ok people, we are in the market for an estate or hatch with big load capability for up to £7k, ideally a low insurance group (manchester postcodes are silly so boy racer models aren’t an option) and not a zafira/picasso/similar cos I can’t face an MPV and there’s just me, Mrs Ed and 1 daughter… other than the above, any suggestions?

well if there is just 3 of you – anything you fancy???

£7k will get you a lot.

The four of us and all of our crap tip into a Vectra, with a roofbox for holidays. Manchester post code (Simister) and it isn’t too crippling.

I’d have a look at a Mondeo or a Saab. Would have recommended a Vectra until last week when ours had a few issues.

Mk3 Mondeo’s offer a lot of car for the money, the 2l petrols doing late 30’s to the gallon.
Focus as well but the small engines in the current models are heavy on petrol.

estates

Honda Accord
Toyota Avensis
Vectra
Mondeo

or my choice would be an:

Audi A6 (All road)2.5tdi such as this

http://www.vcars.co.uk/used-cars/cardetails.php?t=autotrader&u=347880

http://www.vcars.co.uk/used-cars/cardetails.php?t=autotrader&u=341217

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2005-AUDI-A6-allroad-TDI-Quattro-black-NO-RESERVE-/320661410502?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item4aa8e8d2c6

I’m not sure if I was unlucky with the C-Max, but we had a lot of electrical problems. Otherwise its a great car, with loads of space and power and very economical (2.0 DTI).
We now have a Honda FRV, more expensive and no where near as economical (but it is petrol 2.0). No problems so far, and its a Honda, (which I’ve had 4 of before), so should last years. Very spacious 6 seats. Good car

Yep I’ve got an FRV too. Not really an mpv as such and really spacious ( 3 kids aged 3 to 15). Can’t fault it tbh and I’ve had it 5 years. A record for me.

loving the way that more than one suggestion has been for a mondeo, mrs Ed doesn’t like my focus (admittedly it is a bit shagged out) 🙂

FRV is worth a look cheers, not considered a toyota offensive but will have a look also

nice old merc w124

E39 5 series, and £5k of change?

Or this:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201104378061522/sort/pricedesc/usedcars/price-to/7000/engine-size-cars/4l_to_4-9l/transmission/automatic/body-type/estate/page/1/radius/1501/postcode/hp198gu?logcode=p

We have 10 yr old twins and have always had small cars. Currently have a 1l Corsa and we manage quite nicely. You dont need a bigger car when you have children, its a fallacy.
Last year we went camping with four bikes, roofbox and bootfull of tent, bags etc inc two camping tables and it all fit in nicely.
Save yourself a shedload of insurance, tax and petrol and dont bother with a ‘bigger’ car.

Ah, good old STW – someone wants to spend £7k on a big hatch/estate and within a few posts, he’s told to spend £2k on a saloon and keep the change and then to buy a small car, as he certainly does not need a big car.

*shakes head in disbelief*

Octaviaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, FTW!

Well, in my opinion!
We had a civic type R, and got ‘bored’ with it to be honest. Had exactly the same criteria as you, and went looking. Test drove a passat estate – felt like a barge, and couldn’t get on with the E-handbrake.
Then saw an Octavia hatch in the dealers…it’s a 1.6FSI, which if I;m being honest feels a bit underpowered when trying to overtake, but for 99% of general driving, it behaves within necessary limits (meaning, the car isn’t the limiting factor on speed etc). Bearing in mind I’ve come from a 200bhp hot hatch, that probably has a lot to do with the feelings there..

The boot is mahoosive, and it’s great inside – really comfy.

Plus, you’re a STW member, so you MUST have this car (plus only one gear on your bike…)

DrP

Maybe a Cinquecento and a trailer?

“Last year we went camping with four bikes, roofbox and bootfull of tent, bags etc inc two camping tables and it all fit in nicely.
Save yourself a shedload of insurance, tax and petrol and dont bother with a ‘bigger’ car.”
i’d like to see some maths to back that up.

Well for 7 grand you could get a really pimped out Surly Big Dummy, dynamo hub, Rohloff, loads of different attachments, footsies etc.

As far as I know it’s in the lowest VED bracket, really high miles per gallon on beer/milk/pasta, low insurance and obviously it’s the coolest car you can buy.

Last year we went camping with four bikes, roofbox and bootfull of tent, bags etc inc two camping tables and it all fit in nicely.
Save yourself a shedload of insurance, tax and petrol and dont bother with a ‘bigger’ car.”
i’d like to see some maths to back that up.

quality rebuke.

Touran for me- 2.0 tdise. Loads of space and nearly as quick off the lights as my gti.

The 7th generation Accord estate (03-08) is a big old luggage carrier and due to the 8th gen being out it’s very good value now. The diesels and petrols are both good engines and which one you choose depends on how much you drive. Very relaible too. We had 2 previously and now have a 8th gen.

Plenty of these on Autotrader under £7k. Brilliant car – well built, comfy, huge and sensible……

Excuse me for having an opinion. See pic:

Also £125 fully comp insurance with all the add-ons, 400 miles on £40 of petrol and £65 road tax. £25 – £30 a corner for tyres etc. What else would you like me to do/say to back it up…..

“400 miles on £40 of petrol”
Loaded like that?

Why would you want to is more to the point.

If you want a little car, then that’s your choice, but there seems to be an insistance from certain factors of STW posters to do everything to a minimum, be that size, money, whatever.

Some people are quite happy to spend what they think they can afford, on whatever suits their requirements.

When we first had kids, we convinced ourselves that we needed a big car and got a Scenic. It was useful for getting a double pushchair in the boot, but we got on just as well with a Fiesta. But, we had access to my father-in-law’s Focus C-Max for camping holidays.

We just went from a small car (Corolla) to a big car (Scenic) again, but for dogs this time; it is quite tricky to fit a labrador and a greyhound in the boot of a Corolla.

Not saying you don’t need a bigger car but don’t feel like you have to get one because of a baby, when money may be a factor.

Having said that, we saved money going to the bigger car this time, because we got a slightly older one. Dogs, kids and bikes are going to trash a car anyway, so no point buying new or spending a lot of cash.

Must be doing 30mph on the motorways to have that petrol consumption 😉

I don’t get the insistance on Scenic’s/C Max et al when people have kids – you get no more less room than a decent estate – they are just taller.

we needed a big car and got a Scenic

A Scenic is a ‘big’ car?

I don’t get the insistance on Scenic’s/C Max et al when people have kids – you get no more less room than a decent estate – they are just taller.

And as for why people get people carriers, its not that they are longer, but there is more room in them and as you say, taller. Therefore far more practical for awkward objects (pushchairs) and easier to handle car seats and the like.

~You want to see our fun bus!! Seat Alhambra and we don’t have children!! It’s awesome….. sod squeezing it all into my Skoda Fabia 1.2 monster…

I’m lovin this thread – I knew full well I’d get a big spread of answers,so the stuff from leftfield is quite useful as it’s not the ones I’d already thought of 🙂

the suggestion of a Passat R32 for a manchester postcode was quality 😀

I’m not averse to a smaller car, I used to get my saxes and a full set of drums in the back of my Nova when I used to give a drummer a lift – but a bigger car would mean that we don’t have to use a roofbox when we really fill it

keep em coming

It was worth it just to see that Nova- if that can do more than 50mph loaded like that I very much doubt it would be able to stop. 50mpg+ like that is impressive though, the money saved can help pay for the new clutch every 5000 miles and the chiropractor bills for the poor folk in the back. What about an old peugout?

We actually have two Corsas in our family, one of them being an older shape one but with the same 1.0L 12v Ecotec engine (incidentally made by suzuki).
Both of them do the 400miles to a full tank (approx 40L) and most of the time they are just being used around the Island. They still get that fuel consumption on the motorway (when on the mainland) at 70-80mph. Sorry if this sounds like a thread hijack but I’m just defending my corner against people knocking small cars.
From my experience, we saved a load of money, as we had twins, and didn’t feel we needed any more space that a bigger and ultimately more expensive to run car would give us. The pic was demonstrating what a ‘small car’ is capable of. (No it wont do 400 miles on one tank loaded like that, obviously)(more like 300-325)

(Mr MC posting)

We could get plenty into MC’s fabia including 2 bikes, but getting it all in was like doing a rubiks cube and took an age. Having been rear ended by a HGV on the way home from Swinley I would never put my bike on the back of a car, and a mate who drove back from scotland with his bikes on a rear rack found his bike wrecked by all the salt spray.

The OP is anti MPV, but as MC has said Ive just bought used Alhambra as a bike bus. 1.9TDI in low power 115bhp guise means it will only ever trundle, but is averaging over 40mpg in mixed use. Many of our riding mates have vans, but this has the mod cons and sophistication of a car, and more capacity than the sort of vans I’d consider for daily use (VW Caddy, transit connect etc) as it is also my daily commuter transport. Roll on the summer, 2 week road trip riding in the alps.

the bikes will fit in line with front wheels straight, this was an attempt to get them to “self stabilise” with nothing else in the car and only the straps holding them vertical as a mounting point.

A Scenic is a ‘big’ car?

As big as anyone needs, unless that have 4+ kids and need a 7-seater.