7seat car survey!

[LittleLegsCM]

Drool, I want one of those please!!

[Demonjill]

I have a Kia Carens 7 seater

It's fabby...proper seats in third row, isofix in middle row.
So practical to have 5,6or 7 seats boot not big with 7 seats in use but I usually have 1 seat down and that's great.
I don't often use the back row tbh but will rather pop one kid in the very back than in the front seat!

Its quite good to run and tax is about £165 so not bad
I got the diesel which is economical but as someone else mentioned watch out for particulate filters...give the car a good run every wee while!

Im looking for a petrol verso for this reason

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I have a Toyota Previa - 8 seater and I love it but they are not made anymore

I also have a Honda 6 seater which i do not like and we are looking at trading to a Mercs van fitted with seats.

[Murdockg]

We have just spent the last 4 or so weeks checking out every 7 seater going (or at least the affordable ones).
I had a zafira. It was great for size but the seats were a nightmare. I would never buy an old style one again whilst I was childminding. The new one is fantastic. The seats are amazing but they only came out in Feb 12 so a nearly new one is impossible to find. Test drove a Touran. Two different size diesel engines apparently. The smaller sized engine is affordable but it felt like a van to me. It also felt like something out of the 80s. It was so old fashioned inside. -The interior is important to me. I really wanted something with a sliding door but everything affordable had high mileage. The Kia sedona has been discontinued apparently, the Grand Voyager drinks fuel, the Seat Alhambra and VW Sharan are too new and expensive. The Mazda 5 and Ford Grand C Max both have 7 seats and sliding doors but are a little small. Boots are way too small.
Have compromised on sliding door and have bought a Peugeot 5008. Had it 5 days and love it so far. The seats are fantastic, so flexible and a good size. Loads of storage under the seats when all 7 are in use. Not sure how it would fare with a buggy though!!! if you have older children you can't fault it!

[smurfette]

Have a renault grand scenic and we are happy with it for running costs .. Traded down from a petrol Hyundai trajet which we loved but guzzled petrol .. Think the diesel version is less thirsty. Also have had a ford galaxy loved all the separate seats and boot wasnt too bad when all seats up but again a guzzler.

I find the grand scenic small for the kids .. Very read seats are best for age 3-7 with a High back booster ., I do put two stage 1 seats in but they aren't a great fit and the baby's legs have little room as they stick straight out in those seats. My 6 year old is happy in the back but my 8 year old Is squashed.

If Money were no object for running costs would go back to trajet or galaxy far preferred them but we are saving Around 60 euros a month which you can't sniff at

[Bluebell]

I have a zafira - seats are a pain but for the money much more affordable for an investment to buy. would like to ultimately upgrade but I am pleased so far.
I part-exchanged my 52 plate fiesta for an 03 zafira and paid £200 so I am well pleased! (advantage of having worked in a car dealership for 4 years!!)

I used to have child seats in middle row and my boys used to clamber over into the back so I didn't have to move seat forward but that was a bit rubish so I now put car seats in back and my boys highback booster seats/boosters cushion in middle so can move bench forwad without the restaraint of the seat belts. If I need a third car seat I'll have to adjust or put it in the middle seat of row.

I have had problems with my back because of climbing into the back carrying a child and then leaning forward to strap in. if child is old enough I put them in and stand them up in the back and then climb in after them to save my back.
Also moving the bench back and then forward to get children in and out is fine so long as you don't park on a hill and there are a lot of hills where I live so that hurts my back too because it makes it so heavy!!

I guess I don't love it but its working for me at the moment with what I could afford!

[bluechair84]

I have a Fiat Ulysse, 03 reg so far so good. Loads of room, much more than Zafira we looked at. I move all the seats up to get max boot space, have double Phil & Teds, single umbrella buggy and bags in there and there's still room! Great manual sliding doors, was told to keep away fom electric doors as lots of probs and a fortune to fix. Very basic car that does the job.

amo