Following this thread and some idle browsing of our local second hand car showroom, it transpires my wife and kids are keen on getting a people carrier.

Budget £8k give or take, so second hand. 7 seater holds appeal but not if those rear seats completely gobble up boot space; might as well get an estate if they do. Thinking Citroen C4 Picasso, Renault Grand Scenic, Mazda 5. The Berlingo looks very practical but dog-ugly.

I need to be able to carry 3 kids, me, the missus and also a large trike and pram/buggy in the boot. Kids are still in car seats/booster seats so need 3 full size seats in the back.

We have a Grand Scenic 1.9dCi. Owned for 10 years. Only thing that’s really gone wrong was the EGR valve earlier this year. Road tax is cheap(ish) towed our caravan and now trailer tent happily. Van like with middle row of seats removed, big with them folded.

if you use the 3rd row of seats boot space is limited (smaller than my wife’s golf) but they fold into floor.

access is easy and legroom good. you’re up higher than a car so driving is easy.

No complaints really.

Oh, it’s not going to set your soul on fire as a driving machine but you knew that 🙂

Zafira will do what you want, not the most exciting car to drive but fairly good vfm

Mate has a Galaxy, fabulous bike vehicle. Can swallow huge amounts of kit with some/all of the seats removed. The ones you are looking at are much smaller.

I’ve posted this a few times but we had an older Rav 4 and those models you could remove the rear seats. Big load carrier with them out, great for bikes etc. With the seats in you still have a decent boot. More expensive to buy/run but a bit more interesting than normal/small MPV

When we needed a 7 seater we went with the big 4wd’s (Shogun etc) but they are expensive on fuel and a bit big to negotiate the multi-story at the weekend.

After bad experiences with gen I and gen II Scenics I was convinced that I would have been done with them.
However I could not really get any good trade-in offers from any other brand so had to choose Grand Scenic III with small diesel and double clutch auto. Surprisingly it has been nearly faultless, only one extra trip to dealer due problem with electronic handbrake controller in early production run.
II series could be considered if the dashboard has been replaced, handbrake fixed, that valve thingie changed and set of dogbones and brake disks are changed recently and you can get one so cheap that you can keep +1000£ reserve for that bad day.

Driving with these is a different thing compared to real cars, on the plus side most normal cars feel like racers after these. 🙂

Galaxy

I lot more expensive than the Citroen/Renault/Mazda brigade I notice.

Driving with these is a different thing compared to real cars, on the plus side most normal cars feel like racers after these

This is what worries me. I’ve gone from an Elise to a Boxster to a Mazda 6 and now I’m looking at MPVs!! Do the slippers come FOC? 🙁

stilltortoise – Member

This is what worries me. I’ve gone from an Elise to a Boxster to a Mazda 6 and now I’m looking at MPVs!! Do the slippers come FOC?

Zafira VXR? Really fast slippers.

(I am projecting my own weaknesses onto others here; I don’t want to sell my car but there’s a VXR on ebay near me and I just love the stupidity of the things. Even with fwd and a pretty flawed seat setup.)

Do the slippers come FOC?

My wife has a Golf GTi and I have a 7 seat mpv.

I’ve no idea how we ended up in this position but it’s clearly her golf and my Renault.

Sometimes I weep gently as I drive on my own in my car along country roads.

^ 😆

I have been spoilt having gone through 3 or 4 car purchases since my wife last got to choose. It is her turn really. I’m surprised she wants an MPV cos she’s as much into nice cars as I am and was really disappointed when I sold the Boxster. I think the arrival of child number 3 is making her soft 😆

Hired a Galaxy 170bhp diesel once. Plasticy, but a lovely drive, powerful and fairly good on fuel too. 46mpgon the airport run, but knock off 10-15% for the Ford lies.

Have a look at a Toyota Corolla Verso
The 2.0 D4D engine is bullet proof, no DPF, no cam belt

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/toyota/corolla-verso-2004/

Elise > Seat Cupra FR > Toyota Corolla when I stopped kidding myself 🙂

Have an S Max now. As a family carrying vehicle you can’t knock it, it’s almost entertaining to drive (alone) too. 45 mpg ish on the 1.8TDCi and it doesn’t look too bad. Found a rare full leather version, 40K on the clock for £8K which is as much as I’d want to spend on an MPV 😀

The Toyota was better, but too small for the 3 boys and all the gubbins (usually take 5 bikes, 2 surfboards on hols.. wouldn’t mind a kayak either…) else I’d have got another. 2 kids it’d be well worth looking in too.

Have a weird ass issue though – sometimes, it’ll just start juddering and missing under acceleration. Seems to be mainly when warm, supermarket fuel seems to make it worse .. suspecting a filter or EGR valve or injector but no idea how to diagnose, and it’s irregular so I’m not sure a garage could reproduce it. Any ideas out there?

not sure a garage could reproduce it

a read of the ecu may give a diagnosis even if the fault isn’t occurring there and then.

Thought about a 6 seater? Honda FRV? I swear by Honda’s, very reliable and well made IME. We had the 2.0 petrol, it was juicy, but couldnt afford the 2.2 CDTi. If you can, go for the diesel. Its wide, so I think you could get 3 boosters in the back. There is always the front middle as well.
No DPF or cambelt either.

superfli beat me to it. I’ve had my FRV for over 8 years and I honestly can’t think of any reason to move it on for something newer. Easily the most reliable and best built car I have ever had. You will have no problem with 3 boosters across the back (or 3 proper child seats for that matter)

On our second Grand Picasso, both have been the 2.0ltr fully automatic ones with the self levelling rear suspension which is good with four bikes on the tow bar. First one did 100,000 miles before we swapped it and this has done £60,000. Great as a family car and for getting the bikes about. Ours also gets us to the Alps on an annual basis and is a pleasure to drive on long and short journeys. Loads of room inside.

Pretty happy with our Scenic Mk III, no worries so far (4 yo), only downside is the 1.5dci which is a distinctly old school 106 hp (?) (in a 1.5 ton car), more modern versions have a new 130hp unit which should make accelerating distinctly less sclerotic. Once up to speed it’s quite happy to cruise all day at European motorway speeds. Flappy seats in rear are for kids only really, as is the case in most 5+2s – small boot space with seats down. Also looked at C4 Picasso which I actually preferred but Missus preferred the Scenic as it was more car like. Lots of Picassos available ex-Motability (well there was when I was looking at them)

I think I need to look at some of these in the flesh. The FRV looks expensive to be honest and I’m not sure the boot will be big enough. I need to be able to fit this trike in AND a push chair. The trike does split into two but is still pretty wide [video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-WVl94AeZI[/video]

I’m expecting 1st babba and am trying to convince wife we need a Passat estate. She want’s one of these things though as she says an estate is too boat like in dimensions.

Opinions?

My experience so far is if you want to carry stuff an estate is better. These are the main advantages of MPVs as I see it:

– (potentially) more than 5 seats
– more upright driving position
– better visibility
– more cubby holes to lose toys in
– sliding doors (on some) – I’m sure this is a God-send in car parks

you get a lot more height to load things in too with an MPV, so overall boot volume is pretty huge.

We’ve got a VW Touran – which was 4 years old when bought at the top end of your budget. Great as a smaller MPV with 3 proper seats for childseats – twins mean’t the car HAD to be able to get 2 Class 0 & 1 Class 1 seats in. The seats in the boot fold flat into the floor – and thus no spare tyre, but no reduction in boot space. Need to be a child to sit in them though!
We test drove the Galaxy – and it was a close run thing. Galaxy has more space but Mrs Sheeps didn’t like the ride (felt bigger?!).

BUT (and don’t hate me) but 3 years into 3 children and bikes and camping kit etc. we’re thinking of going down the T5 route!

you get a lot more height to load things in too with an MPV, so overall boot volume is pretty huge.

I think a larger floor space and lower ceiling is more useful than smaller area and higher ceiling, unless you’re delivering white goods 😆

go and look at some – you’ll be surprised how much floor space there is – particularly as you’ll be able to slide seats forward a bit if you have younger children.

Bloke I knew back in the day used to swear by the Ford Galaxy. He was heavily into surfing and got one as a company car because it was huge and, if push came to shove, he and his GF could sleep in the back of it.

I guess the modern equivalent of this is the S-Max which a friend at work swears by. Repeatedly. At great length. Constantly.

Large floor space and a high roof in ours, we looked at every one out there before choosing. It also has the advantage that you can lower the back end to get in heavy loads and the rear sill is in line with the floor, disadvantage is that there is no spare wheel as that’s where the seats go

I’ve a C-max

+ it’s a car, don’t get excited. It’s better than crap cars and “drives like a car” T5’s, but it’s still dull (my othr car’s a Midget, maybe I’m biased).

– it’s shorter by a smidge than an MK1 focus estate (the mk2 which the C-max is based on is apprently smaller but I’ve not had one to compare). you can still sleep in the back though with the seats out.

Given the choice I’d have had either the estate or a berlingo, the C-max isn’t good enough at either being big or car like to be worth the comprimise.

Reliability of my 1.6 petrol has been fine, does 39-42mpg and tyres last 20,000 on the front, 40,000 on the back and it’s needed nothing else between 30,000 and 75,000miles I’ve had it.

I have a Berlingo, dog ugly but I don’t think you will get a more practical car for your money. The combination of boot space and sliding doors is brilliant. Take your trike and pram and try a few different cars. I like the fact I don’t really care about it.

Mazda 5 mpv.
Sadly the most powerful engined, sporty low profile tyres is also an mpv!
It is brilliant with the sliding doors in tight car parks.
Nice car too drive with decent stuff in it.
Mrs is happy to get work.
Some great camping trips ticket!
Petrol engine is quiet and refined (I drive a van so most things are).
Only 1 BIG PROBLEM!
IT CAN’T TAKE A BOOT MOUNTED BIKE RACK!!!
I have a brilliant Exodus boot rack from Halfords and its been on everything but the Mazdas boot spoiler and plastic boot panel have rendered it useless.
Fog lamp is in the middle of the rear bumper so no tow ball option.
Only option is is roof mounted bike racks, but now I gotta fork out for all that.
I’m not a fan of rooftop stuff after a mate change the shape of his rare Kona Titanium beauty under a low bridge, his car came off worse!!
Thats my only niggle.
A great car.

Fog lamp is in the middle of the rear bumper so no tow ball option.

It would be a quick and easy job to install a fog lamp elsewhere

Just get a T5 or similar and all the future worries will be resolved re space, kit, practicality etc etc.

Can’t fault my S Max.

Mazda 5 mpv.

Test drove one a couple of years ago. Lots to like, but with the rear seats in place the boot space was tiny as I remember.

I have a Berlingo, dog ugly but I don’t think you will get a more practical car for your money.

I mercilessly ribbed my brother for buying one of these, but you probably speak truth.

Take your trike and pram and try a few different cars.

Yep, this is the best idea

with the rear seats in place the boot space was tiny as I remember.

They are all like this.

They are all like this.

They’re not. That’s what surprised me about the Grand Scenic. With the kids seats in place there was still room in the boot for a buggy and some bags of shopping.

had a Pug Partner (Berlingo) before the current C4 Picasso. Pug was pretty sparse in terms of features but I would get another one if/when circumstances require a 2nd car. You can get a massive amount in with seats down, and ours had a nice plastic boot thing which meant we could just chuck in bikes, rubble or any other crap we wanted to cart about

C4 has been nothing but trouble, the lights go every 3 – 4 months (one bulb fell out and melted through the front bumper somehow) and it seems to need something doing at every service.

That said it’s done 120k miles so it’s getting on a bit.

We’re looking to change and at the minute the SEAT Altea XL is winning (iTech has lots of kit for the money) as the wife and kids really like it.

(I only drive it at weekends and the odd evening, so I can’t really force my choices on her, SEAT Leon ST FR was lovely, but she’s not a fan of estates for some reason)

They’re not. That’s what surprised me about the Grand Scenic. With the kids seats in place there was still room in the boot for a buggy and some bags of shopping.

How may kids have you got? Are you likely to use the 3rd row often? The Grand Scenic is pretty big for day to day, is it you who will be driving it in the main or your wife?

We only got 7 seats as a useful option for club runs etc. – our three sit in the middle row of the S Max and we still have a large boot in normal use.

MPVs really score over estates when you have child seats – much easier to get the blighters in and out. Plus you can fill the floorspace by the big seats with yet more kit. A few friends have Passats, no way do they get more gear in than the S Max .. but then it is a bigger vehicle overall.

The Mazda 5 is very nice, sliding doors are great, but what killed it for us is that it’s 2+2+2 so with 3 kids you end up without enough luggage space for camping hols.

Although I have to agree, a T5 with crew cab is probably my most practical option 🙂

Our Touran, 05 1.9tdi.
Good bits: mega practical, good mpg, drives OK, comfy enough, we have done 140k in it it so far. Still goes.

Bad bits: it has gone wrong more than expected, some really duff design costing a fortune to repair when needed, parts cost silly money (like all modern cars), and overall I am ‘meh’ about it. We have had wheel bearings, DPF, Clutch and DMF, ABS sensor, suspension (x2 lots of arms/struts), boot gas strut issue to repair, A/C etc etc etc.

Are you likely to use the 3rd row often?

Good question. Sometimes we need to shuttle more than 5 people around. At the moment that involves using 2 cars, so the idea of pop-up seats for those occasions holds some appeal. Whether it is a big enough selling point of an MPV over an estate remains to be seen.

is it you who will be driving it in the main or your wife?

It depends. Officially it’s a replacement for my car, but my wife is the one more often than not shuttling the kids about, so I may end up adopting her car as my main car.

On our second Grand Picasso

Are they 5 or 7 seat?