What car for three children?
Discussion
No, not into proper off road stuff, but have come to appreciate AWD on the road over here.
Was in second and third all the way round as had whole family on board complete with boot full of stuff, but agree that tv gives no idea of just how steep the mountain course is. Will get another lap in as we pass back through in a couple of days time
Was in second and third all the way round as had whole family on board complete with boot full of stuff, but agree that tv gives no idea of just how steep the mountain course is. Will get another lap in as we pass back through in a couple of days time
When you are going round there just after the fast left hander on the run to skyline there is a look out, I think you can still get into on the left. This is outside of the safety fence, & gives you the full spectrum view.
It is worth a stop to check out what it used to be like. In the 60s there was no fence on the left across the top, & even in a low open wheeler, you could look out over Bathurst all the way.
Skyline was named as that was all you saw. That view is now full of safety fence.
As you come up from the cutting, the fence on the left did not exist in the pre 1970s. If you ran out of road there, it was a very steep plunge down the mountain side, through a lot of trees.
Also of interest was the billycart races in the 1950s down Conrod. Pre teen kids were reaching over 60 MPH through the flying 1/8th. Another thought is that the track as originally raced on a dirt road. That would have been fun down the esses.
It is worth a stop to check out what it used to be like. In the 60s there was no fence on the left across the top, & even in a low open wheeler, you could look out over Bathurst all the way.
Skyline was named as that was all you saw. That view is now full of safety fence.
As you come up from the cutting, the fence on the left did not exist in the pre 1970s. If you ran out of road there, it was a very steep plunge down the mountain side, through a lot of trees.
Also of interest was the billycart races in the 1950s down Conrod. Pre teen kids were reaching over 60 MPH through the flying 1/8th. Another thought is that the track as originally raced on a dirt road. That would have been fun down the esses.
Well, had a go in a Territory - not a Turbo, but got an appreciation of the size and handling. Plenty big enough inthe main cabin though rearmost seats seem more of a squeeze than the XC90. Performance was OK, and I can imagine the 4.0T being lots of fun. However, the cabin, esp the dash was a major downer. The car was only two years old but already had more rattles than my 10-year-old Lib, and I'm just not sure I could have that dash in front of me for 5 years. I enjoyed the BA Falcons I had as company cars ten years ago, not sure I like one on stilts now.
Also out of the running is the V70 - haven't managed to drive one yet, but found one to sit in and crawl over - smaller than I'd thought, and no third row option as AWD. Reports read suggest a ponderous, heavy beast that's not in the same vein as previous sporty Volvo wagons. Shame - the idea of an updated 850/V70 T5 really tickled me.
Had a good crawl around a VF Commodore and I'm impressed.
Anyway, all moot for the time being, as I've just had a client change their mind, which puts cashflow back a few months. Arse.
At the risk of highjacking my own thread, heres a pic of the Lib at the Mountain...
Hasbeen - managed to keep in 4th to The Cutting - not bad with 2 adults, 3 kids and a boot full of crap! Second/third from then on.
Also out of the running is the V70 - haven't managed to drive one yet, but found one to sit in and crawl over - smaller than I'd thought, and no third row option as AWD. Reports read suggest a ponderous, heavy beast that's not in the same vein as previous sporty Volvo wagons. Shame - the idea of an updated 850/V70 T5 really tickled me.
Had a good crawl around a VF Commodore and I'm impressed.
Anyway, all moot for the time being, as I've just had a client change their mind, which puts cashflow back a few months. Arse.
At the risk of highjacking my own thread, heres a pic of the Lib at the Mountain...
Hasbeen - managed to keep in 4th to The Cutting - not bad with 2 adults, 3 kids and a boot full of crap! Second/third from then on.
ezakimak said:
Thanks for that. I don't think E39s are much bigger than the Lib, and certainly not noticeably bigger than a Gen 5 Lib. I think I also need to get something a bit younger than the 2005 I've got, and probably aim to keep it for a few years.Really will depend on whether we think 7 seats is a must, or not. If yes, then V8 XC90, if not, then it looks like early VF or late VE Commodore V8 - perhaps an E350 or E500 for the occasional 7 seater, but then I'm back to looking at a 6-8 year-old car. I've got the Man Maths Machine on overdrive, trying to find a way to make this work
Just need a friendly client to turn words into action, and for someone to really want to sell me a car!I am, of course, entirely forgetting about the joyous experience that will be selling a car. Have a feeling the Lib is going to bring out a substantial amount of 'Innits'...
might be able to get something a bit newer, just posted that one as i really liked the spec and colour. didn't seem to have many KM for the age either.
the current model F10 5 series has 4 zone climate control with the control panel in the rear of the centre console.
not sure what the E60 had, get distracted by M5s when i start looking at those....
is the lib you have a turbo or a 6?
the current model F10 5 series has 4 zone climate control with the control panel in the rear of the centre console.
not sure what the E60 had, get distracted by M5s when i start looking at those....
is the lib you have a turbo or a 6?
Did look at an E60 530i when first looking around - nice, but was sold on the Lib coming with a manual box and being substantially less cash to buy for the same year/kms/poke.
ezakimak said:
is the lib you have a turbo or a 6?
2.0T, hence the perceived forthcoming problem... I don't think the 6 would get as much of the same type of attention from prospective purchasers. Joy.ah, i see.
mate has a 4GEN 2.5t which was STI enhanced from the factory and has since had MRT add ons. It has held its value really well because the 5GEN is a POS in the looks department.
when i went looking at them in early 2014 they were still stupid money. seems to have come down a bit but still good money for those.
there is a massive gap between that and the next sporty wagon though. not sure what to put in its place.
i picked up a E91 3 series in 323 guise but i just don't thing that's going to cut it with 3 kids. it would be a struggle if we had 3 in baby seats that's for sure.
my other half cant reach the pedals in the VE commodore, but is ok in the VF, which is where they discontinued the Manual, otherwise we probably would have bought a VF.
mate has a 4GEN 2.5t which was STI enhanced from the factory and has since had MRT add ons. It has held its value really well because the 5GEN is a POS in the looks department.
when i went looking at them in early 2014 they were still stupid money. seems to have come down a bit but still good money for those.
there is a massive gap between that and the next sporty wagon though. not sure what to put in its place.
i picked up a E91 3 series in 323 guise but i just don't thing that's going to cut it with 3 kids. it would be a struggle if we had 3 in baby seats that's for sure.
my other half cant reach the pedals in the VE commodore, but is ok in the VF, which is where they discontinued the Manual, otherwise we probably would have bought a VF.
ezakimak said:
ah, i see.
mate has a 4GEN 2.5t which was STI enhanced from the factory and has since had MRT add ons. It has held its value really well because the 5GEN is a POS in the looks department.
when i went looking at them in early 2014 they were still stupid money. seems to have come down a bit but still good money for those.
I don't think I'll have a problem selling, there are currently only 3 Gen4 wagons with turbo engine and manual gearbox on Carsales. Another 15 or so with auto. But prices have come down for the 2.5T. I'm expecting a lot of idiots to come looking.mate has a 4GEN 2.5t which was STI enhanced from the factory and has since had MRT add ons. It has held its value really well because the 5GEN is a POS in the looks department.
when i went looking at them in early 2014 they were still stupid money. seems to have come down a bit but still good money for those.
ezakimak said:
there is a massive gap between that and the next sporty wagon though. not sure what to put in its place.
i picked up a E91 3 series in 323 guise but i just don't thing that's going to cut it with 3 kids. it would be a struggle if we had 3 in baby seats that's for sure.
And this is my predicament. I don't need the space for three seats any more, only two, but its not like any of them are getting any smaller i picked up a E91 3 series in 323 guise but i just don't thing that's going to cut it with 3 kids. it would be a struggle if we had 3 in baby seats that's for sure.
ezakimak said:
my other half cant reach the pedals in the VE commodore, but is ok in the VF, which is where they discontinued the Manual, otherwise we probably would have bought a VF.
Agreed - a VF would possibly be top of the list is it came with a manual box. I'm even thinking about looking at a VE - see my comment on page 2 of this thread - humble pie in the oven...PomBstard said:
Agreed - a VF would possibly be top of the list is it came with a manual box. I'm even thinking about looking at a VE - see my comment on page 2 of this thread - humble pie in the oven...
A Series 2 VE would be a good choice.Based on my commute, across 4 V8 VEs and 4 V8 VFs the average fuel consumption is identical.
I also had an MT V8 wagon and it was essentially the same consumption as a AT.
All based on a highway commute with a fair amount of stop/start at the city end.
PomBstard said:
Agreed - a VF would possibly be top of the list is it came with a manual box. I'm even thinking about looking at a VE - see my comment on page 2 of this thread - humble pie in the oven...
at the time i bought the BMW wagon you could order the HSV version of the VF clubsport in a manual. I have recently picked up the copy of motor mag (with the new GT40 on the cover) and note in the back that the manual wagon in HSV trim has been discontinued.probably just as easy to get a manual pedal box/console/gearbag and do the conversion on the VF wagon.
either that or hot rod a 135m DSG drive line into a E91 LCI body
Jader1973 said:
A Series 2 VE would be a good choice.
Based on my commute, across 4 V8 VEs and 4 V8 VFs the average fuel consumption is identical.
I also had an MT V8 wagon and it was essentially the same consumption as a AT.
All based on a highway commute with a fair amount of stop/start at the city end.
Thanks for that - I've been running Subarus for so long now that I forget all about fuel economy. They're not bad, but ours get hammered around the urban areas and really don't do more than around 12,000km/yr. If it averages 15l/100km (12 on a run, 18 round town) on 91RON, it'll probably cost about the same as the 10-11 (8 on a run, 12 round town) or so I'm getting from the Lib on 98RON.Based on my commute, across 4 V8 VEs and 4 V8 VFs the average fuel consumption is identical.
I also had an MT V8 wagon and it was essentially the same consumption as a AT.
All based on a highway commute with a fair amount of stop/start at the city end.
Whatever. Client indecision means I've got to put the Lib through rego and the famed 200,000km service before any change. Was hoping to miss that bit. Will probably end up fixing the sunroof too - front part has decided it doesn't want to move - not a tricky fix, just time consuming.
At which point I'll probably look at it and see if I can squeeze them all in for a bit longer...
SWMBO is currently running a Calais V V8 sedan.
Her "commute" is 4.5km each way and we use it at weekends for a variety of trips. So far it seems to be doing about 16 l/100km. Which is a better than I was expecting.
I track the fc (for FBT purposes) so if you are keeping the Lib a bit longer I'll report back in a few weeks with some better numbers.
Her "commute" is 4.5km each way and we use it at weekends for a variety of trips. So far it seems to be doing about 16 l/100km. Which is a better than I was expecting.
I track the fc (for FBT purposes) so if you are keeping the Lib a bit longer I'll report back in a few weeks with some better numbers.
PomBstard said:
I am, of course, entirely forgetting about the joyous experience that will be selling a car. Have a feeling the Lib is going to bring out a substantial amount of 'Innits'...
andPomBstard said:
2.0T, hence the perceived forthcoming problem...
Just to see how this might progress, I put the Lib up on Carsales a few days ago for a price towards top dollar. The idea being to gauge how many idiots I'd be debating with, and how best to price for a quick sale. Great bloke came round yesterday with his girlfriend, having traipsed across Sydney on a Sunday, and takes delivery of it tomorrow. All of which proves I probably know nothing...
Pommygranite said:
How about one of this - big things
Photo of feckin great 2006 Merc GL
Small, it is not! However, if I'm going to keep it for a few years, say 5-6, I'd rather not start with a 10-y-o car - aiming for 2009/10 as earliest. I'm still trying to convince myself that a big wagon will suffice, rather than just biting the bullet and going 7-seat SUV, and will be looking at a few this week, prob focussing on $20-30k range, rather than $30+. Photo of feckin great 2006 Merc GL
I've measured the back seat of the Lib, and I'm trying to find dimensions of other cars on the web just so I know whether or not I'm wasting mine and other people's time looking at cars that might be too small. But consistent info is proving tricky to find - anyone know any good sites?? Width is everything, said the actress...
PomBstard said:
Small, it is not! However, if I'm going to keep it for a few years, say 5-6, I'd rather not start with a 10-y-o car - aiming for 2009/10 as earliest. I'm still trying to convince myself that a big wagon will suffice, rather than just biting the bullet and going 7-seat SUV, and will be looking at a few this week, prob focussing on $20-30k range, rather than $30+.
I've measured the back seat of the Lib, and I'm trying to find dimensions of other cars on the web just so I know whether or not I'm wasting mine and other people's time looking at cars that might be too small. But consistent info is proving tricky to find - anyone know any good sites?? Width is everything, said the actress...
I've also searched for rear seat width without much success.I've measured the back seat of the Lib, and I'm trying to find dimensions of other cars on the web just so I know whether or not I'm wasting mine and other people's time looking at cars that might be too small. But consistent info is proving tricky to find - anyone know any good sites?? Width is everything, said the actress...
I measured a falcon rear bench at about 151cm wide. The Territory was about 154cm if I remember correctly. I usually google "rear hip room" and the make and model. Some cars are very space inefficient!
Kawasicki said:
I've also searched for rear seat width without much success.
I measured a falcon rear bench at about 151cm wide. The Territory was about 154cm if I remember correctly. I usually google "rear hip room" and the make and model. Some cars are very space inefficient!
Found this site - showing info for a Gen4 Lib, just for comparison...I measured a falcon rear bench at about 151cm wide. The Territory was about 154cm if I remember correctly. I usually google "rear hip room" and the make and model. Some cars are very space inefficient!
http://www.thecarconnection.com/specifications/sub...
Its US-based, so all dimensions in inches, but does show shoulder width across the back seat as a standard measurement. Whether or not thats the right criterion, it is consistently measured for all models. Looking through some of the shortlist I had, some of my views are clearly down to perception, not numbers. Might need to revisit a couple.
I'm going to tell you that you need a V8 Commodore wagon if you want 3 kids across the back (because I am biased).
However, junior (6) went to a birthday party a couple of weeks ago with 2 of his pals. He was collected by the mum of the birthday boy, as was the other kid that was going. They were all the back seat, and they all had a booster. In a Nissan Tiilda!!
According to the Holden Commodore brochure the rear width is: shoulder 1498mm and hip 1472mm.
According to the Ford Territory brochure it is: 1528mm shoulder and 1524mm hip.
However, junior (6) went to a birthday party a couple of weeks ago with 2 of his pals. He was collected by the mum of the birthday boy, as was the other kid that was going. They were all the back seat, and they all had a booster. In a Nissan Tiilda!!
According to the Holden Commodore brochure the rear width is: shoulder 1498mm and hip 1472mm.
According to the Ford Territory brochure it is: 1528mm shoulder and 1524mm hip.
Edited by Jader1973 on Monday 11th May 12:21
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