Viewing 19 posts - 1 through 19 (of 19 total)
  • Car thoughts … Seat Alhambra or similar alternatives
  • letmetalktomark
    Full Member

    In the new year we are going to need a larger car. Whilst we don’t have 7 people to fit seven seats we will have 2 adults, 2 children and three dogs* to accommodate.

    Looking at 7 seaters so that the dogs (in a mesh cylinder tube thingy) can go on the 6th & 7th seat out of the boot.

    The Alhambra looks to have everything we would want but seem pretty scare.

    The Sharran seems more common but is more ££ for much the same car.

    Galaxy and Smax are contenders but a) Mrs LMTTM is not a Ford fan and b) the van ( 😉 ) doors of the above would be helpful for where the car will be parked.

    Anyone with first hand +ve and or -ve experience of the Alhambra or other similar cars. Boot needs to be big enough for pram so the Zafira and that size of car are sadly out.

    All thoughts, comments etc are very welcome.

    Estates are a consideration but don’t like having to transport the dogs in a crumple zone i.e. boot. We do a fair amount of miles each year so safety for all of us is very important.

    * Dachshunds

    scaredypants
    Full Member

    I had a test drive in an Alhambra – the recent model (3yr ago) is MASSIVE !

    I didn’t think it drove all that badly but was definitely more “vanny” than say an S-max or 5008

    I quite liked the galaxy but a bit bigger than I needed

    (bought the Peugeot – was a big markdown on it so thought I’d take the risk. It’s been faultless for 3+ years, touchwood)

    letmetalktomark
    Full Member

    It does look cavernous! Smax seems to be the better driving vehicle of this sort of size.

    What model Peugeot? Scratch that – just re read the bit where you mention the model 😳

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    surfer
    Free Member

    Had a few 307SW’s and they were great in every department but you would want the 5008 which I only test drove but felt mahoosive! Given my experience of Peugeots I would look at that.
    I drove an Alhambra around france for 3 weeks with the family and that was good also. Very “rolly” but spacious and comfortable for the mileage we did.

    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    We just bought an early new model Galaxy and it seems a great bus. Big, really big, amazing leg room and boot space.
    Compared with friends smax’s, you can tell it is a wee bit heavier. BUt by heck, you get a lot more boot space which has already been used to the full. Five of us, two kayaks, canoe, five bikes and a day+ worth of kit, easy.
    Only downsides so far are the fuel economy is not as good as the Touran/ what is promised and mrs_oab being small does not find the passenger seat comfy on journeys.

    scaredypants
    Full Member

    (should add, I agree with surfer about “rolly” – it was pretty soft, as was a citroen grand picasso that we rented and did 1700 km in over 2 days. very comfy on the motorway but a long way from “taut” if that matters. In most other respects it’s very close to the peugeot as they’re the same shells & engines I think)

    fadda
    Full Member

    I bought an 06 plate Alhambra in June, instead of a bike van – so its duties are a little different than yours since it has only spent about 4 days with all its seats in since then.

    Its a 2.0 TDI (140 bhp), and its actually very good to drive. As above, a little “rolly” with soft suspension, but that makes it very comfy for tooling around, and the power is plenty to be able to keep up with/blend with traffic, although not excessive.

    Its cavernous inside, and has done a house move for me as well!

    The Galaxy and Sharans of the same age are essentially the same car, although anecdotally I was told that there are fewer problems with the Alhambra*

    *this may be sales bollocks…

    rwamartin
    Free Member

    Had an Alhambra (1.9TDi 110bhp) for 12 years. If I had the money I’d have another without hesitation. Tons of space, flexible seating arrangements. 2 Adults, 3 children plus luggage no problems. Don’t know if the newer ones are better/worse but probably the best car I’ve ever had.
    Rich.

    beaker
    Full Member

    My Sharan was the best bike car I ever owned. It was also good with two young kids and all the gumf that we had to cart around but that is all secondary…

    pacemaker
    Free Member

    I had the new model Sharan (61 plate) after 2 Galaxys (07 & 09) , it was by far the worst vehicle i have ever had !

    I spent more time in hire cars than in the Sharan over the 2 years., 25 visits to the main dealer and they could never find the fault.

    It would randomly die whilst you were driving, you could have been doing 5mph or 70 mph, with no warning the thing would stop and die with no power, no electrics, light or anything.
    You would lose power steering, servo brakes and everything else.

    The last straw was pushing it out of lane 2 of the unlit M1 at 5am asd it died when overtaking trucks !

    The dealer could never get to what was causing it as nothing was ever logged in diagnostics.

    So IMHO i would stay well away from the VW (Seat is the same car) and go for the Fords, both mine were faultless clocking up 138k and 126k in 2 years respectively.

    cb
    Full Member

    pacemaker – that sounds scary as hell – did you flog it or did the dealer take it back in the end? Also, I assume you researched the issue – was it common or do you think you were unlucky? I only ask as the Alhambra is a vehicle I have half an eye on.

    hora
    Free Member

    I’m not sure how good etc the boot of the Alhambra is but I had the Altea and it was a virtual reverse tardis interiorwise.

    OP have you looked at the Citroen Grand Picasso? I’m just not a fan of VW products.

    fadda
    Full Member

    The Alhambra has a common electrical problem, solved by fixing/changing wiring into/near the drivers door (not quite as complicated or expensive as it sounds).

    Worth a Google – I think it can cause a range of problems, most of which are not as serious as pacemaker’s – which sounds hideous!

    T1000
    Free Member

    There are some good deals to be had on the VW sharan which can make it a better deal than the Alhambra if buying new

    FunkyDunc
    Free Member

    Why do you want a 7 seater?

    The boots tend to be smaller on true 7 seater, plus the fact that if you are actually going to take the seats out for the dogs then you have to find some where to store 2 seats, and then you are paying for some thing you are not using.

    I would have though a Mondeo Estate/Volvo estate would be more practical, as dogs do not need seats.

    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    Funkydunc – the boot on the new models has no seats in as they fold flat to the floor and are not removeable. This means the boot is much, much larger than the equivalent estate or hatchback.

    I just managed seven seats up, sevenon board and a bike and wheels behind the last row.

    pacemaker
    Free Member

    Sorry for the delay in replying, the Sharan was a company car through lease plan.

    I ended up putting it in a field due to it dieing at the wrong time !. It was subsequently taken away by VW and shipped off never to be seen again when legal action was threatened.

    On the plus side, I had some great hire cars whilst the Sharan was in the dealers

    PhilC
    Free Member

    Old style Sharan, Galaxy, Alhambra clones are good, cheap and you can put a tail gate mounted bike rack on them. Can’t do this with the new models which don’t have strong enough tail gates.

    No bias, but I have a top quality rack for sale for said vehicle if you get one and are interested.

    I had an alhambra for several years and found it great. I’ve now moved up to a LWB VW transporter though, so all the bikes, camping equipment etc go inside!

    takisawa2
    Full Member

    The older shape Galaxy/Sharran/Alhambra are great from a practically point of view, and as a big family bus they are just ace. (54′ Galaxy here).

    But by christ are they unreliable. Not serious, leave you at the roadside type fauIts, just lots of annoying little ones. Don’t think there has ever been a time when ours has been fault free. If it went into a dealers every time I’d be bankrupt. 🙂
    Totted up over 5yrs, we’d have been no worse off leasing a new one. 😕

    But, we love the thing dearly.
    Tows a 1500kg all over France each summer.
    Seats out, you’ve practically got a transit van.

    The last Fords would be 06′, the VW just after but the Seat stopped at 59′ reg. Finding them is the problem, as mini cab firms love them.
    Look up the FGOC.co.UK forum.
    Some good advice on there.

    Will swap ours for an Smax. One day.

Viewing 19 posts - 1 through 19 (of 19 total)

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