Large family car recommendations

Large family car recommendations

Author
Discussion

Shoxt3r

Original Poster:

18 posts

44 months

Sunday 5th July 2020
quotequote all
Hi all,

I'm looking to get a larger family car as our current 2013 Ford Focus is getting on a bit but also is a bit too small for our needs - it was bought over a year before our (now) 10-month old baby was even planned! Therefore the Focus' boot space isn't sufficient for our Joie DLX pushchair and Britax car seat. The latter has meant the front passenger seat has had to go forward so much so that bascially noone in the house can fit in the front seat anymore haha

I've had a look into Mondeos, Insignias, Octavias and Seat Leons - both hatchback and estate but I'm still undecided what to go for. My budget is £12,000 which is made up of both a loan and Part Exchange on the Focus (have been told that trade exchange is £4,350 but am going to try for at least £4,500 as it's in near-perfect condition with only 44,000 on the clock. The Focus has also just had a fresh MOT which it passed without any faults or even advisories, as well as a minor service.

Ideally I'm looking for a car that will last us 5-6 years at least until we decide to upgrade again - e.g. plenty of room for a pushchair and potentially of camping gear and/or holiday bags.

So far I haven't had much luck tracking down many of the examples I listed above without resorting to higher mileage examples (60,000+) or going somewhere further afield to look at them (1 hour+ drive).

The bottom line is I'm looking for something:
- Not too old
- Plenty of space for baby things (car seat, pushchair etc.)
- Under £12,000
- Under 50,000 mileage
- Climate control would be a big plus but not essential, as would cruise control

Thanks in advance!

Mammasaid

3,780 posts

96 months

Sunday 5th July 2020
quotequote all

Shoxt3r

Original Poster:

18 posts

44 months

Sunday 5th July 2020
quotequote all
Good recommendation! What are parts and servicing costs like for a Volvo?
I've always seen them as being quite expensive - at least compared with Fords which tend to have a cheap service cost of £250 for a full service, and parts being pretty cheap too.

journeymanpro

753 posts

76 months

Sunday 5th July 2020
quotequote all
Mk2 skoda superb estate.

bearman68

4,644 posts

131 months

Sunday 5th July 2020
quotequote all
MX5 smile

williamp

19,217 posts

272 months

Sunday 5th July 2020
quotequote all
Mondeo estates are huge.
Could you do a small SUV? Loads of potential- Nissan Quasqai thingy...vw derivative of if, ford deritive of it,
Toyota auris touring has the toyota reliability, and is built in the UK and seems big, but I dont have personal experience

Which.co.uk and autocar.co.uk are both useful for seeing what the options are. Cwr supermarkets are also useful- and fun- way of seeing what you like without the pressure of wasting a salespersons time. Even if you dont buy from them.

stoop44rio

100 posts

187 months

Sunday 5th July 2020
quotequote all
2017 mk3 superb estate 1.6 tdi is within budget. Can't figure out how to link to AutoTrader. You don't mention mileage per year so maybe a diesel won't be your thing.

Welshbeef

49,633 posts

197 months

Sunday 5th July 2020
quotequote all
Ford S Max

ZX10R NIN

27,495 posts

124 months

Sunday 5th July 2020
quotequote all

Welshbeef

49,633 posts

197 months

Monday 6th July 2020
quotequote all
ZX10R NIN said:
Superb selection yet again - That R36 looks great (excl the PIAA aftermarket lights and button)

spreadsheet monkey

4,544 posts

226 months

Monday 6th July 2020
quotequote all
Shoxt3r said:
I've had a look into Mondeos, Insignias, Octavias and Seat Leons - both hatchback and estate but I'm still undecided what to go for. My budget is £12,000.

Ideally I'm looking for a car that will last us 5-6 years at least until we decide to upgrade again - e.g. plenty of room for a pushchair and potentially of camping gear and/or holiday bags.
Think you're on the right lines already. 4x4s are more fashionable than estates, so you will get more for your money with a conventional estate car. Camping gear can take up a lot of space if you've got kids and carrying a family sized tent and all the other stuff that goes with it, so I'd look at something big like a Mondeo estate.

https://www.portfieldcarsales.co.uk/vehicle/ford-m...

dhutch

14,198 posts

196 months

Monday 6th July 2020
quotequote all
Love it.

We have acquired a second dog (amazing news) and might even brave acquiring a child one day, so the 58plate fiesta and 330ci coupe are both now a bit tight for the four of us (2+2 dogs, obviously) so I am also on the lookout.

Volvo V70, not the cheapest used car, but I've never had a Volvo and the ms childhood was ruled by them.
Mondeo, is I guess the obvious choice from the Fiesta, but I am not sure I want to do it, ditto Focus Estate.
Octavia, very tempting option, somehow more than the Passat, might even consider the vRS model.
3 Series Touring is temping, thread on the 340i Touring in 'BMW General' at the moment which I am following.
My parents have an A6 (if an auto in grey) but maybe in 10 years we will get that as a hand my down!

I have also seen a friend's family member selling an E34 540, and would like a classic 940 Volvo but maybe not for a daily.

Get an estate and them put a 900L Thule roof box on it, better than any ruddy softroader!


Daniel

dhutch

14,198 posts

196 months

Monday 6th July 2020
quotequote all
Saab 9-5? Dont know much about them but I like the looks....?
Big Merc? Older ones have aged badly but £12 should get a newer shape?

Petrol all the way for me, less to go wrong? No diesel on your hands at the pump!


Daniel

Otispunkmeyer

12,558 posts

154 months

Monday 6th July 2020
quotequote all
spreadsheet monkey said:
Shoxt3r said:
I've had a look into Mondeos, Insignias, Octavias and Seat Leons - both hatchback and estate but I'm still undecided what to go for. My budget is £12,000.

Ideally I'm looking for a car that will last us 5-6 years at least until we decide to upgrade again - e.g. plenty of room for a pushchair and potentially of camping gear and/or holiday bags.
Think you're on the right lines already. 4x4s are more fashionable than estates, so you will get more for your money with a conventional estate car. Camping gear can take up a lot of space if you've got kids and carrying a family sized tent and all the other stuff that goes with it, so I'd look at something big like a Mondeo estate.

https://www.portfieldcarsales.co.uk/vehicle/ford-m...
I’m in the same boat here, but would prefer an automatic. The Ford power shift was a bit of a stbox when it was introduced, but are the newer ones better ? (I.e, did they switch to a wet clutch design?).

Currently have a Mazda 3 and a Prius, neither of which seem to have the room for two tall people and a baby! Wife can’t sit in the front of the Mazda on account of how far forward the passenger seat has to move to get the baby seat in and because I’m even taller, she has to crush in the back behind me with her knees acting like lumbar support for me!

She really likes the V90 and you can just about squeak one for 15-16k if you want to accept a fairly high miler. But anything to watch out for on these?

Mondeo Estate
Superb Estate (or to be fair, the hatch/saloon combo was massive too)
BMW 3er and 5er GT (big hatch backs and also longer wheel base so surprising room on the back row)*
Mercedes E-class (though I don’t know what to avoid on these)

Mrs quite wants an SUV, but unless you for a total battleship sized one then they’re not really better than the standard hatchback.


  • think these have more useful space than their estate versions, but also, would have to steer clear of the N47 Diesel engine. Just no, I don’t care if they “fixed” it after a while, I’m not convinced.

Edited by Otispunkmeyer on Monday 6th July 13:07

Summit_Detailing

1,876 posts

192 months

Monday 6th July 2020
quotequote all
Superb estate offers the biggest boot volume (along with E-class) but trumps all on rear seat space - kids in the back unable to kick the front seats.

After having my nephew my sister swapped her Freelander2 for a Superb and hasn't looked back. The only negative she has is the height of the rear seats in the Freelander were better for loading the car seat in/out in the early days. Not an issue now the little man is 18 months old.

Cheers,

Chris

ZX10R NIN

27,495 posts

124 months

Monday 6th July 2020
quotequote all
dhutch said:
Saab 9-5? Dont know much about them but I like the looks....?
Big Merc? Older ones have aged badly but £12 should get a newer shape?

Petrol all the way for me, less to go wrong? No diesel on your hands at the pump!


Daniel
How do you get diesel on your hands when filling up it's never happened to me, if you're doing the miles then a diesels fine.

dhutch

14,198 posts

196 months

Monday 6th July 2020
quotequote all
ZX10R NIN said:
How do you get diesel on your hands when filling up it's never happened to me, if you're doing the miles then a diesels fine.
I have never seen or used a diesel fuel pump which doesn't have a trace of diesel on the handle, they all do, because it's oily and smelly and doesn't evaporate. So you then touch it, and get the smell on your hand, then you face, wallet, steering wheel. Its why there are plastic gloves.

This never happens with a petrol, bar very occasionally when someone has been a dick with the diesel nozzle, because petrol is volatile and fairly completely evaporates so any minor splits just flash off, clean handle.

I've been driving 15 years, always had a petrol, but the ms car and works vans are all diesal.


Daniel

Welshbeef

49,633 posts

197 months

Monday 6th July 2020
quotequote all
ZX10R NIN said:
How do you get diesel on your hands when filling up it's never happened to me, if you're doing the miles then a diesels fine.
Because the nozzle is attached to the pump facing upwards this means any splashes that happen in the filling nozzle (on the outside part of the filling nozzle) will flow down all over the black handle.

If you look at a petrol filling nozzle it will be totally clean even the handle only UV aged would mean it different or a dirty bugger smearing McDonalds ketchup on it. But look at a diesel it’s not shiny silver it’s dulled and near the handle you’ll see black dried on diesel. The handle also can frequently feel greasy.

Even putting in those blue gloves hand smells of derv so I’ve always had hand wash in the car (same for petrol but diesel stinks).


ZX10R NIN

27,495 posts

124 months

Monday 6th July 2020
quotequote all
Seems like I've been lucky the as I've not had that happen to me.

journeymanpro

753 posts

76 months

Monday 6th July 2020
quotequote all
Don't buy a superb 1.6tdi even if it means you get a mk3. You'll get a fully loaded Mk2 laurin and klement 4x4 dsg 170hp for under your 12k and it'll be far superior to any 1.6 powered car. In sensible driving my 4x4 dsg 170 and still do mid to high 50s mpg.