zafira vs mondeo estate?

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janh and i have th zafir
make sure oyu get a new one with three three point harnesss itn he seocond row
its great for taking granparents or other friends out
woudlnt be without 7 seats now

NB we have one each!

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What I like most is the head height inside, and sitting higher up too - I hate going in ordinary cars now, always hit my head on the roof and feel as if I'm sitting in the road. My kids are years past car seats now but it is much easier (I hear) to get them in and out with a higher car.

Drawback to the Zafira's seating arrangement - on older ones, not sure if it's changed? - is that the middle row of seats doesn't split, and it has to be moved right forward in order to pull the rear seats out of the floor, so if you have a child seat in the middle row (or any other passengers there) you have to remove it/them from the car before you can do anything.

Also, there is nowhere in the car to put the rolled-up parcel shelf when the rear seats are in use - or the bit of carpet that goes over them when they're folded away - so you have to store them in the house - you can't spontaneously accommodate a few extra bodies when you're out unless they hold the parcel shelf and carpet on their laps!

It is a really nice car to drive though (mine is 2.0 DTi)

As Mondeo estate (albeit M reg) driver I'd say go for the Zafira for the extra seats and height of roof.
I desperately need to change to a mpv-type thing as I'm fed up of bending double to strap my dses in, and having been eyeing up older Zafiras covetously. Also like Galaxy and Renault Scenic though you don't get the extra seats wiwth the Scenic.

yes jan that is s wiullt he same
so we have to take ds3s car seat out to m put the back seats up but it doesnt take to ticks hen you are used to it
its very easy to park too in a n old city likethis one

It depends how much luggage you want to store in the car at any time. I've got a Mondeo Estate, and three kids, so its great because you can get around, fit loads in the boot. However, sometimes, I would like a people carrier, because of the extra seating. I would say it depends on your long term plan ie, how many children you plan to have and if you're happy to take seats in and out when you need to,

you dont take seats out kk
you fold htem down

I've got a Mondeo Estate, but would luuuuurve a people carrier .. >. Given that that won't happen, I'm perfectly happy with what I've got.

I love my mondeo. I had a galaxy but it was big and I love small cars really. I have always wanted an Audi TT with a soft top which wont allow the kids in at all (well one at a time) bliss. The last thing I want is to have more room for people.

Used to have Mondeo estate and now have Zafira.
I'll try and list the relative pro's/cons.

1. Both are very nice - about equally comfortable, unless you have strong opinions either way about more upright people carrier position.
2. Mondeo boot was quite a lot larger (good when we had more baby gear (prams/pushchairs etc).
3. Mondeo better for putting things on roof (bikes, roofbox etc)as it's lower. Mondeo with roofbox still fitted on motorail to Cornwall.
4. We have an older Zafira without a proper centre seatbelt, and that's a real nuisence. Also you can't fold down part of the centre seats on Zafira (you don't realise how annoying this is until you can't).
5. Zafira extra seats are excellent. I wouldn't be without these right now. So, if you need the extra seats go for the Zafira, otherwise if you want space & ability to use the roof consider the Mondeo.

The thing about the Zafira is that it's based on the Astra (equivalent to Escort/Focus) (???) so it is a smaller car overall than the Mondeo (= Vectra? or whatever it is now) which has a much longer boot space.

That said it is a bloody clever arrangement - apart from the middle row not splitting, which as Barbaloot says is hugely irritating, when they could have done it (mind you would have needed runners in the middle of the floor then, probably just not enough space and people tripping over them). And the middle row can be locked into position at any point on the runners so you can have more legroom in the very back instead if you want (can put child-seats in middle row with less legroom - if you don't mind being kicked in the head in the front seat! - and bigger kids in rear with more).

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