Show me your MPV please

Sweetloaf · 28 Sep 2006 at 00:13

teaboy5 said:
How many in the family now? Its only 2 i cant see the point in an MPV just get a nice big car.

3 kids two adults, I've got a Honda Accord which I'm keeping, it's the 3 kids in the back that are the problem due to the new laws on child seats. Trust me, I don't want an MPV but I can't see any way around it

jesta said:
How about a Mazda MPV? My mum's got a 2001 version for £6200 at the auction,should be able to get an older one for about £4000. The rear seat leg room ain't bad,its a little cramp for me(but I'm 5ft 11) I think its a top car, on par with a Galaxy on comfyness(sp).

Had a look at the Mazda Premacy if that's the one you mean but the centre rear seatbelt is unsuitable for a child seat apparently.

Scenics and Picassos are also out of the question. Not enough room for the seats. Bizarrely I can't actually fit behind the wheel of a Picasso, I'm 6ft 4in but I can drive a Daewoo Matiz more comfortably....no great shame really

I like the Lucida I think they still look quite respectable for the age of an affordable one and they would undoubtedly do the job, My wife only has one years no claims so the cheaper the insurance the better.

I'm leaning towards the Multipla I think, even though it looks like a bad Concept Amphibious monstrosity

Anyone else got 3 kids that has solved the problem? (auctioning a child isn't an option.......yet)

lordrobs · 28 Sep 2006 at 00:58

Sweetloaf said:
3 kids two adults, I've got a Honda Accord which I'm keeping, it's the 3 kids in the back that are the problem due to the new laws on child seats. Trust me, I don't want an MPV but I can't see any way around it

My understanding of the new law is that if it isn't possible to fit three child seats in the vehicle it is still legal to allow one child to travel without one (the eldest would make the most sense)

Obviously the nippers safety is paramount but if they are of an age where one can travel safely without, possibly with one of those seatbelt adjusters to make sure the belt goes over the shoulder rather than across the neck, then it is perfectly legal to do so.

Sweetloaf · 28 Sep 2006 at 01:07

lordrobs said:
Obviously the nippers safety is paramount but if they are of an age where one can travel safely without, possibly with one of those seatbelt adjusters to make sure the belt goes over the shoulder rather than across the neck, then it is perfectly legal to do so.

I think they can travel without if they are 140cm or taller. My eldest is 5 and won't be out of a seat for a while yet.

kippermitten · 28 Sep 2006 at 01:45

What about a Chrysler Voyager? Friends of our have had three Grand voyagers and they have 4 kids, they love em. Seem affordable and if serviced are reliable. The v6 is nice and pokey for an mpv! Id have had one over the pickarse0 anyday BUT its the Mrs's car!

robmiller · 28 Sep 2006 at 01:48

New Multiplas look quite nice―now they got rid of those horrific bulbous frog-eyes, anyway.

JRS · 28 Sep 2006 at 02:30

MPV?

Ugh.

Obviously going to get laughed at for suggesting this, but how about a station wagon? Something a little bit like this . Interior would be big enough to get three car seats on the bench, and it looks a lot better than a Galaxy or Espace (stretching it I know, but I like the way they look

). 5.7litre V8 as well, so it'll rumble along all day doing no revs while still giving you enough torque in reserve to dispatch jumped-up little gits in hot hatches.

Okay, so that was a silly idea even by my standards. But it's a hoofing great wagon with a 350 cube V8, fake wood panelling and a column-shift auto 'box - what is there not to like?

Apart from the fuel consumption. And the difficulty in parking it anywhere.

tom_nieto · 28 Sep 2006 at 08:29

The Fiat Multipla is very roomy inside, and if you don't care so much about image it's great for carrying around 6 people. The second hand prices must be rock bottom due to poor image, so you'd probably get one with a decent spec.

http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/WW...category=CARS&channel=CARS&id=200639250873273

Sweetloaf · 28 Sep 2006 at 09:12

JRS said:
Something a little bit like this

Sold

I love the fake wood on the outside :cool:

Only 197000 miles on the clock too

tblocksom · 28 Sep 2006 at 09:14

Bit late to the party, but we bought an X reg (2000) Renault Espace for £4K this summer for my two sprogs. When my family was over for their hols, we drove around with 4 adults and 2 kids, and stil had space for a push buggy and shopping. The seats are normally arranged in a 2-3-2 setting, but we drive around in 2-2-0 normally. You can get 3 kids in easily, and if you don't want them to slap each other, you can go for a 2-2-1 setting and have plenty of legroom for all. The cars are huuuuge inside.

Some pics here

JRS · 28 Sep 2006 at 09:32

Sweetloaf said:
Sold

I love the fake wood on the outside

Only 197000 miles on the clock too

Barely run in for that engine

C'mon....you don't wanna condemn yourself to a life of MPV drudgery. Buy something really cool

[TW]Fox · 28 Sep 2006 at 09:45

JRS said:
Barely run in for that engine

Thing is though its not the engine its the rest of the car that matters...

agw_01 · 28 Sep 2006 at 09:57

ROFL, look at the wood effect!

Sweetloaf · 28 Sep 2006 at 09:59

tblocksom said:
Bit late to the party

Not at all mate, I only posted last night, I do buy things on impulse but that would really be going some

Espace is an option, unfortunately that American Beast isn't

It's for my wife not me so I'm not that bothered, besides which If she gets this It may be justifiable for me to get something with only two seats in the front

Anyone heard of a Honda Shuttle?

osc89er · 28 Sep 2006 at 13:00

I don't have any photos but the zafira is a smaller class than galaxy. It will comfortably seat adults in the second row, but the third row are a bit small for adults to comfortably sit in for any length of time. On my older one (W) the center seat uses a lap belt, not 3 point. There is something to pull down, which on reflection may be a booster for small children.

With a full load of seven there is very little storage space behind the rear seats (maybe four crates of beer, stacked two high)

JRS · 28 Sep 2006 at 13:16

[TW]Fox said:
Thing is though its not the engine its the rest of the car that matters...

GM's B platform cars were nailed together pretty well - some of the last US cars designed to survive intergalactic mileage without everything wearing out before the throw-away culture took over. And as the seller says - nearly all those miles were done on wide, smooth, straight US highways. It won't handle even remotely as well as your Mondeo (and as for your new motor....no comparison really!), but I suspect it will drive beautifully as wagons go.

If I wasn't so in love with the Olds right now I'd be buying that car.

Oakesy2001uk · 28 Sep 2006 at 13:40

Firestar_3x said:
Toyota Previa or the Jap Estima personally

annother vote for previa, jap reliability, my dad had 3 and next door neighbor had 2 and none of us had any problems between services, one of my dads was up to about 140000 miles which isn't bad. cracking cars. 2.2 petrol I think, the jap ones may be different.

Sweetloaf · 28 Sep 2006 at 14:47

Quick update, just had a test drive in a 51 plate Petrol Multipla. Wheras I certainly wouldn't buy the petrol version, it was handy to have a go at getting all the car seats in an I have to say, the interior layout is nothing short of stunning as far as space goes. As has been mentioned unless you want a bus sized vehicle, 7 seaters lack boot space when all seats are utilised, the Multipla still had room for two buggies and some shopping in the boot because all 3 child seats fit comfortably on one row of seats. Yes it is seriously ugly but from the inside looking out it is quite impressive.

All I need to do is find one for 4k with a diesel engine and air con and I think I'm sold.

Anyone know anything about the diesel engines? Are they actually Fiat engines?

weeble · 28 Sep 2006 at 15:12

I know it's not an MPV, but what about a Shogun? 7 seats etc

I can see a lot more 4x4's on the road now and in future, purely for larger families to take the everyone around with the seats all strapped in.

Another stealth tax by labour to keep the economy plodding along...

JRS · 28 Sep 2006 at 15:16

Sweetloaf said:
Anyone know anything about the diesel engines? Are they actually Fiat engines?

The diesel JTDs are Fiat engines IIRC, and they're quite good.

Sweetloaf · 28 Sep 2006 at 15:42

weeble said:
I know it's not an MPV, but what about a Shogun? 7 seats etc

I can see a lot more 4x4's on the road now and in future, purely for larger families to take the everyone around with the seats all strapped in.

Another stealth tax by labour to keep the economy plodding along...

For the price you're gonna get a much older/ higher mileage vehicle. I have looked into things like the Shogun in the past, every one I tried smelled like wet dog and was tatty inside. I know it is bound to be the case with this type of vehicle but it's a lot of money to spend on an old mobile kennel

I also looked at a Terrano II today with 45,000 on the clock for £3700(trade) which seemed reasonable, it was old and just didn't have what we were looking for, same problem with boot space as the 7 seaters. I was very tidy for its age though. The car with the kids in is going to need Air Con, the Terrano didn't have it.

I'm hoping to get a Multipla that has been owned by an old dear or used by a posh family who bought it for the school run. Southport is a pretty decent place for that kind of thing.