If you have 4 kids , what do you drive?

[FiveHoursSleep]

We are looking for a new car ( not new new, but 1-2 years old) and are trying to work out whether to go bigger or smaller.
ATM we have a Previa, but things are starting to go wrong with it and we need something reliable.
We live on the edge of greater London, and do a lot of town/city driving, but also take road trips for our holidays, and like to take the dogs/bikes places too.
Everything I've looked at seems to be smaller than our Previa, so we are now starting to look at bigger passenger vans to give us the space we'd like.
Does anyone drive one of these as an everyday car? I'm wondering if we'd regret it when it's just me and the dogs going to the woods.

[yoyo27]

VW Sharan for me and my six x

[Theresomethingaboutdairy]

Yep VW sharan here too. Kids are 8,7,3 & 16 months. Enough boot space for pram/shopping etc as well as reasonable amount of floor space. Obviously with 4 children you can fold one back seat down to create more space (we did this last week to go on holiday and it was fine.) What was really important to us was that children sitting in the back seats do not have their heads too close to the back windscreen!

[becks5]

We've got five children and currently have a Renault Grand Espace - I adore it. They don't make them anymore, but they can be picked up second hand. It's roomy and handles beautifully. It gets driven into tiny multi storey car parks, driven around cities and is happy on long journeys down into the middle of France. It's reliable and I'd have another. We also have a VW Sharan which we use as the second car.

We've also had a Citroen C8 - loved the sliding doors at the sides but the model that has the ability to move between auto and manual has a gearbox problem (we found this out the hard way and it's a recognised issue apparently).

I've had my eye on a ssangyong rodius which looks ok. Our main issue is engine size - as the children get older we need something with a bit more oomph - the Espace has a 2.2L engine, but a 2.5L would make it darn near perfect.

Good luck with your hunting.

[Cakecrumbsinmybra]

A VW Caravelle and I don't think I would ever change it. I don't really have an issue with parking, but I don't live in a city. But obviously there are certain spaces I wouldn't attempt! So spacious, plus we have a fridge

[BadRoly]

CakeCrumbs we keep eyeing them - what seating arrangement do you go with?

I'm tempted with just doing a conversion in a transporter and having 3 in the front, 3 in the 'middle' and a huge 'boot'.

I'm the one staring through the tinted windows in car parks to see what others have done

[fabulousfour]

Kia caren, its fine for everyday.

[imip]

We have an s-max. We live in inner London and I detest driving at the best of times and wanted a small 7-sweater (dcs 7, 6, 4 and 2). We can drive to Europe with supplies (not a tent etc) for 2 weeks no problem. We are good at travelling light, no roof top box etc.

But the s-max doesn't carry a bike rack on the back, which is a disappointment. Dh can only take the kids for a bike ride with bikes. The car was a compromise being able to take road trips but not be too big for London driving. Bigger dcs still comfortable in the back, but not in the next 3-4 yrs. good car for this stage of our lives, but inevitable we'd need something bigger.

[Loudandtothepoint]

We have a Kia Sedona. It is 2008 model and it is great. It is a 7 seater and the seats in the furthest row are proper captains seat with loads of leg room. We have taken the middle seat out of the middle row to allow easier access to the back row for doing up carseats.

Good fuel consumption, easy to drive (but not for boy racers) and quite well priced. We picked up 2008 model for £8k with only 30k on the clock.

They stopped making them in 2010 but are releasing a new model this year. it looks lovely. would thoroughly recommend.

[Panicmode1]

We looked at Discos, Caravelles and Sharans yesterday. Basically what I really want is a German engineered Espace, because although it is lovely to drive/park etc, ours has had SO many problems I cannot wait to get rid of the junk heap and get something reliable. The Disco boot looked tiny with all of the seats in use, the Caravelle is too 'vanny' and the Sharan is ok, but again, the boot seemed tiny with all of the seats in use, and legroom is an issue. Also, I have been hearing horror stories about MPVs going wrong after 4 years - certainly true of our pile of French nonsense! But surely a Sharan would be more reliable?!

Grrr! Why isn't there a perfect solution - everything seems to have a compromise somewhere.

[aubreye]

We drive a Freelander 2 HXE LUX

[EveryThingIsImpossible]

Citroen C Something or other or a Vauxhall Zafira for cheap