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.

Typical stw bollocks 😉

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.

That’s an unintended consequence I hadn’t envisioned!

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

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).

I had an smax 2.0 ecoboost as you all know.

Yes its a big car but unless you have more than two kids its wasted space.

Plus the ecoboost isnt economical at all !!

Ive moved to a diesel mondeo and although the boot volume is smaller the area is bigger than the smax.

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

Thats his other half..

they said they have the same engines yet are taller, thirstier and slower with no noticeable reason to buy yet people still buy them.

The only real negative there is the “thirstier” bit, my sparkly new Megane Scenic will still comfortably exceed the speed limit if I really wanted to, and I’ll be able to see further ahead while doing so. Taller is also an advantage for getting in and out, and for putting kids in their seats. Slower? Who cares, I’ve got a motorbike for that – and you’d need to be earning Clarkson money to buy a proper sports car that could rival its acceleration 😀

“Plus the ecoboost isnt economical at all !!”

it was a 2 litre autobox….. 27mpg is pretty good for a tall heavy vehicle with a slushbox.

do as the dutch do ….

tow bar and a small trailer for holidays – dont need a massive boot then.

how ever they dont have the stupid lower speed limit for trailers like we do in this country.

thats how we holidayed when i was a kid with full on scout canvas “house” tent.

mogrim I’m a fan of the Scenic. Partly because its functionally but mainly on its looks. I think the French nail good design… its just the other bits sometimes..

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.
Fair do’s, one small child.
We have three near teens, with legs that grow daily and will head off this summer with this lot onboard:
two canoes, one kayak, 5 paddles, helmets, B/A’s, wetsuits, safety gear etc.
Five bikes, helmets, riding gear, small box of tools and parts etc (four on rack, one in boot)
Clothes, shoes etc for weekend/week, including full waterproofs.
Food for weekend/week etc.
Again, try and get that in less than a gert big full on people carrier or medium people carrier.

Really pleased with our Scenic MkIII which we’ve had for 3 years or so now (year and a half old when we got it), no problems so far, a couple of bits of trim are a bit loose. Did the Focus and small trailer thing for camping, it’s rubbish. Of course it’s total overkill in terms of size and space for 95% of our journeys but it’s big and comfortable and ok to drive. Don’t get the hate, just petrolhead tosspots for whom a car is more than a tool. If I had to get another car would probably go for another MPV.

“Don’t get the hate, just petrolhead tosspots for whom a car is more than a tool”

ive been called alot – but petrol head tosspot is a first for me 😀 – my berlingo is more the object of hate as its assumed its driven by a pensioner :d

“Did the Focus and small trailer thing for camping, it’s rubbish”

what made it rubbish though ?

9 years and counting with a Honda FRV. Real money pit. I had to buy a new battery for it last year and it’s had a couple of sets of tyres and brake pads.

Shocking.

Don’t get the hate, just petrolhead tosspots for whom a car is more than a tool. If I had to get another car would probably go for another MPV.

You missed me saying I’d get a Berlingo as my next car on a recent thread then…

I’ve just got rid of our S-Max after owning for a few years, I thought it was a great car for when you needed the space, but expensive to run when you didn’t. We did four up to France including tents/luggage/food/clothes and still averaged over 40mpg. On normal day to day short runs mpg dropped like a stone as you’d expect. Tyres cost a fair few quid too and didn’t last long IMHO.

If I was doing it again I’d buy a normal estate and throw a box on top, but I didn’t need the space that often. If I needed it regularly I’d buy another in a heart beat.

I’ve got an S-Max and can’t fault it. As a “freighter” it is perfect for us. We needed something big enough to take 6 people and a week’s luggage, but most of the time it is just the 4 of us, or me and a bike.

Fuel economy is about 40 mpg on a commute and 45ish on a long run. Not missed a beat in the 17,000 miles that I have had it (other than a dirty fuel problem). Tyre wear hasn’t been an issue, but I’m not a James Hunt.

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

Eh? I was after other’s experiences with these types of cars from a reliability view, not asking which one the cool kids think I should get.

But thanks for contributing 🙄

I was after other’s experiences with these types of cars from a reliability view, not asking which one the cool kids think I should get.

From a reliability point of view, my old Renault (now replaced with a new one) wasn’t bad for the first 7 years or so. Then it was a nightmare. Took us three years to get round to changing it, but that was due to cashflow problems rather than a particular fondness for the car in question…

My situation:

90% of my week a MX5 would do. Two-four trips at weekends two other people are in the car. A large estate/MPV would be great 10times a year for long trips.

Which is the same reason why I got rid of mine!

Buy an estate like a BMW 5 series

Outside of warranty?……

Looking at MPV’s myself now; the Caddy Maxi Life and Honda FRV seem alternatives to the usual stuff.

Had our Galaxy 5 yrs.
God damn money pit.
But for lumping kids, bikes, picnics, towing caravans, removals etc…it’s brilliant.
But budget a grand or more per year in repairs.
Given how it’s worth sod all now, I’d have been only slightly more out of pocket leasing a new one.