Thinking of replacing octavia with a bigger car. Need space for kids and dogs, like the idea of having extra seats for when we have other kids or parents visiting.

Liking the look of the sharan (hate the name). So any real experiences
What else to look at similar? Don’t want a Ford if we can really help it.

I had a W reg Sharan for a couple years. You know the one, big and ugly beloved of cab drivers. It was awesomely practical. It swallowed everything, kit and bikes with the wheels still on, the boot lid doubled as an umbrella when getting changed at trail centers and it was pretty relible to boot. I’d have another tomorrow.

Need space for kids and dogs, like the idea of having extra seats for when we have other kids or parents visiting.

I’ve just gone down the XC90 route. It’s lovely. Like a V70 with a bigger boot and more seats, and a higher driving position.

Very happy so far. Oh, and it’s not a van.

Had a V reg. Alhambra 1.9TDi. for about 13 years. If I had the money I’d have another tomorrow. Fantastic. Best car I’ve ever owned.

Have a new Alhambra and can’t really fault it – more kit than the Sharan, very solid and better built than my previous 2012 Passat. Fuel economy could be better at only 40mpg for the tdi but hopefully it will loosen up. It’s a big old unit, but the sliding doors help when parked up. VAG are getting their 2.0 tdi units pretty refined now.

if you don’t want a Ford, remember that the Sharan/Alhambra is also the Galaxy?

Nice enough motors, comfy, big, usual big car problems. I went for a touran in the end, 7 seat if i need them, huge boot when using 5 seats, built on a golf chassis so car like to drive.

remember that the Sharan/Alhambra is also the Galaxy?

It was until around 2006, when Ford went their own way.

Need space for kids and dogs, like the idea of having extra seats for when we have other kids or parents visiting.

Got the Tee shirt on that one:

Billy, Mikey, Ralph, Casper, Fred, Daisy and Ian need a lift to Football. Can you take them in your huge car?

Whoops, there goes another Sunday. Get one but keep very quiet about it

Marko

I regularly drive one. For 15 years the old one and since last September a new one. They’re very good I think. Plenty of space, quite quick for what they are. Not particularly economical, but then they are brick shaped.

The old one wasn’t the most reliable thing, especially as it got older. The new one’s had a couple of minor issues too. Not really what I’d expect from VW, but I guess that could be said of most manufacturers these days.

They were both comfortable and nice to drive. The new one especially so. Everything seems so complicated though. Radio, air con etc all need much time spent reading the handbook to figure them out. Give me analogue stuff any day.

We do own the new Ford Galaxy model

The step up in size from the Touran we had before is really noticeable – they are huge. Prperty huge. Do ask yourself ‘do I need *that* much space?’. We do with two teens and a growing 11 year old. The ability to put four bikes on back and one in the boot is great, and canoes on roof is fabulous.

Mrs_oab finds it uncomfortable on long trips unless she is driving, due to being 5′ tall and passenger seat does not adjust for height, leaving legs dangling like in a van. It is noticeably BIG to park, but an easy box to know where corners are, however parking sensors are a great help.

The car sits at late 30mpgs all day round town, 45ish on long runs. The car indicates more than this by about 10-15%.

Our 2.0 PSA 140bhp tdci is a good engine – feels strong, especially fully laden, and comparing a friends 1.8 tdci, we get more mpg as well. Big bus = overworked small engine IMO.

I struggle to think of any other vehicle I would have.

I bought a Sharan 1.9tdi new in 98 kept it 12 years did 130000 miles went for scrappage in the end, a waste really because there was nothing wrong with it.
The main drawback I found was the kids always offering their mates lifts so you ended up being a taxi service. 😉

2 years of zafira ownership have been a bit dull but entirely practical and reliable

With 2 more littluns on the way very glad of those 2 extra seats in the boot

Petrol isn’t the most economic but diesels are too dirty for me !

I went the other way and got the Maxi Life.
Found it better laid out with better seats in real life.
No need to carry the bikes internally anymore so going back to the A3 and towbar.

We have an 11 reg Alhambra, 3 kids and we sometimes go on holiday with my parents or in laws.

It is awesome. The boot swallows whatever we need to carry and when we have a set of grandparents with us, there are two decent sized seats to use.

Sliding doors make life oh so much easier with small kids.

It’s OK to drive, we considered something a bit more “cool” but the Alhambra just makes life with the kids easier that it is well worth it.

Mazda 5 here in 2.0tdi sport flavour. 38mpg on a good day (mixed running). Sliding doors a must as far as I’m concerned, 3 sprogs so 2 in the back, 1 in the boot with quite a bit of space for pram and enough space for shopping.

I can recommend a dealer to stay away from though 😉

Big, heavy car so there’s a list of biggish bills around 6-8 years old, many of which are suspension related.

DPF easy to clog too so needs runs.

If we were to change we’d be looking at sliders again but don’t see a need to go up a size to Galaxy or Vito until the kids are in their teens.

We also have an estate car and I was mooting whether we could ‘cope’ with two of those as an alternative as they (in our experience) are much cheaper to run.

Had on older Galaxy for about 7yrs. Can’t imagine replacing it with anything smaller or less practical. Took three of us down to Bike Park Wales yesterday. Took as much kit as we liked. Will swallow fully built bikes. Don’t think the new versions will as the seats don’t come out, just fold away.

That was my reason for choosing the Maxi Life takisawa – the fact that folding the seats into the floor wasn’t a viable option.
2 clicks and each seat has gone leaving a totally flat floor the same size as the LWB van.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/ford-galaxy-for-bikes

and several identical threads linked in there and pics of loaded bikes etc

Had a 51 plate Sharan bought second hand in 2005, when our 3rd child was born! On the whole it was a good load lugger, with only 5 seats in the boot space was huge.
Did a few European holiday trips France twice and Italy once really comfy for these long journeys as all the rear seats recline and for the youngest there was an integrated child seat.
Downsides on our one was no cruise control and when it started to go wrong (after 5 years) it was eyewateringly expensive to get fixed, we had the turbo fail, broken springs, exhaust and splines on the gearbox failing as well.
Tyres were expensive as well Michelins were about £150 each I seem to remember.
Dought I would have another, very rarely need more than 5 seats now so we have a V70 for holiday duties.