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Which automatic MPV is most reliable for under £7000?

We are looking for an automatic 7-seater for under £7000. Any type of vehicle will be considered, ideally not larger than a Galaxy, which is reasonably cheap to run and reliable without being too old. My wife did some research and thought a Zafira was a good all round option, until a school friend told her of her of her 2010 automatic rolling backwards when pulling away on hills. I have previously read about reliability issues with the Touran DSG autobox. It's hard to know which are isolated cases and which vehicles are commonly unreliable.

Asked on 21 April 2012 by RB, Christchurch, Dorset

Answered by Honest John
Consider an old shape Galaxy, Sharan or Alhambra, but you might also be able to get a current shape high mileage Galaxy 2.0TDCI 6-speed automatic. Addison Lee has a fleet of about 3000 and sells them off regularly, though usually when they are worth more than £7000. If you can find a Toyota Verso with a proper torque converter auto, that should be on the list (you don’t have enough for the latest Valvematic Multidrive S). And the cheapest, newest, and with the lowest mileage for the least money will probably be a KIA Carens auto.

Definitely avoid Touran DSGs for this sort of money, and Zafiras. See the entries in www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/
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