which 7 seater car should we get?

[lizzie9442]

My husband and I have 3 children and I am pregnant with our fourth. We are looking to purchase a car with 7 seats but have no idea where to begin. Does anyone have any recommendations?

I've just bought a Kia Carens after much bargaining and searching. I wanted something that could be used as a 7 seater yet be economical when it's just me in the car... It's a 1.9 diesel, 150 a year tax, up to 54 MPG and only 10,750 with 3.5 years left on the warantee... Bargain..
However I took ages looking at what 7 seater cars were available in the UK.. This website on 7 Seater Cars helped me decide.

Oh just what we need like OP 3 DC pregnant with fourth.

Have looked at a Galaxy and Sharan going to look at a Citroen C8 on Wednesday.

We have a Renault Grand Espace and really like it, though it does have pros and cons.

The main disadvantages are that it doesn't have sliding doors and, more importantly, at least in our experience, hasn't been the most reliable. We've had at least three separate faults in the three or so years we have had it. However we bought it second hand and it already had high mileage, clocked up in a short space of time, and had been "driven hard" by its first owner. I suppose that this could have been a factor in the reliability issue but then my DH also has a Renault Scenic which hasn't been very reliable either!

The main advantages for us were the safety factor (5 stars NCAP- this in itself was the main reason we bought it) and the fact that the seats can be configured lots of different ways- we have three seats in the middle row, backing onto the front seats and facing the rear window, and another two seats in the back facing the front/middle row so all the middle/rear passenger seats are facing each other iyswim. It means that the passengers can all get in and out of the car without having to move or fold down seats or go in/out of the boot - and the DCs like facing each other.

Personally I also like the look of the car and for its size, it still feels to me like driving a car, less "van like". The Grand model also gives you a reasonable amount of boot space which you don't always get with 7 seaters.

We just bought a 2nd hand Kia Sedona last week.
On my shopping list were:
sliding doors
diesel
reasonable boot (rear seats not wedged up to rear hatch window)
Enough seats with full shoulder belts
& Ideally: tinted rear windows (I've heard this makes big diff. on carsickness rates).

Something I didn't think of... arrrgggh! was carseat fitting. Which is where we have a hitch: my 2yo son's carseat doesn't fit well in either of the middle row of seats (I don't think any Group 2 seat would fit well in there). Which means he really ought to be in the rear-most row of seats -- a big pain for getting him and out, or helping him with something when I'm driving. I am not impressed with my oversight in this respect!!

Also, if you buy 2nd hand, inspect every crevice carefully and the seatbelts -- even though this vehicle had been valeted, I later found mildew and mold (blech). I also suggest trying every door, insist on seeing each seat removed and replaced (if they are supposed to be easy to do), look in the wheel-wells and everywhere else for rust, too.

we're looking at needing a 6/7 seater in about 18mths when we plan to have a DC4... we're thinking of a fiat multipla... they look a little odd but have everything for us, 6 seats, large boot space... seems to be no1 on our list as DH hates the thought of driving a 'bus'... my desperation for DC4 makes me unfased by the cars kurb-appeal and as long as it fits us in it'll do the job in my book!!

We had a Vauxhall Zafira which I think is excellent if you have small children, as the car's not too big, and the rear seat fold flat giving you lots of boot space.
However, our 3 are now much bigger, and we have a caravan to tow, so we changed to a Kia Sedona. It is huge! But, really easy to drive, and sooo luxurious. I've even become a dab hand at parking it at the supermarket
We did have a Range Rover for a few weeks, and we hated it, so I guess you should definitely try out lots of different cars.

I don't know whether I've said this before but the Kia Carens is great. Cheap, reliable (7 year warranty), economical (up to 54mpg and 150yr Car Tax) and mine cost 10K only 15 months old. For a fuller list of 7 Seater Cars available to buy in the UK check out this site I found to help me decide: www.7-seater-cars.co.uk/

oh i have said it before, sorry

I was a little put off cars like Galaxy Sharan etc due to boot space. I have just ordered myself a 7 seat combi-van Nissan NV200. It's got a massive boot and 7 full size comfy seats. Def recommend. It only came out this year so relatively new (no used ones about yet). I love the interior height, folding back seats (fold away over wheel arches), and rear doors rather than tailgate. Also comes with reversing camera as standard. I can't wait to get it.
Had no trouble fitting large double pram and mums mobility scooter plus still lots of room for shopping!

ooh thanks Bev, it looks interesting, will give it a look as nothing ticked all the boxes for us.

we have 4 kids and have just bought a touran which i love!!!

We ended up with the Citroen C8, few months in now

pros
electically operated rear sliding doors are fab
integrated window blinds that don't have gaps and fall off
rear parking sensors
loads of room, we have it set up as 2-3-1, DD1 goes in the back at weekends with the huge P&T Vibe, plan to put it to 2-2-2 once I don't need double, big two can walk through back and do their own belts up
diesel so economical
full size rear seats

cons
drives like a van
nightmare to park even with sensors, especially when tossers insist on parking close to you
not a thing of beauty

I love our volvo xc90, we did have an old galaxy that i hated but I thought we got unlucky with a duff model, the newer ones look great, I drove the reanult grande thingy as a courtesy car for a while and liked it, depends if you need 4 wheel drive we def do, the thing I like most about the volvo is that it drives like a car instead of a van,

We have a Hyundai Trajet, which is just about to complete 7 years of sterling service lugging our family around. It was the same spec as the Galaxy etc. but WAY cheaper, and had a brilliant 5-year warranty (even if it's second-hand you get what's left of the five years). Perfect for people who don't really care about "labels".

The seats are very flexible, and if you take one or two out there's loads of room for bikes/stuff for the tip etc. We also leave out the centre seat so it becomes "walk-in".

It isn't desperately good at accelerating or going up long hills, but this is pretty low down our list of priorities with a carload of kids.

Doesn't have a sliding door, but it isn't as wide as some people-carriers.

Don't buy french and don't buy a Chrysler if you want reliability!

We have a Honda Shuttle and its wonderful. Back seat fold into the boot so no storage space issues
Mind you they are few and far between

We had a Vauxhall Zafira when the kids were small - it's fine at that stage, and if you have four kids, you are going to need a box on the top anyway to contain luggage for holidays; and Zafira's are a bit niftier than the lumpier MPV's. Before we had the Zafira, we had an old Renault Savannah (like the old Volvo estates, with three rows, but pretty much a regular low car shape), which was also very good on space.

Now we have four teens, we have a Mitsubishi Grandis, which is huge and very good for leg room in the very back, and a good mixed-economy for seats-flattened/up. You will probably still need a box on top for longer holidays but that's a given with four children.

ford s max just like the galaxy but not as tall so not so much like a minibus!

NotanOtter Can i hijack you and this thread for a moment? What kind of Transporter do you have, and what type of seats do you have for how many children?!

We have a T5, currently without rear seats, and are trying to work out what to put in it for our future mythical family.... CAn you get two child seats side by side on two VW rear passenger seats for example?

Whilst DH can work out to within a millimetre how many boards he can get in the back, nowhere can I find out how many child seats will go!

We have swapped our Zafira for a Hyundai i800. It's an 8 seater and about the size of the Transporter, but significantly cheaper.

Boot is massive and I love it

How much boot space do you get in the Hyundai Ceolas? I'm concerned about having the back row of seats too close to the rear window after watching some crash tests.

Volvo XC90 here too (second hand) Its perfect as i have 4 DC's but the back seats are perfect if your DC's are older as my oldest two are 18 and 15 so i needed 'adult' style seats and not the pop up back row of seats that my old Merc eclass estate had.

Its also the safest in its class with a steel type cage i believe - Bit worried about the repair bills but hey ho, i just feel really safe in it and my three teens have plenty of legroom and my DS is still in a rearfacing toddler seat, its great. I wouldnt buy the petrol version though as its supposed to be really thirsty.

We have a Kia Sedona and it's fab - but big!!!

I have a citroen C8 bought new 6 years ago - it's done a whopping 192 000 miles since then, and has broken down once - not a bad record. It's diesel so reasonably economical, has full size seats so my giant sized 15 and 16 yo's have plenty of space and tows my trailer and mare very nicely.
It is slow in terms of acceleration, but you just adjust to that (so long as I don't drive DH's TT too often)

Oh it's massive. We recently went camping and fit all the gear for 7 of us in there. I can put my pram in without folding it and put a week's grocery shopping round about it.

It really depends on your budget. If you can afford an X5, audi q7, volvo xc90 then lucky you. But if your like me your probably wiser staying at the Zafira and Kia Carens end of the 7 Seaters. This 7 Seater Cars website helped me to decide: www.7-seater-cars.co.uk. It lists all the 7 Seater cars available to buy in the UK.