Advice re: people carriers please

angelfire

Hi everyone!

My old Mondeo failed it's MOT this week to the tune of £400. It's due a service and cambelt change and isn't in the best condition. It's also done 107000 miles and is worth didly squat in part exchange. We needed it to last two years until our other car is paid off, but feel we'll be throwing good money after bad, so are looking to r eplace it with a people carrier.

We have a teen, a four year old and a baby on the way, our holidays are spent camping and we have a lot of equipment so have counted out the likes of the Cmax, picasso, meriva and Zafira. We've looked into estates but with just the bench seat at the back, my teen would end up squashed between two car seats which wouldn't be fair.

So, i'm really looking for suggestions! Were' currently looking at the Galaxy, Sharan and Alhambra and we realise that essentially these are all the same car. Has anyone got one of these and if so, how are you finding it?

has nayone got anything else they feel would suit our needs better perhaps?

This car is to tide us over until OH's car is paid off in two year's time. Apart from the space we need, we are also looking for as low mileage as possible and are leaning towards diesels for better fuel economy. We obviously want it to be reliable, aren't too bothered about age, so long as it's low mileage.

Were' looking around the £3000 - £4000 mark and need to part ex the Mondeo....

anyone?

WestonDave

We have also been looking and counted out the Zafira types on two grounds - firstly the newer ones require the normal back seats to be tipped up to get into the third row which is no use with baby seats, and secondly with the third row up you have literally no boot space. That said you wouldn't get one that age for £4k.

There are however two in that class that might be worth a look at - the Smax (although probably out of price range) does leave more boot space with the back seats up, and the Toyota Verso (older ones were badged Avensis and then Corrolla Verso so check very carefully that you are getting a 7 seater as the oldest Corrolla Versos were only 5 seater). That has a reasonable third middle seat in the normal back seats.

Beyond that there is the Fiat Ulysses which is a big 7 seater in the Galaxy class - friends of ours have an N reg one which copes with their 4 kids and camping gear. Like the Galaxy (which is a genuine 7 seater not a 5+2 like the others) it has plenty of space.

Other friends of ours have a Megane Grand Scenic that they are very happy with - they also go camping.

Don't have any personal experience of any of them but it might give you some more options.

Hintza

Tricky one. As you say the Mondeo without an MOT is worth virtually nothing (possibly), how old is it?

The great thing about the Mondeo though is it's you banger and you know it's faults so it might just pay to keep it going a while longer. Get the price to get it back up and running with minimal service ie oil and filter.

Why does it need a Cam belt? It should be on it's second one or is it due it's third one I don't know the intervals to change it? In this climate I would be trying to avoid change if at all possible.

mumoffour77

Okay, I have had a previa.....I loved it:)
I then Bought a Fiat Scudo....and got wheelchair alterations done to it.....I dont like it!! but i needed it as my dh was 56" in his wheelchair, and it was the only car that could accomodate ourselves and 4 kids....I still have it:)
I also have a grande scenic, its lovely for the kids and I, and all our camping gear:D It has pockets everywhere:)
The Toyota has a timing chain, so it should never need replaced....I miss my toyota:(

terryya

Like WestonDave's friends we have a Grand Scenic and are happy with it. There is still a reasonable boot with the back seats up, but with one down and using the space on the floor in front of the younger kids you should have plenty. Also the middle row is made up of individual seats so you could remove one of those. Or we have put kids seats in one side and the middle and had an adult on the other side.

You'd easily pick up a petrol with about 30k for under your £4000 budget.

angelfire

Hintza wrote: »

Tricky one. As you say the Mondeo without an MOT is worth virtually nothing (possibly), how old is it?

The great thing about the Mondeo though is it's you banger and you know it's faults so it might just pay to keep it going a while longer. Get the price to get it back up and running with minimal service ie oil and filter.

Why does it need a Cam belt? It should be on it's second one or is it due it's third one I don't know the intervals to change it? In this climate I would be trying to avoid change if at all possible.

Hi Hintza, the Mondeo is X reg, 2001. We do know the car extremely well and to give it it's due it's never let us down, but there are bits and bobs starting to go on it and our fear is that if we spend almost as much as it's worth on it now and then something major goes in the next year or so, were' stuffed. It also isn't going to meet our needs for the next couple of years because of our growing family.
Re: the cambelt, I can't see anywhere on the information we've got about the cambelt ever being changed. It was a Lex Leasing car before we got it in 2004 and all other maintenance/repair work is listed. It needs doing every 100k miles according to OH, which means it's due already.

Do take your point on Mondeos though, apart from OH's car, they are all I've bought since 1999!

Hintza

I recently had the Panda in for a MOT and the bill was £157 (£50 being the MOT) plus a few odds and sods. My point is £400 is not a huge amount of money, even if you just keep running it now until it dies.

OK the cambelt might go tomorrow or might last 2 years, price that up and then decide whether it is worth it.

But say you only get another 6 months out the car it is possibly worth it. Check other things like tyres, exhaust and brakes before making your final decision if they are on all or in part knackered then it might be worth changing.

But a big car at £3k could still cost you the same in 6 months.

jog

Hi, we are on our second people carrier, our first was a Galaxy, and that was great until it got to be about 6 years old and then we started having all sorts of problems with it, so changed it a couple of years ago and got a one year old Peugeot 807, which is the same car as the Citroen C8 and the Fiat Uylesse. I really like this car to drive, we have got the 2.2hdi engine. Loads of space and I love the sliding rear doors. On the down side the plastic trim is flimsy in places and we have had to have a couple of bits replaced, luckily done under warrenty.

When we were looking we were very impressed with the Kia Sedona, they are very spacious and good value to buy, the reason we didn't get one 2 years ago really came down to the fact that they had just realeased the new variant of it and that was outside our price range at the time. But I would say well worth a look on your budget.

Personally I love the sliding rear doors, so much easier in car parks then worrying about knocking other peoples doors. Also really easy getting the childen in and out.
If we ever get another people carrier I would definatley make the sliding doors a must have.

Jog

jeannieblue

The early Previa's were great - loads of room... but sadly the later ones are not so spacious.

How about a Toyota Granvia? - huge! Great big chairs like arm chairs and bags of room.