Wife is hankering after a new family estate car - "something with a bit more poke" - so we are chewing over various possibilities.
Requirements are:
5 seats - 3 children (7,5,2), so space for two booster seats and a car seat required.
Decent load carrying capability - present car is previous version Mondeo (enormous), and we can easily fill that to the load cover, even for a few days away (having said that, travel cot gone, pushchair on the verge of going, so we could cope with something a bit smaller!)
Bit of poke - Mondeo is 150Bhp 2.0l petrol. It's not slow - it's just not quite the same as my 330D, which she enjoys driving a lot
Sane total cost of ownership - happy to buy newish, but looking to avoid less reliable marques. Will do about 12k miles / year
Short list so far:
BMW E39 estate - both like the 3.0 engine (525 or 530), you pay a premium, but I guess you would probably get it back. Open to the idea of a petrol (post 2001 revisions)
Audi A6 - when did they start going wrong? Friends have S2 / early S6 cars with the 2.2turbo engine, which appear to be hune from rock. All I read about later cars, be it 2.5Tdi's, or 2.0t engines, is that they are worth steering well clear of. Anyone an opinion of the 2.4 V6?
Saab 9-5. Big, comfy, cruiser - safe, bit different. Cheaper than the others, but again, feel mildly nervous about reliability. Which are the best to go for? Clearly need pre-facelift of last year (not sure I have seen an uglier car)
Mondeo 2.2 TDCi - year or so old, plenty of toys, plenty of grunt, values softening nicely, (and will continue to do so). Have been in an X type with the 2.2 engine, and was impressed with its guts.
Quite a wide spread, but given upto, say, £15k, and my needs, which of these would you go for, which would you avoid, and what would you push onto my list....
Cheers
Jon
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A new Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDi.
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X Type is a pretty sorted car, got some quality touches to it......the SE version has more than reasonable kit as standard......looks nice too
if you've already driven a 2.2 you probably won't be satisfied with the 2.0 diesel, but it's still more than reasonable
if you don't mind the fuel consumption the V6 3.0 is great....and you'd get 4 wheel drive
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Im going through this at the moment. I would say that the X type and the octavia are both smaller than your current transport.
The E39 isnt brilliant for rear seat legroom - ruled it off my list anyway.
Passat? V70 (although terrible turning circle which is why its off my list). The mazda 6 has seats which are no good for anyone tall. Honda accord quite nice
Merc E class is a good size but you have the 'will it rust away on me' issue.
Im now looking at MPV's. Galaxy/sharan/Alambra C8/807 etc
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Subaru Legacy Outback, brother in law got a second hand one recently good load capacity and goes like pink fluffy dice off a shovel
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Scotland is the best place to look, but they don't come up that often. The ads in the front of Country Life is a good place to try.
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Could try toyota avensis estate if you want total reliability, i know they now have a 180hp diesel at least in saloon form would assume estate also available.
Or indeed honda, dare say their motors are as reliable and refined as any on the market.
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If you find one that comfortably takes three boosters (or even two and an adult) let us know. I think, if you want three children to be genuinely comfortable, you're into MPV territory, and the daddy is the S-Max. Fantastic space for five and more usable luggage space than any estate car.
Next best five-seater I've tried is the Toyota Verso. A bit down on luggage space, perhaps (although it's usefully tall) but with a terrific engine (2.2D 150) and a very nice interior. The third row of seats is useless, but don't let that put you off.
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Mazda 5, a 7 seater MPV
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Of the cars you've listed I spent three years and 85k miles with a 9-5 and was very happy and the dealers are pretty sound or were then. I had truly awful problems with an A6 although bought with more miles on it than you're looking at but all the problems were with ECUs ie not a part that is especially mileage sensitive. Would never own another Audi as a result.
Currently have a Legacy Tourer which ticks a lot of your boxes but it's not a great load lugger and three kids in the back would be tight and it doesn't have a proper third three point belt.
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Merc E class W211 (current shape). These ones don't rust and they are about the biggest estates you can get. Nice to drive too with a 270 or 320 CDI
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the one thing that I was slightly disappointed by with the S-Max was the boot space. not as big as I thought it would be (and no where near as big as a Grandis).
Apart from that, and the overly obtrusive A pillar and the 1.8 tdci's inability to get moving from off when 3 adults, 3 kids, luggage and aircon on, a great car (width might concern some people)
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Specifically on the Saab 9-5, the most reliable is the 2.2TiD which was discontinued in 2006 with the Dame Edna facelift, replaced by the 1.9Tid which is a modern 150bhp diesel and a cracker - it's the same engine shared with other makes but can't remember which - if you can live with the "new look". Or you could go for the 250bhp Aero which is quite nippy......the whole range is certainly roomy and drives no differently from the saloon.
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shared with the Vectra as is the floor plan. might as well save yourself a few thousand and buy a Vectra Estate.
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Thanks for all the suggestions.
No appetite for an MPV - don't need one, and two of our kids (potentially the smallest as well) suffer with car sickness, and they end up feeling pretty rough in seats 6 & 7.
With respect to the 'space for three car seats in the back' - we have had no problems with the Mondeo, having initially two booster seats with backs and a 'big' car seat for a new born, and laterly, two booster seats and slightly narrower car seat for a 2 year old. The Mondeo is a big car, make no mistake.
Of the other suggestions - I quite fancy a Subaru, but doesn't do anything for the wife. C5 - yeah, sensible suggestion, but I fear part of this change is to appear to do something slightly less sensible (pseudo mid-life crisis, therefore need something faster, but still need to move the kids about! I have done the Porsche thing for a year, now it's the wife's turn!!)
Clearly the really sensible thing to do would be to carry on running the Mondeo - six years old, and apart from a front spring that went a couple of weeks ago, it has required for nothing except service items, oh, and a motor for the seat height adjustment, which I sourced from a brokers for £50.
Quite fancy the Accord - re-read HJ's review, and the recent long term reviews on the site. Don't fancy an auto, but the 2.4 sounds fun. How is it in the rear seats?
I think we will try and track down some Saabs....
Thanks again
Jon
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I've mentioned a few times on here that we have a Saab 9-5 estate - they are certainly worth looking at. Very comfy, feel sturdy and safe. They depreciate a lot, but are therefore good value used. We have a fairly basic 2.0 petrol 2001 - but my OH finds it quick enough. Mid range acceleration is better than the 0-60. MPG is only around 30, but he mostly does short journeys.
There are reliability issues, like sludge in the oil sump, and the DI cassette failing, but Saab have been paying for repairs, even on cars outside warranty, if they have FSH. We have had ours for 18 months and generally been very pleased.
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