7 seater - ford galaxy?
Discussion
I am looking to buy a 7 seater car as I need five full size seats now for when the family all need to travel together and for going on camping holidays pulling a trailer. The 7 seaters tend to have 3 full size rear seats which is why I am after one.
As such I have been investigating Alhambra/Sharan and Ford Galaxy. I don’t want to spend that much money as it will be a second rarely used car, we will have an electric for day to day driving around town, dropping people off, errands etc. The earlier VAG engines from 2010-2016 seem fraught with various issues so I am leaning towards a 1.6 TDCi Galaxy. Is there anything I should be aware of? Typical examples I am looking at are around £7-8K / 2012 / 70K-ish miles.
I am hoping a diesel should be okay as I am not using it all that often but each typical journey should be reasonably long allowing the engine to get warm properly.
As such I have been investigating Alhambra/Sharan and Ford Galaxy. I don’t want to spend that much money as it will be a second rarely used car, we will have an electric for day to day driving around town, dropping people off, errands etc. The earlier VAG engines from 2010-2016 seem fraught with various issues so I am leaning towards a 1.6 TDCi Galaxy. Is there anything I should be aware of? Typical examples I am looking at are around £7-8K / 2012 / 70K-ish miles.
I am hoping a diesel should be okay as I am not using it all that often but each typical journey should be reasonably long allowing the engine to get warm properly.
Appreciate it's a different take on your approach but this is 8k for 2 years:
https://www.leaseloco.com/car-leasing/volkswagen/t...
Obviously with warranty, fuel economy, tax, no MOT etc might be worth considering. Just an idea.
https://www.leaseloco.com/car-leasing/volkswagen/t...
Obviously with warranty, fuel economy, tax, no MOT etc might be worth considering. Just an idea.
We bought one nearly new in 2008, had it best part of ten years it never missed a beat, was nice to drive and so useful.
They arent cool, posh or sexy but they are comfy, spacious and do their job well. Still miss it if I am honest.
Ours was a 2.0 TDI Ghia in Tango Red which was a nice colour, had the rear seat entertainment.
The 2.0 diesel is adequate for the car with 140 ish bhp, more would be better but it never felt feeble.
Our friends had four kids but resisted getting an MPV for ages and struggled with a Merc estate, had a shot in ours and went out and bought one, killed it after ten years and 230k, it would have lived but they never had the cambelt changed and the inevitable happened, they are now shopping for another.
They arent cool, posh or sexy but they are comfy, spacious and do their job well. Still miss it if I am honest.
Ours was a 2.0 TDI Ghia in Tango Red which was a nice colour, had the rear seat entertainment.
The 2.0 diesel is adequate for the car with 140 ish bhp, more would be better but it never felt feeble.
Our friends had four kids but resisted getting an MPV for ages and struggled with a Merc estate, had a shot in ours and went out and bought one, killed it after ten years and 230k, it would have lived but they never had the cambelt changed and the inevitable happened, they are now shopping for another.
Have a look at the Japanese import stuff - Elgrand, Alphard, Elysion and similar. They do proper people carriers better than anyone IMO. Decent, reliable petrol engines, anything 06 onwards has no ULEZ issues, and it sounds like this won't be huge annual mileage so mpg not hugely important. Towbars available for them too, Watling Towbars make them in the UK.
EyeHeartSpellin said:
P.s don't forget if you get a diesel you might not be able to actually drive it to where you want to go. More and more places banning them all together.
Nowhere has banned them altogether. Bristol tried, and was told to f
k off, as it would require new legislation.There are some places that now want to charge if you don't have a Euro 6 diesel, so pay, or just don't drive there. London, Birmingham, soon Bristol, and Bath has only started with charges for commercial vehicles.
So your post is needless scaremongering.
mankymanning said:
I am looking to buy a 7 seater car as I need five full size seats now for when the family all need to travel together and for going on camping holidays pulling a trailer. The 7 seaters tend to have 3 full size rear seats which is why I am after one.
As such I have been investigating Alhambra/Sharan and Ford Galaxy. I don’t want to spend that much money as it will be a second rarely used car, we will have an electric for day to day driving around town, dropping people off, errands etc. The earlier VAG engines from 2010-2016 seem fraught with various issues so I am leaning towards a 1.6 TDCi Galaxy. Is there anything I should be aware of? Typical examples I am looking at are around £7-8K / 2012 / 70K-ish miles.
I am hoping a diesel should be okay as I am not using it all that often but each typical journey should be reasonably long allowing the engine to get warm properly.
The 2.0tdci is the pick the 1.6tdci will be working hard to pull the Galaxy unladen let alone when it's full to the brim, you only have to look at the acceleration numbers to see it's under powered.As such I have been investigating Alhambra/Sharan and Ford Galaxy. I don’t want to spend that much money as it will be a second rarely used car, we will have an electric for day to day driving around town, dropping people off, errands etc. The earlier VAG engines from 2010-2016 seem fraught with various issues so I am leaning towards a 1.6 TDCi Galaxy. Is there anything I should be aware of? Typical examples I am looking at are around £7-8K / 2012 / 70K-ish miles.
I am hoping a diesel should be okay as I am not using it all that often but each typical journey should be reasonably long allowing the engine to get warm properly.
Titanium X:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202103049...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202102229...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202101238...
From 2006 onward the Galaxy was nothing to do with VAG, instead it's based on the MK4 Mondeo.
I wouldn't fancy the 1.6TDCi. Apart from the unenviable reputation for reliability that those earlier DV6 engines have, it'll be quite an unpleasant experience in a Galaxy! The same engine feels gutless even in a Focus.
The 2.0TDCi is less problematic and has enough torque to move a big MPV around quite effortlessly. Beware anything with clutch judder, sluggish starting or any sign of misfire. And check every electrical item works correctly, as there's a lot of them in the Galaxy, with Ford electrics of the era being not entirely infallible.
I bought a 2010 2.0TDCi Ghia last year as a cheaper and more flexible alternative to a van. It'll carry 3x mountain bikes (stood vertically with front wheels off) plus 3 people inside the car. Fold all the rear seats flat and it's not far off a small van. All the rear seats are on adjustable rails so you can adjust legroom/boot space as required; the 2 rearmost seats are "proper" seats with decent headroom, so it's capable of carrying 7 adults in reasonable comfort, although you probably won't have much luggage space in this configuration. The better specced examples (Ghia before the 2010 facelift, Titanium/Titanium X after) are worth seeking out over the LX/Studio/Zetecs.
I wouldn't fancy the 1.6TDCi. Apart from the unenviable reputation for reliability that those earlier DV6 engines have, it'll be quite an unpleasant experience in a Galaxy! The same engine feels gutless even in a Focus.
The 2.0TDCi is less problematic and has enough torque to move a big MPV around quite effortlessly. Beware anything with clutch judder, sluggish starting or any sign of misfire. And check every electrical item works correctly, as there's a lot of them in the Galaxy, with Ford electrics of the era being not entirely infallible.
I bought a 2010 2.0TDCi Ghia last year as a cheaper and more flexible alternative to a van. It'll carry 3x mountain bikes (stood vertically with front wheels off) plus 3 people inside the car. Fold all the rear seats flat and it's not far off a small van. All the rear seats are on adjustable rails so you can adjust legroom/boot space as required; the 2 rearmost seats are "proper" seats with decent headroom, so it's capable of carrying 7 adults in reasonable comfort, although you probably won't have much luggage space in this configuration. The better specced examples (Ghia before the 2010 facelift, Titanium/Titanium X after) are worth seeking out over the LX/Studio/Zetecs.
Not a Galaxy but nearly - had a 2010 S-Max for 107K of it's 123K miles (owned from one year) - 2.0 Diesel (140hp one - that helps - and 1.6 is definitely too small). Has been nearly flawless apart from a tricky to diagnose but ultimately cheap to fix corroded ECU socket. Only car for six of those years so everything from short urban to one end of Europe to the other (six people, roof box, fully loaded). Not exciting but no drama (and not expensive to own) - I'd be more than happy with a Galaxy if I needed a bit more headroom right at the back.
sjg said:
Have a look at the Japanese import stuff - Elgrand, Alphard, Elysion and similar. They do proper people carriers better than anyone IMO. Decent, reliable petrol engines, anything 06 onwards has no ULEZ issues, and it sounds like this won't be huge annual mileage so mpg not hugely important. Towbars available for them too, Watling Towbars make them in the UK.
This is where I'm going when my brace of galaxies die.Probably Honda Stepwagons for me.
So my search has expanded now to include galaxy, S-Max, Alhambra and Sharan. Just trying to find a decent one.
Regarding the imports though - would you have an issue getting parts etc for them when getting them serviced? What would make you go for one of those rather than the ones I just mentioned?
Regarding the imports though - would you have an issue getting parts etc for them when getting them serviced? What would make you go for one of those rather than the ones I just mentioned?
Looked into options a couple of years ago as the grandparents were staying for a couple of months and narrowed it down to:
1. hire a people carrier from Hertz etc
2. buy second hand Galaxy or equivalent (e.g. Espace, Grand Picasso etc)
3. buy second hand large SUV.
Discounted 1 as two months hire charge was prohibitive; however if you only need it for a couple of weeks a year that would be your cheapest option.
Discounted 2 as too many uncertainties regarding reliability for short term use
Went for option 3 and got a really nice Mitsubishi Shogun around 15 years old. To be fair it wasn't totally straightforward as it needed a few repairs that cost more than I had budgeted for, though it was easy for the garage to fix. It also held its value pretty well when I came to sell. The third row of seats would cramp the legs of a teenager so might not suit everyone, and when seats are in place there is almost no space in the back for luggage so we borrowed a roofbox. But ideal car for off roading, camping, pulling trailers etc and much better than the alternative at that price point (pretty much limited to very leggy Discoveries or Landcruisers).
1. hire a people carrier from Hertz etc
2. buy second hand Galaxy or equivalent (e.g. Espace, Grand Picasso etc)
3. buy second hand large SUV.
Discounted 1 as two months hire charge was prohibitive; however if you only need it for a couple of weeks a year that would be your cheapest option.
Discounted 2 as too many uncertainties regarding reliability for short term use
Went for option 3 and got a really nice Mitsubishi Shogun around 15 years old. To be fair it wasn't totally straightforward as it needed a few repairs that cost more than I had budgeted for, though it was easy for the garage to fix. It also held its value pretty well when I came to sell. The third row of seats would cramp the legs of a teenager so might not suit everyone, and when seats are in place there is almost no space in the back for luggage so we borrowed a roofbox. But ideal car for off roading, camping, pulling trailers etc and much better than the alternative at that price point (pretty much limited to very leggy Discoveries or Landcruisers).
badsimian said:
Regarding the imports though - would you have an issue getting parts etc for them when getting them serviced? What would make you go for one of those rather than the ones I just mentioned?
I've had a few imports generally extremely good condition low miles and well specced cars come in from Japan.Parts are easily obtainable dealers are helpful usually an import will share common parts and service items with U.K vehicles and you will tend to join owners forums for information best insurer's parts,sources etc.
OP the 1.6 TDCI is simply not powerful enough for the weight of the car & then add in the people who will be in it minimum full tank of fuel + towing + roof box + boot stuffed to the rafters.
You need the 2.0 ltr and TBH the most power possible - we have 140bhp and frequently fully loaded it it’s 140bhp and an SMax I’d want the 180 /210bhp version.
You need the 2.0 ltr and TBH the most power possible - we have 140bhp and frequently fully loaded it it’s 140bhp and an SMax I’d want the 180 /210bhp version.
ACCYSTAN said:
The Vauxhall Combo Life / Citroen Berlingo / Peugeot Rifter all come in a 7 seater option and the 5 rear seats are all proper size and can fit adults without problems
You may get a 68 / 19 plate for around £10k in either the 1.5 diesel or 1.2 petrol
When we’ve looked for 7 seats and we want to use the back two now and again we still want a boot and don’t want zero comfort or legroom or headroom for seats 6&7. You may get a 68 / 19 plate for around £10k in either the 1.5 diesel or 1.2 petrol
badsimian said:
So my search has expanded now to include galaxy, S-Max, Alhambra and Sharan. Just trying to find a decent one.
Regarding the imports though - would you have an issue getting parts etc for them when getting them serviced? What would make you go for one of those rather than the ones I just mentioned?
My Stepwagon is a lot of bits shared with one of CRV, Accord, Civic or FRV of the era, servicing bits are easy to get off the shelf. The rest there's some good specialists who keep the commonly needed stuff in stock. Honda dealers can even order more obscure bits in for you. Only downside really is if you need body parts, I got lucky and found one breaking here, if you need something large shipped from Japan it can be pricey.Regarding the imports though - would you have an issue getting parts etc for them when getting them serviced? What would make you go for one of those rather than the ones I just mentioned?
As for why that over a euro market MPV? I like sliding doors (even nicer when they're powered), I like the rearmost seats to flip up out of the way (or unbolt easily) leaving a flat floor, not to fold away into that floor wasting vertical space. I don't like diesels, and I definitely don't like all the unreliable pollution control stuff they now have to have. I live close to the expanded ULEZ zone and an older petrol passes where newer diesels don't. I've had good experiences with petrol Hondas, and a 2.0 with 150bhp is pokey enough (even if it does need a bit of revs) plus a conventional autobox should be about as reliable as it gets. And I like something a bit unusual, particularly when it's cheaper than the other options.
The UK market for MPVs went almost entirely diesel by the mid 00s, which means now if you want a ULEZ compliant one that wasn't a minicab it needs to be recent and thus you're paying a fortune for it. If you're not near London (or one of the other cities introducing similar) then you might get a decent deal on something a bit older that a city-dweller is getting rid of.
Gassing Station | Car Buying | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff