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Cheap to run MPV £3000 - Drving me Doolallies

Need to change from our family sized car to something bigger. A 6 seater would be preferable, petrol. Nothing too powerful 1.6,reliable and cheap to run.We would prefer a manual as opposed to an automatic, lastly decent boot space would be handy. We have a budget of £3000. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Cheap to run MPV £3000 - Brian Tryzers
Six seats + decent boot + 1.6 engine = two-row seating
because nothing that a 1.6 can propel will be big enough for a third row with a boot behind it. Assuming you won't find a Honda FRV for £3000, that leaves the Fiat Multipla.

You might be lucky and find a good one locally at a sensible price, but there aren't many around and I'd worry about feeling pressured into buying because I wasn't sure when I'd find another one. Instead I'd be thinking how often I really needed that sixth seat, and if it was for someone who wasn't an immediate family member (i.e. an occasional passenger) I'd bin the (admittedly appealing) idea of being able to take extras along and look instead for the newest, shiniest Mondeo estate within an hour's drive. There are billions of those, they hold five comfortably, take loads of luggage and are cheap to repair.
Cheap to run MPV £3000 - Happy Blue!

You may find a better alternative is a smaller seven seater. A cheap version would be a Kia Carens from say 2006 onwards. Or a well maintained older Mazda 5.

Cheap to run MPV £3000 - brum
that leaves the Fiat Multipla.

Should have gone to Specsavers.......

Cheap to run MPV £3000 - Alby Back
A friend of mine has loads of kids, which pleases him and his wife.

A side effect though is that he also has a Zafira, which doesn't.

But one of those might suit you?

Edited by Alby Back on 08/04/2015 at 20:02

Cheap to run MPV £3000 - Avant

If as you suggest you don't mind a relative lack of performance, a Zafira would probably be OK. A Toyota Verso might have a better chance of being reliable, but there are more Zafiras around to choose from.

With a lmited budget, in any acse condition is much more important than make and model. Try to find something with a service history and an impression of having been looked after rather than being neglected.

Cheap to run MPV £3000 - Drving me Doolallies

Thanks for all the replies.

As far as the power is concerned we are just a bit weary of going much over 1.8 because of insurance costs.

It'll mainly be used for about 50+ miles travelling a week, school run,food shop, gopher-ing for children etc.

We are not huge fans of the Zafira so we discounted it. The Verso and Touran were our first options. In fact we've found a Touran within our budget and wondered if anyone has any history with them. How reliabl are they and how cheap are they to run.

Thank you all in advance.

Cheap to run MPV £3000 - Alby Back
My friend with the Zafira hates his, but it's his third one because it does a job. He'd really like a 911 but he's married with loads of kids, broke most of the time, utterly downtrodden, miserable, caught on the hamster wheel of life, can see no way out....

Fairly regular guy actually.

;-))
Cheap to run MPV £3000 - pd

I've always found the 05-on Zafira a surprisingly decent car to drive. Gearchange is the usual Vauxhall notchy style but they ride and handle in a not unenjoyable way.

The 7 seat design is also very good.

Cheap to run MPV £3000 - Trilogy

Pribably one of the best places for owner reviews. VW Touran - www.autotrader.co.uk/car-reviews/volkswagen/touran...6