If you have 4 children or more what car do you drive?

[sorkycake]

do you like it? or would you prefer something else?

We have a Mercedes E class with the rear facing seats. There is a bit of a debate with this though as Mercedes say you shouldn't use booster seats on these seats as they are already EC approved child seats, and Dept. of Transport say we must use them to comply with new laws - aaaarrrgh!

If we are using the rear seats when we have loads of luggage we use a roof box - it's a godsend!

I have 4 children and drive a Chrysler Grand Voyager. I love it, but I have to say, it takes some knocks (from other drivers who can't park, not me, of course! ) and it is VERY EXPENSIVE to service/repair.

we have a zafira. wouldn't change it for the world!! would have loved a ford s-max but well out of the price range we had!

My mistake ! 3rd row seats are once again available - rear facing for heights up to 140cm. 3 years ago they weren't so we got the XC90 instead. I think the Volvo recommended height limit is 160+ cm or up to about 5ft 3 or 4. BMW X5 says height up to 170cm.

I have no idea how to decide - as long as it looks good, takes the kids and I can park it - someone PLEASE decide.

The other thing is we won't be able to test drive anything before we buy so I need some serious Top Gear style talking please ladies!!!

DG ours needs a service now!

Love it though. Worth the pennies!!

toyota estima seats 8 all with belts and still has a boot

I've heard really good reports about the Toyota Previa (or Lucida if you get and imported model).

We have a toyota estima, it also has enough room in the boot for 2 pushchairs. Only problem is its huge and i wont drive it (dh drives it) and it costs a bomb to run, we use it as a weekend car.

apeainapod let's get frank then we can help; dh and I have done a few test drives recently...:I need to know from you...

Budget
ages of children
is your priority space over sportiness/street cred or vice versa ?
do the seats need to face forward or not ?
how much luggage space will you need ?

Going to pick ds3 up from playgroup; please look in later !

Oh SJ - thank you!

Budget - £50k

Kids - 4, 3, 20 mths - newborn due Nov. plus Nanny.

Appearance - I will be living in the Cotswolds - therefore we're looking at streetcred - sorry to be so vain!!

Luggage space - yes please - I guess weekend trips still means a couple of suitcases, and a pushchair.

Seats - I would prefer forward facing I think.

I am SO glad this thread has started!

Well with the ages of your children it will be ages before they run out of legroom anywhere !

I'd say the XC90 has a measure of street cred but isn't anywhere near so stylish and sporty as the new X5 I drove last week . For me, if I have to drive something big I want a bit of fun too. Shallow but true.

I'd say they are of similar dimensions overall and while big enough for a family of 6 + nanny, wouldn't be as cavernous as eg a Praevia. But MUCH more fun to drive...

My XC90 has a good residual value - but diesel v petrol would have been better...

The BMW dealer told me the diesels will hold their value well; we are very tempted to get one. BMW build quality is superb.

In the Volvo I plan on putting the 12 and 13 y olds in the middle row soon and the littler ones in the 3rd row. With 6 rather than 7 in the car, I honestly find the boot big enough without a roof box. Different if you're planning to take the nanny with you for w/e breaks though.

X5 Diesel with 7 seats + other toys (sat nav leather seats etc) is just short of £50k. A new Volvo would be less.

One more thing; access to the 3rd row is v. easy in the Volvo, because the middle seats each retract separately. The X5 has a 60/40 split, but the access is still easy as I think there is a little bit of hydraulic boost or something - it certainly felt that way - to help you tilt/lift the bench. Volvo has as standard an integral child booster in the centre of the middle row. BMW don't offer this. Mercedes does, but it's an option to pay for.

Personally I'm not keen on people carriers, but I do like the look of the Grand Voyager with its sliding doors. However for us the imbalance of the seating arrangements wouldn't work; only 2 admittedly capacious seats in the middle, then a bench at the back. If I have only 3 children in the car, I want to 3rd row out of the way sometimes tbh.

What about Merc R Class (6 seats ?)

For me then, it's the Grand Voyager. Personally I think it's pretty stylish (mine is black, tinted windows, chrome trimmings), has all the toys (well, mine does - heated seats, DVD player etc), is soooo comfy - seats are like big arm chairs! Mine's automatic and so easy to drive and park.

Still very large boot space with all seats in action.

If you get the newer stow and go model - even more storage space/seat flexibility. Seats fold into the floor. Mine's a couple of years old so doesn't have that but we only have 3 children and the boot space is more than enough.

We've done UK holidays and had 2 suitcases, holdall, vanity case, pushchair, backpack and more - all in the boot no problem.

From waht I've seen - the 4X4s are lovely and stylish (I was hankering after the XC90 before settling on the GV), but you just don't have the boot space with the 7 seats in action.

Also heard great things about the Toyota people carriers but we didn't look at them.

We're expecting no. 4 but have a tight budget. We have a multipla and love it. Not v. pretty, but a kind of quirky appealing ugliness! Lots of room for kids etc. We came back from a wedding in a v. nice VW carrier which i loved and if i'd had the money would have wanted. Can't remember what it is though.

Saw you're loooking a tstreetcred so ignore my recommendation!

We have the Volvo V70 with the fold-down rear-facing seats in the boot. I like it a lot -- it's a nice safe-feeling car, and no harder to drive than a golf, say. Go for diesel over petrol (more economical) and automatic over manual (big heavy car, automatic is so much easier). The other cars that have the rear-facing folding seats are the Peugeot 406 and the Mercedes E-class (older ones).

i get my new one tomorrow

SJ - are you in fact JC in disguise - thank you. I shall now print and leave in a strategic place for DH this evening and let you know what has been said tomorrow. Do you also do a purchase and deliver service???????

With the R class - nice but I need the 7 seats.

Have you thought about a discovery? The third row seats are very roomy even for adults and the new ones (3) look so much better than the old ones. Also, in the 2nd row of seats you get 3 proper seats IYKWIM with 3 proper 3 point belts. Also when the third row seating is down, your boot space is enormous!

Also the new X5 has 7seats. When they're all up it doesn't have as much boot space as the discovery but still enough for a pram and some shopping. There's a bit of a waiting list but the residuals on a new one are expected to be fantastic.

omigosh i just got my new motability car, renault grand scenic, and i love it!!!!!!!!

Glad you like your new car lou. I'm getting my previa tomorrow!!!! can't wait!!!! it will be a driving weekend me thinks.

The Ford explorer would be my dream 7 seater, i like them, but always so expensive.

this has 7 seats

i'm off to play with her lol