Seven Seater recommendations Please.

[Babyroobs]

Our Renault scenic is on it's last legs and we need to purchase a new 7 seater. It needs to be roomy. Although we won't be using the boot seats on a daily basis as my eldest ds rarely comes out with us, it does need to be big enough for the odd holiday / day trip where we all go. I have 3 huge strapping teenage ds and a 10 year old dd, so relaly it's like having 5 adults and a child. We have had a Zafira a few years back and loved it but I'm worried about reports of newer models bursting into flames.
Any help appreciated !

Citroen C4 Grand Picasso is good.

We've got a ford S max and think it's really useful for 7 people.

Landrover Discovery (apparently). It is roomy, 8 speed auto isn't too bad on fuel economy. Great drive height and 4WD if you need it.

Vw Touran with a roof box or vw sharan /seat alhambra.

SMax. I love ours.

We love our Ford S-Max-three full size roomy seats in the back and no transmission hump thingy on the floor of the back seat (if you get what I mean!). We needed the extra width in the back for three car seats for our 3 DC and this was about the only MPV that could take them.

The two extra seats in the rear are a good size and quite comfortable (and I'm 5ft 10".........even 6ft 6" DH just about manages in them! )

Love it so much we are just about to change it for a newer one!

Kia Sorento.::excellent car, rear 2 seats are full 5* safety rated. Big boot when they aren't in use. Doesn't look like a mum on the school run car. DH loves driving it.

7year warrenty on all parts. We even have 3 yrs free servicing. What's not to like?!

Also has button to make it 4 wheel drive when required but is not in constant use meaning road tax is lower than other 4WD

Thanks so much for all the quick repies! Will be spending some time with Dh this evening looking into all your suggestions.

Volvo XC90

I hate driving our Land Rover Discovery around town and on bendy roads, it rolls horribly and it's a nightmare to park in most car parks due to its size and height.

However, it holds shitloads of stuff, can take 7 people comfortably, and it's brilliant on motorways. I just took 4 teenagers with all their hiking and camping stuff all the way up to Scotland for a week and it was brilliant for that.

Previously had a VolvoXC90 and hated that too, but I think we had a Friday afternoon one. Battery kept inexplicably draining and every time we came home from holiday it would be dead in the airport carpark. Volvo never did work it out.

If you are tall AND use a rear facing car seat neither the xc90 or the discovery offer enough leg room for the front seat in front of the car seat. In fact they are shockingly bad

VW sharan is great lots of space and all rear seats are individual full size seats so great for larger teens and all rear seats have isofix.

I have a grand c max and I'm happy with it for our family of 6.

Toyota Previa or Volkswagen Sharan/Ford Galaxy/Seat Alhambra (all basically the same)

Never a Zafira, crapmobiles.

Another Kia Sorento owner here. It is lovely to drive and looks the biz!

Have new Volvo XC90 and love it. On holidays 7 seater cars we have rented and really rated were the Renault grand Espace and Ford S Max - comfortably took three across the middle row and held two extra large suitcases and a buggy easily once the rear seats were down.

Another vote for VW Sharon, I love the sliding doors and all 5 rear seats are large and with isofix.

I love our Alhambra. We used to have a Toyota verso 5 + 2 seater, which was lovely to drive, but the kids didn't have sufficient space in the back 2 seats. The Alhambra doesn't feel massive when I'm driving it, but the 2 rear seats are full size and very comfy.

I've just bought a Kia Carens and it's fab. The damn thing parallel parks itself FFS!

Nice to drive, and economical as well.

I have had my C4 Grand Picasso for 7 years now. It's been great to fit everyone in.

No littlies here- but 3 strapping teenage DSs could fit very comfortably across the rear 3 seats. We used the extra 2 seats quite rarely - but they were useful at times.

Be aware that once all 7 seats are in use there is no boot space.

Am selling mine this week as downsizing - I will miss it.

A big car that drives and parks like a small car.

We had a Renault Grand Espace - brilliantly roomy, 7 proper seats, but horribly unreliable. We looked at the Discovery but they seem to be a Tardis in reverse - look vast, but boot tiny with all 7 seats in use - certainly we couldn't have got our golden retriever in the back with luggage and all of the children.
So, we have a VW Sharan, and it's brilliant. However, DH is 6ft 6 and the older two are starting to grow like weeds, so I'm not sure we will have enough legroom in a few years time, so will probably end up with a Caravelle or something more akin to a van!

We have an S-Max and I really like it, it was one of only a handful of models which have three sets of Isofix across the back bench. I only wish it had sliding doors!
We just had a new model S-Max as a hire car on holiday and weirdly it is quite a bit smaller inside, especially in the boot. So whilst it was much nicer to drive and felt more comfortable inside than our 4 year old model, the lack of boot space and lack of headroom for the rearmost seats when in use would put me off buying a new one.
So people carrier-wise I think I'd recommend VW Sharan/Seat Alhambra or Ford Galaxy. Of course there are some 7 seater SUVs as mentioned by some PPs, but then you have to factor in extra costs for tax and fuel as they are not very efficient/economical/Eco-friendly.

highly recommend the renault espace 7 seater, it has adult sized seats throughout, which move independently for good leg room.
we got it because we needed five car seats and a boot big enough for a double pram, it fits the bill well, we've been on holiday and fitted everyone and lots of bags without a struggle. It's a good ride, nice and high up