3k ish 7 seater 40 mpg

[AlexH22]

Hi, we are a family of 5 with 3 children, 10 ,8 and 6.

We have a house in Cornwall that we are renovating and we travel there pretty much each weekend, spending a good few hours in the car.

We currently do it in the trusty Octavia green line but I'm finding the kids are a bit cramped, plus the kids would like to occasionally take a friend. Also when I'm down there it would be good to take my parents out in one car rather than 2.

I've been scratching my head and going round in circles. I'd appreciate feedback on my list of potential cars, but first is my hit list of wants:

40+ mpg on a motorway run
3 good sized middle seats
2 occasional seats with room for a couple of small suitcases if possible.
4k max
Reliable. I can deal with minor things not functioning but I don't fancy being regularly stranded on the A30 at night.
Manual box
Looks, not so important; would happily have something with battle scars of family life and crap parking.

Smax 2.0 diesel- ticks a lot of boxes, however in my head I'm worried by ford reliability. Are they better than I'm imagining (given I've typically purchased Japanese or German cars).

Galaxy- as above. I'd probably prefer the extra room of the galaxy. Worried on reliability.

Peugeot 807/ Citroen c8 2.0 hdi - cheap, sliding doors, cavernous. Seems to be good ones have few issues, bad ones have more electrical Gremlins than I'd care to deal with. Could be worthy of a punt for its size, seating and purchase costs.

Mitsubishi grandis- 3 middle seats bit small, same for rear. 2.0 pd engine that nobody seems to know much about (from having owned a lancer with the same engine). Probably too small.

Mazda 5- see grandis above, plus worries on the derv engine/ dpf

Renault grand espace 2.0 - it's french, I'm expecting electrical issues. Again ticks a lot of seating boxes and not as cheap as I'd expected.

Merc e class estate with rear facing Seats- might be a bit thirsty, not sure on the seating if I'm honest.

XC90; good ones probably outside of my budget, probably too thirsty for what I'm after. Worried about costly repairs and parts.

Vw Sharan 130 1.9 pd. Seems a solid bet, AC seems like it's bound to fail. Just looks dated but might be a good source of reliable transport, ok mpg and reasonable seating and space. I have room to store 2 rear seats when not in use.

Alhambra, seem to be mostly 2.0 common rail. I think I'd prefer the old noisy pd.

Toyota verso- see grandis above re seating but probably reliable

Toyota previa etc, bit too thirsty.

Vans- bit thirsty, probably out of budget.

Citroen c4 grand picasso- 1.6 engine worries me. 2.0 not so much, in manual box it's probably beyond my budget. Unsure if middle seats are big enough and if rear seats are too small.

I'm kind of siding with the smax, galaxy or pd Sharan. Part of me wants to take a punt on a c8.

Smax certainly is the best looker but am I wrongly worried about a lot of repairs?

Is there anything else to consider?

Thanks in advance.

[ZX10R NIN]

Ford reliability? They're no better or worse than any VAG product , basically buy the best S Max you can find:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[AlexH22]

Thank you, that first one is a nice spec and mileage for the price.

I think I was being unfair on the ford, it really does tick so many boxes.

[AlexH22]

Although, it's been out of mot since June last year which rings some alarm bells.

[clockworks]

An ex-colleague of mine bought an old 807 for well under £2k to use for carrying building materials from Cornwall to his French fixer-upper.
Did the trip every couple of months for 3 years. Never let him down.

[ZX10R NIN]

AlexH22 said:

Although, it's been out of mot since June last year which rings some alarm bells.

Not really it'sprobably been to an auction or two then sitting with different dealers, ask what the mileage in July 2017 (when it was last serviced) that'll give you an idea of usage.

[AlexH22]

Looked at a local smax, I think with the seats up there isn't enough room

Going to get a look at a galaxy and see if that's better.

I'm having second thoughts on the c8/807, remembering my youth and French cars.

[ZX10R NIN]

The Galaxy will have more room & be on par with the 807 etc but room is limited with all the seats up as Ford decided give the very rear passengers leg room.

Galaxy

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Other Options worth a look:

Grand Voyager Limited XS

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

3.0d Grand Espace

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

807 I'd take the Grand Espace

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

C8

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Nissan Elgrand

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ELGRAND-HIGHY-WAY-STAR-...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nissan-Elegrand-Highway...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FRESH-IMPORT-NISSAN-ELG...

Toyota Alphard Hybrid

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TOYOTA-ALPHARD-2-4-HYBR...

[ninjag]

ZX10R NIN said:

Ford reliability? They're no better or worse than any VAG product

^ This. Besides there's so many shared parts these days anyway. Ford are actually pretty good (and parts usually reasonably priced) and I think people are starting to cotton onto the Bavarian reliability myth.

[AlexH22]

Given the galaxy is the 2.0 PSA engine, I'm assuming it's probably the same engine that's in the c8/807.

I think the galaxy is the best looker (from a bad bunch). The wife has also said she quite likes how it looks in black, and that's a big result as I'm hoping it will be her car.

The elgrand/ Alphard are just too expensive to run. It will hit near 30k miles per year and the difference between 30 mpg and low 40s stacks up (coming down from mid 50s will hurt anyway).

So current hit list stands at black galaxy, leather if possible, up to circa 120k, cambelt done, Pano roof would be a nice touch. Found one up by Leeds, I'll wait for our frv to fail it's mot on Thursday and I may find myself on a train up that way.

Thanks all.

[ZX10R NIN]

AlexH22 said:

Given the galaxy is the 2.0 PSA engine, I'm assuming it's probably the same engine that's in the c8/807.

I think the galaxy is the best looker (from a bad bunch). The wife has also said she quite likes how it looks in black, and that's a big result as I'm hoping it will be her car.

The elgrand/ Alphard are just too expensive to run. It will hit near 30k miles per year and the difference between 30 mpg and low 40s stacks up (coming down from mid 50s will hurt anyway).

So current hit list stands at black galaxy, leather if possible, up to circa 120k, cambelt done, Pano roof would be a nice touch. Found one up by Leeds, I'll wait for our frv to fail it's mot on Thursday and I may find myself on a train up that way.

Thanks all.

Yes it's a PSA unit but some of the C8/807 come with the 120 engine, the Galaxy I posted has the pretty much everything but the Pano roof, to counter that it does have low miles.

[AlexH22]

It also has Quote 'very rusted rear suspension!!'

Inclusive of the double exclamation mark on the last mot.

Shame, as it looks a nice private example

[AlexH22]

As an update I've just put a deposit on a local ropey example.

Black, 120k, non leather.

Good points, bar a couple of scuffs it's pretty tidy externally. New brakes, mot and history seems good. Underneath solid, rear suspension looks pretty fresh. Drives fine, no nasty noises.

Bad points, no history of cambelt change, rotten exhaust, interior is a bit minging, bonnet cable snapped ( can open from cable in grill). Chrome trim on passenger door missing.

1700 quid though. Leaves some room for work and tidying up.

[AlexH22]

I'm probably just replying to myself now.

Ropey galaxy home after 60 mile test drive. All seems ok.

Ford customer services tell me it wasn't fitted with a dpf, which is a big result.

[dave_s13]

Can't go too wrong with a galaxy to be fair I'm sure it'll be fine.

I went galaxy, e class estate, nissan elgrand.

The galaxy was just too boring, the e class was lovely but the rear seats really are limited to midgets and dogs. The elgrand is ace....had it LPG though as mid teens round town is painful. It's been great so far.

[AlexH22]

If I could deal with the mpg it looks a sound bet.

I still love the dodge grand caravan we had in the states.

[amoeba]

I'd avoid the galaxy;

https://www.reliabilityindex.com/ratings/best/MPV