Mrs VXL runs a 2003/4 Seat Alhambara 1.9 TDi 130 SE. Really likes it as well.
The PD 1.9 units are pretty robust and the 130 fitted to hers does propel it along very well considering the size and weight of vehicle. It's far quicker than the Omega 2.2DTi estate she had previously and the SE suspension is a little lower and stiffer so it handles relatively well.
Much bigger than Zafira's etc but you do have to remove the seats if you want to use it in 'van' mode as they don't fold into the floor and they are cumbersome and heavy to get out and store.
Build quality is very VW, trim pretty robust but door handles suffer the same fate as facelift Omega ones and the catches on the seats (to fold them flat) tend to loose their plastic cap. The N/S light cluster on the tailgate seems to warp and fill with water which in turn blows fuses that control other items - I just sealed ours up with some silicone sealant.
If you look at a 130 (or any one with a six speed box) do check the box is tight and all gears can be selected easily. Note that the tyres on these have to be Extra Load / Reinforced due to the weight carrying ability. The spare wheel (full size but steel rather than alloy) is held in place by a pulley system which feels very fragile, I slapped a load of grease on the steel cable in the hope that it keeps it corrosion at bay.
Overall we really like it, it tends to spend most of the time in five seat mode with a dog cage in the boot area and still has space for shopping. You can rearrange the centre row of seats by taking the middle one out and moving the outer ones in. I find the seats quite hard but this is probably more to do with the design of them being an SE model.
I notice a lot of MPV's seem to run winter tyres so I presume being front wheel drive and having a higher centre of gravity they are probably a bit more of a handful in snow than a car.