vauxhall zafira vs renault grand scenic

Jimjams · 2004-05-09T13:35:16+00:00

Any opinions? Looks like we're going to be getting one of these. The grand scenic would cost us £495, the zafira nothing. Any opinions on either?

Codswallop · 09/05/2004 14:58

we have one - what do you want t o know?

a zafira

Original poster

Jimjams · 09/05/2004 15:15

any good? Anything you would change? How do you get the kids in the back seat- do you have roll the front seats forwards each time and don't the car seats get in the way (not sure how I would manage this whilst stopping ds2 and ds1 running off- and a baby somewhere or other......).

OP posts:

Codswallop · 09/05/2004 15:55

Hmm now yes its a great size for cathedral towns(!) and is very nippy to drive despite its rather bus look.
ours is 2 years old nad has the central belt asa lap belt which is a bummer but the new one doesnt i hear.

so at the moment the babys car seats does there and ds has a foam seat . we only use the back seats when we haev extra kids on - VERY handy for cousins of grandparents - a real bonus - wouldt get a 5 seater car now till my menopause related sports car. If you have a baby seat fixd itn eh missle row you do have probs accessing the back altho one thirs of the middle row does tip forward to allow youin. Oten our dsses just jump over

Hmm have to go now
any more qs?

Oh can fit a buggy int eh back when all seats up.

Codswallop · 09/05/2004 15:57

amd is based ona na astra weheel base size s0 not big.

get top spec wiht leather stc you dont get much for your spec - dont bother wiht sunroof - never use ours wiht a/c

Janh · 09/05/2004 17:00

Hi, jimjams!

We have a Zafira too, and I love driving it, but I find the inflexibility of the middle row a PITA - honestly didn't know when I bought it that the whole row slides back and forth as a unit, not in 2 bits. Yes, you can tilt part of the backrest forward, but if you haven't been able to slide the seat part right forward too (eg because there is someone already sitting in it!) the space to wriggle through is not only extremely tight but also on the offside!!! (Thinks - could this be because it was not a UK design?)

How often would you need the third row of seats though? As you would be getting a brand new one it would have a proper shoulder belt in the middle seat - you'd only need the 3rd row when you had more than 5 bods in the car?

I know nothing about the Grand Scenic but assume it has the same kind of seating flexibility as the ordinary Scenic, ie you can slide individual seats back and forth or remove them - I would think this would be much more useful with your family. You could keep the middle row nearside seat out of the car all the time then (assuming you have somewhere to store it) but still have 6 seats and have reasonably good access to both 3rd row seats. (How often would you need 7 seats?)

Review of Grand Scenic from Tiscali - NB fourth line of second para!

Original poster

Jimjams · 09/05/2004 18:03

No we would need the extra row all the time. DS1 attacks other children within reach if we get stuck in traffic - so we need a seat between him and another child) so he would probably be in the back once the baby is here..........

The scenic has airbags that you can dismantle easily in the front passenger seat- so that kind of appeals as then unless dh was with us the baby could go in the front.....

OP posts:

Janh · 09/05/2004 18:17

I would definitely go for the Scenic then. Actually maybe you could keep one of the 2 3rd row seats in the floor, and let DS1 get in and out via the tailgate. That would give you some extra boot space too. (I think you would be able to fasten his belt for him, if you need to, from behind/beside rather than in front.) Mind you you could also do that with the Zafira. (Or would he insist on getting in and out via the side door?)

There is also the Toyota Corolla Verso, similar setup to the Grand Scenic I think (only Japanese rather than French, more reliable etc), could that be one of your options?

Janh · 09/05/2004 18:24

Actually, re the airbag, the baby could still go in the front even when DH is with you (assuming that you would be the driver and DH would sit in the back. It's my favoured seat distribution - this way he gets to organise the little darlings, not me.)

Original poster

Jimjams · 09/05/2004 18:50

I'll look at the Toyota- but we're getting a motability car and I don't think it is part of the scheme.....Or we may have to pay quite a bit up front. I'll check it out though. Thanks.
DS1 would go through the boot (although he may want to do it everytime) but I have to hold onto him and ds2 until he is in the car so it may be tricky....

OP posts:

misdee · 09/05/2004 18:57

how big do u need it? as we have just put in for the almera tino (small mpv), u can fit 3 car seats in the back and the plus point is it needs no advance payment.

Original poster

Jimjams · 09/05/2004 19:03

We'll have three children from the end of this year (fingers crossed! early days etc) but we can't have ds1 sitting right next to either ds2 of the baby as he will attack them in traffic jams, at traffic light etc.

The zafira needs no advance payment (plus point) but as the scenic "only" needs 495 I would go for that if it was better. All the bigger ones espace etc need thousands advance payment so they're no use.

OP posts:

Original poster

Jimjams · 09/05/2004 19:04

We'll have three children from the end of this year (fingers crossed! early days etc) but we can't have ds1 sitting right next to either ds2 of the baby as he will attack them in traffic jams, at traffic light etc.

The zafira needs no advance payment (plus point) but as the scenic "only" needs 495 I would go for that if it was better. All the bigger ones espace etc need thousands advance payment so they're no use.

OP posts:

misdee · 09/05/2004 19:06

yeah sorry, i missed the bit about ds1 attacking other kids. we were very tempted by some of the low advance payment options, but after test driving loads, and getting rude service when trying to test drive the new astra we went for the tino. its not gonna be ready till the end of june tho holiday booked for the 21st so am hoping it gets moved forward otherwise we'll have to hire a car.

misdee · 09/05/2004 19:07

i'm assuming you've been here motability

Janh · 09/05/2004 19:52

Have just had a look at misdee's link - if you paid £999 you could have a diesel Zafira which is hugely more economical (2.0 dti is what I've got, it goes really well but doesn't use huge amounts of fuel. Over 3 years I think you'd easily get the extra payment back). The Corolla Verso isn't there.

OTOH - looking at the mpg for the Megane 1.6 (they don't give figures for the Grand Scenic 1.6 but can it be that different?) it's 41.6 which isn't bad...I think it might be a good idea if you looked at all the mpgs as well before you make your minds up though.

misdee · 09/05/2004 20:09

the best thing to do is pop along to several delaers and ask what is actually available this month. we found that the ford garage had a few more cars on the deal than what is on the list.

Original poster

Jimjams · 09/05/2004 20:46

oh my god janh - you're a bit technical for me

I do like the scenic's safetly record. I checked the crash tests and it comes up trumps......

That's a good idea misdee- I'm going to ring around a few places tomorrow. I only applied for higher rate mobility as I am desperate for a blue badge! Didn't expect to get a car as well!

OP posts:

Janh · 09/05/2004 21:09

jimjams, as far as getting ds1 and ds2 into the car without trauma goes could you first - whichever car you get - somehow hanging on to both ds1 and ds2 simultaneously:

unlock car with remote
open tailgate
fling ds2 into the middle row and shut the door on him
use remote to lock front and middle doors (thus stopping ds2 escaping)
get ds1 through tailgate into 3rd row, anchor him and shut tailgate
unlock middle doors with remote, go back to ds2 and strap him in???

Would that work?

misdee · 09/05/2004 23:17

janh thats sounds like it need milatry planning to get the kids in the car.

i only have 2, ones a sprinter, i have to leave her in the buggy, get dd1 in the car, then get dd2 out of the buggy trying to stop her tipping it and wriggling to get into the rd, then get her strapped in. would be fine if she was avarage size, but getting a 20month old the size of her 4year old sister into a car seat safely and doing the straps right is hard work.

getting back to the question, jimjams, make sure u stipulate u need a 7seater and nothing else will do, dh almost got persuaded to get a focus, till i made him put 2seats in and strap himself in the back. he wasnt a amused but made the car dealer laugh. shame he didnt get a sale. whereas nissan where very accomadating, lettting dd's climb into the showroom model and play with all the gadgets (dd2 liked 350z i think it was), and making sure we could fit in the 2 seats safely and we took it out for 3 drives in the end, one of them dh was just reversing round corners.
good luck and let us know what u get

ps, know what u mean about the badge, ours arrived whilst we were away, we could've saved over £10 in parking fees in car parks that week. and wouldnt have had to park so far away from the shops. poor dh was exhausted at the end of the days. we werent going to go for a mobility car as the car we had was fine, till a 32tonne lgv went into on holiday.

misdee · 11/05/2004 22:29

any luck yet jimjams?

Cavy · 11/05/2004 22:49

I drove a Zafira over the weekend (temporary hire). It handled beautifully, but had some kind of mechanical fault (fuel pump injection, maybe?). That put me off, but maybe it's as likely to happen with any other model? Also it seemed to have an airbag in front? It said so. I didn't dare put either child up there, anyway. And we couldn't figure out a good way to put the seats down to make lots of room in back like we would have liked (but it was only a hire, so maybe we didn't quite understand how it all worked). We found we had more luggage space in back by leaving the seats up, in fact.

bloss · 12/05/2004 14:19

Message withdrawn

Tippytoes · 12/05/2004 14:23

I have a Zafira and I love it, but must admit that I don't use the back row of seats very often as a bit too much hassle! I only have 1 ds so don't often need to use other seats. Great boot tho - can fit in lots and lots of shopping!

Janh · 13/05/2004 13:50

jimjams, have you decided what to get?