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Original poster

Three kids, sporty DH, non driving MIL and enough stuff to sink the titanic - so what car would you buy??

15 replies

Joycey29 · 06/02/2013 18:40

Am going round in circles with this one!
Have between 10-15 grand to replace my Skoda Octvia.
Dilemma 1 Because of MIL - MPV or 7 seat 4x4?
Or
5 seat and take two cars when MIL with us?

I like sliding doors but the look of the SUV?
I like the height of an SUV but the three good seats of an MVP?
I want a biggggg boot!
I don't want to spend a fortune on fuel, tax etc

HELP ME, WHAT WOULD YOU BUY?

OP posts:
SJisontheway · 06/02/2013 18:43

VW Sharan meets most of your needs. Since 2010 they come with sliding doors. Huge boot, and even using the extra seats there is still a reasonable boot. Nice to drive for an mpv too.

WMittens · 07/02/2013 09:09

Do you need a 4x4? If there is no particular need for extra traction, don't bother - there is (usually) less space in the cabin and it will use more fuel than an equivalent 2WD.

I think the two-car method is much overlooked; it seems so many people assume that if you're going out as a group, it is imperative that the entire group fit into one vehicle.

I think you'll find a lot of MPVs have a similarly high viewpoint to 4x4s, I found an S-Max to be almost van-like in its seating height.

I don't want to spend a fortune on fuel, tax etc

Yet you have £15K to spend? If you kept the car for e.g. 5 years, you would probably lose £7K-£8K in depreciation, maybe more; even at the highest rate you'd spend less than £2500 in tax (and assuming an average rate, you're looking at about £1200). Don't fool yourself as to where the bulk of motoring costs come from.

Original poster
Joycey29 · 07/02/2013 17:32

Thanks for all the input - I like the figures you put together mittens as DH needs convincing!

Problem with MIL is she lives in Wales so it's two bridge fares each time!

Quite like Seat Alhambra .....

OP posts:
Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme · 07/02/2013 22:46

Volvo XC90. You can get them fairly cheap as long as you don't mind high mileage. Should be alright if it's got a full service history. Seven seats, or mahoosive boot, and four wheel drive if you need it.

really really want one can't afford it

Anifrangapani · 07/02/2013 22:53

Kids mil junk ........ motorcycle or a smart car although if my budget could manage it a Farrari and an account with the local tadi firm.

mercibucket · 07/02/2013 22:53

i have a non driving mil. doesnt affect my car decision. do you go lots of places together? i'd just send dh off with her and stay at home if necessary. we do, however, actually have a 7 seater but the extra 2 seats are for extra small children we might give lifts to, which is genuinely handy

Original poster
Joycey29 · 08/02/2013 06:52

Merci - which 7 seater do you have?
I ve had a multimac seat so would miss being able to take extra children if I went to 5 seats.

OP posts:
mercibucket · 08/02/2013 20:14

Just a bog standard elderly zafira, but the boot space is great when the back 2 seats are down! V reliable too

mercibucket · 08/02/2013 20:14

Just a bog standard elderly zafira, but the boot space is great when the back 2 seats are down! V reliable too

dekretser · 09/02/2013 08:11

We have in the last month bought a VW Sharan, we have elderly parents who live with us, 2 kids of our own and a niece and 2 great nephews we take out and about with us, so the combination of seats works well. We wanted a 7 seater but with solid seats in the 3rd row. Car tax is £135 a year on our 2 litre Tdi, it has rear sliding doors which is fantastic with the little ones and does on average 50mpg. It has a big boot even with all 7 seats up. It's lovely but by no means a small car! We managed to source one on offer for 16k. In terms of height we also have a Honda CRV and the car and seat height is almost the same.

WMittens · 09/02/2013 09:59

Crash test footage of a seven seater getting rear ended:

I don't understand the obsession with seven seaters on MN; I wouldn't put my kids in the back of one.

Scootee · 09/02/2013 10:15

Why don't you just get another skoda Octavia - estate presumably. The non driving mil would have to go in a second car.

mercibucket · 09/02/2013 16:12

I'd love a vw sharan (envy)

Thanks for the youtube link, I'll watch it later, have been trying to find it for ages to show dh.

7 seaters like zafiras are designed so the back seats are 'occasional' seats, so not part of the safety ratings etc. I'm fine with that. We only use them every now and then and I usually put my kids in them, just in case, but it's a pretty unlikely occurence anyhow. If I had to use those seats all the time I'd get a minibus

Original poster
Joycey29 · 10/02/2013 08:38

A proper seven seater seems a more sensible option as with 5 of us we'd get 5 full seats and the spare two for friends, or the MIL who comes every week.
It was the crumple zone video that turned me off many of the cars out there and narrowed my search down. I m thinking xc90, Santa Fe or Alhambra.

OP posts:
Original poster
Joycey29 · 26/02/2013 18:35

Any Alhambra drivers got any feedback? Love the sliding doors and massive boot as well as three good seats for the DCs.
Just interested on mpg etc
Thanks in advance

OP posts:
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