MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Company car list has just changed and the Zafira Tourers, which I've been happy enough with, are no longer on there. I have 3 young kids so could really do with a 7 seater, the only one on the list is the VW Touran SE family 1.6 DSG. Nice enough in a boring 7 seater sort of way I'm sure but with 115bhp and a DSG box it strikes me that it will be properly gutless and annoying. Auto and adaptive cruise appeals though (christ I'm old). Anyone got one/driven one care to comment?
Reluctantly accepted DSG in a 2.0 petrol octavia and was pleasantly surprised. We replaced this with a 7 seater. I wanted the Touran, but kids wouldn't fit across the back, and no boot space with the 2 rear seats up. Could you go and drive one?
The 2.0 DSG would be fine but my company have brought in a maximum CO2 rule of 115g/kg which rules it out. Surprised about the rear seats, thought it had 3 equal sized jobs? Will get a test drive at some point
but with 115bhp and a DSG box it strikes me that it will be properly gutless and annoying
Nope.
In the old days, automatics had fewer gears and were very inefficient because of how they worked with fluid couplings etc. A dual clutch gearbox like the DSG is totally different. It's full of gears just like a normal manual. You lose a sliver of power because it has a hydraulic pump to operate the clutches and gears, but that's made up for by the fact that it shifts instantly and there are more gears and it shifts into the best gear more often than a human driver. But you have full control if you want, but it usally does such a good job you don't end up using it.
Excellent bits of kit and perfectly well suited to smaller engines.
christ I'm old
Join the club. When I was picking my last car, one of the mandatory stipulations was that it must have a farting bracket. Preferably two.
🙁
I can't help with your specific question as mine is an 11 year old diesel. But in terms of practicality it is excellent. All three rear seats are the same size. Happily fits three child seats at once.
We replaced our aging zafira with a nearly newish touran a couple of years ago, its fine, no dsg whatnot and care more about economy than performance . Its a bit smaller than the zafira from memory about a foot shorter. Good family car and the se has speakers in the back unlike our s. It'll be fine.
1.6 manual here, apart from the gear shift being very agricultural, it's a great car for long trips. The 1.6 is fine for us, but we don't tend to load it to the gills. I quite like the fact that despite it having decent internal size, the wheelbase isn't much bigger than a Golf, so around town etc. it doesn't seem too unwieldy.
Is it exciting, no, but does it make a great family car (especially the ones with airline style seat trays and socket lighter points for charging ipads etc.), then definitely Yes.
Modern automatics are excellent, you need to drive one to see. I would tend to agree that a 2l in that size and sort of car would be better imo.
OP when do you change the car ? The new Skoda Yeti replacement is due out towards the end of the year, Karoq
Won't get it until the new year but have to order it in the next few months. Skoda aren't on the very limited list unfortunately
The Tourans I've driven have been great cars, the engine/gearbox combo should be fine, my Octavia is only 110bhp, but pulls really well, and the DSG 'box is superb, only equaled by Merc and BMW in my opinion.
I had a Touran to pick up in Cornwall last year, albeit a manual, and due to accidents on the M5 around Taunton a 2½ hour drive home turned into a five hour drive.
The Touran was a blessing, because it was such a comfortable car.
the thing about bhp readings is it doesn't tell you what its like to drive. My Touran is 185bhp. 0-45 is startling quick (once you get it on boost), then its a bit gutless to 70mph, then it pulls really well up license losing territory (on a track, obviously). So big number for the top trumps, but practical usage is limited. The bluemotion engines are pleasantly sprighlty with a driving strategy of get up to speed and stay there.
I'll get a test drive but sounds like it'll be alreet. It's about the only viable option anyway as my dodgy back prefers a higher seating position. Also the company don't usually let you have an auto, this is only on the list as it's under the CO2 limit and the manual is over. SE family model so quite well specced. First world problems eh!
Always get it remapped for a bit more oomph. See the recent remap thread for the various opinions on it.
Nah, not on a lease car. I had a socket for a lightboard put on the Zafira to let me use a bike rack, that's my limit of expenditure on a car that doesn't belong to me
Nah, not on a lease car. I had a socket for a lightboard put on the Zafira to let me use a bike rack, that's my limit of expenditure on a car that doesn't belong to me
Nobody puts extras onto a lease car, there's no benefit, unless you can remove it before handing it back.
The only thing I've seen left on a lease car was a tow hitch. Some Motab cars have conversions left on, but that's about it.
Sorry my post was ambiguous, it wasn't the 3 kids that wouldn't fit, it was their 3x car seats that were a very tight squeeze. newborn, 2yo and 4yo. We could have put one in the back, but then no room for dog and bags... I was disappointed, a well-specced touran looked a very nice place to be.