Nissan Elgrand? - Load carrying vehicle recommendation

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Thu 22 Feb 2018 08:35
Nissan Elgrand? - Load carrying vehicle recommendation - Tall Paul44

I don't know if this is good forum behaviour here or not but I'm looking for recommendations for a new everyday vehicle with load space. Budget is tight at £5-10k. The requirements, other than reliable, is the ability to carry a lot of kit inside including bikes. We're talking two adult bikes and one child's bike plus camping gear. One.bike might be longer than normal. The other wish list item is that the vehicle is realistically cheap to run as possible for the size/capacity.

It will be the only family car.

We own a SEAT Altea XL but one out my bikes doesn't fit (recumbent bike). So subverting bigger is needed. One idea is a Nissan Elgrand personal import. I've seen 2004-2006 versions fit £5995-6995 OTR UK registered. The advantage of that is vanlike capacity and third row of seats that fold against the side instead of being removed and stored somewhere (no garage or shed space for removed seats). Apparently it drives more car like than van like. I guess it's a poor man's vw transporter!

So does anyone have a better idea of what's good for us? I hope there's enough knowledgeable types here who can give advice. I'm particularly interested in any "out off the box" ideas that I might not have thought about. I've read a few threads like this but never on a car site so perhaps I'll get an idea that's right and completely new.

Thanks in advance.

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Thu 22 Feb 2018 09:37
Nissan Elgrand? - Load carrying vehicle recommendation - nellyjak

I guess it's a poor man's vw transporter!

LOL...For me, it's the other way round.!....sit in both...drive both...and then tell me which you'd prefer to have.

BUT...the El Grand is a 3.5 litre unit and a heavy beast...and automatic...well capable but it's not going to be the most frugal vehicle you could have.

You can get diesel of course too.

I looked seriously at one before I eventually chose my current imported V6 3 litre Toyota Estima (you can get a 2.4 4 cyl. model too)

The Estima is a little more compact but equally luxurious and as I'm an out and out Toyota fan it was a good choice for me.

2 years on and all ok.

Your choices are limited I guess, (given your price and needs) unless you go down the "van" route.

Then there's the American choices..eg, Chevy day van such as the Astro...a "leftie" of course but I had one for 10 years and loved it.

Or why not an out and out camper van.?...van size and useable on an every day basis.

Is a box type trailer out of the question.?..it then opens up a wider vehicle choice.

I'm sure there are other suggestions that I haven't thought of.!..but others will I'm sure.

Good luck in your search...let us know how it goes.

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Thu 22 Feb 2018 11:28
Nissan Elgrand? - Load carrying vehicle recommendation - Tall Paul44

Trailer is always an option but we have no place to store one other than on the street. Not likely to be popular with neighbours and possibly going to get nicked.

My partner likes Mazda bongos but I am not impressed by them. They seem too small and old. She says some of the Japanese imports like the Nissan and Toyota ones look too A team like. You know the full spoiler and aero style of body kit as standard. I actually like that if it's not over the top. Too much chrome turns me away.

The Mitsubishi Delica looks a good vehicle but proper 4wd makes me worry about it being expensive to repair and run. I do however live very near a very well respected Mitsubishi dealership. It got a very good reputation and at one point a very high proportion of locals owned a Mitsubishi. I know they are very happy to take on Japanese Mitsubishi imports. Said there's no problem with getting parts for them. Especially since the Delica is basically a van body form of IIRC the shogun 4x4 car.

I would rather not get a panel van although I understand the vivaro/trafic vans are good and the Ford custom too.

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Thu 22 Feb 2018 15:27
Nissan Elgrand? - Load carrying vehicle recommendation - nellyjak

Understand about the trailer...so not a good option I guess.

Bongos are ok...but I would have said not spacious enough...and I doubt the Delica is much better. Both are narrow vehicles.

Nissan and Toyota imports don't have to be "A Team"..mine certainly isn't.

A nice Toyota Hi-Ace might fit the bill in MPV/people carrier form.

Hope your search proves fruitful.

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Thu 22 Feb 2018 16:50
Nissan Elgrand? - Load carrying vehicle recommendation - badbusdriver

You might want to consider the Chrysler grand voyager. Not sure about reliablity (maybe SLO can chip in later), i know the 2.8 turbo diesel is a Marcedes unit. From about 2006 onwards most seem to have what is referred to 'stow and go' seats, where all the seats fold into the floor. But with the voyagers layout (rear bench, 2 captains chairs in the middle row) you could fold the bench and have one end of your recumbent up between the 2 middle seats while they would still remain usable. There was a petrol option, a 3.3 V6, but as it was dropped earlier, i don't think you got it with the stow and go seats. Here is an example of a diesel on autotrader with pictures of the rear bench folded away;

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20171017037...1

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Thu 22 Feb 2018 17:25
Nissan Elgrand? - Load carrying vehicle recommendation - Metropolis.
The 2.8 is a fiat (VM Motori) engine. I think you are thinking
of the 2.7 I5 mercedes unit which was in jeep grand
Cherokees and various other mercedes models. Pity as it’s a
much better engine than the 2.8.
Grand Voyagers are notorious for electrical gremlins
and are to be avoided unless desperate for a stop-gap.
The car itself is very nice and well appointed, shame it’s
so unreliable.

As for the Elgrand, I spoke to several uber drivers in
Hong Kong and consensus was that the Elgrand is not
half as reliable as the toyota Alphard, which can also be had
as a hybrid or a 2.4 petrol instead of the v6.
They complained that the Elgrand spent too much time
in for repairs whereas the alphards just seem to keep on
going.

The newer Mitsubishi’s are available there too, but didn’t s
seem especially popular, even less so than the Elgrand.

Go for an Alphard and get it professionally rust proofed as
the JDM doesn’t require much protection without salt on
the roads. Alternatively, go for a Hyundai i800, although
it will not be as comfy or as flexible as the alphard.
Good luck!
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Thu 22 Feb 2018 18:48
Nissan Elgrand? - Load carrying vehicle recommendation - nellyjak

Agree about the Voyager...iffy on reliability and electrics.

The El Grand I have no personal knowledge of but they seem to be quite well liked in the UK.

Alphard...great motors..very like my V6 Estima and perhaps even more luxurious.

In economy terms the 2.4 petrol is only very slightly better than the V6..and I can get a good mid 30's mpg on a mixed motoring long run...but then I can get 20 mpg if I want to give it some boot..!! .(and I do.!)

I'm a Toyota fan so I guess I'm biased.

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Thu 22 Feb 2018 22:09
Nissan Elgrand? - Load carrying vehicle recommendation - klu01dbt

Would just a normal van be suitable?

If you do a suitable mileage for a diesel ,transits and similar have 3 seats up front and loads of space in the back and are not too bad to drive. There should be plenty at the upper end of your budget that are in good nick. Smaller vans like the Doblo or Hyundai Iload might also be suitable.

Edited by klu01dbt on 22/02/2018 at 22:16

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