6 or 7 seater, "bangernomics"

Katrinka

Hi. We just bought a car at the weekend after not having needed one for 7 years. We were considering (=being talked into by friends) doing a leasing deal as it would be cheap(ish) monthly payments, under warranty etc. In the end we reverted to type and bought a 1999 Nissan Micra for 600 pounds from a mechanic friend of a friend. (The other two cars we've owned as a family have been a £500 Polo and a Ford of some kind we were given) The Micra is fine so far, 11 months MOT, and we figure if it lasts three months we've lost nothing.

We were thinking we'd move on from here and buy something big - we work on the house and would like to be able to haul stuff now and then, and my parents come on 2-3 month holidays in the winter from overseas. We have two kids, so a 6 seater would t allow us to all go somewhere once in a while. I like the idea of something Touran or Zefira sized - not permanent seven seaters but a big boot and the possibility of extra seats.


So - here are our specs -
I am a timid driver and will never overtake anything other than a tractor. Driving quality means nothing.
I am bad at parking and will scratch it up, so I would prefer a few bangs and scrapes already in place.
Safety is fairly important - all those curtain airbags sound great when you read about them but having said that we're in a Micra right now.

I think what I'm asking is, without paying for looks, what is the magic sum/magic make and model where you pay enough in the first instance to then not have to be paying too much out for repairs?

I swither between new car, run it for 10 years, £800 car, nothing to lose, or £6000 car - which feels like the worst of both worlds! I feel as though people often buy new cars for the look, the status (nothing wrong with that, I just meet those needs elsewhere, I guess, don't ask me where, though..) then it doesn't make economic sense if I don't value the shininess and newness!

jonathon

Land Rover Discovery

mikey72

1.8 Zafira A
go on forever, 25-40mpg on petrol.

goldspanners

nissan serena,it is slow,very slow,and not too great on fuel,but it is an 8 seater with good load space in the back when the back seats folded up.
they are generally reliable and can take a fair bit of punishment. easily bought for under £1000.

petrolhead69

W124 mercedes 230te. reliable, cheap, 7 seats but not lumpen and lardy like a zafira, comfy, surprisingly good on fuel for a 2.3 auto, well equipped abs, 4 leccy windows, leccy sunroof, dual zone climate, aircon, abs, electric auto close tailgate, central locking, self leveling suspension, alloys, leather, armrests, heated screenwashers and headlight wipers. Mine cost £230 as an mot failure, spent £250 on bits to get it up to my standards, £50 on a remote start remote central locking alarm and parking sensors and with all that it was a great car. ran it for 2 years with only an alternator going wrong despite having 250,000 miles on the clock and sold it for £900
I can thouroughly recommend one.

Inactive

Katrinka wrote: »

So - here are our specs -
I am a timid driver and will never overtake anything other than a tractor. Driving quality means nothing.
I am bad at parking and will scratch it up, so I would prefer a few bangs and scrapes already in place.
Safety is fairly important - all those curtain airbags sound great when you read about them but having said that we're in a Micra right now.

You may consider taking some driving lessons by the sound of things.;):)