As i said in another similar thread recently peugeot 308sw 7 independent seats that can all he removed when needed. Hdi 110 engine is smooth refined and economical. My sister runs the sport model and its lovely a real do anything car that almost no1 knows has 7 seats and doesnt look mumsey at all. Externally ots an estate so parking is ok yet is huge inside. I ran a 308 hatchback for 3 years and it was faultless also. Usually overlooked like i aay as almost no1 knows about the 7 seats. Anyone that is negative about them has clearly never owned driven or even been in one. I dont go for comments such as my old saxo from a million years ago was crap flimsy etc etc therefore a new peugeot will be rubbish.

How about Nissan Qashqai+2 ?

Honda FRV.

Martin.  There's a Honda FRV in Scarborough for £10399

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2008-Honda-FR-V-1-8-i-VTEC-EX-5dr-Auto-Petrol-Silver-Automatic-/161176917260?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item2586e4950c

It's auto & petrol.  If that isn't any good then you can have a look at our manual diesel on your way to work one morning.

Has to be manual I'm afraid Andrew. She hates auto gearboxes.

Will try to arrange a look at yours sometime. Thanks Andrew.

We went for the Touran in SE 1.6TDI DSG.

Similar size and spec to our Mk2 Octavia Elegance. SWMBO says it feels much the same to drive to her which was our worry.

The 1.6 suits us, would have gone for the 2.0 for nippyness but it's thirsty in the works car and we wanted to cut costs fuel wise.

1.6 TDI DSG aren't plentiful, so you'd need to drop dsg or go for a 2.0 engine in any spec.

There's nothing wrong with the build quality of our S-Max, infact the build quality is better is much better than my mk2 Octavia .

 

Our's is up for sale if your interested or fancy a poke around (we're not that far away from each other) & nearly half of your budget. 

 

Our S-Max is pre DPF and comes with front/rear parking sensors making manovering really easy. My wife doesn't like driving big cars but she is very comfortable driving this.

 

 

 

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/295014-58-ford-s-max-titanium-diesel-dvd-leather-fsh/

 

Matthew

My vote would be for an S Max - mainly for looks and driving dynamics. An FRV - as much space internally (although six not seven seats) without being necessarily large on the outside. And finally, and a bit of a mystery entry....  the Chevrolet Orlando. Not a bad bus at all and with Chevrolets recent news that they are pulling out of europe towards the end of 2015 the discounts are massive. £7,500 off a brand new one meaning you get a brand new fully loaded (sat nav etc) seven seater with three years warranty. Servicing and warranty work/servicing will be contined by the current garages as most are also Vauxhall dealers. Parts supply will be for a min. of ten years also.

All good and well getting passengers in a car with seats and not too big externally,

But as many find when hiring a car for going someplace. holiday etc, seats for passengers but with no place for luggage or even just the shopping is hopeless.

 

Many of the cars thought to be too big are actually not when you check the wheel base, or the vehicles length.

 

To me there is no point putting your nearest and dearest, maybe 5 or 6 people or any amount of passengers  really into some death trap, and then being resopnsible for their well being and safety.

 

Some decent seats for everyone with good belts, air bags, brakes and handling, suspension built for a vehicle with 7 people being carried should be the priority IMHO,

Not some 5 seater with 2 extra occasional seats into which the youngest or smallest get put in.

 

& looks should not even enter the equation in my thinking, safety and practicality needs to come first.

Being nippy or not when loaded does matter and  needs not to come into it with 7 people in a car.

Just needs to perform OK, keep up with other traffic and drive OK on Motorways,

and if going abroad has to be suitable for going on autobahns.

Safety, Reliability, Practicality and maybe some thought on economy would be the most important factors for me.

(a full size spare wheel carried and easy to get to is as important as some of the other things with People Carriers.)

 

george

People carriers don't come with a spare wheel George there's no room

That was really my point.

 

Tanks like Chrysler Grand Voyager do have a spare wheel,

stored underneath, in proper 7 seater transport.

which to me is important if some place with a non repairable tyre with 7 in a vehicle, because 'Home or onward travel' might be a PITA otherwise.

How big to the 6/7th seats need to actually be, seeing as they will be rarely used?

 

Im a big fan of the XC70 (although the extra seats are small), it will run forever and take piles of abuse.

 

Isnt the Galaxy / Ahlambra / Touran still all the same motor?

 

Curveball option - 7 seater discovery?

All good and well getting passengers in a car with seats and not too big externally,

But as many find when hiring a car for going someplace. holiday etc, seats for passengers but with no place for luggage or even just the shopping is hopeless.

 

Some decent seats for everyone with good belts, air bags, brakes and handling, suspension built for a vehicle with 7 people being carried should be the priority IMHO,

Not some 5 seater with 2 extra occasional seats into which the youngest or smallest get put in.

 

George

 

Good points there George.  That's why I went for our FRV as it was designed from the ground up as a six seater.  It's wide enough for three seats across, all with proper belts and has a good size boot which doesn't need to be used to seat everybody. I didn't want any of our three children sitting in the boot with only inches between them and the rear hatch which is what happen in so many 7 seaters.

 

edit : Let me know Martin when you want to have a look and I'll take the Honda to work on that day.

I'd go for the FRV. I think it looks cool, possibly quite weird but wonderful with 3 actually sat in the front but with 2 in the front, the middle seat folds down and it has boatloads of room in there. We used to have one, with the I-CDTI engine, was bloody brilliant even towing a tonne of caravan. I'll see if I can find a pic of it all loaded up, with rooftop bike rack and all.

Also had experiences of an S-MAX and although it did look quite big from outside it was seriously cool on the inside

Edit: better than nothing but here you go

Edited 9 January, 201412 yr by iSamage

This isn't mine, but you get the idea

 

 

The kids love it and it's been a great family car, often with six people in on the school run. I know on the pics the middle seats are further back, but that's only to show that they can do that.  There's plenty of room with them all in a row too.

My friends have an FRV and I thinks it's tiny, the boot isn't big at all really. Our mazda 5 has a spare wheel underneath. We've had grown ups in the third row before. Although with lack of a rear crumple zone I'd never really use those seats for long distance, and would never seat my kids in them if we were going on dual carriageways etc. We only really use the third row for local journeys.

Chevrolet Orlando as someone has mentioned seems really good value, I may pop by my local dealer and take a look at one.

If only the tent makers started making cars.....you could get a 7 seater the size on a mini....

Test drove a Sharan before I realised the Dad-madness had set in, and got my Superb instead.  It was fine to drive, didn't feel 'big', quite liked it but the price tag put me off.  Apparently the Seat Alhambra is almost the same car for fewer £££.

Thought i should see what there is available in the way of Alhambra on Autotrader.

 

Cheapest auto caught my eye.

312,000 miles, £999 asking price, £900 just spent on the Autobox.

Plenty there with high miles on them.

 

Quite a good value used People Carrier on some newer ones.

I wouldn't buy a mk1 sharan/alhambra/Galaxy myself. Only the mk2/current vw only model

My mum has a zafira in SRi spec so doesnt look quite as boring. 18" alloys, SRi bodykit, plenty of kit. 1.9diesel, 150bhp.

Identical to my mums

Edited 10 January, 201412 yr by BrownBarge

I'd forgotten the Zafira. A mate has the GSi version which is pretty mad if you want to thrash it, perfectly sensible if you don't. Its getting on and done some miles too, he just won't part with it though as its been rather reliable and is surprisingly comfy. 

My cousin has the SRi version in black, it looks great and goes very well.  They've not had many issues with it as far as I'm aware and the running costs are reasonable.  I seem to remember him saying that the tyres were quite pricey though.

They've got three children and are selling it soon as it's too narrow across the back now that the kids are a bit older.  It was fine when the eldest was seven, not on a booster, the next was on a booster and the youngest in a car seat.  Now that the two eldest are off their boosters but bigger they can't fit in.  They are having to use the seat in the boot now which hinders them when on long drives to see family at the other end of the country.  They've resorted to a roof box for this reason.

It's a really nice car and I considered one  - the VXR version - but on closer inspection it was not really any wider than a normal Astra 5 door.  The VXR went well though!

Mr 2SF, we did this study 2 years ago. We test drove loads of cars, some for extended periods. We borrowed a couple. We talked to owners and researched ridiculously. At the time our kids were 3 and 6 years old, we wanted a vehicle that could seat 4 with all clobber, and also take the in-laws for days out without luggage. I had an Octavia at the time and was used to running brisk VRS motors. These were our opinions, and that's all they are.

French - clever, tempting, one breakdown is one too many for me though so all binned.

Chelsea tractors - keep them on the farm and off the roads - don't want the image.

Mazda 5 - suspension and DPF issues but likeable.

Multipla - well I would have one but Mrs L wouldn't drive it even wearing a brown paper bag.

Honda FRV - a very very strong contender but deleted and not available at the right age for us.

Vauxhall - we have had a few but all had issues - binned.

Sharan et al - noisy, Mrs L perceived them as too big.

Verso - couldn't get excited about it.

Fords - drove loads. Mrs L perceived most as too big although I love the way the SMax drives. Then we tried a Grand C Max which is ok size with her and actually drives like a car. It has lots of bells and whistles in high specs too. So we bought one.

It has many many strengths.

It's weaknesses are;

the 5th seat in 5 seat mode is small, but it can be swallowed by seat 3 to ease access to seats 6 and 7.

Seats 6 and 7 are not for the infirm but the kids love them.

In 7 seat mode luggage space is nil

In 5 seat mode the boot floor is quite high with no lip so stuff falls out when you open it facing uphill.

It was the right decision, although I sort of regret not having a go with an FRV.

We plan to buy another Grand CMax though and are going to swap soon so PM me if like.

Hope this helps.

Sounds like you were doing your research at the same time as me!  Very similar conclusions to ours on all the cars you mentioned.   At the time, the facelift Multipla was good value, but friends have had them and experienced too many issues when out of warranty.  Having said that, my sister had one from new and it never missed a beat in the three years they had it.  Her husband got twitchy towards the end of the warranty period so they chopped it in for a Grand Scenic.  She says it's the worst car they've ever had - and that includes Alfas.  Bits of trim fall off, it rattles and because of the seat design they lose the boot space when they are all in.