New/Nearly New 7 Seaters - 16-22k

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
View Threaded
Tue 19 Oct 2010 18:53
New/Nearly New 7 Seaters - 16-22k - cruse1977

Hi All,

Found myself with a requirement for a 7 seater (well, 6 plus a huge buggy) and after looking at older threads still couldn't find much.

Looking around, the Honda FR-V is a little out of the price range, along with the S-Max/Galaxy. Its for work purposes too so reliability and new or nearly new are pretty high on the wish list however mileage wise, its probably less than 12k/year.

Which leaves one of the French contingent - Citreon, Renault and Peugeot or a Zafira.

I've noted some negative comments on the Zafira however reviews all come out pretty positive and I like being able to fold seat 7 down flat. I have concerns on the Citreon/Peugeot etc reliability but again these actually dont look as bad as first impressions.

Can anyone recomend more options / thoughts on the Zafira / Citroens etc ? This forum seems like the place to ask :)

Cheers

Chris

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 19 Oct 2010 20:13
New/Nearly New 7 Seaters - 16-22k - daveyjp

As soon as you need the third row of seats and plenty of boot space the smaller MPVs are a waste time.

The ideal for 6 was the Multipla, but no longer made so you are into Galaxy territory.

A left field choice would be the larger van based MPVs such as a VW Caravelle, Caddy Maxi or Peugeot Expert.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 19 Oct 2010 22:46
New/Nearly New 7 Seaters - 16-22k - Avant

The S-Max is much the best bet if you want seven seats plus boot space but don't want to drive a bus.

If as you imply you can go up to £22k you can get a new S-Max in lower trim levels, or a nearly new higher-spec model. If your mileage is max. 12k a year then go for a petrol which will be cheaper than a diesel, new or used.

Edited by Avant on 19/10/2010 at 22:46

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 19 Oct 2010 23:31
New/Nearly New 7 Seaters - 16-22k - cruse1977

Thanks guys, interesting advice. Ref the Peugeot expert, one of the other halfs friends has one, loves it and got it for a steal. Agree S-Max comes highly rated, but the premium paid compared to the Zafira is putting me off. Decent Zafira =~ 12k less than a year old, whereas the S-MAX is still nearer 20.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 21 Oct 2010 16:02
New/Nearly New 7 Seaters - 16-22k - a900ss

If you are comparing the Zafira and S-Max, I'd guess that you are doing so solely on paper. Go and physically see them, the S-Max is a considerably larger car. (it's based upon the Mondeo whereas the Zafira is based on an Astra).

I had an S-Max for about 18 months and 55k miles, really good car. The rearmost seats I would say are really for up to 13/14 year olds however I did have adults in there for journeys of a couple of hours without complaint.

It's also worth noting that even with all 7 seats in place I could still get my full-size 'Jane' pram behind the seats.

Edited by a900ss on 21/10/2010 at 16:03

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 21 Oct 2010 18:28
New/Nearly New 7 Seaters - 16-22k - cruse1977

Interesting comments on the S-Max, in fact I've yet to find a bad review of the S-Max and been recomended one by a number of people.

Another option looks like the Hyundai i800, its more a van conversion but for £20k, given I do few miles, air con, parking sensors, 8 seats, a boot and a 5 year warranty.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 21 Oct 2010 10:37
New/Nearly New 7 Seaters - 16-22k - TheOilBurner

As much as I like the Zafira (had ours for best part of 4 years now), I wouldn't recommend it if you regularly need to use the rear most 2 seats. They're difficult to get in and out of and only big enough for small children, who need a booster, which doesn't really fit very welll...

I looked at the Citroën C4 Piccaso recently as a replacement and was impressed. In the 7 seat version, all 7 seats are independent and a good size (unlike Zafira with it's middle bench) and the access to the rear seats was much better.

No idea on reliability, but the layout looked excellent to me. Much better forward vision past the A pillars than the Zafira too.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 21 Oct 2010 20:55
New/Nearly New 7 Seaters - 16-22k - ablandy

Finally took delivery of my peugeot 5008, I believe its the same platform as the c4 grand picasso. Done about 2k so far, so cant comment on reliablity

got the 2.0 hdi exclusive, its very good, everyone who has been in it has been impressed and it is very comfortable. Rear seats are a decent size.

Fuel economy seems pretty good and performance is all I would need on that type of car.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 29 Oct 2010 10:57
New/Nearly New 7 Seaters - 16-22k - cruse1977

Funnily enough, I`m now debating a 2 car strategy and something slighly less expensive, the 5008 and the C4 Grand Picasso seem to be nie on neck and neck - apparently easier to get a deal on the Citroen though.

Did you buy new ? both cars seem to lose almost £5k in the first year!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 29 Oct 2010 16:34
New/Nearly New 7 Seaters - 16-22k - awbp

We went through a similar buying decision a few months ago. We test drove:

- A 5008, which was comfortable, but the steering was light and it did roll a little.

- A C4 Picasso, lovely interior, quite like the 5008 to drive but the 2.0 diesel is only available with an odd automatic gearbox.

- A Mazda5, much more car like to drive, great sliding doors, but the pop-out middle row seat really means it's only a 6+1. There's also very little boot space with the third row in place.

- An S-Max, which we bought. Firm but comfortable ride, great weight to all the controls and a huge boot. We carried six adults and a baby on a number of occasions over the summer and there was room in the boot for our huge pram, some shopping and a couple of cases of wine.

For 17k you should be able to get a 12 month old 2.0 TDCi Titanium, and I notice the garage we bought our car from have pre registered 2.0 TDCi Titaniums for just under 20k.

It's a great car, and bizarrely for a people mover, it's actually fun to drive!

Happy Shopping!

Edited by awbp on 29/10/2010 at 16:35

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 30 Oct 2010 16:38
New/Nearly New 7 Seaters - 16-22k - BigJohnD

C4 Picassos offer lots of space, comfort and toys. It's good design and generally very reliable. The 1.6 HDi is a terrific engine, but the 7 seater really needs the oomph of the 2litre.

Tyre life is decidedly average, and the price of 4 replacement Michelins (or other premium brand) will frighten you. The Exclusive has no room for a spare wheel because of the hydraulic rear suspension, so you get a can of gunge. (There's lots of threads on the site about the merits of this.)

The EGS transmission takes some getting used to - it is not a conventional auto - to drive smoothly, and there are many reports of minor failings such as software updates and actuator failings which spoil this otherwise award winning vehicle.
www.carpages.co.uk/citroen/citroen-grand-c4-picasso-23-01-09.asp

In the UK, the 7 seater is more popular, whereas in France it's the 5 seater.

There are still Citroën discounts, but carefully check the spec of a new car. Citroën are slowly down-specc'ing to save money. What you see in the brochure or what the salesman says is out of date very quickly. The price of genuine accessories can be very expensive.

Lots of info on C4Owners.org

Edited by BigJohnD on 30/10/2010 at 16:39

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 30 Oct 2010 20:59
New/Nearly New 7 Seaters - 16-22k - ablandy

i went with the 5008 rather than the citreon to get a 2.0 diesel and avoid semi auto gear box.

You should note the 2.0 hdi 5008 has anti roll stuff that the 1.6 doesnt. Roll is fine and not excessive.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link