I am 6'3" and there is not much room behind my drivers seat for my daughter, she is nearly 5 so it is only going to get worse. I am considering a car with more rear legroom and a large boot. I also need something that Lou, my wife will be happy parking. She is intimidated by large vehicles, but she got used to the Octavia pretty well and I don't think they are the easiest cars to park, it is hard to judge where the back finishes.

I have driven a 2.0 Tdi Passat (nice but not nice enough to swap for my mk1 vRS). I have had a sit in the new Octavia estate.. Again nice but Im not sure if it is £9000 better than my current car.

Then I noticed the SMax, sporty, nice to drive, loads of rear legroom. I can put the front seat all the way back, get out and sit in the back behind myself (can't beat that!) I also have the option of the 5+2 seating arrangement and a huge boot.

It is still going to cost me £8000 though for a 12 month old car. Seems alot to pay for a couple of inches!!

They are very nice, been in a couple now and always impressed by the interior space, it's a Ford too so it will be reliable (trust me I run loads on the cab fleet).

The police have a couple round my way too.

Get the couple of inches Size matters! I am surprised the rear legroom is poor in the Octavia as it's marketed as a large family car. Being 6'3" myself it will have to be something I consider in the future, but never carried any passengers in the rear yet

My GF's dad told me he once tried out a Hyundai I think and his head was touching the roof, he asked if the seat's height could be adjusted and the dealer happily told him "yes, it would go up". And he's not tall so very few people could use those cars I imagine.

One point I know of with the SMax. Brother in law (06 reg) had loads of 'fun' with the electric handbrake - still unsure if it has been resolved as I've not spoken to him for ages.

I did a tinternet search at the time and quite a few people complained of issues with the handbrake.

don't get the 1.8TDCI , the flywheel breaks

I have just returned from a test drive, it was certainly not as sporty as I was hoping :thumbdwn: I was more than happy to get back into my Skoda:), back to the drawing board I think!

Have you tried out a Corolla Verso? I haven't, but it seems to receive good reviews.

Steve

C4 picasso would be worth a look as well.

Gadgets galore

Good shout Alex. Had a trip in one of these a few months ago and liked it

Not sure how either the Verso and C4 drive though, in anything approaching sporty I mean

Steve

I've not driven a C4 , but it's a very good looking car and when I've sat in one in a showroom it felt nice and solid.

All the reviews have praised it so it would be daft not to at least take it for a drive.

As for sporty... people carriers have improved immensly in the last decade but you still have the basic fact that it's a big tall lump of metal and that is always going to have an effect on the way it drives.

Zafira VXR? A quick look on the Trader shows that 14k buys a year old example!

Chris

Zafira VXR? A quick look on the Trader shows that 14k buys a year old example!

Chris

The ideal car if you want to go really , really fast...

And then crash through a hedge and end up in a field.

I think I'd prefer the S-Max ST, if I was after a turbo'd petrol engine shoehorned into a bus

One point I know of with the SMax. Brother in law (06 reg) had loads of 'fun' with the electric handbrake - still unsure if it has been resolved as I've not spoken to him for ages.

I did a tinternet search at the time and quite a few people complained of issues with the handbrake.

Both the ones I played in had a mechanical handbrake, it was a big U shaped affair, but definately not electric.

The ideal car if you want to go really , really fast...

And then crash through a hedge and end up in a field.

One of my mates has a Zafira VXR, and yes, it is very quick, it eats tyres in 6k however and that includes the rears!! it's not a particularly good handler either and my Mondeo ST runs rings around it!

I think I'd prefer the S-Max ST, if I was after a turbo'd petrol engine shoehorned into a bus

They dont make one though, or I'd probably trade in for one!

They dont make one though, or I'd probably trade in for one!

They do, it's just not called the ST. I know, because a guy at work is expecting his in the next week or two, from a factory order.

2.5 5-pot, circa 220bhp.

Steve

EDIT: Here you go, here's some info: Ford S-MAX Titanium 2.5 | UK New Car Research

How about a Superb then?

Ref the Zafira, I've never driven one, but I agree with JJ that they're not even decent-handling! The only reason the last one I was in was bought was that the owner had a bad leg and it was one of the few vehicles he could both get into and then drive.