to choose a car based on its practicality rather than what it looks like?

[Owllady]

I have a small 7 seater atm and I am thinking of swapping to one of those van/taxi type things with 7 seats (a nissan nv200 to be exact) as it just looks more practical but it is not really a very pretty ladies car. Does it matter? what do you go for? looks over practicality or the other way around?

no, I would like a nippy little car. My friend has a lovely mini cooper :o

I am a sad twat and need something reasonable looking as well as practical.

I love cars and couldn't buy an ugly one based on practicality

Although my next one will be a 7 seater so am limited on prettiness

ONe thing we never thought to check when test driving our new car was how easily you can adjust the seat when other people drive. We only have one car so constantly swapping over and having to move the seat and in the new car it is just not as easy as it was in our old car.....

Hear, Hear to that Bejeena.
I want a magic switch that not only moves the seat, but puts all the mirrors back in the right places, the radio back onto the right station, and picks up any bits of rubbish left lying around too!

yeah ,moving the seat ?doh ! thou my friend has a new model rather expensive car which when she enters and sits ,it adjusts to her pre set seat position,(said it works on her weight and the comp.system initial set up menu?), and ,(just to piss all off ! the seat heats up!

Lots of people chose practicality over design when it comes to cars.
It depends on what you feel is most important. If you would be happy with the van style - go for it.

My requirements are quite straightforward,

full body skirts, tinted windows, massive fart cannon exhaust, lowered to the ground, a stereo system that could kill you stone dead if put up to full volume and most importantly the ability to allow me to pull off a gangsta lean whilst driving it.

I like 'pretty' cars. I also like fast cars. However, after having DC4 I realised we needed a 7 seater and was happy to consider anything as long as we didn't end up with a Kia Sedona.

After trying I think every 7 seater there is we ended up with... You've guessed it... A Kia Sedona! It's rather fugly but omg its so damn practical! I love that I can walk around inside it - granted, I'm short but as the floor is flat throughout and no footwells this is so handy. Also the sliding doors are fab as can park in teeny spaces and still get the kids out without taking out the car parked next to us And proper seats in the 3rd row rather than the little jump seats most 7 seaters have.

We will be replacing it in the summer an have already decided to down size as ds1 rarely comes out with us anymore. However I'm already mourning the loss of my sliding doors

I used to have a BMW X5 that you could save seat positions etc into memory buttons. As I'm 5' tall and DH is 6' tall it made swapping seat positions so easy!