Which 3/4 year old 7 seater?

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Tue 12 Oct 2010 15:28
Which 3/4 year old 7 seater? - keymoo

Hi there,

I have four kids aged between 6 and 11 and am in the market for a three or four year old 7 seater and have a budget up to about £10,000 (preferably less). I have owned a 2003 Chrysler Grand Voyager (from new) and a 1997 Renault Espace (current car). I am considering:

  • 2006/2007 Renault Espace
  • 2007 Ford S-Max
  • 2007 Ford Galaxy

I would like a car that has decent seats in the third row and not the flimsy ones you find in the Vauxhall Zafira. On the other hand I don't want a car as large as the Chrysler. I know I'm asking for a tardis, but do you have any suggestions?

Thanks

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Tue 12 Oct 2010 18:01
Which 3/4 year old 7 seater? - cavey76
Hi, I am a recent purchaser of a Honda FRV(4 kids under) 5. In about 5 years i will be in your situation too.

We looked at the Galaxy extensively. My understanding from playing around in the boot of the Galaxy is that you can slide the the rearmost seats backward and forward creating a smidge more boot space if need be. Certainly they are the most solid looking of the 3rd row seats we looked at and i fitted in there easily enough....slightly over chubby and 5'10 so your kids would fit in fine.

Realistically the Galaxy is probably your prime suspect as the other two we looked at Alhambra/Sharan are still a generation older with the newest models only recently released.

Consider a Mitsubishi Grandis as it is a sleek looking bus. It is a smidge smaller than a Galaxy at the size of a SMax but has fairly substanial thrid row seats which flip over to form picnic seats or comfy viewing chairs sheltered by the boot lid.

Lastly what about a Toyota Previa, assuming you are in England they should a bit more common. Prior to acquiring our FRV(perfect car for a young family of 6) we were offered a 2006 Previa 2.0 D T3 with DVD players for £11000 from a local dealer who knew we were on the lookout for an MPV.


William
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Tue 12 Oct 2010 21:08
Which 3/4 year old 7 seater? - ablandy

Have you considered the ssangyong rodius? Not a common choice, but does seem to tick a lot of boxes. Seem reasonably cheap to buy.

Did a fair amount of research when I was working out what to do with our cars. Was tempted by having one of these as the second, family car and getting something smaller for me for work. Didnt end up doing that though.

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Wed 13 Oct 2010 15:01
Which 3/4 year old 7 seater? - keymoo

LOL, I just read the top gear review of it. Quite funny. www.topgear.com/uk/ssangyong/rodius/verdict

I think I'll skip this one, thanks anyway for the suggestion.

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Tue 12 Oct 2010 23:24
Which 3/4 year old 7 seater? - Avant

Have a good look at an S-Max and see if the rearmost seats are substantial enough for your needs - they should be given the age of your children. By all accounts it's better to drive than a Galaxy, but the Galaxy is the next best thing if the S-Max's seats aren't what you need.

Renaults are fine if you get one that's been well looked after and sympathetically driven - but you're not going to know that!

Unless your annual mileage is very high, go for a petrol as you're buying secondhand. There are too many horror stories of diesels a few years old needing major repairs.

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Wed 13 Oct 2010 15:03
Which 3/4 year old 7 seater? - keymoo

Thanks I think you are right - I'll look into the S-Max and Galaxy. This is what Top Gear had to say about the S-Max:

Is it a chopped Galaxy or a swollen Mondeo? We’re not sure, but we do know we like the Ford S-Max. It’s sharp looking, sharp handling and utterly practical. The idea that you can actually desire a seven-seat MPV is still waking us up in a cold sweat.

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Wed 13 Oct 2010 18:03
Which 3/4 year old 7 seater? - ablandy

Interesting review from topgear, hadnt seen that one. Im sure its not as bad as they make out, for one why even mention an elise in the same sentence and what is the obsession with plastic in cars?

Given the age your kids, if you can live with the s max seats and the lack of boot space, then that has got to be the one. Just sent back an 08 mondeo i had on lease and the 2.0 l diesel engine is very nice. If you cant live with the lack of boot space, then galaxy it is.

the c4 grand picasso always looked good, but the only decent engine came with a flappy semi auto gearbox - a big no-no in my book.

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Fri 15 Oct 2010 20:25
Which 3/4 year old 7 seater? - craneboy

Have you looked at the Nissan NV200?

There are some pictures of the van varient in the reviews section of this site. Its a nice looking vehicle, well thought out cockpit and 7 "proper" seats. Also has an extremely economical 1.5 diesel engine. I think they have been out for a couple of years now and you can pick up the MPV version for just under 10k

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Sat 16 Oct 2010 00:01
Which 3/4 year old 7 seater? - fredthefifth

Have a look at the SEAT Alahambra, very similar under the cover to the Galaxy but cheaper. Also I think the SE which is nice spec all round also has stiffer suspension which is good if any of the kids suffer from car sickness.

In the case of the Galaxy/Sharan/Alhamra check the aircon. There have been problems.

Checkout fordgalaxy.org.uk for good advice on all the above models but bear in mind you are only seeing posts from people with problems. You have to register I think.

I wouldn't trust a Top Gear review. Like the programme they are more concerned with the cheap laugh than the facts.

FTF

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Sat 16 Oct 2010 09:11
Which 3/4 year old 7 seater? - fredthefifth

Might have misslead slightly - not sure if the SE is still the top spec which my post assumed.

FTF

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