Question on engine size

reck_uk

We go camping a lot and with my expanding family we are looking to purchase a bigger car. With two children it's now not possible to fit our large tent and everything else in our current Primera, a larger car would help anyway with all the stuff we now have to cart round with us.

The two cars we are currently looking at are the Ford S-Max and the VW Touran. I'd like to hear any opinions on these but my real reason for posting is a question of engine size.

I commute a large distance every day and the place I work are going to change how they charge for car parking based on the car's CO2 emissions\engine size. I'd like to reduce my running costs when buying a new car and get the smallest engine I can get away with.

Both the Ford and the VW offer engines in a 1.6 and 2.0 size diesel engine which is what i'm looking to get. If I got the 1.6 I'd save money in the insurance,tax,fuel and now car parking so there's potential for quite a saving there. My concern is that both these cars are quite large anyway so even unladen would the 1.6 feel sluggish? My real concern though is when the car is packed full of all our gear, heavy tents, roof box, 2 adults, 2 kids etc how would the car handle this weight?

In the past some places where we've been camping have been at the top of fairly steep hills I don't want to get stuck half way up the hill lol.

Ideally i'd like a 1.6, i'd save money buying it in the first place and then continue saving money each year. If the car can't handle the load when we go camping though there's no point and i'd have to begrundgly settle on the 2.0.

What are people opinion on this? Is a 1.6 powerful enough?

Thanks

forgotmyname

Medium sized car and a trailer will save you lots of money in the long run.

Checkout the cars maximum gross loaded weights. Someone posted on the camping forum the
weight of the adults meant they could not carry any luggage.

mikey72

We finished up with an estate, with a trailer, and two roof boxes.
I'd go for the 2l.

Hammyman

Why not just get a tow bar fitted and get a trailer? When you get bored of tents you could upgrade to a caravan.

Mankysteve

Dad had a 1.6 16v senic at one point it was underpowered. I would go for the 2.0(My self would go for one of the TDI )

reck_uk

So that's two votes for the 2l Sounds like I might have to stump up for the extra tax,insurance and car park fees

grizzly1911

reck_uk wrote: »

So that's two votes for the 2l Sounds like I might have to stump up for the extra tax,insurance and car park fees

At the height of our camping with a 6 berth metal cabanon and two kids we had a 2.0HDI Old Picasso diesel 90bhp and it did the job with a roof box on when needed it. Performance more than adequate when fully loaded. Not a good job to chuck a loaded MPV and roofbox around anyway. Mind you we didn't take bikes or loads of electrical gear. Had a 149gkmco2.

Currently using an Avensis with a 2.0 TD126bhp and loads of torque. Have use it once with a new lighter tent but two dogs instead. No problems at all. That is 149gkmco2 too.

Not sure whether you use a diesel at present but they don't get dwarfed like petrols (used to) once you load them up.

Whilst the newer C4 picasso isn't the same quality IMO as the Touran may be worth a look.

zorber

size wise smax is the winner

We are looking at the smax but we are looking at the 1.6 petrol ecoboost engine, its 160bhp so plenty of power. We tow a caravan and i wouldnt look at the 1.6 diesel too under powered.

OH who will drive it doesnt do that many miles which is why it is worth us changing from diesel back to petrol

reck_uk

I drive a petrol at the moment, never owned a diesel. Due to increase in the amount of miles i'm now driving it would make more sense for me to move over to a diesel.

It sounds like a 2l diesel would be fine which I would expect, but it's still open about a 1.6.

reck_uk

Zorber that's a good point you make about the more powerful petrol engine over the diesel. Looking at the ford s-max the 1.6 petrol is 160ps while the diesel is only 115ps.

It's getting really hard to make a choice. The petrol looks better in terms of power but because of the large number of miles I drive the diesel would be the better choice. Then of course i'm left with the 1.6 or 2 decision.

davidjwest

My partner has a 1.6 litre *petrol* Renault Grand Scenic 7 seater and she got that up Hard Knot Pass fully laden when we came back from our camping trip in the Lakes last year.

Yes it is sluggish, but you don't want to take the car to track days do you?

A diesel will perform better so no problems, just have a look at the MPG figures as the bigger engine might actually be more efficient.

I'd echo the trailer comments though, would make more sense.