I find myself in need of a car that can regularly seat 2 adults and 4 kids, cars I've considered are:
Disco - expensive to buy and run
XC90 - ditto although a bit cheaper than LR
S-Max - looks nice for an MPV and they are quite reasonable used now - although are the rearmost seats any good for more than short trips?
Or should I just go the whole hog and get a big MPV?
Some of the bigger estates have a third row of seats I think? Volvo and honda off the top of my head.
Friends have an S-Max and i've been quite impressed. Not much luggage space with all the seats in though
Espace - consistently the best and most flexible in my experience BUT it's made by Renault and WILL blow up in spectacular fashion
How big are the kids and the budget? Loads more options out there these days. Few have "full size" rear seats though. Mitsubishi Grandis has good back end room, S-Max is good for room but a bit claustrophobic because of the window layout, especially with tinted glass. Grand Voyager is very good for space if that's what you need.
Three of the kids are 10, the fourth is nearly 7
Discovery 3 - Thirsty, heavy, but the best car I've owned. The 3rd row of seats are fine for full-sized adults, though this does mean you need a roof box if you're using all the seats.
XC90 - I had one for 80k miles; great, but third row of seats is really only suitable for kids up to the age of 10/11, for long journeys at least. Out kids are that age, which is why we changed.
S-Max - rear seats pretty small
Chrysler Grand Voyager - appalling in every way, but large.
Galaxy - pretty good; I don't think the trim quality is up to much, but it all seems to hang together.
If you really need space, a Peugeot 806 is astonishingly dull but very large and van-like. Also very cheap secondhand.
Toyota Verso has 7 seats doesn't it?
Sorted!
Toyota Verso has 7 seats doesn't it?
Not big ones though, my Honda Stream back row are loads bigger and are now getting too small for our gang (14/11/9).
Honda FRV? Proper size seats and reasonable boot.
Or its got to be the MPV route, Renault Espace or Toyata Previa.
But if the budget is big, Merc R-Class. A mate who has 4 kids has one and its lovely.
That CX is ace!!!
and thinking about it, if the budget isn't big, a merc W124 E-class diesel is about £4k and has seats in the boot.
Do your family a favour and get a full sized MPV.
Or a VW transporter - even more room 
Surely that's a DS not a CX?
Our 2006 Kia Sedona is a proper 7 seater - with full leather, semi-Captain's seats in middle row, frt/rear aircon, Turbo Diesel, Auto, 30mpg.. etc.
Plus, sliding doors both sides so the kiddies don't smack the doors into the car parked right next to you.
And they're inexpensive to buy.
How about a slightly new Citroen than the one above. C4 Grand Picasso. Avoid the 1.6hdi unless it has been perfectly dealer serviced though.
Anyone tried the Kia/Hyundai 7 seater SUVs?
Been driving our XC90 for the last 9 years and it still feels current. very comfy, safe, great load carrier and not too bad on fuel (but we do have a Golf for running around).
Nothing else out there makes me think I should change - even if I did have the money.
Crikey those Merc R-class with 6 seats are a bargain used!
also in this position, kids from 13 to 10, but really want it to be able to carry enough gear for maybe a weeks camping.
Another vote for the KIA Sedona, big cheap and reliable. Get the new 2.2 engined version though as it's much more economical and is a much lighter (200kg) lighter engine!
Hmm Personally wouldn't touch another Sedona after having lots of unidentified problems - several thousand pounds of repairs (some in warranty, some not) were one issue, but the other was that most independent garages won't touch one as you need Kia's diagnostic stuff (£70 to just plug it in) and they are also so large they don't fit on some car transporters.
The trim is nice, but DVD player failed 4 times (replaced under warranty until that ran out and then we gave up).
That was the old model, but brother has had the same issues with the new one. There is a reason they are cheap.
I would look at Galaxy, Espace, S-Max personally.
looked at a Volks caddy maxi life which looks great, just can't afford one!
As above Citroen C4 grand Picasso rear seat easily folded down flat giving plenty of space had one for the past couple of months liking it very much
Galaxy here, the older VW based one. (54plate 130hp TDi). Very happy with it. If you reglarly carry 4 kids then leaving the middle seat out means no faffing around tipping seats to get to the back. Rearmost seats slide forwards so can still give a reasonable boot. My advice would be buy cheap though, as its an old model now. Ford stopped theirs in 06' but Seat's Alhambra went to a 59 plate I think. Galaxy/Alhambra/Sharran bascially the same car, albeit with different lights, trim etc. (They were all built on the same production line). Few common problems, but not expensive ones. Ours returns 36 - 42 mpg.
We had a Verso before, great car but no boot with rear seats up. And the rear seats have very little leg room.
The older shape Kia Sportage & Sorrento werent 7 seaters, but I think the latest ones are (or can be specced). Ironically the Hyundai version of the older Kia Sorrento (cant remember its name), had 7 seats, but both had an awful 2.5 engine that was heavy on fuel. (Think 25mpg heavy). That chap above with the 2000kg 2.9 Sedona doing 30mpg is a lucky man!!! 
If your flush go for the latest X5, that can have 7 seats.
Honda FRV is a 6 seater, & well worth a look.
02 VW Sharan here, suits our 4 kids (12,8,6,3.5) pretty well, we usually run with all 7 seats in, but one the rear folded down for a bit more luggage space. The only downside is getting the seats out and the storing them if you need to turn it into a van for a while - they are great for moving stuff about - we got a large 3 seat sofa inside ours the other day.
I've been looking at people carriers recently.
The new shape Galaxy is nice. Bigger than the SMax.
We're probably going to go for an Smax as we don't really need the extra space of the Galaxy.
Also have a look at the Toyota Previa. They are big and some good deals around as they're not v. cool.
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