help need a 7 seater car urgently - searching driving me mad

macca

OK my options for getting a good deal seem limited by the 7 seat requirement.
The car will be driven for lots of miles for work - perhaps 15,000 per anum, so needs to be diesel, and needs to be big to accomodate the children.

At the moment am looking at the XC90 and the Mercedes M class, did consider the very good value Quashkai but apparently the extra 2 seats are terrible, would love a merc gl class but can't stretch to that.

Was looking at 6 year old ones for 11-15k but am now thinking would I be better to go for something newer - say 6 months to a year old and see if I can get a good deal?

very interested in your opinions.
regards
macca

macca

seems to fit requirements, found a delivery mileage one for £28k - £12k off the new price, what's the best way to finance it when we're going to be doing such a lot of miles?
TIA
macca

vikingaero

Do you really need a 4WD car? If you're doing that many miles you'll be lugging 100s of kilos of 4WD hardware around for 99.9% of the time. Why not consider a MPV. Your upper budget of 15k will get you in some brand new or nearly new diesel MPVs. I would definitely avoid the M-Class at 6 years old. The old M-Class is a shed on reliability.

Smi1er

How many children and ages? I ask because the cars you list aren't ideal for over 12's in the back row. Uncomfortable seats.

Also if driving > 15K a year on business I would be considering two cars. Focus diesel for business then 7 seater for family. Also mini MPV (Zarifa/Mazda5) or full size MPV (Galaxy/C8/Sharan)?

macca

children are all under 7
I have a fussy husband to whom looks is everything and he is gunning for another xc90 whereas at the moment I am favouring the M class, he won't consider anything like the zafira etc and the budget has gone up to 30K !!!

Hintza

I haven't checked it out throughly yet but the XC90 is looking cheap on a lease, which will mean there must be deals to be had out their to buy. Keep searching.

sarahg1969

I personally wouldn't anything like the Zafira with fold-down rear seats either, but there are plenty of full-size MPVs to have a look at.

We have a C8 which has tons and tons of room. OK, so it's not the most stylish car on the road, but I guess it depends what your priorities are. Our priority was as much space as possible, fuel economy and stuff like that. We weren't really bothered about the badge or how stylish/fashionable it was.

Ours was 3 years old with 18,000 miles on the clock and it cost us just under £8k. I think it was about £26k new. So I definitely wouldn't buy a new C8!!

inmypocketnottheirs

Discovery?

deanos

Something to watch before considering a 7 seater...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fUsWCsxnuc

astraea

what a load of rubbish!!
Any car would crumple like that if hit by a lorry at that speed!!

There are plenty of cars around not just 7 seaters that have the back seats close 2 the back window!! Ford Ka for one!!

vikingaero

astraea wrote: »

what a load of rubbish!!
Any car would crumple like that if hit by a lorry at that speed!!

There are plenty of cars around not just 7 seaters that have the back seats close 2 the back window!! Ford Ka for one!!

My sisters BMW 3 series was rear ended by a HGV at speed. The entire boot and rear passenger cell was compressed up against the rear of her front seat so that it looked like a comedy car cut in half.

Note in that video how the rear head restraints aren't properly raised to give protection. It seems that seeing the truck approach is more important than giving real protection and facts to the viewers.