What's the ultimate "family" car?

[sjc]

Just out of interest, for those of you that don't see why a family likes/wants the big car 4x4/people carrier thing, what would be the reasoning as to why so many are parked outside schools.. and not just the premium brand ones?

[chonok]

This brings me onto a subject that I have been harping on for ages about.

As much as most of us would love an RS6/M5/Quattroporte, I think 90% of us could not afford to buy/run one and I therefore think that there is a distinct lack of choice for affordable, practical, fast, petrol powered and decent to drive family cars.

My Octavia VRS fits the bill perfectly. A boot as big as, if not bigger than most estates, decent performance and reasonable running costs.

I fancy changing it, but it really doesn;t have any competition. The only thing I can see it a Focus ST estate, although these are still £15k + at the moment...

[anonymous-user]

FFRR, V10 Audi S8. Perhaps an X5. RS6 would make the shortlist, but I wonder whether the ride quality would begin to grate over time. Sometimes you want plush...

Comfort (for everyone in the car), refinement, speed and load carrying ability are my required qualities for the family car. Load carrying means it has to be able to take two bikes (if need be with the wheel off - the S8 just ticks this box) and transport all our holiday luggage to the airport in one trip inside the car.

I don't see this as a question of "what is the best car you can buy that you can squeeze a family into"; hence although an (eg) Evora or a Maserati GranTurismo are very good cars, I wouldn't consider them as getting close to this list. As second cars to complement the ultimate family car, well, that's a different question...

[cologne2792]

flatso said:

cologne2792 said:

We went through a few of these. Still probably the best ride of any car ever, big enough to carry a 12 foot ladder inside with the tailgate closed, room for three kids and a months worth of stuff, DIRAVI steering which is just incredible, ride and braking compensates for load so behaves the same empty as it does fully loaded and the headlights are always at the proper height. Add in quiet, quick, extremely comfortable and 800+ miles range in the DTR versions coupled with an easily washed down vinyl interior in the MK1 - which a reviewer of the day claimed was excellent for messy families.

Hard to top the old CX ; i wish Citroen would still make properly large estates.

We've had about a dozen XM since then - good, but just not the same.

[surveyor]

FFRR

We've had ours 3 months. It's been to Le Mans, it's towed the caravan, fought it's way through an overgrown field, and tugged the step-lad's learner car back from London.

Money no-object I think was the original criteria, in which case it would be the supercharged. Obviously.

[RobM77]

sjc said:

Just out of interest, for those of you that don't see why a family likes/wants the big car 4x4/people carrier thing, what would be the reasoning as to why so many are parked outside schools.. and not just the premium brand ones?

If you meant me I wasn't inferring that I don't understand why people want them, I just wouldn't want one myself. The obvious reason is that not everyone is interested in driving like my wife and I are - we enjoy reaosnably lightweight cars with a low CofG and good weight distribution because we like driving, so we'd be happy to pack light to enjoy the corners. If you don't enjoy driving and can afford the mpg, then an MPV makes perfect sense for a family. I've driven a few, and some hide their mass quite well (X3, X5, Cayenne), and some have the power to be reasonably fast as well, but I'd never ever want to own one, they represent the exact opposite of what I enjoy about cars - in my mind they're motor cruisers in a world of jet skis.

[famoussas]

My old man had an AM Rapide for a few years.

Definitely not suitable for anyone in the back over 6 foot, and a squeeze for anyone else. Not to say it's uncomfortable but still a bit snug.

In terms of driving it, it was phenomenal. Not that fast in the grand scene of things but incredible noise and agility for such a big car. Actually miss driving it quite a lot.

Now has a BMW X5M - 555bhp and once it gets going not much is going to challenge it. Like a boat through the corners but what big 4x4 isn't.

If it was my choice I would have a RR Ghost or Ferrari FF.

[Stick Legs]

Tickle said:

A lot of fast cars above, why would you want to go fast with your family in the car?

Edited by Tickle on Wednesday 9th July 22:50

1) either travelling fast is or is not safe. Either the speed you travel is judged well or not.

Empty motorway, well maintained car, 100 leptons with or without kids in the back.

Rainy busy road, adjust speed accordingly.

If you travel faster with your kids not in the car 'in the unsafe zone' then the accident you have wipes out another family. Or are your spawn more worthy of your careful driving than others.

2) who says fast cars must be driven fast? On this principle ban anything capable of more than 70.

Edited by Stick Legs on Thursday 10th July 12:32

[sjc]

RobM77 said:

sjc said:

Just out of interest, for those of you that don't see why a family likes/wants the big car 4x4/people carrier thing, what would be the reasoning as to why so many are parked outside schools.. and not just the premium brand ones?

If you meant me I wasn't inferring that I don't understand why people want them, I just wouldn't want one myself. The obvious reason is that not everyone is interested in driving like my wife and I are - we enjoy reaosnably lightweight cars with a low CofG and good weight distribution because we like driving, so we'd be happy to pack light to enjoy the corners. If you don't enjoy driving and can afford the mpg, then an MPV makes perfect sense for a family. I've driven a few, and some hide their mass quite well (X3, X5, Cayenne), and some have the power to be reasonably fast as well, but I'd never ever want to own one, they represent the exact opposite of what I enjoy about cars - in my mind they're motor cruisers in a world of jet skis.

No wasn't aimed at you, just a general question, but you make an interesting point. I felt the same as you when the wife got her Disco 7 years ago, but nearly everyone I know who has one wouldn't swap their Discovery for anything else as a family car, ourselves included. It also gives me the chance to have own something small and light(Noble M400)for the last 7 years at the same time.I sold the Granturismo two months ago because although I bought it with the reasoning that the family would go out together in it, if it was holiday time the boot wasn't big enough, a walk in the woods meant the dog came too, if the kids brought a mate along we needed more than five seats etc etc etc.
I'm sure you can see where I'm going with the above!

[Davey S2]

Stenn said:

Heart says RS6 but head says I'd not require that much power as I drive very differently with a car full of loved ones so something like a 535d Touring would, in reality, be perfect.

In the real world this.

Lottery win then an RS6 is fine but overkill for 95% of the time.

[T1berious]

g3org3y said:

Money no object?



This would be my choice.

+1

I really can't get over how well the E60 \ E61 have aged (IMHO).

Money no object, RR L405 SC.

T1b

[Cartwheel]

A recent 530d X drive is probably the best one car solution, being quick enough, big enough, safe in all weather and relatively efficient. My 330xd e46 Touring was great but needed more bootspace.

This being said, for journeys of up to a couple of hours with kids in the back you can get a fair amount of stuff in the 996/997 Targas as the rear screen opens, giving useful access to the space behind the seats. A Quinny Zapp pushchair fits easily with plenty of room to spare for a soft bag - regrettably the new Targa mechanism renders this space useless.

[RobM77]

sjc said:

RobM77 said:

sjc said:

Just out of interest, for those of you that don't see why a family likes/wants the big car 4x4/people carrier thing, what would be the reasoning as to why so many are parked outside schools.. and not just the premium brand ones?

If you meant me I wasn't inferring that I don't understand why people want them, I just wouldn't want one myself. The obvious reason is that not everyone is interested in driving like my wife and I are - we enjoy reaosnably lightweight cars with a low CofG and good weight distribution because we like driving, so we'd be happy to pack light to enjoy the corners. If you don't enjoy driving and can afford the mpg, then an MPV makes perfect sense for a family. I've driven a few, and some hide their mass quite well (X3, X5, Cayenne), and some have the power to be reasonably fast as well, but I'd never ever want to own one, they represent the exact opposite of what I enjoy about cars - in my mind they're motor cruisers in a world of jet skis.

No wasn't aimed at you, just a general question, but you make an interesting point. I felt the same as you when the wife got her Disco 7 years ago, but nearly everyone I know who has one wouldn't swap their Discovery for anything else as a family car, ourselves included. It also gives me the chance to have own something small and light(Noble M400)for the last 7 years at the same time.I sold the Granturismo two months ago because although I bought it with the reasoning that the family would go out together in it, if it was holiday time the boot wasn't big enough, a walk in the woods meant the dog came too, if the kids brought a mate along we needed more than five seats etc etc etc.
I'm sure you can see where I'm going with the above!

Definitely, yes. You're touching on another point there - I've owned a couple of Caterhams and currently have a Lotus 2-Eleven and about three quarters of people I know with cars like that just have something dull or wobbly as an everyday car, saving their fun till the weekend and they're totally happy with that split arrangement. Personally though, I'm always in the mood for driving and I just couldn't bring myself to drive something that didn't handle well from day to day - it's just the way I am I guess. I'd like to think if my wife and I do ever end up with two kids and a dog that an M5 estate would serve us well I'd actually rather not have the kids and a dog if it meant driving a 4x4 or MPV from day to day...

[Dave Hedgehog]

Greg66 said:

RS6 would make the shortlist, but I wonder whether the ride quality would begin to grate over time. Sometimes you want plush...

its got air suspension and is very comfy, its not even that jaring in sport mode, very un-audi like, plus you can raise the height for off roading lol

[anonymous-user]

sjc said:

Just out of interest, for those of you that don't see why a family likes/wants the big car 4x4/people carrier thing, what would be the reasoning as to why so many are parked outside schools.. and not just the premium brand ones?

I'm not saying there is anything wrong at all with people wanting or needing a big family car, but for me personally, based on my own experiences, I can't see the point.

As I mentioned, during all our family holidays in the 80's and 90's we never once need to take a bicycle or anything else like that with us. We just packed clothes and a few smaller toys (Nintendo Gameboy etc) and went on holiday!

My mum and dad really enjoyed driving so the choice of car was based on what they liked the looks of and what had good performance (at the time) rather than what would be completely practical, yet I never recall it being an issue.

As I said, I think people just take absolutely heaps of stuff with them these days when they drive somewhere.

[bennyboysvuk]

MichalPH said:

Neutral handling in the BMW is just an alignment away. RS4 is to expensive to buy and run for me...

I've not found that so far. I've dialled in toe-out on the front and increased neg camber on the front too. It turns in better, but as soon as it gets to the point where the tyre starts to lose grip, that's it, it just ploughs on. Perhaps it needs neutral toe at the rear too.

I forgot to say that the car has the most irritating chime sound for a variety of warnings that the previous model did without. I mean, yes, if the engine temperature is soaring, let me know, but I really don't care if the key is in the ignition and I've opened the door. It's like having a dim-witted shadow following you around asking if you've checked stupid things. "Are you sure you wanted to open your front door?", "don't forget you used your keys to open the door" etc. It really bugs me.

[RobM77]

I think a lot of things in life are about compromise, and cars are no different. I'm happy with my 3 series because I value the handling, the economy and the nice low roof bar height (an added bonus of having a low CofG for good handling), and am happy to enjoy those daily, whilst losing the ability to take four people on a cycling holiday in France. Other people can take their family of four to France cycling with ease, but have to endure 30mpg, an inaccessible roof rack and relatively poor handling for the rest of the year. It depends what compromises you're willing to make.

[Dave Hedgehog]

dont forget this thread is what ultimate family car, not what family car you can afford to run

[nickofh]

My Choice , Safe , Reliable, quick enough, good enough to drive , Take on anything thrown at it....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el1LUsYdy7s

[Cartwheel]

Dave Hedgehog said:

dont forget this thread is what ultimate family car, not what family car you can afford to run

Well in that case :