Family Wagon Needed! 7 seater

[LGriffiths88]

Evening all, me and the mrs are in need of a new car to shuttle our brood around. At the moment she drives a diesel mk3 mondeo, and I’m driving a e39 bmw. It’s becoming a squeeze fitting in our 3 kids.

We’ve got a 1 year old (who’s just gone into a forward facing seat), a 2 year old (in a high back booster) and a 12 year old.

We’ve been researching a while at what’s out there. Mrs is after a 4x4 ideally. But we have a Plan Z in the S-Max titanium x Sport.

It’s hard to take all 3 kids to look, especially the eldest as he’s autistic.

Looking around at the
Nissan X trail
Xc90
X5 (7 seater... mrs ain’t too keen)
Hyundai Sante Fe
Qashqai +2


Looking at used unless there’s some crazy good new car deals for under £250 a month or so. Budget used around £15k

Looking at advice on space in 3rd row
How easy it is to get in the 3rd row,
Drivability
Features

Any help/recommendations will be great.

[david mcc]

I've got a 2008 xc90 and as a family wagon it is fantastic.
7 full size seats plus a small boot. Huge boot if seats folded down. Loads of chubby holes and power sockets for stuff. Has built in booster in middle seat and isofix elsewhere. Reliable and feels like it's built like a tank. Will pull anything and has 4wd if required.

Downsides are high tax, heavy on fuel.

[ZX10R NIN]

I'll go leftfield:

Mazda5 Sport Venture

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

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

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

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

Mercedes R Class

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

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

Nissan Elgrand (if you're interested in these contact the people below I've sourced 8 from them & everyone has been a good buy)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NISSAN-ELGRAND-RIDER-S-...

Slightly smaller Highway Star:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2011FRESH-IMPORT-NEW-SH...

[LGriffiths88]

ZX10R NIN said:

I'll go leftfield:

Mazda5 Sport Venture

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

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

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

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

Mercedes R Class

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

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

Nissan Elgrand (if you're interested in these contact the people below I've sourced 8 from them & everyone has been a good buy)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NISSAN-ELGRAND-RIDER-S-...

Slightly smaller Highway Star:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2011FRESH-IMPORT-NEW-SH...

We’ve looked at the Mazda earlier on and thought about it but my wife wasn’t keen on the middle seat.

I like the merc’s. am I right in thinking there’s an isofix in the 3rd row?

[LGriffiths88]

david mcc said:

I've got a 2008 xc90 and as a family wagon it is fantastic.
7 full size seats plus a small boot. Huge boot if seats folded down. Loads of chubby holes and power sockets for stuff. Has built in booster in middle seat and isofix elsewhere. Reliable and feels like it's built like a tank. Will pull anything and has 4wd if required.

Downsides are high tax, heavy on fuel.

How heavy on fuel? Was there a refresh that bought tax down?

How do you find getting kids into 3rd row? Is there enough room?

[LM95]

I currently have a 2015 X Trail and it has been on several holidays to France etc, it can take quite a bit of kit when the 2 rear seats are down. with 7 there is enough of a boot for a bit of shopping etc but not much else. Also the rear most seats are ok for an adult if a) you don't like them much or b) have a journey less than 20 mins. fine for younger kids and with just 5 the rear room can be plentiful with the seats at their furthest back.The 1.6 diesel is alright, obviously its not quick but even fully loaded with 3 kids worth of stuff, a tent and roof box it was fine for the holidays. Get about 45 mpg on average, can push it to 55 if you try on the Motorway.

No issues in 2 years ownership, the kit you get with the N-Tec level is great with all round cameras etc. I leased this one paying about £280 on a 3+23.

Before this we had a current shape C4 Grand Picasso, overall I would say it is a little better as a family vehicle, feels roomier and the 3rd row may be just a little bigger. MPV's don't have much street cred but a 7 seat SUV / 4x4 feels more compromised. I can also recommend the Citroen by the way and you would get a very good one at 15k.

[joshcowin]

Went in a touran yesterday it had 200,000 on the clock, the owner uses it for his 4 kids and it works well, really practical seemed really roomy access was easy due to the good headroom and level floor. He says it has been reliable and super frugal. Don't dis pare his other car is an f-type

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

[ZX10R NIN]

LGriffiths88 said:

We’ve looked at the Mazda earlier on and thought about it but my wife wasn’t keen on the middle seat.

I like the merc’s. am I right in thinking there’s an isofix in the 3rd row?

Yes as far as I'm aware they do.