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Original poster

Help! Fiat multipla or vauxhall zafira?

14 replies

TheNightIsDark · 07/02/2014 09:51

Sorry it's not a more interesting choice!

I have Â£800 to spend. Have found two cars on eBay that I'm viewing at weekend.

Zafira- 1.6, petrol, 7 seater, tax has ran out, 116,000 miles but MOT is until August. Insurance is Â£106.84 a month

Multipla- 1.9 diesel, 6 seater, hideously ugly, tax until June, mot until March, 96,000 miles. Comes with a mobility scooter (giving this to FIL) and electric thing to get scooter into car, insurance is Â£165.67 per month.

What would you choose? DP thinks the multipla as it's diesel and doesn't need tax. I think the zafira as it has the extra seat and isn't quite as ugly.

If you have a multipla or a zafira can you tell me pros and cons please?

OP posts:

Original poster

TheNightIsDark · 07/02/2014 09:53

Should add there's 5 of us most of the time but 6 EOW. 3 on boosters, high back boosters and 1 in a stage 0 seat at present.

Will be used for general driving, very rarely on motorways or long long trips.

OP posts:

FifiLeBoo · 07/02/2014 09:55

Had a zafira lovely car very reliable, fiat multipla possibly the most hideously ugly car ever invented. But I couldn't tell you anything about them other than that. What year of registration are they?

FifiLeBoo · 07/02/2014 09:56

Oh and if you have all 7 seats up in the zafira you end up with very little boot, I don't know about the fiat though

Original poster

TheNightIsDark · 07/02/2014 09:57

Zafira is 2000, multipla 2002.

My mondeo has given up. Power steering has gone and turbo

Hence the small budget and need to look on eBay

OP posts:

FifiLeBoo · 07/02/2014 10:02

Hmm both fairly old, I would probably go with the zafira, not least de to it having a longer mot so it gives you longer to save up for any work that needs doing to get it through the next one. Also you say the multipla has an electric scooter hoist fitted, well it could be that you can't use all 6 sets with that in there and you will need to remove it/have it removed

Original poster

TheNightIsDark · 07/02/2014 10:07

That's what I'm worried about. I've never had a petrol before though so not sure how much more expensive they are to run.

So bloody confusing. I didn't think this through before having DC3 obviously

OP posts:

TheBigBumTheory · 07/02/2014 10:12

I love love the multipla, we've had two in a row, it's got a good boot and we need the six seats. They're easy to park and feel like a small car to drive.

It's not ugly, once you have one it starts to look cute like a boxer dog does once you get to know it.

I'm very upset that they have stopped making them.

Bartman · 07/02/2014 10:19

That's some seriously expensive insurance - do you live in a war zone? In all seriousness I fear that you may be jumping from the frying pan into the fire. An 800 quid car will always be a bit of a gamble. I suggest getting an inspection done on whichever you decide before you buy. Not driven a Multipla but the 1.8 petrol Zafira I once had the misfortune to drive for a couple of days was a truely horrible thing - wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy!

Original poster

TheNightIsDark · 07/02/2014 10:25

Only been driving since June hence high insurance. Providing I don't crash before July it should go down!

OP posts:

jaik · 08/02/2014 07:54

Not drive a Zafira do can't really help there. Had our Multipla nearly three years, a Â£1200 buy off ebay. I found the diesel a little gutless around third gear, a remap sorted that out. Have a good look over the car, the rear suspension has well known issues with bushes that cause the wheels to lean in quite a lot. Ensure warms up ok and cabin heats as thermostat is complete dog to change. Other than that we've done over 30k miles averaging about 45mpg. Numerous airport taxi trips, London sightseeing tours for family ( twin sunroof win!), a stand in tent at Glastonbury for two weeks, trekking out to the Nurburgring twice as well as the daily grind of going to work, nursery school runs and shopping.

I won't stand for a major expense on her, but shiuld the worst happen then it'll have to be another as the ease with which she slips into so many roles and duties is fantastic.

As for the ugly bit...crikey have you seen a rexton? Or a q7?

zafira63 · 08/02/2014 08:02

Hi
I had a zafira and loved it,
In fact i sold it to a lady up the road from me about 3 years ago and she still has it, I sold it because i thought it was to big but i wish i hadn't and replying to this makes me want to buy another lol.

Good luck in your search.

jojane · 08/02/2014 08:03

I had a mondeo that gave up so had to buy a new car and we have got a zafira, we have 3 children and can fit thier 3 car seats in the middle row so can usethenbig boot for holidays camping etc. it's 1.8 petrol and uses less petrol than our mondeo did. I have been driving for 2 years and insurance is £40 a month including breakdown

Owllady · 09/02/2014 20:57

Vauxhall are generally ok into old age I have found over the years
Fiats are French

Aldwick · 09/02/2014 21:07

I have a zafira and no problems (yet!) . No boot space with the back seats up but through trial and error with car seats we can 'just' fit a Britax duo plus and two Britax Adventure high back boosters across the back. Doing them up is a pita but it's worth it to have a decent sized boot. Not sure how old your children are but it also worked with a maxi cosi cabrio fix and the two hbb.

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