Compact 6/7 seater for about £5k?

[Emeye]

Don't really want one, but every now and again 6 seats will come in useful. My missus will drive it most of the time.

Her short-list is VW Touran or Toyota Corolla Verso. I'd add the Mazda5 and maybe a Vauxhall Zafira to that.

She doesn't really like/trust French or Italian cars (don't blame her TBH) unless we can be convinced otherwise.

Would prefer a diesel but we're not against a petrol. Mostly school/shopping runs, with the occasional long run to visit family and want to take it to the South of France next year.

Any one got any experience of these family wagons? Are we mad not to consider a frenchie?

Cheers.

[louiebaby]

My Dad's had a Scenic, although a 5 seater for a few years now. It is comfortable, economical on diesel, and hasmade good use of the space inside it. It isn't really an inspired drive, but what do you expect?

He has had a new radiator, but everything else has been pretty sound. Renault dealers take the piss a bit, but the cars are pretty time consuming to work on. It took my Dad about an hour and two skinned knuckles to change a headlight bulb, and he's reasonably handy at those sort of jobs. (I think this was backed up by a test on 5th Gear.)

I had a Zafira as a hire car once. It was OK, but the back seats aren't much cop for adults. Small kids would be OK. Are the Ford S-Maxes down to your budget yet? I think they're built on a Mondeo platform, so a bit more spacious inside. My cousin has one, and she likes it.

[chrisispringles]

You are right to not be looking at french cars, their build quality is shocking. The Zafira is useless, my dad hired one for a weekend a while ago and we could not get 3 children in the middle row, it's a very narrow car, and the legroom was rubbish. Of the lot I'd go for the Verso, we hired one on holiday last year and it was very roomy, comfortable, well made, well thought out and the 2.2 diesel was fairly torquey and quiet. The Touran is okay, but it rides like it's on RSJs and is even more boring to be in than the Toyota.

If you are regularly going to have people in the back row then I'd suggest getting something bigger. All of the small 7 seaters have rear seats take up all the boot space when up and anybody sitting in them has their head inches from the rear windscreen and could be seriously injured or killed if someone ran in the back of you.

[Hell27]

Recently was driven in a corolla verso, and was quite impressed at the compact feel yet size inside. Felt beautifully put together too, it was a petrol VVTi.
Would your Mrs be persuaded down the old 7 seat Merc E class Estate w124 route? You could pick up a nice, but high mileage example of a 280, 230 or 300/320 for under 2.5K, but would have to look around for one.

[Emeye]

No chance she would consider an old Merc - though I'd love one!

We've only got one 7 year old with a baby coming very soon, and only need the extra seats for when we take the grand parents out as they don't have a car - that's why I'm not worried if the extra seats are a bit of a tight squeeze. I don't want anything as big as an S-max.

Cheers.

[EDLT]

Is it for two adults and four children, because if it is then get a Multimac, then you can have a proper car too.

[morgrp]

If you doing lowish miles a year it's makes bugger all diff if you go petrol or derv
I guess fiat multipla might be worth a look - not sure how reliable they are though - that said zafiras aren't exactly faultless and no one complains about those

[Hell27]

Well, if the Mrs is choosing the car, then you are pretty buggered.

However, for £5K you could get a Zafira Turbo (pretty good performance) like below:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/search/used/cars/vauxh...

Or for a little more, you could get a high mileage Volvo XC90 2.4 D5 which would satisfy the Safety / 7 seats / luxobarge / 4x4 camps in 1 go.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

Staying with Volvo, what about a 53 reg 7 seater V70 D5?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

[Emeye]

Hell27 said:

Well, if the Mrs is choosing the car, then you are pretty buggered.

However, for £5K you could get a Zafira Turbo (pretty good performance) like below:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/search/used/cars/vauxh...

Or for a little more, you could get a high mileage Volvo XC90 2.4 D5 which would satisfy the Safety / 7 seats / luxobarge / 4x4 camps in 1 go.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

Staying with Volvo, what about a 53 reg 7 seater V70 D5?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

Interesting, but I'm not bothered about the performance as I'll be driving like a saint as the family will always be in it when I have to drive it.

I like the XC90 but discounted it cos it's a lot big and I've heard that it's not up to the usual Volvo reliability standards! My bro has just replaced his S-max with a 80k mile XC90 as he has 4 kids, but that needed a new rear diff and inter-cooler before he bought it from the main dealer for about £10k. Do like them though!

Edited by Emeye on Sunday 7th November 18:41

[chrisispringles]

A high mileage Volvo will be in better condition than a high mileage car from pretty much any other manufacturer. My dad has a 15 year old Volvo 850 with 120k on the clock and it feels tight as a drum and the T5 he had before his current one still felt pretty solid at 200k.

[Hell27]

They are brilliantly made - the V40 I had was absolutely bulletproof. Bar the current car, most solid car I've ever owned.

[frosted]

The a6 comes with 7 seats ( 2 in the boot for little kids up to 6 iirc ) seat belts cup holders the lot

[bassanclan]

Honda FRV?

http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk/www/cars/HOND...

bit more pricey/leggy if you want a diesel

[Emeye]

What year model of A6 are we talking?

My mate has an FR-V - biggest problem is finding one in budget around here. (Manchester)

I would like a XC90, but they're not compact and no chance I can find out around £5k!

[Hell27]

Emeye said:

What year model of A6 are we talking?

My mate has an FR-V - biggest problem is finding one in budget around here. (Manchester)

I would like a XC90, but they're not compact and no chance I can find out around £5k!

Frosted speaks the truth. Found this:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...



Also, would you consider a V70 with 7 seats, 2 in the boot?



Trying to help a fellow mancunian to NOT buy a people carrier if he can avoid it

[Emeye]

Hell27 said:

Emeye said:

What year model of A6 are we talking?

My mate has an FR-V - biggest problem is finding one in budget around here. (Manchester)

I would like a XC90, but they're not compact and no chance I can find out around £5k!

Frosted speaks the truth. Found this:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...




Also, would you consider a V70 with 7 seats, 2 in the boot?



Trying to help a fellow mancunian to NOT buy a people carrier if he can avoid it

Thanks for feeling my pain comrade!

I like that Audi - would rather have a manual.

Problem is the missus would prefer an MPV - she thinks estates are "old man-ish".

[LuS1fer]

I can recommend the Mazda 5. The great thing about them is the sliding rear doors which are a boon for kids. Not a bad drive either.

[Emeye]

Looky what I just found!


http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/www/dealerservice...

[Hell27]

That is the dog's bks - now the hard part - sell it to the Mrs!

[frosted]

Hell27 said:

Frosted speaks the truth. Found this:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

Thats my old car !!

Edited by frosted on Sunday 7th November 21:57