Which people carrier to buy/avoid for around £4-5k

Flyboy152

funkycoldribena wrote: »

http://www.whatcar.com/car-reviews/renault/grand-scenic-mpv/pictures/25915-7

Yeah its such an effort to lift another 4/5 inches...

That's not the point. Most cars, whose seats fold down, fold flat. It makes it much more convenient and practical. Therefore the Galaxy is convenient and less practical.

bigjl

I wouldn't buy a C8 personally.

I have had many friends that had one a few years ago and they had electrical issues and also didn't last well in heavy use.

They all ended up in Galaxys, what does that tell you?

funkycoldribena

sarahg1969 wrote: »

Not at all. It could make quite a difference. I wouldn't buy one. I prefer the old style with proper seats that came out to leave a flat floor area.

Ive got the old style and prefer the proper seats,but ruling out the Galaxy over a Scenic/zafira/C4 because the floor is 4 inches higher,well,it certainly wouldnt be the deal breaker for me.

funkycoldribena

Flyboy152 wrote: »

That's not the point. Most cars, whose seats fold down, fold flat. It makes it much more convenient and practical. Therefore the Galaxy is convenient and less practical.

Im not going to go round and round with you but those seats in the Galaxy are flat!

funkycoldribena

bigjl wrote: »

I wouldn't buy a C8 personally.

I have had many friends that had one a few years ago and they had electrical issues and also didn't last well in heavy use.

They all ended up in Galaxys, what does that tell you?

Me neither,last MPV I'd recommend.

LilacPixie

funkycoldribena wrote: »

http://www.whatcar.com/car-reviews/renault/grand-scenic-mpv/pictures/25915-7

Yeah its such an effort to lift another 4/5 inches...

it actually can be if your trying to hoist a double buggy in the back while holding on to a couple of kids. Plus there is a little 'lip'bit that catches the pram wheels. Its a deal breaker for me.

Flyboy152

bigjl wrote: »

I wouldn't buy a C8 personally.

I have had many friends that had one a few years ago and they had electrical issues and also didn't last well in heavy use.

Did they all own the same one, that's a lot of owners for one car. Hardly a fair assessment, really, is it. I drove one a few years ago for about three moths and it was a great drive. I have known many people who also drive several of them, without any problems, expect one who had a clutch problem, which was sorted out fairly easily and promptly. I have also seen a Toyota Previa with an ignition problem, should we condemn all Previas as well?

They all ended up in Galaxys, what does that tell you?

That they are unimaginative and short sighted, perhaps?

Flyboy152

funkycoldribena wrote: »

Im not going to go round and round with you but those seats in the Galaxy are flat!

But the rear seats, for many, are a deal breaker. It is the reason why people choose the others over the Galaxy. The fact they do not fold flat is a very important issue to many people.

bigjl

Flyboy152 wrote: »

Did they all own the same one, that's a lot of owners for one car. Hardly a fair assessment, really, is it. I drove one a few years ago for about three moths and it was a great drive. I have known many people who also drive several of them, without any problems, expect one who had a clutch problem, which was sorted out fairly easily and promptly. I have also seen a Toyota Previa with an ignition problem, should we condemn all Previas as well?



That they are unimaginative and short sighted, perhaps?

No they were all Private Hire drivers, so reliability is all important, they all sold them early.

Addison Lee also had the very similar Fiat Ulysse, but they had a few problems with them, not least the gearboxs breaking all the time when they bought some automatics.

If you want to say they are great then good luck with that, i will listen to the opinion of the blokes that rely on them to put food in their kids mouths.

Think about it like this very few Private Hire cars in London and Essex are C8's/ Fiat Ulysse/Pug 806, a lot are Galaxy/Sharon/Alhambra, now one or two people having a reliable one isn't enough to get me buying one, I also like the look of the Espace but they are an unreliable sod aswell.

I don't think your short time behind the wheel is very representative either.

I am also not saying a Galaxy will be trouble free as all cars break down at some point.

But if i was doing big miles in one and looking for reliability i would steer well clear, why take a chance.

bigjl

An entire three months in one?

Mmmm, well i know of several people that have done 150k in a Galaxy without any issues apart from a couple of clutches and the odd driveshaft, the only Galaxy/Sharon/Alhambra i would advise being careful with is the autos due to the box only having a limited lifespan, if you get 100k out of one you have done well, Addison Lee for example recon them at or near 75k in order to maintain reliability, that is the only fault they have really, though the aircon components are prone to damage from stones at the front. AddLee had the Sharon instead of the old Galaxy but they are the same car, the new Galaxy has proved reliable, in fact every large PH co in Central London uses Sharon/Galaxy mpv's wonder why that is?

They should have come to you for advise maybe?

I prefer to let their research guide me.

On the subject of the new Galaxy rear seats, they don't fold into the floor and they are a compromise to some extent buti could live with the compromise, my sister has no issues with it ans she has had a new shape Galaxy since 2007, it replaced a Y reg Alhambra 1.8T that they had from new. The only issue they had with that was coil packs.