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See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

Renault Grand Scenic or Citroen Grand C4 Picasso

30 replies

pansyflimflam · 21/04/2013 18:11

We need 7 proper seats and a boot.... We will be getting a brand new one of whatever it is on lease. I wonder if anyone here has experience of either of these cars? Are the 7 seats really seven seats? Proper ones I mean? Or maybe you could recommend something similar in the same price range? Any help, advice or pointers would be good.

TIA

OP posts:
NickNacks · 21/04/2013 18:21

I've had ford galaxy in the past and they are great, the best probably but they really hold their value so finding a bargain in nigh on impossible. I've recently bought a Peugeot 807 and love it!

NickNacks · 21/04/2013 18:21

Sorry didn't see you were leasing.

Yonihadtoask · 21/04/2013 18:23

I have the Citroen. Love it.

We rarely use all 7 seats, but they are usable. We did use them for a trip a couple of months back - and the two youngest DCs had to sit in them. One of which is over 6ft tall.

The three back seats are full seats. Which we bought so that no one had to sit on the ledge that some cars have as a middle seat.

I bought mine new in Sep 09. I have seen them on sale for about £8 or £9K for the same age.

littlebrownmouse · 21/04/2013 18:27

Our Citroen grand Picasso has given us no end of trouble, cost us a fortune in hideously expensive electrical faults and we're just about to get rid of it 3 years sooner than we wanted to. Angry could be a fluke though. Renault scenic on the other hand lasted us 6 years despite being old when bought and was pretty much reliable almost until we got rid of it. Just our experience!

Original poster
pansyflimflam · 21/04/2013 18:39

Thing is we have never had a new car before. Trying to find something that is not too bad on company car tax too. I just want to have a bit of a boot when all the seats are up (as they will always be with us as we have 5 children). At the moment I drive and old Landy Disco and as much as I love it (and I am keeping it anyway....) we do need to find something more practical as out eldest is coming up for 12.

OP posts:
Yonihadtoask · 21/04/2013 18:41

Ah, when all the seats are in use the boot space is very small.

We had 7 people in the car - and just managed to put all the coats in the space behind the third row of seats.

Original poster
pansyflimflam · 21/04/2013 18:48

Bollocks.............

Does such a thing exist? A seven seater with a boot that is not bloody van....................

OP posts:
WMittens · 21/04/2013 19:35

Does such a thing exist? A seven seater with a boot that is not bloody van

Well, no, because seats 6 and 7 are in the bootspace.

How about 7 seats and a roof box?

Oodsigma · 21/04/2013 19:38

Don't get a scenic. We've had loads of problems with ours. Scrapped it in the end as the repairs got too expensive.

Original poster
pansyflimflam · 21/04/2013 20:07

At the moment I have seven seat and a tight squeeze with two small buggies shoved on floor behind drive/passenger seats. Actually my friend has an old (X Reg) Chrysler Grand Voyager and that has 7 good seats and a boot but I don't want to spend that much!!! Well not as much as a new one is I think they are about 10k more than a French thing.... I would rather struggle a bit (and Dh will be using it day to day actually) and pay less!

OP posts:
WMittens · 21/04/2013 21:06

We need 7 proper seats and a boot

Can I ask, how often and how long will you need to use all seven seats and the boot at the same time?

Oodsigma · 22/04/2013 06:48

Good point wmittens
Does your car has 7 seats/boot? Do you need both cars to?
We've 4 children & 2 cars. One is used for majority of commuting( 5 seats), other is used for children ( 8 seats),unless we are both at work when both cars are used.

Original poster
pansyflimflam · 22/04/2013 07:05

I always need 7 seats and a boot as have 5 children and two of the babies needing a pushchair. Just about to move somewhere where we cannot walk to school etc. But Dh will take one to work and I will have the other. The thing is, if we have a car problem and I would drop him at work say, then I will need 7 seats to get us all in (children not old enough to leave one at home whilst I dropped him iyswim)

OP posts:
MNHQ
AlexMumsnetCars · 22/04/2013 11:52

Take a look at our Top 10 Seven-Seaters if you need more food for thought.

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 22/04/2013 11:58

Sounds like you need more of a mini bus to get enough seats and some store age. Mercedes Viano or VW Caravelle for instance.

MERLYPUSS · 22/04/2013 12:32

We have a scenic. Only really usefull for when kids use the boot seats as the leg room is limited. with all seats in use we could fit umbrella fold buggies in the rest of the boot and that's about it.

crikeybadger · 22/04/2013 13:43

Watching with interest as we are in the same position....soon to have dc4 and will need a 7 seater.

We had previously thought about a Scenic, but most people seem to have had problems with them. I'd like to see a Seat Alhambra because they seem to come out well in reviews.

Original poster
pansyflimflam · 22/04/2013 17:04

Oh good God no, not a mini bus......... I have managed this long without giving into the people carrier thing but my damned children's legs keep growing and I know it's a coming............. and soon........

Denial, that is the way....

(I actually love Caravelles but soooo expensive and only really like them in a campervan context)

I really only want to get a couple of umbrella fold pushchairs in it - I don't need anything cavernous as I have all big shopping delivered.... I do have a trailer for epic hauls abroad and trips to tip

OP posts:
ENormaSnob · 30/04/2013 11:04

I had no end of trouble with our c4 grand Picasso.

Seriously, it was really really bad.

chrisp1 · 02/05/2013 21:35

Personally I'd definitely go for the Citroen Grand Picasso as it beats the Scenic hands down when it comes to practicality. As ENormaSnob mentioned though it does have some reliability issues, but perhaps these have been fixed on the most recent models.

Unlike some of the smaller seven seater cars there is quite a lot of room in the rearmost seats of the Citroen Grand Picasso, and you can rearrange them at will, even folding them completely flat if you need the space for luggage / bulky items.

Considering a new one can be bought for under £20k it's a pretty good deal really.

landofsoapandglory · 02/05/2013 21:37

We had a Citroen C4 Grand Picasso. It was a lovely car, but the rear seats aren't proper seats and the boot is non-existent when they are up. The Renault is the very similar TBH.

WithASpider · 02/05/2013 21:41

If you need seven seats all the time, then I'd steer clear of the Scenic. I have one and adore it, but my 7 & 9 yo DDs struggle with the leg room in the rearmost seats.

For 3DC it's perfect!

PuggyMum · 02/05/2013 21:47

Watching this thread with interest. Am pg with DC1 but we do have 3 Ddogs that currently have the run of the boot of a VW passat estate that just won't be big enough for 3 dogs, pram, baby, us and FIL. We holiday a lot in the uk and camp too....

I'd seen the C4 grand and thought that was the car for us as we'd rarely use seats 6 and 7 and that would mean I could halve the boot for the dogs and the pram.....

Not sure now from these comments!!

MERLYPUSS · 05/05/2013 08:36

We went to the coast yesterday. Me, OH in the front. Sis and DTs in the back. V large dog and Neice in the boot. Associated crap in the minute boot space left. The kids had to have the picnic and buckets at their feet. It wasn't a squeeze but could've been roomier.

SamsGoldilocks · 05/05/2013 08:42

Don't get the grand scenic - the back seats are really cramped and you're not supposed to use child seats on them.

Also as others have said loads of expensive electrical and other faults. We too had hoped to have outs for years but are getting rid ASAP.

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