Automatic 7 Seater under £10k...

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Tue 7 Nov 2023 19:33
Automatic 7 Seater under £10k... - JadeT

We're in the market for an auto 7 seater, ideally around £8k but I'm aware that may be an impossibility in the current market, so we can stretch to more.

We currently have a petrol Golf SV which we're outgrowing with three children. We don't have any hobbies which require a large boot space but we do occasional lifts for friends which would make an extra row come in handy (eldest is early teens).

It would do around 12k miles a year, with 80 mile motorway runs three times a week, so diesel would be fine. I currently get about 50mpg on mine so wouldn't want to veer too much from that if possible.

I know older automatics can be problematic so preferably trying to avoid any with widely known issues (aren't we all!). I will say we've had three DSG autos with no problems but I know they get bad press? I'm not bothered about the driving experience particularly...

ULEZ not a problem as we don't go near cities really, and have a second car anyway. We're near the England/South Wales border.

I like the Touran and Spacetourer but any and all opinions welcome.

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Tue 7 Nov 2023 20:24
Automatic 7 Seater under £10k... - SLO76
I tried a search using your rough location, requirements and approximate price range and although there were plenty of 7str options which flagged up on Autotrader, there wasn’t anything I’d recommend. It’s your need for an automatic transmission that kills the whole thing really. Although you’ve had good experiences from DSG boxes to date, you’ve really just been lucky. I can’t suggest one, or anything fitted with Ford’s Powershift transmission unless you can afford to write the full thing off if it were to fail.

If however you removed the auto box requirement, then the options are much wider and the likely reliability far superior. A Ford Galaxy or S-Max would be a nice thing with the 2.0 PSA diesel, it can suffer injector issues, DPF problems and they tend to eat dual mass flywheels, but they’re practical, great to drive and decent enough on fuel. Taxi fleets like them, and with good regular maintenance they can get to big mileages. The PowerShift gearbox is however absolutely terrible and no one with any understanding of these cars will recommend one.

A Ford Grand C-Max 1.5/1.6/2.0 diesel is another worthy option on a budget, though the smaller diesels are less robust than the 2.0. Don’t touch the 1.0 Ecoboom petrol or the Powershift auto. A good car, that’s great on fuel and nice to drive, but killed by the need for an auto.

Mazda 5 is a tough 7str but they’re a bit dated and the auto is like hens teeth. It’s thirsty too.

A Toyota Verso is a good car, but autos are rare and silly money. I spotted a 63 plate at £11,995. You can get a Toyota Prius 7str Estate, but they’re tight for space and again silly money for decade old cars with 115k mileages upwards.

Do you really really need an auto? If the twin clutch gearbox fails in any of these then you’ve lost all of your money.
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Tue 7 Nov 2023 20:54
Automatic 7 Seater under £10k... - JadeT

Unfortunately we do as I'm restricted by my licence. I've had three DSGs between 2007 and 2015 plates with no issues, so I hadn't really been aware of issues until I read around a bit on here.

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Tue 7 Nov 2023 20:32
Automatic 7 Seater under £10k... - SLO76
Spotted this newly arrived trade in at a Ford dealer. It’s had a new timing belt, has service history and sensible miles. These are nice to drive and will do 60mpg easy enough, but that engine doesn’t like neglect so must have regular oil changes. Again, I can’t recommend the auto.

www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202311023564417


Here’s a tidy looking (in the pics) Galaxy with the right engine and a manual box. It has a full Ford main dealer history too. Again, as with any older DPF equipped diesel they can suffer emissions control issues, injector faults, turbo failures etc etc if neglected. The same dealer has several of them.

www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202309081724293

Edited by SLO76 on 07/11/2023 at 20:37

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Tue 7 Nov 2023 20:43
Automatic 7 Seater under £10k... - SLO76
Did find this Kia which fits most of your requirements. It’s an earlier model so it still has the older torque converter automatic transmission which should be robust - post 2016 cars had a complex twin clutch auto like VW’s DSG that no one really trusts, no manufacturer has really proved they can be fully reliable to date.


www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202309282448907
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Tue 7 Nov 2023 21:06
Automatic 7 Seater under £10k... - JadeT

This is an interesting contender thank you, I hadn't looked at the Carens before. We had considered the Verso, but as you say the prices are crazy at the moment unfortunately.

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Tue 7 Nov 2023 22:17
Automatic 7 Seater under £10k... - Adampr

My neighbours have one of these, which they bought for the same reasons as you. They seem happy with it.

www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202310173082395

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Tue 7 Nov 2023 22:26
Automatic 7 Seater under £10k... - SLO76

My neighbours have one of these, which they bought for the same reasons as you. They seem happy with it.

www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202310173082395

Did spot a few of them, but since Mitsubishi withdrew from the UK market some parts are becoming difficult to get. Normal service items are ok, but any electrical, trim or body issues are a problem according to the chat I’m seeing on Mitsubishi facebook pages, and since it’s not exactly mass market there’s not a big aftermarket supply of parts available, much of it is dealer only. Not Mitsubishi’s finest moment, but if looked after there’s no reason why it couldn’t be a faithful big car. Underbody rust is the biggest issue with them as they age, so don’t just look at the body thinking it looks ok without getting underneath. Again emissions related issues with the DPF equipped diesel motor will almost certainly be a problem at some point on a decade old example. The Hybrid is a better car, but it’ll be more money thanks to ULEZ.

Edited by SLO76 on 07/11/2023 at 22:27

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Tue 7 Nov 2023 22:39
Automatic 7 Seater under £10k... - Adampr

My neighbours have one of these, which they bought for the same reasons as you. They seem happy with it.

www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202310173082395

Did spot a few of them, but since Mitsubishi withdrew from the UK market some parts are becoming difficult to get. Normal service items are ok, but any electrical, trim or body issues are a problem according to the chat I’m seeing on Mitsubishi facebook pages, and since it’s not exactly mass market there’s not a big aftermarket supply of parts available, much of it is dealer only. Not Mitsubishi’s finest moment, but if looked after there’s no reason why it couldn’t be a faithful big car. Underbody rust is the biggest issue with them as they age, so don’t just look at the body thinking it looks ok without getting underneath. Again emissions related issues with the DPF equipped diesel motor will almost certainly be a problem at some point on a decade old example. The Hybrid is a better car, but it’ll be more money thanks to ULEZ.

I can't believe there would be a shortage of trim or body parts given the insane number of the PHEVs that I see rampaging around.

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Tue 7 Nov 2023 22:52
Automatic 7 Seater under £10k... - SLO76
“ I can't believe there would be a shortage of trim or body parts given the insane number of the PHEVs that I see rampaging around.”

Tends to happen when a manufacturer leaves the market. Support in the way of parts availability will dry up pretty quickly. You’ll certainly find used bits though, the hybrid was their biggest seller towards the end. Shame really, back in the 80’s and 90’s Mitsubishi produced some great cars.
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If you cover no more than 100 miles per day and have easy access to a charging point at home or work, then an EV is ideal for you.

Is an electric car right for me?