7 Seater Recommendations

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Tue 1 Jan 2019 11:16
7 Seater Recommendations - Scotsman1978

I have 5k for a 7 seater, I need one that can carry 7 adults, Ive looked at the ford Galaxy, Sharan even a 4x4 7 such as disco 3 but been put off by the air suspension repair bills... Can you suggest a good 7 seater both 4x4 and Normal 2 Wheel drive for my budget?

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Tue 1 Jan 2019 11:41
7 Seater Recommendations - Happy Blue!

You are stuck to big ones but look at mitsubishi grandis, ford s-max, Hyundai trajet, Kia Sedona

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Tue 1 Jan 2019 11:54
7 Seater Recommendations - dan86

I had chrysler grabd voyger with the 2.8 vm diesel. It was extremely capacious, comfertable and loaded with toys.

The good bits

.you could drive all day and not feel tried or achy

.it would comfortably carry 6 adults and all their lugadge

.sliding doors good in car parks.

.DVD player and 4 workers headphones kept children quite

The bad bits

.it had a drink problem (24mpg average 33mpg on a long run)9

.parts are expensive

.its big vert big

.not the most reliable car I've ever owned (infact the most unreliable car)

Saying that it was 12 years old and done 160k miles when it became exomicly unviable to keep on the road. I had it nearly 4 years and apart from normal mantance it needed a new radiator (£500 fitred) new thermostat and housing (week point and exspensive another £500 and a horrible job to do) new alternator (£300 fitted ) new handbreak cable and mechanism (when cable snaps it takes out the hand break mechanism £290 fitted) then the fuel pump went (£1200 just for the part) I didced to get rid of at this point as I didn't wsnt to throw good money after bad.

I've owned many cars used to live playing bangernomics and I've never owed a car that has needed this sort of work infact it's the only car I've had to spend money on repairs to this amount befor. Maybe it was my fists lemon who knows

Edited by dan86 on 01/01/2019 at 11:59

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Tue 1 Jan 2019 12:16
7 Seater Recommendations - tourantass
We have two chevrolet orlandos in the family ours is petrol my daughters is diesel, they are both automatics, and both drive great, the diesel doing better mpg but the benifits of having a diesel are fast deminishing......these are basiccly Vauxhalls underneath Sharing the same engines and running gear as many others....but cost approx 2k less than comparable seven seaters...we just use them as work horses for shifting us and anything else around...def worth a look for your budget...you get a lot for your money...however the styling is not everyones cup of tea......depends what your priorities are.
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Tue 1 Jan 2019 12:28
7 Seater Recommendations - gordonbennet

Better off with an MPV i think if for no other reason than value for money, large 4x4's with genuine 7 seating capacity cost a lot of money, much more for the reliable ones.

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Tue 1 Jan 2019 12:56
7 Seater Recommendations - Avant

Tha advantage of the S-Max and the Galaxy is that there are more around to choose from. For your budget try to find one that appears to have been looked after and has a full service history.

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Tue 1 Jan 2019 14:11
7 Seater Recommendations - SLO76
Got to agree with Avant here, the Galaxy and S-Max are the better options if you need a cheap 7str which can cope with a full load of adults. The Galaxy is a bit more spacious and probably the better of the two for you.

However on your very limited budget a diesel is likely to be a very costly ongoing liability especially anything fitted with a particulate filter which if I’m right in saying all 2.0 TDCi’s had from 2007/08 but you’d need to verify. The older 1.8 TDCi certainly doesn’t have one and is quite robust if it’s been looked after but isn’t as powerful or refined as the Peugeot 2.0. At this age and mileage you’re likely to see all sorts of expensive failures from fuel pumps, turbo issues, injectors, dual mass flywheel and DPF where fitted.

The Mazda and Volvo petrol engines are far less likely to wrong but they’re much thirstier and more expensive to tax and also much rarer.

Try to find a longterm owned example in good condition and with a full history preferably from a main dealer but remember you’ll need to keep a good £1-2k reserve for failures as it’s almost guaranteed at this sort of money.

If you can I’d spend more to get a newer car or if you can live without transporting so many people a smaller much less complex petrol engined 1.6 C-Max or Toyota Verso or Mazda 5 would be more reliable.
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Tue 1 Jan 2019 14:44
7 Seater Recommendations - badbusdriver

I'd suggest a Japanese import MPV. These commonly have 4wd anyway, and if you go for something like this Toyota Estima you will have unrivaled reliability. Though with it's 2.4 petrol it will undoubtably be thirsty.

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20181208310...1

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Wed 2 Jan 2019 10:27
7 Seater Recommendations - nellyjak

I'd suggest a Japanese import MPV. These commonly have 4wd anyway, and if you go for something like this Toyota Estima you will have unrivaled reliability. Though with it's 2.4 petrol it will undoubtably be thirsty.

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20181208310...1

I HAVE a Toyota Estima import..a 7 seater luxury lounge on wheels...had it for 3 years now and not a sniff of regret or problems...all usual parts are freely available here in the UK.

Mine is the 3 litre V6 but still returns 30+ mpg on a good mixed motoring run...with more local runs and in Winter that would decrease to the low to mid 20's mpg...but thankfully that's just not an issue for me as I only do a max of 5k miles each year...the 2.4 is not really any different in mpg terms.

I love the smooth, powerful, quiet, relaxing drive...and when I want that extra kick and use the 220 bhp available...trust me..it delivers.!

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Tue 1 Jan 2019 14:48
7 Seater Recommendations - SLO76
Auto Trader:

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20181219337...8



Auto Trader:

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20181218333...5

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Tue 1 Jan 2019 16:18
7 Seater Recommendations - Brit_in_Germany

I would say that an S-Max and Toyota Verso are both too small for seven adults. An Avensis Verso would have fitted the bill but these are now getting too old to be worth the risk.

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Tue 1 Jan 2019 18:56
7 Seater Recommendations - Scotsman1978

Some nice models there, Im in east of Scotland Dundee there is a 2.2 galaxy near me and a 1.8

im really not that great with cars im more of a computer guy lol any advice would be appreciated

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20181204298...1

or

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20181121263...1

also theres an alhambra but these are abit dated now?

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20181206304...1

are sedona any good ?

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20181206305...1

Edited by Scotsman1978 on 01/01/2019 at 18:57

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Tue 1 Jan 2019 20:17
7 Seater Recommendations - SLO76
I’m wary of recommending an old diesel to you but the 1.8 would be less likely to go wrong purely due to fact it is an older more straightforward design but I’d buy on condition and history first.

There are two petrol options within range of you both of which will be far less likely to go wrong. The 1.6 Ecoboost is more money but the Yamaha deigned engine is both robust and gutsy without being too bad on fuel. There’s no DPF to worry about, there’s no complex and expensive high pressure injection system to go haywire and it’s far less likely to suffer DMF problems than the diesel.

Auto Trader:

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20181005119...3

The 2.0 petrol is a Mazda chain driven motor with few vices as above. There’s also the added bonus of not having a timing belt to worry about too. Bit greedy but apparently this has a full main dealer history too which points to an affluent previous owner.


Auto Trader:

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20180928096...8


I wouldn’t bother with that Seat or the Kia Sedona. The Seat is dated and looks a bit boy racer which is never a good sign while the Kia is every bit as greedy as a petrol Ford Galaxy yet still there’s the usual diesel reliability worries and they tend to rot more rapidly underneath than rivals which up here in sunny Scotland is of great concern. I was asked to look at a 57 plate Kia Sportage for someone recently and you’d’ve been horrified by the amount of rot I found underneath. The car was scrap and should never have passed its last Mot. The front crossmember was crumbling and both sills were following closely behind.

Edited by SLO76 on 01/01/2019 at 20:30

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Tue 1 Jan 2019 20:46
7 Seater Recommendations - Ian D
The 2.0 TDCi S-Max or Mk 3 Galaxy without a DPF could be a good choice, you should find an 08 Reg one and there were a few 09 reg ones without DPFs, you need to check carefully.
One with a FSH is ideal, around 90k to 100k clutch and DMF problems are common, around £1100 at a dealer or £700 at an indi, check the aircon works, Cambelt and waterpump due around 10 years/100k around £350 at a good indi.
Avoid Mk 2 Galaxys/Sharans they are trash and your budget will get the above. I have got an 2008 S-Max as described above owned 50k to 120k and my brother has a similar Galaxy owned 70k to 140k
with mainly general satisfaction!
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Tue 1 Jan 2019 21:22
7 Seater Recommendations - Scotsman1978

those are nice but abit out of my range 5k is probably my absolute maximum, could potenially get the rest I was searching for fun and found a mini bus lol

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20180904014...1

ofc out of my budget lol

The S Max is very ncie motor but im concerned as the vauhxall zafi i have has the same sort of space (I think on the 3rd of seats) it will be cramped for the little ones

Im very grateful for all the help :) please continue to guide me :)

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Wed 2 Jan 2019 09:59
7 Seater Recommendations - daveyK_UK

For £5k you might strike fortunate and find a rare Fiat Doblo MPV with the 7 seater option (more reliable than your average Fiat) or a Citroen Berlingo Multispace MPV with the 7 seater option

Both have full size adult seats in the back

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Wed 2 Jan 2019 15:00
7 Seater Recommendations - SLO76
“The S Max is very ncie motor but im concerned as the vauhxall zafi i have has the same sort of space (I think on the 3rd of seats) it will be cramped for the little ones.”


If you only need the rearmost seats for children then I’d rethink and go for a smaller but much less complex and thus more reliable petrol engined Zafira, Ford C-Max, Mazda 5 or Toyota Verso. All will suit your limited budget far better than a complex and hugely expensive to repair turbo diesel MPV like the Galaxy. To use a term I oft use, keep it simple.
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Thu 3 Jan 2019 01:18
7 Seater Recommendations - SteveLee

2WD Citroen C4 Grand Picasso, the 2 litre petrols are bulletproof. A lot of car for your money, some electrical gremlins but mechanically sound in manual form. Lots of privately owned examples so you don't accidentally end up with an ex minicab.

4WD Ssangyong Rexton or Rodius, the most reliable (if ugly) 7 seat 4x4 for 5K by far - also totally ignored by the cabbie community. Powered by the most reliable and long-lived Mercedes engine in the last 30 years. Brilliant tow cars and capable off road.

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Thu 3 Jan 2019 13:57
7 Seater Recommendations - Scotsman1978

4WD Ssangyong Rexton never thought of that Its not the prettiest for sure lol

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Thu 3 Jan 2019 16:07
7 Seater Recommendations - SLO76

4WD Ssangyong Rexton never thought of that Its not the prettiest for sure lol

Very expensive to run though... 25mpg economy and £540 a year road tax (on post 06) and £315 on pre 06. Parts aren’t easy to get or cheap. Often it’s dealer only for bits you’d find easily and cheaply for a more mainstream manufacturer. They’re not just cheap because they’re ugly. I know you have ambitions to own a big SUV or MPV but you don’t have the means to do it yet. I suggest reigning yourself in and go buy something more straightforward or keep what you’ve got and save more.

Edited by SLO76 on 03/01/2019 at 16:09

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Thu 3 Jan 2019 18:56
7 Seater Recommendations - Scotsman1978

Yup im not going to buy a 4x4, been looking at VW Caddy Max life and also as recommended earlier ford galaxy petrols

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Thu 3 Jan 2019 19:22
7 Seater Recommendations - SLO76

Yup im not going to buy a 4x4, been looking at VW Caddy Max life and also as recommended earlier ford galaxy petrols

I had a Caddy SDi van for years and I found it to be an excellent wee workhorse but it was the non-turbo 2.0 diesel which was economical and tough but slow and noisy and not available in the model you want while the 1.6 diesels are bad for EGR and DPF issues so again it’s probably not one I’d buy at £5k. I’d happily have a petrol Galaxy or Mazda 5 though.
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