Best 7 seater 4x4 or similar?

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Mon 10 Sep 2012 15:47
Best 7 seater 4x4 or similar? - mzoeo
I love nearly everything about my 2006 discovery 3, except that it's completely unreliable! Been in the garage practically every month for the last year. But I love the cabin size etc

Need a 7 seater for family/shared school runs but also one that's presentable for taking clients/work colleagues in. 4x4 desirable as we tow a kayak trailer from time to time. I also like the 'height' of a 4x4 type car.

Considering xc90 or x5. But also an s-max.

Any thoughts or other suggestions?

Thanks
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Mon 10 Sep 2012 16:38
Best 7 seater 4x4 or similar? - SteveLee

Discovery 3 and 4s are the best cars in their class, however the 3 in particular is very hit and miss reliability wise, some are trouble free others are a pain in the ****. I'd be tempted to buy another D3 and hope to get a good one.

The S-MAX is a cracking car, nice interiors, drive well but they don't feel as special as the Disco.

The Chevvy Captiva is a cracking 7 seater 4x4, pretty reliable and very good value, however the interiors are typically American (scratchy plastic) but they're quite well equipped.

X5s or XC90s have a history of being troublesome too (but perhaps less so), the 5 pot diesel in the XC90 can throw its cambelt before the service interval - goodbye engine!

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Mon 10 Sep 2012 16:52
Best 7 seater 4x4 or similar? - gordonbennet

''Discovery 3 and 4s are the best cars in their class, however the 3 in particular is very hit and miss reliability wise, some are trouble free others are a pain in the ****. I'd be tempted to buy another D3 and hope to get a good one.''

So you advocate the OP should buy another and hope its reliable, presumably if thats another heap should he continue till he eventually finds one that works for a month or two, and to top that scenario off you say they are the best in their class...at what?....emptying your wallet?

Havent we, not me, been doing a similar thing in recent elections, voting the same bunch of crooks in (wearing different colour badges) hoping that next time they'll do as they promised?...a more convincing definition of lunacy i can't imagine..;)

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Mon 10 Sep 2012 18:33
Best 7 seater 4x4 or similar? - injection doc

"Been in the garage practically every month for the last year"

Funny that are you sure the garage is ok ?

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Mon 10 Sep 2012 19:14
Best 7 seater 4x4 or similar? - Happy Blue!
Unless you really need 4x4 then the S-max is all the car you need. Mine has transported some very very VIPs in climate controlled, ventilated seat comfort and the latest engine/gearbox combos are unbeatable for performance and economy.

I really do not not what I would replace my S-max with if something happened to it, other than another one.
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Mon 10 Sep 2012 19:17
Best 7 seater 4x4 or similar? - daveyjp
Left field suggestion. Mercedes R class.
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Mon 10 Sep 2012 20:35
Best 7 seater 4x4 or similar? - Happy Blue!

There is a reason they didn't sell well, those R-classes.

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Mon 10 Sep 2012 20:44
Best 7 seater 4x4 or similar? - thunderbird

Kia Sorento and Hyundai SantaFe. Both reliable with long warranties and 7 seat options.

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Mon 10 Sep 2012 20:51
Best 7 seater 4x4 or similar? - Happy Blue!

Very true. If you need 4x4 these are the ones to go for, but the steering is a little too light I think. Mind you, comprehensively far more reliable than any Land Rover could ever be.

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Mon 10 Sep 2012 21:02
Best 7 seater 4x4 or similar? - Falkirk Bairn

No mention of budget!

Low budget to buy - SE7 Subaru Tribeca, very high spec <£10K for 4yr old- 3 ltr petrol so running costs will be high

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Mon 10 Sep 2012 21:04
Best 7 seater 4x4 or similar? - mzoeo
Thanks for suggestion, budget is. £15-£20K.
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Mon 10 Sep 2012 20:58
Best 7 seater 4x4 or similar? - mzoeo
Thanks everyone, might start looking harder at the s-max

I had a Santa fe before...admittedly older one -2002- and hated the damn thing. So noisy on the dual carriageway and painfully slow at pulling away at roundabouts etc

Just got to convince hubby that fords are the way forward
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Fri 5 Jul 2013 13:17
Best 7 seater 4x4 or similar? - JohnM100

If you can see past the past negative image of Skoda's then probably one of the best 7 seat 4x4 models you could choose is the Skoda Octavia estate. It starts at around £23k for a new model (obviously check ebay for cheaper 2nd hand ones) but includes a massive array of gadgets such as the 'driver fatigue sensor' and air con for example.

If it's a taller 4wd type of vehicle you're after then what about a Mitsubishi Outlander? I love them as they don't have the typical 'people carrier' image even though they have seven seats.

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Fri 5 Jul 2013 14:52
Best 7 seater 4x4 or similar? - RT

If you can see past the past negative image of Skoda's then probably one of the best 7 seat 4x4 models you could choose is the Skoda Octavia estate. It starts at around £23k for a new model (obviously check ebay for cheaper 2nd hand ones) but includes a massive array of gadgets such as the 'driver fatigue sensor' and air con for example.

If it's a taller 4wd type of vehicle you're after then what about a Mitsubishi Outlander? I love them as they don't have the typical 'people carrier' image even though they have seven seats.

AFAIK the Octavia isn't a 7-seater - the only 7-seat 4x4 from VAG is the Audi Q7 !!

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Mon 10 Sep 2012 20:58
Best 7 seater 4x4 or similar? - daveyjp
Do tell us more.
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Tue 11 Sep 2012 18:35
Best 7 seater 4x4 or similar? - oldtoffee

>>>>I had a Santa fe before...admittedly older one -2002- and hated the damn thing. So noisy on the dual carriageway and painfully slow at pulling away at roundabouts etc

I have a 2011 one, 7 seater, diesel auto and it works well. They've improved dramatically with new Bosch designed diesel engines. 194bhp gives me plenty of go from any speed including zero. Suspension is tuned and firmed up for European tastes and mine rides quieter and smoother on the motorway and dual carriageway (with the engine and gearbox its the most impressive feature of the car to me) than my previous Outback, Mondeo, Octavia, slighly firm around town but not annoyingly so.


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