Advice sought for (very) large family car

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Tue 5 Aug 2008 19:48
Advice sought for (very) large family car - lucklesspedestrian
Hi there

A colleague at work has sprog number 5 on the way (I know, I know.....!) and as a result is looking for 7 seat family transport, the only real stipulations being proper seatbelts all round (not lap belts) and at least some luggage carrying capacity with all on board.

Price is not really going to be an issue for him, so I was just wondering if the back roomers had any idea what was out there (new) without going down the minibus route?

Many thanks in advance

Steve
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Tue 5 Aug 2008 20:48
Advice sought for (very) large family car - Avant
Ford S-Max sounds the best bet, being big enough for his requirements but not a huge bus. Renault Grand Scenic is cheaper but not quite so roomy.
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Tue 5 Aug 2008 22:15
Advice sought for (very) large family car - ajsdoc
I have an s-max. There's a bit of boot with all 7 seats up, rear seats OK for little ones - adults or large kids wouldn't thank you on a lomg journey. Drives like a car, doesn't feel bus like at all.
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Wed 6 Aug 2008 06:16
Advice sought for (very) large family car - Pebble
How about a Jeep Commander, can you get one in the UK? Seats 7, plenty room, space for stuff behind the seats. I work for a Chrysler/Jeep dealer so I'm fairly in the know about them.
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Wed 6 Aug 2008 12:22
Advice sought for (very) large family car - Gromit {P}
New Galaxy seems to have larger rear seats than the S-max, and a wee bit more luggage space with all 7 seats up.

Looked at both with loadspace in mind recently and ended up spending most of my time in the dealership on a Mondeo estate...
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Wed 6 Aug 2008 09:56
Advice sought for (very) large family car - Brit_in_Germany
HJ has the Mercedes R-Class down as a 6-seater but the MB web pages indicate it can be ordered as a 5+2 seater.

Edited by Brit_in_Germany on 06/08/2008 at 10:00

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Wed 6 Aug 2008 10:11
Advice sought for (very) large family car - movilogo
Hyundai Santa Fe 7 seater
Chevrolet Captiva 7 seater
Vauxhall Zafira
Mitsubishi Grandis
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Wed 6 Aug 2008 12:17
Advice sought for (very) large family car - Happy Blue!
Kia Sedona
Hyundai i800
VW Caravelle

Depends how much boot space he will need really. If the only time they travel seven up is on holiday, they are better to rent a minibus.
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Wed 6 Aug 2008 14:01
Advice sought for (very) large family car - ForumNeedsModerating
Why stop at seven seats? What about a Peugeot Expert Tepee LWB 2.0 Leisure 8 seater?

Gets good reviews, not 'van-like' (apparently) to drive & plenty of room just in case your fecund friends decide to have another sprogg for luck!
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Thu 7 Aug 2008 00:43
Advice sought for (very) large family car - spikeyhead {p}
A mate of mine is the youngest of eleven. His parents only stopped breeding when they;d filled the minibus and needed a PSV license to drive anything bigger.
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Thu 7 Aug 2008 06:48
Advice sought for (very) large family car - jase1
My thoughts when I see threads like this are:

1) How often will they need to take all five children at once;
2) Do both parents drive;
3) How much of an issue would it be to drive two cars in convoy on the occasions when all 5 need to go at once?

Large MPVs are a menace on the road. They bump into parked cars, and 5 screaming kids in the back of a vehicle that large have an impact on the quality of the driving when on the road.

Additionally, two vehicles gives more freedom.

Even with a family as large as this, is a large MPV *really* necessary?
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If you cover no more than 100 miles per day and have easy access to a charging point at home or work, then an EV is ideal for you.

Is an electric car right for me?