Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Shopping

From everyday essentials to big purchases, swap tips and recommendations. For the best deals without the hassle, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Do you, or have you owned any of these . . .

45 replies

hmmSleep · 30/12/2010 21:54

Looking for a reliable, practical car to fit family of 5 (3 children under 5) with large boot, considering;

Honda FR-V
Citreon Berlingo
Citreon C4 Picasso
Kia Sportage
Vauxhall Zafira

If yes what did you like/dislike about it and would you recommend.

Any other suggestions also most welcome.

Thank you!

OP posts:

Sidge · 30/12/2010 23:20

Tagada I'm glad I'm not the only one who loved their S-Max more than their current car!

The Grand Picasso is fine, does what it says on the tin, but I really fell in love with my S-Max which is weird considering it's only a car . I loved driving it, it ticked all our boxes and I loved all the extras we had on our spec (the Titanium).

I wish we'd gone for the same again (Motability car) but the down payment was too high at the time; 2 weeks after we'd ordered our Citroen they dropped the down payment for the S-Max - I was gutted, we could have afforded it after all!

blimey · 30/12/2010 23:24

got a grand c4 picasso - generally very happy with it. slight negatives are the way the doors open - have to fully open them as if partially opened can spontaneously shut which is v annoying when getting little ones out of car seats etc. also it takes a really long time to get warm inside the car. Otherwise extra 2 seats are massive bonus and proper middle seat on second row and it is the greenest MPV - 1.6 diesel (or at least was when I was looking 2 years ago)

stressheaderic · 31/12/2010 09:29

Would def agree that it takes forever to warm up inside the C4 and there's a lot of windscreen to scrape snow off!

Original poster

hmmSleep · 31/12/2010 09:54

Dh has thrown a new one into the mix -

Toyota Verso

Any opinions?

OP posts:

CharlotteBronteSaurus · 31/12/2010 10:08

i love our berlingo, and will be getting another when this one keffs it.

it's got a very comfy driving position, without being tank-like. Love the sliding doors. Good boot space. Ours is underpowered with the 1.4l engine - I will be getting 1.6l next time. For a big car it's easy to park ( I am so rubbish at parking but manage ok with this). Ours is a 55 plate and we've had no issues with it whatsoever.

herbietea · 31/12/2010 10:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

blimey · 31/12/2010 14:25

I found the middle seat on the verso to be too narrow.
does noone else have the door problem with the c4? might just be us being used to a car that does something different - ie holds open half way

PlanetEarth · 31/12/2010 14:55

We have a Toyota Verso (not current model). It's a nice car, and does drive like a car not a van - unlike the Zafira we tried. But the boot is normal sized really, not huge.

silverfrog · 31/12/2010 15:04

We used to have an frv.

Loved it. Fab car. We had (then), dcs of 19, 17, 4 and 2 (2 year old in rear facing toddler seat).

P&t went in the boot no problem, as well as our large dog (a rottie)

Brilliant car, we only changed it as we needed a 4 wheel drive., otherwise would still have one.

DontLetTinselDragOnTheFloor · 31/12/2010 15:10

I have an S-Max and I love it to bits. Three full seats in the middle row, each independently adjustable, with 3 full seat belts, Isofix points on all and a vast amount of leg room. Huge boot with the 2 rear most seats down - and mine are down for 99% of the time. I only would use them for occasional friends-home-for-tea scenarios.

DontLetTinselDragOnTheFloor · 31/12/2010 15:12

I had to fill a questionnaire in about family cars recently and I couldn't actually think of anything I didn't like about my S-Max. Nothing at all.

Tolalola · 31/12/2010 15:15

I had a Kia Sportage ages ago and I hated, hated hated it. The worst car I ever had, including the ancient 1976 Toyota Corolla and the MiniMoke with no seatbelts.

It drove really poorly and the brakes were spongy to the point of being dangerous, despite numerous (expensive) attempts to fix them.

I've heard that they've improved them a lot since I had mine, but there's no way I would ever buy one again.

HopeForTheJingleBells · 31/12/2010 15:18

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ on request of its author.

ChippyMinton · 31/12/2010 15:25

I looked at several on your shortlist then blew my budget on a diesel S-Max to replace a Mondeo estate.

Can't fault the S-Max as a load-lugger, as a five-seater with massive boot (my usual mode)or a seven-seater for ferrying adults or kids.

Sidge · 31/12/2010 15:25

blimey our C4 does that - if you don't open it all the way when putting the children in it closes on me - ouch! I'd love sliding doors, it would make it so much easier to get DD2 in and out (especially when we can't get a disabled space) but we couldn't find a car with sliding doors that ticked all our boxes and fitted our budget.

silverfrog · 31/12/2010 15:30

Soupy, the main disadvantage to the smax, from our pov of course, is that if you are using the middle row for isofix seats (bulky, awkward ones in our case), it is not possible to access the rear seats (which we would have needed to) without taking one of the seats out...

I appreciate we have a particular set of circumstances which makes this impossible (rear facing toddler seat - not easily removable, and disabled child needing extra restraints meaning her high backed booster also doesn't pop out easily!), but this would have left us with the only way to access the rear seats being through the boot... not always practical or possible.

I pointed this out on the recent Ford day, and no solution was found other than removing a child seat to get into the rear...

DontLetTinselDragOnTheFloor · 31/12/2010 15:33

Mine are all in boosters (or nothing) now so that's not an issue but I can see how it could be a problem. So far I've only used one of the rearmost seats once though and I had no idea how to access the rear seat other than through the boot. I have since read the instruction manual

DontLetTinselDragOnTheFloor · 31/12/2010 15:34

Did you have 3 carseats seats on the back then?

earwicga · 31/12/2010 15:38

Had a Berlingo since 2002. Traded in my lovely but completely unsuitable-for-twins jeep for it.

It's bloody wonderful! Really easy to drive and park.

Need to trade it in but waiting for another berlingo as I love mine, and the massive boot which means I never have to pack properly before we go away, I just do random throwing in stuff about ten minutes before we have to leave. Also fits in bikes and everything we need (and don't need). Also, the back seats fold up completely if you ever need the space in the back for transporting big things.

I don't have back doors though and the sliding mechanism on the front seats has gone kaput. I think it must be an easy thing to fix, but haven't worked it out yet - anyone know?

DontLetTinselDragOnTheFloor · 31/12/2010 16:02

" the massive boot which means I never have to pack properly before we go away"

LOL. My three didn't even notice that I'd hidden two boxes of presents under a rug in our boot. They are so use to travelling with a jam packed boot and bags in the car with them when we had our Laguna.

Flip

1 2