People carriers

Tried a Mazda 5 today and it wasn’t big enough.

Now thinking Alhambra/Sharan/Galaxy

Any pointers?

Any hidden gems?

Budget is up to £8k but would prefer £6-7k really.

Just started the research, so any opinions would be fine 😉

needs to carry a couple of bikes and two kids (maybe not at the same time…).

Not too fussed about speed and mpg actually. Just want something well built + solid.

I would have thought that you would get slightly more for your money with an Alhambra out of those three.

(I am assuming your budget excludes the new, independent from VW/Seat Galaxies?)

needs to carry a couple of bikes and two kids

Aren’t they a bit big for that? I’ve got a Renault Megane Scenic, better for everyday stuff (I’d have thought), bikes go in it fine if I’m on my own, and just stick a bike carrier on the back for when we’re all in the car. (All – me, wife, two kids, cat, dog)

Yeah it usually makes more sense to manage the junk you feel like carting about than buying a bigger car!

Yeah it usually makes more sense to manage the junk you feel like carting about than buying a bigger car!

Who said anything abour sense? I like a big car…..

C4 Grans picasso? not sure if its bigger than the 5 though. When you say the 5 is not big enough, can you exapnd on that? Id have thought that you can get a bike or two in the back of the mazda without putting the middle seats down

Do you really need >5 seats? We have three kids (who have friends and grandparents and mrsmidlife runs the local guides etc) and decided we did, so have an ageing Honda Stream at the mo, but most likely will move on to an S-Max reasonably soon. There isn’t a car-like people carrier out there with a boot as big as the Mondeo/C5/Honda Accord/Vectra estates, unless you go up to the big American style ones or van derived. Doblo/Caddy/Partner/Berlingo etc, but as before, four seats in use and bikes in the car is always a challenge. Chevy Suburban FTW!

Focus C-Max? Seem to be loads of them on Autotrader at the moment in that sort of bracket

i have a Kia Sedona, 7 seater, but you always lose boot space with a people carrier. i had a tow bar fitted though so i can take bikes. 🙂

Toyota Previa, see what you can get for your money in the newer style, great cars in my opinion. One of the biggest boots with all the seats in (although still not huge), get a diesel and its not too juicy.

Seat Altea XL?

With the back seats in the forward position I would say its got as much space in the boot as my Mondeo.

However as above, what exactly is too small?

yeah, when I say ‘not big enough’ I mean that the boot just isn’t wide enough to take a bike without wheels (upside down).

Obviously, you could move/drop the rear seats (when I say ‘rear seats’ I mean the rear seats like in a normal car, not the third row of seats in the boot compartment) but I’d prefer to have a boot big enough to just whip the wheels off and stack the frame in, without mucking about with seats. My current focus estate fits two mtbs and their wheels in, without too much faff.

The Maxda 5 was a nice car but caught between two stools IMO. Not big enough to really cart stuff about like a ‘proper’ people carrier and indeed with a smaller boot (and more expensive) than a decent big estate.

Basically, it’s a toss up between a ‘proper’ people carrier (Sharan-sized) or a big estate I think.

I asked a similar question a week or so ago, and some-one posted a picture of their VW Touran with their bike in the back with just the wheels off. Smax would do it too i reckon, although may struggle on that budget. Im looking for a similar vehicle myself, the 5 was in consideration, but not anymore!!!! At teh time i didnt ask what size frame it is, which might have been an oversight.

I know what your saying mucking about with the car seats, i can do it but than i have faff around with child seats too. When i do take the seat out, when i go to put it back in the cat has invaribly has been sick on it.

Towbar bike rack ftw.

I hate bikes being outside the car for some reason. Partiulary on the back, where i feel their extremly vunerable.

I want the bikes inside.

I’ll have a look at the Previa. May be a bargain buy….

Other alternative is a Fiat Multipla, tons of room in there, could do any manner of seat combos to do what you want, and from the inside you don’t have to look at it!

The SMax is tempting but, as you say Clong, it’s expensive/top end of budget.

Multipla won’t get passed the wife’s aesthetic sensibilities 😉 Already tried that.

what’re the really big estates then?

Mondeo
Accord
Passat

any others?

Not sure, but the mondeos boot is around 550 litres. Smax is around 750 litres, for comparison (rear seats folded). Touran is around 700. Volvo V70 is 815 litres. Im guessing thats the measuremnt to the windowline. I often heard that estates have bigger boots, but i think they mean longer. The MPV gain a lot in height i guess, which is not always useful admittedly. As far as bikes are concerned though, i think bikes standing up are the way forward so height is a good thing.

I may be talking a load of tosh, but if you do happen to try out a S-max, let me know how it goes.

For truly big MPV, i think the Chrysler grand voyager has a 700 litre boot, with seven seats up.

Despite feeling like a huge car, the current Passat has less boot space than our old Focus estate, so would be much less than a Mondie.
We moved up to an S-Max too. It uses the Galaxy floor pan, but has 3″ less head height at the rear.

But for your budget, I would be looking at the Alhambra as you get a bit better for your money than the other two. Sharan’s the least.
Then again, there’s tons of Galaxy’s about though, 7K can see you in an 05 plate 1.9l diesel, Ghia, with around 65k on the clock.

Make sure the aircon works, and check the aux heater if fitted, these are known to be very problematic.

We’ve a Grand Picasso and to be completely honest, we wish we hadn’t. Although there’s lots of space inside, the rear of the car is ever so slightly too short to get a couple of bikes into, even with the seats folded down.

Handling wise, it’s very soggy and rolls around a lot, plus it’s not wearing very well inside. The plastics aren’t up to the job. The semi-auto gearbox has a mind of it’s own, sometimes refusing to change up at all. The flappy paddles seem to operate some kind of paper memo based system of informing the gearbox that a change is required, because it takes so damn long. It’s only when we had a Ford Galaxy courtesy car that we realised just how inept the big Citroen is.

There’s a SMax on Autotrader, private sale, approx 35k, around £7700. Or there was yesterday

I think the only people carrier I’d get at the mo would be a Smax, it’s the only one I’ve found that has a driving layout more like a car than a van. Also gets good reviews for actually being a decent drive.

Clong – Member
I asked a similar question a week or so ago, and some-one posted a picture of their VW Touran with their bike in the back with just the wheels off

😆

Can actually get 2 bikes in like this or 3 bikes by folding/removing 2 seats. Touran is very versatile and my wife finds it easy to drive as do lots of women around out town, v-popular car around here.
I have a tow bar so can fit 2 inside and 2 on Thule clip on bike rack
examples[/url]

I am on my second new shape Galaxy,(same car almost as an s max) and they have both been brilliant. i would highly recommend them.

Unfortunately the company have now gone back to VW, so i am now awaiting my new model Sharan.

We ran a Fiat Ulysses for many years, much of the time in parallel with having a decent sized estate car (Honda Accord) as well.

I thought the Ulysses was pretty good, especially for bike carrying, and still miss it a bit. We occasionally carried 6 or 7 people in it, but most of the time it was just the 4 of us and lots of stuff. We looked at the Galaxy/Alhambra etc. at the same time, and while in some ways I preferred those (I nearly bought the turbo petrol Seat which was quite quick) I got a good deal on a new Ulysses and I liked the sliding doors.

cheers all. Good stuff.

I may try and squeeze the budget to an SMax…

Temted to get an old Uly. That ^^^^^ is the wifes car and she is not too keen on me filling it with winter, muddy bikes 🙄

For truly big MPV, i think the Chrysler grand voyager has a 700 litre boot, with seven seats up.

Absolutely terrible to drive though. Seats are uncomfortable, the gearbox is poor, and the one I used (for 1500 miles as an insurance courtesy car) did 25mpg with gentle driving. It also rolled like a drunkard in a storm, squealed like a stuck pig, and had all the charm of a North Shields nightclub bouncer. The suspension sort of didn’t (it wallowed loads but somehow transmitted every bump to you anyway), the driving position was rubbish, and every switch seemed to have been made by an underenthusiastic teenager’s CDT class. The safety record isn’t great – only score 3 stars for safety.

Other than that, the electric slidey remote controlled doors were fun, and the drop-down DVD player is a nice idea. The way the seats folded into the floor is very neat as well.

We replaced a D4D Toyota Verso with a 130hp TDi Galaxy last year. It averages about 36mpg. Practicality wise its unbeatable. We don’t usually carry the 6/7th seats in place, as they are very heavy. With these seats out the boot is huge. Take the middle seat out the front & I’ve had 4 in, with 3 bikes upright in the car, plus one with wheels off. Best thing about them is they are built for carting families around, & they are very good at it. Take the seats out & the floor is completely flat like a van. (Think easy to vac out). The front seats turn 180deg so we often have picnics in the car. To be fair we could make do with a big estate car, but we also tow a 1500kg caravan with ours, & it does a better job than a car would. Car like they are not though, they do lack refinement, but as a family workhorse they are great. I wasn’t that impressed when we first got ours, but until my kids grow up I cant imagine not having one.
But, & it’s a big but, they aren’t that reliable. The common problems are easy to fix:- wipers can seize if not used during summer, alternator pulley can stick, wires in the wiring loom between drivers door & chassis can break causing windows to play up. They seem free of the injector & DMF issues that plague fords TDCi vehicles.
If your considering one remember all three (Galaxy/Alhambra/Sharran) came off the same production line. Ford finished theirs in 06 I think, but I’ve seen Alhambras on 58/59 plates. The VW version seemed quite bland compared to the Ford & Seat version. Ours is a Ghia model so has climate control etc. There was a guy on the net who turned his into a bike van by adding a bed, & cooking facilities.

S-max can have rails fitted to the back of the 2nd row seats, so that when folded flat you can remove the bikes front wheel & clamp directly to the rail.

http://www.bikemagic.com/event-features/how-one-reader-s-maxed-their-life/6191.html

Citroen Synergie will take 2 DH bikes and all the associated gubbings without and need for dismantling. all this whilst still providing two full size seats for the kids.

If maintain 3 full size passenger seats you can still get a large MTB (Cannondale Prophet) in there at an angle without the need to remove a wheel, or faff about arranging stuff.

Front two seats are cabin seats too, so exellent for an ad hoc bed or making some room to get changed.

Cheers trekster, should of asked at the time how big the frame was in that picture, reckon the biggest bike i have will fit in there, if i dont mind the odd oily mark on the pillars.

PJM1974, pretty much what i was afraid of with the big citreon. Not convinced that the grand picasso is as good as honest johns website says it is.

Bike carrying tip, pop down local furniture / bedding shop & ask for some old matress bags (the plastic sheets matresses come wrapped in).
They will swallow a wet & muddy bike, stopping it from marking inside of yer car!

Clong – Member
Cheers trekster, should of asked at the time how big the frame was in that picture

182 Blue Pig. My 192 Kona Dawg and mates 202 Orange 5 also fit.
Wheels usuall go behind my bike if another is being transported, just thrown in in that pic 🙄
I usually throw an old sheet over bike but it had been taken out of car and hidden somewhere!!

Hi Reggie

Just skimmed through the posts. My offer is a Citroen c8/Peugeot 807 I think and Fiat Ulysse (all essentially the same vehicle). These are huge, you can take seats out turn them around any combo you wish. It takes three bikes complete and riders or 4 with wheels off. We just bought ours a 2005 with 65k fsh for £4k. Well worth a look. Delight to drive. We have had the earlier moddle for years and its been great.

Hope this helps.

ED

Got a Grand Espace MkIII, took out the rear row of seats and got 5 bikes, four kids and myself in with room for bits and bobs as well, admittedly some of the bikes had to have wheels removed….
Before that, had a Previa import (Lucida), that took four people to Morzine with bikes and spares and two weeks holiday kit and a bike stand.

Yeah it usually makes more sense to manage the junk you feel like carting about than buying a bigger car!

Nah, take the kitchen sink if you’ve got the room………..

I’ve got a Chrysler Voyager (not Grand) it’s a 2.7 Auto and it’s my second, got the first one in ’06 and I think it’s brilliant. It only does 30 mpg but does it all the time and the amount of kit I have gotten into it has amazed me at times as my other motor is a Vito van and other people have been gobsmacked how much I can pack into that. Just test drive one