[Closed] Are all MPVs money pits?

Here you go - have a bit of fun whilst lugging the ankle biters and post-natal better half around... 😉

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Never fancied a Ford in the past - But a Mondeo est is hard to look past and a full size car i.e. can take 3 car seats in rear and 'stuff'.

Others are A6, E class & Mazda 5.

A4, Passat etc. are too small.

Smax if you need the 5+2(kids) in reasonable comfort - but don't expect any luggage (mclaren and some shopping maybe).

The Mondeo/SMAX 2.0 ecoboost petrol titanium powershifts are often great value, powerful and comfy.

Ppl were shunning petrol - but compare purchase cost with diesel and the reliability (DPF, DMF etc.) for round town <12k/pa.

I chose a Skoda Roomster over a CMAX and think I made the right decision.

Are you blind mudshark?

I can't see what it looks like from the inside 🙂 Lack of looks was it's only bad point - rather like me.

Do you have pimped out side windows so you can't see the adults laughing and children crying? 😉

So who's wrong. Judging by the amount of mpvs sold, I'd say it's the top gear folk who are missing the point...

Three fella's living their mid-life crisis' out in public who get all sorts of flustered over sports cars worth more than my house?

Not really the people I'd listen to if trying to make decisions on a practical, affordable bit of transport for the cookie clan...

It is what it is, proportionate to our needs and budget, we didn't get a 7 seater or a 4x4, we got a mid size MPV, because we're stopping at two sprogs, and on our bigger outings we would rather transport all the crap we want to take, rather than sit crammed into a hatchback scoffing at people with slightly bigger vehicles imagining them to be profligate fools...

I mean nobody's suggested a Chrysler Grand voyager or a bloody great Shogun here, mostly it seems [i]sensible[/i] estates or MPVs... Or T5s, Hmmm.

Loddrik onesies sell really well in the UK.

Molgrips exactly!

A Roomster over a C-Max? Imagine that choice. A truly depressing day/realisation for a proper bloke.. 😆 8)

What's all that got to do with anything cookeaa?

You sound like one of those types that want to suppress the British male's peculiar desire to tell other people what they should and shouldn't be buying, particularly when it comes to cars.

Are you one of those American oiks that simply says 'nice car' to someone driving a nice car, and is too ****less to lecture all who will listen at great length about why he shouldn't have bought it?

Tut.

A Roomster over a C-Max? Imagine that choice. A truly depressing day/realisation for a proper bloke..

Says a Man driving a C1...

So who's wrong. Judging by the amount of mpvs sold, I'd say it's the top gear folk who are missing the point...

Every time they get in our Touran now Galaxy they comment on how good they are for the kids and life....but won't buy such 'dull' cars.

😐

Are you one of those American oiks that simply says 'nice car' to someone driving a nice car, and is too ****less to lecture all who will listen at great length about why he shouldn't have bought it?

Apologies, I'm sure if you leaf back through my history you'll find some example of me denigrating others choice of car... and of course Hora's matchbox 2 minutes ago...

'Drove' and it was great as a cheap lease car 😀

and of course Hora's matchbox 2 minutes ago...

Doesn't count, they're internationally ridiculed.

hora - Member
'Drove' and it was great as a cheap lease car
POSTED 2 MINUTES AGO #

Well it wasn't going to be expensive was it.

Better than beige-slacks CRV's.

Go on then Hora, whatcha driving now?

Roomster has better mpg, acceleration, flexibility and is more reliable than a CMAX and costs rather less. Yeah it doesn't look great, CMAX handles well but Roomster is fine - I tried and hated a C3 Picasso.

I still stand by my belief that the angriest people you'll see on the roads are all driving older Citroen MPVs actually...
Nothing is quite so scary as a ruddy faced, ball of rage forced by finances and circumstance to drive the top heavy, box of ugly, deathtrap that is a Xara picasso...

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I think the reason that there are loads of noise about MPV's having problems is due to them having harder lives, and the fact that they are bought privately rather than on business, consequently when the owners have issues they tend to shout a lot louder than company car drivers do.

I ran a Kia Sedona for 10 years and it was Brill, I would still be using it now except it was written off in an accident in September.

How long have you been a farmer Hora?

Yeah, can I just read you something from Top Gear magazine? No, it’s alright, I’ve got it here, I’ve got it here. [Opens the magazine on the bed and reads] "With a mere ninety break-horse-power available, progress is too leisurely to be called fast, but on the motorway in fifth gear the Megane’s slow pace really becomes a pain. Uphill runs become power-sappingly mundane, while overtaking National Express coaches can become a long, drawn-out affair." Not my words, Carol, the words of Top Gear magazine. [Click] Hello?

hora - Member
Better than beige-slacks CRV's.
POSTED 32 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

I'm getting to really like my CRV, it was just bought as a relatively cheap vehicle for carrying my boxing stuff, bikes and dogs. I was not expecting to find it so relaxing to drive or useful for taking stuff to the tip. It's been the perfect car to sit with my others and it's staying long term. Highly recommended.

I never said there were anything wrong with your satorial choice. Rather you all like beige trews gramps 😀

hang on a mo folks.

Lots of rear leg room + huge boot + inverse badge snobbery = Skoda Superb Estate, surely?

Oh were taking it to the clothing game. Do Subarus come with a tapout hoody? Or the C1 with a school tie and a green P plate?

Sorry OP I won't derail the thread anymore, and I do actually like Subarus.

hang

on a mo folks.

Lots of rear leg room + huge boot + inverse badge snobbery = Skoda Superb Estate, surely?

But ops wife wants high up. Superb is not high up

We could swap fashion tips? 🙂

Mpv's get more complaints?

You could see it that they are generally driven by families as not serviced properly/used as tools rather than 'pride n joys'? If I bought (secondhand) one I'd personally veer towards a Toyota Previa.

More likelt though-If I had two kids I'd be looking at:
E class estate
Mondeo
Superb estate
A6 estate

When my kids were young the only MPV's were the Renault Espaces, and I couldn't get those as a company car - so had estates instead.

I'd buy an MPV now over an estate, if in the same position (3 young kids).

Ah yeah, bugger

OP - tell your Mrs she's being hormonal and irrational and to stop being silly.

Good luck. At least you might not be around to have to drive said dad mobile

😉

XC90 ?

I had a Smax for 3 and a bit years....no problems with reliability (apart from a crack in the Cat which it had from new and took ages for Ford to fix). Not sure what to buy next, the Smax isn't perfect, but with 3 kids, I'm not seeing many better options?

SMax is superb at what it does, but overkill for two kids. If you're needing to lug extra people, but not all the time, I can't see much better. Having said that, new Zafiras are much better than the original, and can be had brand new for less than ten grand. Put that next to new car warranty as well and it's hard to ignore.

quasqui +2 and use a roofbox when going on holiday?

i've a mondeo estate and use a roofbox when going on holiday, pram/bulky stuff up top is a winner for leaving space in the car.

i'm avoiding a mpv, means the mother in law would come out more often with us.

hora - Member
Some MPV's have 'odd' handling too - Granted Ford are better but I remember a couple of Tourans I drove were quite soft/leaned a fair bit when turning/cornering (normally). I also wasn't happy with their bulk/size. Funnily when a vehicle is longer you don't feel it (unless your reversing). When its taller etc you feel it.
Of course not all are the same.

I only wish mpvs had been invented when my kids were born, both myself & MrsT would not be suffering from back problems 🙄

Having finally bought into the mpv(Touran)trend when our kids had theirs and we now have 4 grand kids I/We can confidently recommend the Touran. 5yrs and 75k without a problem(mat_outandabout may differ!) the 2ltr/7 seater is awesome.

Regardless of make/model/year of car there will always be someone who has had issues with that car.

For me/us being able to strap kids into rear child seats without stretching/further damaging our backs is the biggest issue, forget about how it drives, room for passengers, power etc. it is a "family" car and needs to be fit for purpose. Only you can decide what priorities come first 💡

I can assure you a 2ltr, 140hp Touran is no slouch and can be driven with gusto and fun 😆 Quite happy to own another.
Touran was swapped for a Sorrento which given it's limitations can be driven to its limits 😉

OK I've owned a mk5 Golf. Around the time I test drove a Touran and just wasn't impressed. Over (why does VW do this?) damped suspension, interior space and had a nice shove for motorways but was woolly (for me). The Golf was literally a reverse tardis spacewise 😯

If my wife wanted to be "high up" in a car I would gracefully ask her to sit on the roof.... 😉

Thankfully she would never want such a car as she is a great driver and likes good handling cars - the current Picasso we have a free loan of she said "feels like the steering wheel isn't actually attached to the wheels", hence it being nicknamed "the PlayBus". 😉

@lodius - better than an smax? Galaxy.

i'm avoiding a mpv, means the mother in law would come out more often with us.

I will definitely revisit the possibility of an estate due to comments here.

My MiL would rather get the bus than get in a car with me 😆

Modern children's car space requirements expand to exceed the volume available.

It's a subset of the N+1 equation... 🙂

When we were young my wife and I toured Oz in a Mini-Moke with 2 kids floating loose in the back and all our camping gear, a rifle, and bicycle.

When the next batch of kids arrived we "needed" a much bigger car because the pushchairs were bigger than a Moke, and there wasn't room for camping gear, so hotels it was.

Not sure what that illustrates, but it is amazing what "necessities" you don't realise you "need" before you have bourgeois friends. 🙂

[i]I will definitely revisit the possibility of an estate due to comments here. [/i]

Or grow a 'pair' and just buy the car you need/want rather than care what other folk think?

If you can't fit all your shit in your car take less shit. It's a lot cheaper!

We went to Scotland with a baby - full camping gear, chunky off-road pushchair AND an Orange Patriot all inside the Prius. It's not complicated.

3 kids (4-6-9), 5 bikes, 3 surfboards (managed to lose the pushchairs now), camping gear, food for a week that lasts about 2 days...
Get that in a Prius. It's not shit, it's stuff we want to use. It's not about packing either.
I'd like a T5 but the S Max was a sensible compromise - it all just about fits and it isn't too expensive to run or a hassle to park. It's also much more comfortable for the inevitable in car picnics in Pembrokeshire.
Had a Corolla verso before, and that was fine with 2 kids without bikes or boards (hired trailers locally).