IS YOUR CAR A PEOPLE CARRIER?
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  1. #1
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    Default IS YOUR CAR A PEOPLE CARRIER?

    I have a Ford Focus which I absolutely love but alas it is not suitable anymore Hubby has seen a Vauxhall Zafira for sale and I just wondered if anyone had one and if so what they are like? Thanks x
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    I have a renault grand scenic I'm looking to sell so I can get a C8 or 807 - I now need 8 seats instead of 7 x

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    8 seats! Crikey you must be busy!
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    We've got one and it works fine for childminding and a family car. It's not very exciting but a real workhorse. I used to have a citroen c8 and it was fantastic for childminding really roomy but cost a bomb in fuel.(about £50 a week for the 7 mile round trip to school twice a day)

    With a bit of pushing and shoving i manage to fit 3 babyseats in the middle row. My son sits in the front and my daughter in one of the boot seats. I only have 1 bootseat up so that i can fit my phil and teds alongside it.

    With both bootseats up there is only a miniscule boot. I couldn't fit my mclaren double in the space but i did manage to get hold of a mothercare double that would fit. I can't remember the name of the mothercare pushchair but it folded flat rather than like an umbrella. It's a tight squeeze but can be done and the savings i've made on fuel have been well worth the compromise on space.

    i love fridays when i take the babyseats out and we have a normal car for the weekend!

  5. #5
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    Thanks for replying Sophia, Ive never had a 7 seater but have driven one while on holidays. Whats fuel consumption like? x
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  6. #6
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    I have a Zafira and it's fine. When back seats are up hardly and boot space but plenty when just using the normal seats.

    I had a focus before this and loved it. Would love a focus again.
    love Sarah.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by tinksplace View Post
    Thanks for replying Sophia, Ive never had a 7 seater but have driven one while on holidays. Whats fuel consumption like? x
    My school run is 3.5 miles each way twice a day plus pickups for childminding.

    We live in a village about 3 miles from town and 1 or other of my own kids need running in and out for clubs most evenings. Plus my husband or I normally pop into town 2 or 3 other times a week. I'm sorry its complicated but i'm terrible at maths so cant work out how many miles I do in a week but it seems to average about £35 a week in fuel. With my c8 i only did the school run and it cost me £50 and it was diesel It was so expensive we used to use my husbands hideous clapped out work car (he's a gardener and his car is minging!) for all the other running about.

    I love my zafira as it is a 7 seater but is no bigger to drive around than the average family saloon.

    hope this helps and i havent confused you too much!

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by sophia36 View Post
    My school run is 3.5 miles each way twice a day plus pickups for childminding.

    We live in a village about 3 miles from town and 1 or other of my own kids need running in and out for clubs most evenings. Plus my husband or I normally pop into town 2 or 3 other times a week. I'm sorry its complicated but i'm terrible at maths so cant work out how many miles I do in a week but it seems to average about £35 a week in fuel. With my c8 i only did the school run and it cost me £50 and it was diesel It was so expensive we used to use my husbands hideous clapped out work car (he's a gardener and his car is minging!) for all the other running about.

    I love my zafira as it is a 7 seater but is no bigger to drive around than the average family saloon.

    hope this helps and i havent confused you too much!
    Thanks so much for all that info,It does sound good so I think we're going to go take a look at it anyway but Im so sad coz I have always wanted a focus and now i cant believe i have to let it go.Weird to get attached to a car but its my lovely car!
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  9. #9
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    I do not like my Zafira

    I like my caravelle - 9 seats

  10. #10
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    I love my zafira, its a 2 liter deisel with turbo and its brilliant,, seats go up for the holidays and down for the normal week , boot space is minimum when all the seats are up but then most 7 seaters are but its like an estate when they are down,, its cheaper to tax than my old astra estate and insurance was really good till my partner crashed it and they put it up!
    I love the fact I can put the seats up and down easily and that they go in to the boot and basicly disapear.
    I would defo buy another zafira but then I am a astra fan and a vauxhaul fan as I have always had astras and never had any major hassels with them.
    I would say though that the boot seats are smaller than the others so not the best for adults to sit in but can still fit car seats on,, i can fit 2 seats acrross mine.

  11. #11
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    We had a Ford Galaxy 7 seater diesel, great on fuel, only R reg, been to south of France in it last year. Alas no more partner decided to write it off at the weekend. When insurance comes through I will definitely get another one there great. Prefer galaxy to zafira, they seem more cheap and plastic inside

  12. #12
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    I'm on my second Ford Galaxy, first one was a 6 seater, this one is newer and a 7 seater, very reliable.

  13. #13
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    I've got a Ford Galaxy as well and love it. The only thing is that it has sensors for just about everything and costs a fortune when something goes wrong. I had to pay £81.00 yesterday for a replacement valve on my tyre because there's a tyre pressure sensor on it! Mine is a 2007 Ghia - other models may not have so many sensors etc (may be something to bear in mind!).

    My mum's got a Zafira and while it's very nice I have to say it would be too small for me childminding. I can easily get three car seats in the middle row of my galaxy and then two more in the back and still have enough boot space for a double buggy - that wouldn't be possible in my mum's Zafira.

    Good luck with your search!
    Cazz x

  14. #14
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    I have a Ford Galaxy 7 seater diesel, i love it i get my double buggy and single buggy in the boot together, and plenty of room for the children they love it too

  15. #15
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    I have a Zafira, it was between a Zafira and a Galaxy when I was looking to up grade. It was really hard to find second hand Galaxy's that were in as good condition and for the same price as second hand Zafira's are.

    I have to say after driving a peugeot 106 for 8 years I was a litle worried about the cost and practicalities of driving 'such a big car', but it's easy.
    No bigger than my OH's estate and the fuel consumption doesn't seem to be much different, even though it a 2L turbo diesel. I do quite a lot of miles, sometimes 54miles a day with school drop off morning and lunchtimes, play groups and school pick up in the evening, and I put in around £100-£150 a month, but we don't use it much on the weekends as OH has a 'company' car
    The seats are easy to put up and down, I can get a baby seat and 2 harnessed child seats in the back. I agree that the boot seats aren't big enough for an adult but the children love the novelty of sitting in the boot, even after a year, and I have been known to put my 2 seater buggy in the front so I can use both seats in the boot, just to stop arguments!!!

    The only problem I have is getting the children into the boot seat sometimes, the older ones climb through the seats but I have to lift some of the LO's over the back of the seat and 'feed' them through onto the seat.

    Saying that, now I've got it I love it!!!

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cazz View Post
    I've got a Ford Galaxy as well and love it. The only thing is that it has sensors for just about everything and costs a fortune when something goes wrong. I had to pay £81.00 yesterday for a replacement valve on my tyre because there's a tyre pressure sensor on it! Mine is a 2007 Ghia - other models may not have so many sensors etc (may be something to bear in mind!).

    My mum's got a Zafira and while it's very nice I have to say it would be too small for me childminding. I can easily get three car seats in the middle row of my galaxy and then two more in the back and still have enough boot space for a double buggy - that wouldn't be possible in my mum's Zafira.


    Good luck with your search!
    I've got 3 harnessed seats across the back of my zafira, the 2 on the outside seats are isofix so I can slide the middle row witout undoing the belts! I have 2 Jane high back boosters in the back and have 2 + cushions so I can use them from 9mths when I have my assistant or friends in the car. Plus I can fit either my P&T sport, P&T e3 twin (side by side) or city select in the boot with all seats up! Its just a case of finding the perfect combination

 

 

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