Currently have a (very) shagged mondeo 07 plate estate, tho it is mostly mechanically sound. Have now got a family that is going to increase in size in the foreseeable with a bit of luck.

Obviously second hand car prices are nuts at the moment, but i’m not sure how long that will last for? I’ve seen that it’ll be at least another year. I had been holding off buying a new car but we’ve got a couple of long drives coming up across france and the idea of doing it in a car with at least air con is quite appealing!

Looking on autotrader, I can get a 2017 galaxy for about 15k without crazy mile on it. This seems totally nuts to me as i’m sure a few years ago five year old cars didn’t retain that much value!

I’ve had a brief look at leasing but that seems a non starter – a galaxy would cost £641/month for 2 years plus a initial payment of 4k (i’m assuming that this is in addition to the monthly cost rather than just paying the first few months up front?). That adds up to nearly 20k over the two years, at the end of which i’d be left with nothing. Whereas if I spend 15k on a second hand one, it’ll be worth something at least – I guess once prices go back to normal, maybe 5k.

So I guess essentially the question I’m asking is whether I should hold tight for some undefined period of time (at least a year, but probably two or three? does anyone know?) or just buy the 15k one now and accept i’m essentially tossing 10k away to have a couple of year of nicer driving (plus the safety benefit etc).

IT sounds pretty gross to be honest but ripples are so bloody good… probably.

I may not have read the OP

IMO the smart move is to run your mechanically sound Mondeo (late Mk3 or early Mk4?) until the second hand market adjusts back down a bit. Understand that this might not be an option if your burgeoning family is going to be requiring more than 5 seats though, but a Mondeo estate can lug a lot of stuff around.

Mondeos tend to last well so unless you need the extra seats I’d stick with it until is starts to get old diesel / DPF / rust problems.
A roof box may look pricey but a big one will make luggage space almost Galaxy scale (2nd hand or renting are good options if you don’t have storage for it and they store outside OK). If you get the air con regassed the week before your France trip is should work a bit for a few weeks. Yes it’s £100 or whatever but way cheaper than a new car.

If you went down the route of a roof box and you’re in Scotland.
Give me a shout, I have bars and a box surplus to requirements currently!

Yes, they are massive. The C5 B has better engines if that’s your thing and the C5 B is modified for larger cargo so is the one to go for if you have a 29er or ebike.

edit : You definitely won’t need a roof box like with the Mondeo.

I’d keep the Mondeo. And the Mk5 was less reliable than the 4

Yes getting a roof box is on the list if I keep the mondeo (it’s a mk3 petrol). Hadn’t considered a C5 MPV – i’ve always had fords and found them to be reliable.

Unfortunately the air con issue is the compressor rather than a simple regas – it’s been broken for years. More of an issue with babies in hot baby seats now.

I get the smart money is to wait for prices to fall, but I wonder how long that will be? Apparently the prices are driven by the chip shortage which won’t resolve this year or next (I assuming no chips, means no new cars or long waiting lists so people aren’t buying new ones, thus no second hand market). I also noted that BMW for example has said it intends to keep prices high even after the chip shortage abates to lock in their increased profits (https://www.ft.com/content/f55a1d96-1146-4e17-88a9-1a0fbaf57de6).

If I wait another two years, then I could be in the same position, but still thinking ‘maybe the car market will fall next year’ (and that I guess would be more likely!). Ugh I hate adulting.

Actually, I can’t find a MPV version of a C5, the C4 grand picasso is a lot smaller than the galaxy in the back, and I like being able to carry long bits of wood in the back of the mondeo.

I think that this is the one that was recommended a few posts up.

C5 Galaxy

If you are into storage capacity you will definitely get wood in the back of a C5 Galaxy.

With an expanding family I’d keep the battered older car that’s depreciated rather than spending £10k+ on something newer only for it to be destroyed by young crayon and chocolate wielding hands.
I’d spend a few quid on its mechanicals (air con compressor, new radiator etc) to allow price of mind France travel.

09 plate galaxy owner here, as a family bus it’s been great – chugs down to south of france without worry. It’s long in the tooth now (160+k) and now the family is slowly moving out I’m beginning to look to go back to an estate but as you say prices are crazy. There is something satisfying about a car that no longer owns you anything or that you care about too much and car throw stuff in (muddy bikes / windsurfing kit / trees / the odd stone wall).

It’s only let me down once when the fuel pump went which was not cheap to be fixed

Yeah my mondeo is certainly in the shit box territory now! Been using it to sling large pieces of tree recently!

Hmmmmm. Still don’t know what to do. Can’t drive it for ever – 122k miles and pretty shagged.

I’m not convinced car prices are going to drop much – and certainly not quickly. Between chip shortages and covid issues for two years and ongoing, there’s a lack of cars, lack of good cars and a bunch made without all sorts of features coming through.

I’m in process of changing our car – V70 diesel manual with 145k to Octavia estate auto petrol with under 50k…

Galaxy – is the best family car we had with tween and teenagers. It swallowed kit, had huge rear room, was reliable and pretty cheap to run considering how big it was. The only “unexpected” bills were broken suspension springs and bushings – but not a surprise when we loaded it up so much. We got rid at 160k with a list of things going and an electrical problem rearing it’s head. It also coincided with regularly travelling with only one or two kids, not three, as they grew up.

£15k gets you a brand new Dacia Jogger 7 seater…

Nice bikes in their day but a touch dated now unless the retro tourer is your thing!

I’d stick with the Mondeo for now, sort the aircon for the trip and use a roofbox. Plenty of spares about for them.
Imagine it would be a better ride than a tall MPV too.

Mine had about a 100k more on it before we sold it due to not fitting in car park spaces at wife’s place of work. In hindsight we should have kept it and just tolerated the panel beating.

Should I buy a second hand galaxy?

Depends how old it is and how far away tbh.

Other than Aircon what other faults? Or just “tired” give it a good clean will make you feel better.

122k I would expect 150k should be easy and as long as nother bad 200k should be no worries.

122k I would expect 150k should be easy and as long as nother bad 200k should be no worries.

Depends where he lives found here it would be near end of life due to rot.

Time kills cars round here not milage.

Getting the bikes in won’t be a problem, or a bunch of other things, parking it, on the other hand, might be an issue…