People carrier challange- im clueless, help

sarahg1969

I personally wouldn't buy one with the flimsy fold-down seats that are right up to the back window. For that kind of budget I'd go for a Galaxy/Sharan/Alhambra.

knightstyle

Lots of Renault Espaces out there at this price.

charlie1973

My first post! having read this post, as am in a simlair position (car hunting) , whats the difference between a people carrier and an mpv? i thought people carriers were proper 7 seaters, and mpv''s were the 5 seater ones with the option of 2 temporary seats in the boot?

did the op get something with that budget? I want something more substantial than the 5 seater option, as we more than often have 5 children school days.

Flyboy152

scotsman4th wrote: »

Chrysler Grand Voyager CRD LTD. Havent found anything else with 7 real seats AND a good sized boot. Other than vans.

:eek:

Steer well clear. At one point, Euro-NCAP declared the Voyager and Grand Voyager as the the least safest car they had ever tested.

charlie1973

Flyboy152 wrote: »

:eek:

Steer well clear. At one point, Euro-NCAP declared the Voyager and Grand Voyager as the the least safest car they had ever tested.

having looked into the the Grand voyager in ther past (before the company went into administration) i understood that the problems with it in the UK market were firstly air bags wernt adjusted for right hand drivers, so they remained set up for left hand driving, and that pedestrians were likely to be killed if hit by a crysler Grand voyager than any other car.

Passenger wise there wasnt any concerns about thier safety. i actually found them a highly desireable people carrier, and far more plush inside than other people carriers on the market.

unfortunatly the new shape is out of our price range :rotfl:, and i fear prices for parts would leave us with an expensive car to maintain.

I definatly want a proper 7 seater, and not one with the put me up option in the boot.

bigjl

Addison Lee have just started to sell off their 08 plate Sharons, all Black, all auto and 115 pd diesel engine.

Yes they have done some miles, but come registered as a private hire vehicle so actually Congestion Charge exempt in London till that expires.

The gearboxs are rebuilt at or around 75k, all done inhouse, as they are the single biggest user of these they know all the faults, that is why the just rebuild the gearboxes at 75k, to make sure they are 100% reliable when on the fleet.

A 3 yr old above average miles, automatic diesel 7 seater, prices for the 08 plates start at around £6500, the 57 plates start at £5500.


I have used Zafiras for years at work and would never have a diesel one for my own use, though from what I have heard the petrols are reliable, they are a nice drive, but not as nice as a Sharon.

bigjl

Oops, just reread your post and seen your budget is only £2-3k.

For that price I would go for a manual Galaxy/Alhambra/Sharon, look out for ex private hire at that price as they will have been run into the ground by an owner driver.

If you do low mileage then look at the Honda Odyysey/Shuttle, it came with a rear seat that folded into the floor, I actually imported 3 of the Odyysey's from Japan with a mate back in 2007, two are all still in use by friends without any problems other than a new rubber boot needed for an MOT, my mate owns the last one, most reliable car he has ever had, he is only considering selling due to a change in work schedule which means he is doing 5 shifts a week rather than the previous 3, as he lives in Chelmsford it is expensive on fuel, it will easily crack 30mpg, not bad for a 2.2 auto 7 seater, but he wants to go back to a normal hatch or estate with a diesel lump.

I wouldn't touch an old Voyager, old Espace either, when they go wroong they don't do it cheaply.

Should be several old shape Zafiras in your price range or a high mileage new shape with a petrol engine.

The diesel engine in the Zafira is a 2.0 DTi, bit of a tractor and not that quick, but for private use more than adequate, the older 2.0 has few problems, the LAS has about 50 of them, occasional problems with the EGR valves and due to hard use and then switching them off we go through a few turbos, but they are more reliable than the new ones by a large margin.

Actually, if you aren't in a hurry I actually think the older Zafira is actually a nicer car to drive, the A pillar blind spot is certainly a lot smaller, driving position is nicer aswell.

Flyboy152

charlie1973 wrote: »

having looked into the the Grand voyager in ther past (before the company went into administration) i understood that the problems with it in the UK market were firstly air bags wernt adjusted for right hand drivers, so they remained set up for left hand driving, and that pedestrians were likely to be killed if hit by a crysler Grand voyager than any other car.

Passenger wise there wasnt any concerns about thier safety. i actually found them a highly desireable people carrier, and far more plush inside than other people carriers on the market.

unfortunatly the new shape is out of our price range :rotfl:, and i fear prices for parts would leave us with an expensive car to maintain.

I definatly want a proper 7 seater, and not one with the put me up option in the boot.

The concerns were a great deal more than just airbags. The car would crumple like tissue paper and kill everyone inside as well killing most people outside.

http://www.euroncap.com/tests/chrysler_voyager_1999/56.aspx

This was done in nineteen ninety-seven, so I looked for a more recent test but that one fared even worse.

http://www.euroncap.com/tests/chrysler_voyager_2007/277.aspx

Kilty_2

EDIT - someone already posted what I was going to re: Voyager.

I'd look at the Grand Scenic / Espace personally, make sure you're prepared for daft electrical problems though because they'll happen

Flyboy152

Personally, I like the Citroen C8. the Exclusive comes with loads of space and is packed full of extras, including; electric rear sliding side doors, automatic headlamps and windscreen wipers, cruise control, climate control, automatic retractable door mirrors, chilled glove box, parking sensors, loads of airbags and Alcantara upholstery, plus many, many more (you maybe lucky to find one with the interactive satellite navigation package with built in mobile phone system).