[Closed] Seven seat cars

Hyundai Santa fe premium seven seater owner. Quite happy. Rear two seats work for women folk and kids very well. won't be as refined as a Volvo xc90 probably. I've got the 2010 model so not the newest
5 year warranty . very few niggles. Leather seats all round and 35ish mpg on 20 minute commute on mainly 40 mph roads to work with some queuing.

Borrowed a mates XC90 a few years ago and couldn't get over the lag between putting your foot on the accelerator and it pausing, having a think about and then actually moving off at a glacial pace. Was bloody comfy though. Boot space was a bit compromised by the lights and wheel arches though

Have a 7 seat X5. Back 2 are ok for normal people for short journeys but like any it does eat into boot space when they're up. Much more pleasant to drive than the XC90 too.

I don't understand the apparent criticisms being voiced about the 6th and 7th seats eating into boot space. Of course they will, if they didn't you've got a van. Though in my SMax with there 3rd row of seats deployed I still managed to get a family of 4 week's worth of supermarket shop squeezed in - though opening the tailgate at home was more of a case of catching shopping bags as they fell out as they were stacked on top of eachother - but volume wise it's probably as much as a small hatchback boot, but just not a very usable/convenient shape.

Obvious:

The Scenic 115 TCE petrol produces 140 gm/100 CO2 and does 46mpg on petrol so you won't be producing poisonous soot (because even if new diesels are cleaner they still give people cancer). It weighs much less so requires less energy and resources to build.

The XC 90 [u]2630kg[/u]!!!, produces 149gmCO2/100 and does 49mpg on diesel, yuk.

So if you are even a little bit worried about the future in which the junior Flashes will live the choice is obvious.

I was looking for a similar car a couple of years ago. Madame wanted the Lodgy but I looked at alternative before going along with her choice. My objective shortlist read:

Lodgy: very little to go wrong (wind up rear windows 🙂 ), Renault's 115TCE petrol engine, simple comfortable interior, can be slept in with an air matress with all the seats down, price.

VW Touran: TSI petrol engine, good volumes but not quite enough to sleep fully stretched. Lots of things I'd never use to go wrong even on the basis versions. 5000e more than the Lodgy.

Renault Trafic Generation: A proper bed like a T5 Multivan, loads of space but only available with a diesel engine. CO2 170 but it weighs less than the Volvo. Still tempted.

Swallows kids!

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Citroen C4 grand Picasso

Caddy Maxi Life - back row are full size seats that come out in one so not folded into the floor.
Even with them in there's a massive boot.
Out leaving 5 seats it'll swallow 5 bikes and kit with just the front wheel off.
DSG with cruise is fantastic around town and motorways will see 45mpg happily.
Oh and with the seats out will take a full double mattress to sleep on

The new Nissan X-trail comes in a 7 seat option. I test drove a 5 seat 4wd version a couple of weeks ago and it was very nice. Only comes with a 1.6 engine though.

The Nissans have gone all Renault.... with their shonky engines thankfully the interiors are not as poor as the Renault Tupperware.

Scenic 115 TCE petrol [b]is claimed, somewhat over enthisiastically,[/b] to produce 140 gm/100 CO2 and does 46mpg on petrol. [b]This is not the case in the real world.[/b]

If you are considering a big 4X4 a VW Caravelle/Shuttle will have the same running costs, are way more practical, and will hold its value when you come to sell it. Saying that my wife has a VW Touran which has 7 seven seats that we rarely use, but they are there if you need them. Its as dull as dishwater but if the preferred car for long family trips. My car is a V70!

We looked at a caddy maxi, my wife thought it looked like a hearse!

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A German TV report on the reality of CO2 emission results found that small cars got pretty close to the official figure s but it's the bigger and more powerful cars that consume far more than the official figures in real use.

The reason is that all cars go through the same test protocol with the same acceleration. That really flatters the big powerful cars that would never be driven so gently in normal use. However for the least powerful cars the test is more representative and careful drivers will do better than the test.

I leave the trip computer running all year in the TCE petrol Lodgy. In the first year I got 5.8l/100 km and in the second year 5.8l/100. The fuel consumed is the same as in brim to brim tests but the speedo is a few percent fast and I suspect the distance is too. Say 6l/100km. Which in an holiday/urban mix is at least as good as the manufacturer's claims. However, Volvo users on this thread are getting nothing like the manufacturer's claims.

PePPeR - Member

The Later Hyundai Santa Fe's are 7 seaters from 2006, they're brilliant cars, if I could afford one I'd have it tomorrow!

Boss has got one, if your not inept at basic car stuff you'll be fine. He takes his back to the dealer when the low tyre pressure light comes on...

Edukator - Troll

Renault

to anyone reading - [b]Just dont[/b]- Renault Grand Espace owner

 

Citroen C4 grand Picasso

CFH in a French car? He'd rather blow a goat.

Another Smax vote here. I got one in April for the same reasons as CFH needs and we love it. Just been down to the pyrenees with 2 adults and 4 kids, 4 bikes on the back and roof box, and with the back seats up you can still get a couple of big holdalls and some bike helmets in there!

Excellent car.

I'd agree about not buying an Espace but most Renaults are fine. Check the reliability surveys and you find Renaults and Dacias well placed. Even in more general ownership experience surveys they do fine. The Which report you have to pay to view but here's one with the Volvo XC90 well below the Renaults.

[url= http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/best-cars/driver-power/91218/best-cars-to-own-in-2015 ]Autoexpress best cars to own.[/url]

Another vote for the Ford Galaxy. All the advantages of the SMax, but even more space. Drives at least as well as my Mondeo Estate (soon to be replaced by a Galaxy) and still has a reasonable boot even with the back back seats up. enough room for adults in back back seats and incredibly flexible as all 5 back seats fold into the floor

JD Power scores the Renault below average and Dacia and being significantly poorer

Kia Sorento FTW, the new one that is...

Could you link something please, T1000, I can't find Dacia in the J D Power listings.

[url= http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/motoring/honda-tops-uk-reliability-survey ]Renault do better than Volvo here too.[/url] I'm still hunting to find a survey in which Volvo do better than Renault.

In the Autoplus one the Logan (or sandero) was 23/200 and the Volvo XC90 185/200 on reliability, the Scenic was 108/200.

CFH in a French car? He'd rather blow a goat.

Tinkering with replacing our ageing old-shape Galaxy.
We tow a caravan & the XC90 just looks the obvious choice.

Do you have a VAT registered business CFH?

My XC90 was towing the 'van up towards New Forest, glanced at the mpg display. 1. One MPG. Singular. Ok, its was a hill, and it was the v6 3l.

Mrs dday has a Grand Espace. Ok, all issues expressed on this forum notwithstanding, it's been designed by someone who actually had kids. Furthermore, if you remove the seats, there enough room to hold a 5-a-side tournament in there.

v9gss - Member
Ford Transit Tourneo Grand Connect (some combination of those words)
Not quite at the same snazziness level but incredibly practical (still has a boot with 7 seats in) work has one and its a surprisingly good drive

FWIW, I'm comparing it to my Renault Trafic, not a standard car.

Very nicely appointed inside though.

If so one of these (New model will be out early next year) with 5 seats and the new 190bhp engine (40mpg +). Put it through a business and you get 20% vat back plus 100% tax deductible against your business from the off. Registered as a van but with a set of mounts fitted in the rear by a coachbuilder and a set of seat in the garage for 'occasional use' you have a day to day 5seater in luxury with the ability to put a set of extra seats in the rear. If the tax man asks, the mounts can also be used for tying down business equipment you carry 🙂

The picture is an old model V6 which is only available second hand now.

More to the point, how often do you actually need it to have 7 seats, do you often have kids and kids friends on board, or is this for driving to the Alps for regular sojourns?

Grand Espace. Furthermore, if you remove the seats

Ford Transit Tourneo Grand Connect - I drive one for work. It's gutless, thirsty and wallows at anything approaching a mild bend.

I did not buy one for similar reasons - I did a test drive with five of us and salesman on board - and kept having to change down up hills 😕 Roundabouts with two in the boot felt like I was hanging a concrete bag or two from the tow bar.

JD Power car ratings

http://www.jdpower.com/press-releases/2015-uk-vehicle-dependability-study-vds

Thank you, T1000. The differences between the various surveys makes it hard to take any of them seriously.

Chevrolet are bottom of the J D Power ranking and yet seventh and the first non-Asian car in the Autocar survey. I seem to remember the J D Power thing being criticised because their "dependability" criteria had very little to do with reliability as most people understand it.

I've been tootling around in a New LR Discovery Sport, it's fantastic esp with new engine. Is a 5 + 2 very usable seats.

certainly don't take any notice of the ones you quoted

To the OP - pretty sure you live around my area (Whitchurch is a brief pedal turn away) and something to consider is the state of the roads off the main route.

I have an S Max and have replaced 7 tyres in the last 18 months. Now heaven forfend I blame Mrs B's driving ... but she didn't manage 1 in 4 years of Toyota ownership previously. I think the S Max is a bit too big for its wheels so to speak.

I wouldn't look past the XC90 if running costs don't worry you too much - after my tyre expenditure, I think it might have been the cheaper option.
What the S Max does have for it is 3 proper adult seats and a big boot (which is the majority use case), I think the 90 middle seat is not quite as big - that's what swung it for us, but we have 3 boys to seat.

Unless you need to tow agricultural machinery and still turn up in a suit (a friend did, it was his company car), I don't see anything in a Disco that the XC90 wouldn't do as well but cheaper.

They are standard issue round here for a reason not just fashion I think.

In the grand STW tradition of recommending what you have. I've had two Hyundai Santa Fe seven seaters. 2007 model was good, but had a few niggles that they fixed in the 2010 onwards version with the updated engine. Took first one to almost 100k miles, current (2011 version) one is 90k miles, both autos. Nothing major has failed yet and the running costs are fine (approx 40mpg and front tyres every 25k miles or so). Service interval is 20k miles or one year.

Rearmost seats fold into the boot floor, and are fine for teenagers (my 14 year old used them last weekend). Not a great deal of space behind them (unlike the XC90), but it does have a full size spare wheel.

Looked at the XC90, but the auto seemed to have a bit of a reputation for lunching its auto gearbox - see Honest John [url= http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/volvo/xc90-2002/?section=good ]Good/Bad XC90[/url]

2014-on Santa Fe seems really nice, with a much improved interior.

EDIT: Sound advice below. Two kids here, and seats 6 and 7 are only used occasionally

Generally, if you need 6/7 seats all the time. Get a van.

If you occasionally need 6/7 seats, get an SMax, Sharan, Kia, Volvo et al.

We have 4 kids. Just been to Lake Garda. T5 Caravelle, 180 bhp DSG. All luggage carried inside. Kids separated by, more or less, arm's length. 41 mpg average at 70 mph.

I have never been less stressed on a journey in a "Car." Even down to little details such as the ability to change a child's nappy on the floor in the queue for the Eurotunnel.

Had a Sharan before, as a practical option the T5 kills it.

I have an S Max and have replaced 7 tyres in the last 18 months. Now heaven forfend I blame Mrs B's driving ... but she didn't manage 1 in 4 years of Toyota ownership previously. I think the S Max is a bit too big for its wheels so to speak.

Wow. I'm 30,000 miles at least into my rear tires with 20,000 on the fronts and they are nowhere near worn (Pirelli Cinturato Extra Load) . We must have smoother roads ooop norf.

The XC90 has a habit of chewing the insides of its tyres - ALL 4 at the same time due to the bushes wearing to early.
Polybush sort it but then ruin the ride. The D5V5 forum is a goldmine for info.
X5 are the same with an even larger bill.

Harry - think his comment about "lunching" the tyres isn't about them wearing out....

The differences between the various surveys makes it hard to take any of them seriously.

Yet, on the previous page, there was this, apparently intending that I should take a survey seriously when you quote it;

Renault do better than Volvo here too. I'm still hunting to find a survey in which Volvo do better than Renault.

And, wind down windows? Really? Hair shirt to go with that? Pointless pontificating, that totally failed to take in to account what I'm after. Why would someone driving a decent car already want to roll around in a shitty French shed with shitty equipment levels? Thanks, but I'll ignore the rest of your opinion here.

Also, those suggesting vans - Again, thanks, I can see why you'd recommend them, but I don't want, or need, a van. (And yes, your lifestyle Caravelles etc are vans 😉 ). As others have said, the spare seats would be occasional only, so would prefer a car, albeit a 4x4 vanker-vagen.

Re tyres - My current car is on the same 4x4 system, so am totally used to the tyre issue, but also like the grip.

Finally, this one;

brassneck - Member
To the OP - pretty sure you live around my area (Whitchurch is a brief pedal turn away) and something to consider is the state of the roads off the main route.

...

Unless you need to tow agricultural machinery and still turn up in a suit (a friend did, it was his company car), I don't see anything in a Disco that the XC90 wouldn't do as well but cheaper.

They are standard issue round here for a reason not just fashion I think.

That sprawling metropolis? It's a town. A TOWN, FFS! With it's fancy pants Chinese takeaway that does fish and chips as well.....! But yes, not a million miles away, beyond the distillery, but not as far as the source. 😉

As before, thank you all so much (mostly!) for the excellent opinions and feedback. STW as ever, delivers well!

I have just remembered another option....somewhat left field.
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Wassat?

Although, I can only imagine the looks one would get opening those doors at a point to point! 😀

No hair shirt here. You've never ignored my pontificating Flash, you take far to much pleasure in trying to ride roughshod through it. 🙂

Good riposte! 🙂

Seriously though, I want a nice car, not a money saver. Buying a second hand car does enough to save the polar bears for me (pollution in production, etc), so not fussed about that. Wind down windows aren't as good for me, with kids in the car, as I can lock out the window controls in the back, which I couldn't with wind down.

So far, the XC90 is winning, with the Disco in a close second. Will have a look at the Santa Fe, but it would need to do very well to sway me now...