What 5 seater Car/MPV would you recommend?

blue_monkey_2

At the moment we have aKia Rio and was looking at getting a Cee'd (on lease or buying depending on the right price) however I have noticed that it is going to give us the same problems as we have now and there is not much leg room.

In our Rio if my husband is driving or in the passenger seat only my younger son can sit behind him as there is not enough leg room - he is getting older and there is just not enough room so we have got to change the car. We are hiring a Picasso for our holiday as it would be too much to expect DS to travel for 7-8 hours with his legs being jammed in one place. However, my husband refuses point blank to buy a French car so this limits it a bit as the picasso and the scenic or not bad in sizing.

I had my eye on the Nissan Qashqui and really wanted one of these as we can get them on lease for around £200 a month, it's lovely looking car but sitting down this morning I see it has some dreadful reviews on What Car. Really, really, really bad reviews, the bad far outweigh the good so I think I have changed my mind.

So what car do you have or would you recommend. It has to have a fair amount of room in the back, it has to have air con (says he, I am not too fussed, that is what windows are for, LOL) I do not want some top of the range thing as it is only really used for going to the shops and occassionally going out at weekends. We probably do 6k pa in all honesty.

I really, really, really love my Kia but the Cee'd is too small, we would prefer an estate or hatch - but the Karens looks like a hearse from the back, it has awful shaping so I am really not sure I want one of those, but I am loathe to switch from the Kia brand as the Kia has not given us a days trouble in the 7 years we have had it. So a Sorrento? Much better though so would that be too big?

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks.

sillygoose

I love Kia's too. Don't agree on the shape of the Carens. (Old one was a bit of a bus but we had one that gave 5 years of totally trouble free heavy use.) I think the new one is one of the most modern looking MPV's around.

Anyway instead of going all the way to the Sorrento how about a Sportage? its a great car. Most small 4x4's are built on car chassis so are compromised. The Sportage was designed to be what it is from the beginning so has deceptively more room than the others. There are even some 2 wheel drive ones around now. Ours is very refined, its quieter than my Honda! comfortable if slightly soft ride. Has had zero fault in first 30K miles, does 43mpg, servicing is cheap and it is as well equipped as an executive car.

vikingaero

I agree with your husband on the Picasso. Picassos are fine to own/use within the 3 year warranty period. Same with Renaults.

blue_monkey_2

Well, after posting this and on my back from town and I went via the Kia garage. We've got all of the literature for a Carens and are going out for a test drive next week!! The shape has changed now and it does not look so bus like. Still a bit plasticy inside but it is perfect for what we need it for. Going to go for it in white - I think (just thinking of how often it will need washing), the white they had with tinted windows outside looked fab and that is what drew me in. Also thinking of getting the entertainment sentre for the kids too.

The guy said they still sold a lot of the old shape Carens but the shape has changed and we love the shape of the new one - it would explain why we had only seen the new shape around here.

However, I was looking some more tinight and on looking around we have found another Kia dealer about 20 miles up the road that is selling them for 2.5k LESS than we have been offered today so we'll be doing a bit of negoatiating I think otherwise we'll be up there. The others around this area are also cheaper so I am going to ring up for OTR prices and go from there.

Hubby is due to get some money shortly (in the next 3 months) so he wants a new car. I was not sure because I thought it might be a waste of the money but they are not really that expensive and we will be doing the 5 year service pack for £20 a month for 4 years and it gets us a discount on the servicing - which has to be done anyway.

Ooh, I think we are getting a new car. The kids fitted in there perfectly and it was HUGE so that is great. Plus a 5 year warranty too. So exciting.

ailuro2

look at MArtin's article on this - http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/cheapest-new-cars

There's money to be shaved off the price of a new (or nearly new) car if you look in the right places.

e.g as a quickie, Drivethedeal.com would imply that the Carens Estate can be had for under 9 1/2 K

using the 'budget' tool saves signing up - put in your figure and it gives you a list of cars available under your budget price.

Be aware it will be much harder to park a bigger car, consider getting parking sensors if the option isn't too expensive.

photome

blue_monkey wrote: »

Well, after posting this and on my back from town and I went via the Kia garage. We've got all of the literature for a Carens and are going out for a test drive next week!! The shape has changed now and it does not look so bus like. Still a bit plasticy inside but it is perfect for what we need it for. Going to go for it in white - I think (just thinking of how often it will need washing), the white they had with tinted windows outside looked fab and that is what drew me in. Also thinking of getting the entertainment sentre for the kids too.

The guy said they still sold a lot of the old shape Carens but the shape has changed and we love the shape of the new one - it would explain why we had only seen the new shape around here.

However, I was looking some more tinight and on looking around we have found another Kia dealer about 20 miles up the road that is selling them for 2.5k LESS than we have been offered today so we'll be doing a bit of negoatiating I think otherwise we'll be up there. The others around this area are also cheaper so I am going to ring up for OTR prices and go from there.

Hubby is due to get some money shortly (in the next 3 months) so he wants a new car. I was not sure because I thought it might be a waste of the money but they are not really that expensive and we will be doing the 5 year service pack for £20 a month for 4 years and it gets us a discount on the servicing - which has to be done anyway.

Ooh, I think we are getting a new car. The kids fitted in there perfectly and it was HUGE so that is great. Plus a 5 year warranty too. So exciting.

Whats a 5 year service pack costing £960 ?

Pennylane

AT the moment I have a Citroen Picasso (turbo diesel) which I've had nearly 2 years and I can't fault it. It does 60 mpg++ no trouble, has had no probs whatsoever and from day one I just got in & drove. By that I mean, whenever I get a new car it takes a few trips to get used to all the gadgets, driving position etc but not with this one. It's the top spec one with air con, tinted windows etc and I love it. It's roomy, all the seats fold flat in back, easy to park, cheap insurance and even has a built in shopping trolley!!:D In fact I like it so much that I may trade it in soon for the latest one (C4??)

In recent years, I've had various cars but this one is my fave! I had a nearly new Sang Yong (sp?) which was great value for money and drove well. I had a brand new Kia Sportage when they first came out and the floor in the back used to get red hot. :eek: Garage said it was some deflector plate thing (around catalytic convertor but I may have got that wrong) and just took it off - I thought that was very peculiar because presumably it was there for a reason?? Only kept it a year, not very impressed.

I've also had 2 Nissan Terranos (7 seaters) which were wonderful but then I didn't need such large vehicles so down-sized. I've also had a Chrysler PT Cruiser from brand new which was fun but expensive on fuel. Prior to that I had large citroen estates (for kids/dogs etc) and never had a bad one.

blue_monkey_2

Thanks for your comments everyone, the service pack I mentioned photome is that you get 5 years servicing and a discount on the MOT but you pay for it monthly and save some money - I guess this means they are guarenteeing your custom. We use the dealer for our car stuff anyway as they are well priced in comparison to others and they do not try to rip you off. I've been 'done' before on work that did not need doing when we went to a different garage so I prefer going somewhere where they are not going to tell me stuff needs doing when it doesn't.

Pennylane, we are hiring a Citreon Picasso C4 when we go on holiday for 2 weeks but there is no way on earth my husband will own a French Car, if it was given to him he'd sell it the next day. It is a shame as I really loved the C4 when I was looking at it and I did think that I might be able to change him mind if I hired the Picasso but he is saying it'll be the Kia. And as it is his money I am not really going to argue as I do love the Kia, but I looked at the car we are hiring and it is lush, the one with the window that runs up the back of the roof, nice.

It'll be a few months yet I think, we are going to shop around in that time, you can get an entry level Carens for just under 10k but we want the higher spec one, but the garage has recommended we have Petrol rather than Deisel because I'll not be doing much in the way of diustance. That suits us as the Petrol is cheaper anyway.

It is definately the Kia though, I love the Kia I have and cannot fault the brand so we'll be sticking with what we know.

MrSmartprice

I wonder why people are so bigoted against French cars. MrsS and I have had 9 Citroens between us without a hint of trouble in any of them.

I have recently bought a new Berlingo after nearly 8 years with the previous model. It is brilliant! There is more room than the Xsara Picasso, and for passengers more room than the C4 Picasso. And they are excellent value too.

Even better for someone who wouldn't have a French car is that the Berlingo is built in a separate factory - in Spain!:)

sillygoose

MrSmartprice wrote: »

I wonder why people are so bigoted against French cars. MrsS and I have had 9 Citroens between us without a hint of trouble in any of them.

Theres always one! just as there is one lucky person who's parachute fails but still survives! The overwhelming evidence is that French cars are poor, most are rubbish, I don't need to justify that as anyone can use google.

Still want to argue? show me a French car that has the residual value of a tin of beans a year after its sold - I cannot even lease one on our company scheme -the anticipated repair costs and worthless used value added into the lease make it hugely too expensive!

Rubbish cars wouldn't be so bad if it were not for the appalling service from the dealerships, I have been treated with more respect by riot police than the Renault service desk, presumably years and years of endless warranty repair complaints from upset customers has numbed them.

Pennylane

blue_monkey wrote: »

Thanks for your comments everyone, the service pack I mentioned photome is that you get 5 years servicing and a discount on the MOT but you pay for it monthly and save some money - I guess this means they are guarenteeing your custom. We use the dealer for our car stuff anyway as they are well priced in comparison to others and they do not try to rip you off. I've been 'done' before on work that did not need doing when we went to a different garage so I prefer going somewhere where they are not going to tell me stuff needs doing when it doesn't.

Pennylane, we are hiring a Citreon Picasso C4 when we go on holiday for 2 weeks but there is no way on earth my husband will own a French Car, if it was given to him he'd sell it the next day. It is a shame as I really loved the C4 when I was looking at it and I did think that I might be able to change him mind if I hired the Picasso but he is saying it'll be the Kia. And as it is his money I am not really going to argue as I do love the Kia, but I looked at the car we are hiring and it is lush, the one with the window that runs up the back of the roof, nice.

It'll be a few months yet I think, we are going to shop around in that time, you can get an entry level Carens for just under 10k but we want the higher spec one, but the garage has recommended we have Petrol rather than Deisel because I'll not be doing much in the way of diustance. That suits us as the Petrol is cheaper anyway.

It is definately the Kia though, I love the Kia I have and cannot fault the brand so we'll be sticking with what we know.

Was he chased by a man in a beret carrying a string of onions?:rotfl: