|
Having recently become a dad,and have the ever increasing need for space in my car,i've been looking into the mini mpv market ie zafira,piccaso,scenic etc,and for the life of me can't understand the concept of these vehicles as they offer no more space than a decent sized estate and are extremely dull to drive. Am i missing something here or are manufacturers just following suit?
|
Like you Kam I couldn't work out the point of these vehicles, then I drove a VX Meriva.
Not a lot of fun to drive but bags of room in the back for passengers and a decent sized boot. And its all cramed into a car no longer than an Astra.
|
|
|
Kam,
I had similar views until SWMBO bought a Toyota Yaris Verso.
Amazing amount of room for such a small vehicle. Much easier to get into and out of - even for the dog as it has a very low platform at back.
Looks ugly, no fun to drive, but it is used in shopping trolley mode most of the time.
If needs be it can cruise at 90mph - only on a German Autobahn of course!!
C
|
|
I'm sure they're nice to be in - the only prob I find with them is they're yet another vehicle which is hard to see past on the motorway or to overtake.
|
|
|
|
Most of them seem to be short and tall (?) Double decker next I suppose.
|
|
|
|
Kam,
I don't see the point when you've got one child either, but with 1 toddler and 2 under a year, there are few 'normal vehicles' that will take all three child seats in the back.
Have you ever tried lifting a 1 year old into a child seat in the centre of a estate car? - it's not easy. The additional head room in an mpv makes it much easier.
Then there's the double buggy, 2 travel cots, 2 high chairs, coutless toys and all the other stuff that comes with the little darlings and you soon run out of space in an estate car, even with a roof box.
Plus you can get the grandparents in, once you get there, for a day out too.
Or be your mates' best friend and offer to drive all 6 of them for a night out once in a while.
Or, take a few hours to stare in wonderment at the people at IKEA trying to get their puchases in the back of an estate car.
In terms of cost of ownership, in the long run they hold their value pretty well compared to their saloon / estate equivalents.
All in all I find our zafira an extremly practicle, if a little dull (though not slow), mode of transport.
|
|
Being the owner of an A2 (not a true MPV, but you can take all the seats out if req'd!), everyone comments on the amount of headroom and general cabin space, for a car which looks small on the outside. I sat in a C class coupe yesterday and immediately felt very claustrophobic. The extra height also makes it easy to find in car parks!
|
|
You could say the same about a Renault 4 (!)
|
|
I have a Picasso and it is just a great package. My previous car (a '98 Laguna TDi Estate) was fine but my 6'3" tall son just couldn't fit in the back. The Picasso is smaller externally but inside there is so much more room.
|
|
|
|
Renault pioneered the MPV package, so lets see why that car became a best seller and started a new class of vehicle.
Its a brilliant package. For its size the amount of room inside is incredible. Huge amounts of leg room in the back even with tall drivers in the front. Passengers sit in a more natural manner, not slumped down. Huge amount of useable cubby holes and bins. Versatile seating, three bikes wife and son inside? - no problem. Aged mother climbing in and out to go out on a 120 mile round trip on mothers day? piece of cake. Trip on holiday with luggage family and dog? No problem. Seats out and 20 binbags of rubbish to dump? no problem. Trip to ikea to get a billy bookcase? no problem.
Customers want them. THATS the point.
I still prefer my new laguna as a drivers experience, but family dont like it, and want the Scenic back. At some stage I know I shall need a car with that level of versatility for a particular job.
The scenic was a brilliant concept. The Safira pushed the concept along a little.
|
Renault Family - completely agree with you.
I have worked in Madrid for the last year+ and have enjoyed an MX5 in England as my toy each weekend. My wife has a Scenic. Now I am coming bck I need a proper car and was looking for a little 'badge snobbiness' as the Renault is well a Renault ...
Have looked around at A4/BMW3/C200 Estates and general conclusion is that for size they are nowhere near the Scenic. The legroom in the back of the 3 was very disappointing. Then you open the trunk and realise that the bootspace in all of these estates again comes nowhere near the Scenic.
Then you add together the practicalities of the thing, e.g. removable seats that are very useful each weekend when you go to the tip/put the 5 year olds electric jeep in, etc. All the cubbyholes everywhere, etc... The A4 charges me extra for cupholders in the rear !
Driving away from the 'prestige' garages my wife and I agreed that the Scenic (and others in the class) are incredibly practical for those with a family - we have 2 kids and need no more. The car caters for them admirably.
In Madrid there are plenty of the new Scenics on the road which look very sharp as well.
|
|
But then went and bought an A4 cabriolet for me !!!!
|
|
|
|
_COLON_no_upscale()/cdn.uk.prod.group-mobility-trader.com/images/cas/1ea5aa198a030d03ed78594a16123621/7e4b47f276631b5e036968bf47c0d454.jpg)
![2023 MINI Countryman 1.5 Cooper S E Classic ALL4 PHEV 5dr Auto[Comfort]](http://images.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/url/crop/90x60/https/assets.heycar.co.uk/t_default-export/f_auto/application_assets/vehicles/pictures/a557f8a10829c5fa7ea1d330dc9b1f88/573311b97a9c9e3f95ea743d35934371.jpg)
