4 kids - what car?
Discussion
325Ti said:
but being older / import puts me off
I wouldnt they might be older but tend to have been well looked after have lower milage and better spec.Most will be virtually rust free and like brand new underneath.
The VQ engine in the Elgrand is virtually unbreakable.....The only thing you really need to make sure is done is the centre cats need removing.
325Ti said:
samoht said:
325Ti said:
samoht said:
New or used (how old) ? Budget?
used, preferably £15k max - wife would also prefer auto which really seems to limit choice seven seats - tick
automatic gearbox - tick
legendary 6.2L V8 engine - tick
however I suspect you're really better off with an MPV as more comfortable passenger space ;-)
325Ti said:
Thought I'd pop in and update this- took a while to settle on what we wanted, wife liked the Sharon for the sliding doors, but the interior hasnt updated since about 1980 and was terrible.
So have just put deposit on a manual petrol galaxy
You get so much more for your money with a Ford - good choice. So have just put deposit on a manual petrol galaxy
Interestingly you can't buy a new Mondeo, S-Max or Galaxy with a petrol engine anymore.
samoht said:
325Ti said:
samoht said:
New or used (how old) ? Budget?
used, preferably £15k max - wife would also prefer auto which really seems to limit choice seven seats - tick
automatic gearbox - tick
legendary 6.2L V8 engine - tick
however I suspect you're really better off with an MPV as more comfortable passenger space ;-)
A few years ago I looked at an E430 7 seater. The insurance quotes were cheaper than for our Seat Alhambra TDi. The insurance agent said that MPVs tend to have a lot more claims than Mercs and that's what drives the price up - not the 155mph capability and the bloody great V8 under the bonnet.
magpie215 said:
325Ti said:
samoht said:
New or used (how old) ? Budget?
used, preferably £15k max - wife would also prefer auto which really seems to limit choice Honda Elysion
Toyota Alphard
Theres 3 to be going on with
I had an Elgrand for 2 years, had it lpg converted to take the sting out of the 16mpg it did. Then it developed a starting fault that nobody local could fix so had to take it to a specialist over an hour away....and they couldnt fix it either. Well not without slotting a whole new wiring loom and engine in the damn thing.
Ended up selling it to that garage anyway. Lost a lot of cash on that one sadly.
Picked this up last week. 2017 titanium x 180bhp auto. These things are always advertised as "fully loaded" but they rarely are. This one has every option apart from AWD and adaptive suspension. So it's got radar cruise, heated and cooled massage seats, high beam assist, removable towbar, android auto...and the rest.
It's the bestest, nicest car I've owned yet, and this is number 42!
And I've got 3 kids under 11. 3rd row is perfectly adequate even for adults. Middle row has 3 full size seats, so 4 kids will be easy. Only thing that'd make it perfect would be a slidey door like an Alhambra/Sharan..mbut they look even more blobby, bland and s
t.It doesn't give you the same interior utility of an Elgrand but this is balanced in favour of the ford as it drives like a nice driving car, not a wallowy van. Even then at 6'4" the Elgrand driver's seat doesn't go back or down quite far enough to get comfy....everyone else can spread out on a full size chair mind.
So yeah, check out a galaxy, they are really very good family cars.
Ohband don't even think about an e class for 4 kids. I had a 7 seat e350 CDI....nice car but the boot seats are cramped and uncomfortable, only for short journies.
Edited by dave_s13 on Saturday 6th March 00:06
Edited by dave_s13 on Saturday 6th March 07:47
Liokault said:
Jasandjules said:
Might be worth a look at an R Class.... Ours has a Pan Roof, heated rear seats... And has 4 isofix points.....
That’s what we went for after out E class estate 7 seater got rear ended. The R class is very nice indeed.
dave_s13 said:
magpie215 said:
325Ti said:
samoht said:
New or used (how old) ? Budget?
used, preferably £15k max - wife would also prefer auto which really seems to limit choice Honda Elysion
Toyota Alphard
Theres 3 to be going on with
I had an Elgrand for 2 years, had it lpg converted to take the sting out of the 16mpg it did. Then it developed a starting fault that nobody local could fix so had to take it to a specialist over an hour away....and they couldnt fix it either. Well not without slotting a whole new wiring loom and engine in the damn thing.
Ended up selling it to that garage anyway. Lost a lot of cash on that one sadly.
Picked this up last week. 2017 titanium x 180bhp auto. These things are always advertised as "fully loaded" but they rarely are. This one has every option apart from AWD and adaptive suspension. So it's got radar cruise, heated and cooled massage seats, high beam assist, removable towbar, android auto...and the rest.
It's the bestest, nicest car I've owned yet, and this is number 42!
And I've got 3 kids under 11. 3rd row is perfectly adequate even for adults. Middle row has 3 full size seats, so 4 kids will be easy. Only thing that'd make it perfect would be a slidey door like an Alhambra/Sharan..mbut they look even more blobby, bland and s
t.It doesn't give you the same interior utility of an Elgrand but this is balanced in favour of the ford as it drives like a nice driving car, not a wallowy van. Even then at 6'4" the Elgrand driver's seat doesn't go back or down quite far enough to get comfy....everyone else can spread out on a full size chair mind.
So yeah, check out a galaxy, they are really very good family cars.
Ohband don't even think about an e class for 4 kids. I had a 7 seat e350 CDI....nice car but the boot seats are cramped and uncomfortable, only for short journies.
Edited by dave_s13 on Saturday 6th March 00:06
Edited by dave_s13 on Saturday 6th March 07:47
They must be good at something as I've just realised this is my third!
Had an OG 2.3 petrol when they were the same as the Sharan/Alhambra.
Then an 06 zetec manual.
Obvs the latest one is something of a step up. They aren't cheap cars, this one has hit me for the luxury car tax as it was circa 44k new! Mad but grateful to whoever funded that initial depreciation.
Had an OG 2.3 petrol when they were the same as the Sharan/Alhambra.
Then an 06 zetec manual.
Obvs the latest one is something of a step up. They aren't cheap cars, this one has hit me for the luxury car tax as it was circa 44k new! Mad but grateful to whoever funded that initial depreciation.
325Ti said:
Always liked the R class and it would of been a contender if they had continued to make them, didn't want anything over 3 or 4 years old
Yes I was hesitant about that too but it is a very comfy machine to be driven in, has lots of gadgets and astonishingly goes from 0-60 in 7.7 seconds... And it feels very, very secure as in you think if someone drives into you it will be fine.....4 kids here, aged 8, 6, 5 and 2 so probably qualified to comment!
We have a 2014 Peugeot 5008, owned for nearly 4 years now, seems to work for us. It's cheap to buy, cheap to run and you don't really care about the kids trashing it as they will. In 4 years ish of ownership, I've had to change rear pads (£10 for parts, took me an hour) and 1 tyre, had not a single problem with it and it does around 12k a year. It's quiet, it's comfy, has aircon and cruise, is easy to fold seats up/down and the kids haven't managed to destroy any internal parts yet. It just works very well as a family car, with a massive cooled centre box, rear ventilation controls, full sized seats with enough room for a rotating baby seat and 2 kids seats in the middle row.
Holidays are a squeeze, but with a big roofbox on top and 3 kids bikes on a rear mounted bike rack, it's fine and still manages to do 50mpg on a run (ours is the 1.6HDI).
So long as it continues giving us no problems, I see no reason to change it.
The S Max is a bit bigger though, the Galaxy even more so, both are considerably more money. The Pug is bigger than the other cheaper stuff though like the Zafria which has smaller seats so car seats we use wouldn't fit in the middle row!
We have a 2014 Peugeot 5008, owned for nearly 4 years now, seems to work for us. It's cheap to buy, cheap to run and you don't really care about the kids trashing it as they will. In 4 years ish of ownership, I've had to change rear pads (£10 for parts, took me an hour) and 1 tyre, had not a single problem with it and it does around 12k a year. It's quiet, it's comfy, has aircon and cruise, is easy to fold seats up/down and the kids haven't managed to destroy any internal parts yet. It just works very well as a family car, with a massive cooled centre box, rear ventilation controls, full sized seats with enough room for a rotating baby seat and 2 kids seats in the middle row.
Holidays are a squeeze, but with a big roofbox on top and 3 kids bikes on a rear mounted bike rack, it's fine and still manages to do 50mpg on a run (ours is the 1.6HDI).
So long as it continues giving us no problems, I see no reason to change it.
The S Max is a bit bigger though, the Galaxy even more so, both are considerably more money. The Pug is bigger than the other cheaper stuff though like the Zafria which has smaller seats so car seats we use wouldn't fit in the middle row!
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