera**
And the Toyota was his choice, even though the drive "was't exactly brilliant" and the engine "was dreary"

Ok ok I'm biased, but why choose a car thats doesn't drive well and has a dreary engine?

For those who haven't seen the inside of a Touran, its not dull.
The whole car is very businesslike.
It has a job to do, which it does very well. It doesn't effect any fancy styling touches. It doesn't have swoops and curves and angles where they aren't needed. It gets on with doing what its supposed to do and it does it very well.
To steal someone else's tagline. "German engineering where you need it most"
All over my car, thats where I need German engineering and efficancy.

An unbiased observer who works for another car company took mine for a 20 mile spin last week and was very impressed.
To me it drives and feels like a hatch.