9 seater mini bus what would you get?

M5captainmac

Hi looking for some advice

My ever expanding family has resulted in us seriously requiring a 9 seater mini bus :eek:

I've narrowed it down to either:

Ford transit tourneo custom

Or

Renault Trafic sport

Both these come in LWB which would be my preference, so has anyone owned one? Run one? What are they like? Common faults etc all advice welcome

I'm budgeting up to 30k as if like something newish however I'm also considering spending less and keeping the remaining cash for other "emergency spending" that will no doubt come in the future.

So basically I'm looking for advice from anyone, especially traders if they know of any common faults and large families what did it cost to insure one of these?

Cheers:j

RS2000.

Sixty grand spare cash and a growing family. What's your daily drive? A vans going to be big in the works car park. Something like an A3 would suit.

BeenThroughItAll

Only advice I have would be perhaps to stop having kids - good bigger minibuses are harder to come by quickly and if you've been taken by surprise by needing a nine-seater, I wouldn't want you to have to suddenly have to find a 14-seater!*


:beer:


*all in jest

M5captainmac

Who said it was 60k?
My daily drive is (well depends on if at work, at work a LNG carrier so no need to worry about the works car park!) at home a Bmw E60 M5 - hence the user name.

Having just found out that we are expecting twins! Can't plan for that hence the needing the van, we currently have a 7 seater (partners car) and that's full.

So my plans to sell the M5 to help fund the van purchase.

M5captainmac

Been through it all - had to really lol at your post! Won't be going for a 14 seater.....it's the snip for me my friend ......not looking forward to that!

BeenThroughItAll

M5captainmac wrote: »

it's the snip for me my friend ......not looking forward to that!

Ah, the snip's nothing. Pal of mine literally had it done in his lunch hour*


*He took two hours that day, in fairness. Wore his wife's knickers for a week afterwards, doc told him tight pants were good for helping post-op recovery. Personally, I think the doc just liked to wind his patients up.

cr1mson

Sorry can't help re those models but friends have a Fiat one they are happy with.

LandyAndy

M5captainmac wrote: »

Been through it all - had to really lol at your post! Won't be going for a 14 seater.....it's the snip for me my friend ......not looking forward to that!

It's nothing to worry about.


But. If you wonder what the burning smell is, it's the ends of your tubes being cauterised.

scaredofdebt

We've recently got a Nissan Elgrande, ours is only an 8 seater but I believe 9 seaters are available. It's more luxurious than a mini-bus and more like driving a car, but still very large. You will get a very nice import (they are all imports) for your budget. Happy with it so far but only had it 2 months, fuel consumption isn't great though, but with so many kids that's the least of our worries!

You can also get Fiat Scudo and Vauxhall Vivaro with 9 seats, I have hired both for holidays and they are OK if not as nice as the Nissan, the Fiat is a bit nicer to drive - I think the Vauxhall is the same basic model as the Renault Trafic.

AdrianC

Vans do a lot of badge-sharing, especially in this mid-segment.

Renault Trafic-Vauxhall Vivaro-Nissan Primastar are all the same van.
Citroen Dispatch-Fiat Scudo-Peugeot Expert-Toyota ProAce are all the same van.
Apart from the Transit/Tourneo, the VW Transporter and Merc Vito/V-class are the main rivals. The choices are not extensive...

gingerdad

I have used a 9 seat trafic a lot and found it to be great, plenty of room in the back of the LWB for stuff, seats comfy even for with 8 blokes for 3 hour trip it was good. ours has a/c elec windows and the 150bhp engine not sure what the sport adds. the only thing i'd change on the one i've used would be side opening windows on the doors but we bought 2nd hand so stuck with what we had