Estate car or MPV ?

[gary r]

Cant make my mind up regarding car purchase,looked at the following used vehicles
VW Passat Estate (best of the bunch so far)
VW Touran (seemed a bit basic)
Citroen C4 Grand Picasso (great gadgets worried about reliability)
Peugeot Estates ??

2 kids,Dog and bikes to transport around, dont mind the roof/towbar option for a rack so an estate would still be OK.any suggestions?recommendations?we currently have a Citroen Xsara Picasso that we have owned for 11 years without a problem,been a great car but now getting a bit tired

 

[Kiwiavenger]

Mondeo TDCI estate??? lol.

It depends on what you want, price range etc. go to the more "mainstream" marquees and you get more kit for the same price, but then you dont get the "Prestige"

Personally i dont touch French stuff but thats through bitter experience with the older ones! lol.

 

[Sandra6]

If you want to put the bikes in the car then I'd suggest a VW caravelle or transporter, we had a transporter out of necessity when needing 8 seats and it was a great car/bus?!
If you're going to use a cycle carrier rear or roof mounted then why the need for an mpv?
I don't really get people that have a couple of kids and suddenly need a massive car, but each to their own.
Of the ones you've listed I've heard more positives about the passatt than the others.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Skoda Octavia? Had 2 of the previous version and they were ace.
Fiat Doblo, ugly but functional.


My C8 is fab, 42 mpg is the downside but 2nd hand are pretty cheap. Mines 5 years old with 100k and it's been an excellent family wagon for 3 teenagers and the dog. Space enough for a barn-dance, 4 roadbikes in the boot, 5 at a real squeeze including up to 5 adults at the same time!

 

[gary r]

If you want to put the bikes in the car then I'd suggest a VW caravelle or transporter, we had a transporter out of necessity when needing 8 seats and it was a great car/bus?!
If you're going to use a cycle carrier rear or roof mounted then why the need for an mpv?
I don't really get people that have a couple of kids and suddenly need a massive car, but each to their own.
Of the ones you've listed I've heard more positives about the passatt than the others.

Forgot to Add Mrs R has her own business and quite often has seats folded down and the back full of boxes

 

[Fab Foodie]

I don't really get people that have a couple of kids and suddenly need a massive car, but each to their own.
.

Good question .....
We have 3 kids, so need 3 full sized rear seats for any distance, but 2 kids require a lot of space if you're active and travelling around a lot visiting/activities especially with buggies, cots etc.
But there's:
Car shares/school run - we took 4 kids and occasionally 5
Travelling when Grandma stays so we can all get in 1 car
Bringing kids mates along for events
Going camping
Going biking
Household projects going to the tip/collecting stuff

For all the other stuff we use a C1 and cars don't get much smaller than that ....
I'm certain fewer people these days have big cars for the sake of it.

 

[4F]

Skoda Octavia Estate. Previously we went down the MPV route (Hyuandai Trajet) and whilst it was handy to have the extra seats in reality it was not worth the extra running costs for the few times a year all the seats were used.

We have 3 kids (9, 13, 14) and find that with a trailer we have enough room for 2 weeks worth of camping equip and 5 bikes.

 

[pubrunner]

Cant make my mind up regarding car purchase,looked at the following used vehicles
VW Passat Estate (best of the bunch so far)
VW Touran (seemed a bit basic)
Citroen C4 Grand Picasso (great gadgets worried about reliability)
Peugeot Estates ??

2 kids,Dog and bikes to transport around, dont mind the roof/towbar option for a rack so an estate would still be OK.any suggestions?recommendations?we currently have a Citroen Xsara Picasso that we have owned for 11 years without a problem,been a great car but now getting a bit tired

Until earlier this year, I had a VW Touran and it was excellent; if you want a 'functional' car, I'm not sure why you'd prefer a Passat estate - the Touran has a higher roofline at the back, which is very useful when loading boxes etc.

I notice that you've had your Picasso for 11 years; if you by a Touran or Passat and keep it for so long, you'll certainly require at least 1 cambelt change - not cheap !!! I sold our Touran just before it needed another cambelt change. If I'd owned it for 11 years, with the mileage I'd been doing, I'd have needed three cambelt changes - which in all, would be well over £1,000 . . . + the waterpumps.

. . . . . . . I'll never own another car which has a cambelt.

If you consider getting a car with a cambelt, find out how much it will cost to change and the potential replacement costs whilst under your ownership.

I suggest that you read this . . .

http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/a-cautionary-tale.17350/#post-360216

If your Citroen has been a good buy and you've a dealership nearby with whom whom you have a good relationship, I'd consider getting another one.

 

[Sandra6]

Good question .....
We have 3 kids, so need 3 full sized rear seats for any distance, but 2 kids require a lot of space if you're active and travelling around a lot visiting/activities especially with buggies, cots etc.
But there's:
Car shares/school run - we took 4 kids and occasionally 5
Travelling when Grandma stays so we can all get in 1 car
Bringing kids mates along for events
Going camping
Going biking
Household projects going to the tip/collecting stuff

For all the other stuff we use a C1 and cars don't get much smaller than that ....
I'm certain fewer people these days have big cars for the sake of it.

When we had three kids we had a fiat panda, we regularly did long trips and a lot of camping. It's amazing what you can pack in if you try.
Although in fairness, if we were in that position now I'd probably go for something bigger just for the car seat issue alone.
I see not having spare seats in the car as a good thing as you don't have to give people lifts!

 

[green1]

I notice that you've had your Picasso for 11 years; if you by a Touran or Passat and keep it for so long, you'll certainly require at least 1 cambelt change - not cheap !!! I sold our Touran just before it needed another cambelt change. If I'd owned it for 11 years, with the mileage I'd been doing, I'd have needed three cambelt changes - which in all, would be well over £1,000 . . . + the waterpumps.

. . . . . . . I'll never own another car which has a cambelt.

I'll check but I don't think there are many wankel powered estates about.

 

[mickle]

I'd recommend a 15yo Volvo GLE Turbo Estate. Seven seats (if two are midgets), go like sh!t off a shovel and last forever. You can pick them up for under £2k.

And the money you save can be spent on fuel.

Lots and lots of fuel.

 

[Archie_tect]

Had 3 VW passat estates until I got a Volvo v70- all 2l SE diesels... now got a 1600 SE Bluemotion diesel Passat Estate.. best of the lot: 62mpg on long runs at 70 on motorway. 48mpg round about.

Looked at Superb Estate but went with Passat as it's much much cheaper per month as we go through the business for Contract Maintenence to get half VAT back on hire element. This Passat is cheaper per month than any other one we've got on contract for 15 years! The Volvo was a business contract offer in 2009 that they couldn't get anywhere near this time.

If I was buying for myself I'd get a 2 or 3 year old Bluemotion 1600 S Passat Estate.

 

[Kestevan]

I'll check but I don't think there are many wankel powered estates about.

Maybe not, but there are a lot of cars which use timing chains rather than belts......

We have a C4 Grande Picasso. and have been very happy.... despite the fact that the water pump seized and the timing belt snapped, subsequently trashing the engine. Citroen UK themselves were very reasonable about the failure depite the car being out of warranty (the dealers however are less than ideal), and made a "substantial" good will contribution towards the repair.

 

[gary r]

I'll check but I don't think there are many wankel powered estates about.

Until earlier this year, I had a VW Touran and it was excellent; if you want a 'functional' car, I'm not sure why you'd prefer a Passat estate - the Touran has a higher roofline at the back, which is very useful when loading boxes etc.

I notice that you've had your Picasso for 11 years; if you by a Touran or Passat and keep it for so long, you'll certainly require at least 1 cambelt change - not cheap !!! I sold our Touran just before it needed another cambelt change. If I'd owned it for 11 years, with the mileage I'd been doing, I'd have needed three cambelt changes - which in all, would be well over £1,000 . . . + the waterpumps.

. . . . . . . I'll never own another car which has a cambelt.

If you consider getting a car with a cambelt, find out how much it will cost to change and the potential replacement costs whilst under your ownership.

I suggest that you read this . . .

http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/a-cautionary-tale.17350/#post-360216

If your Citroen has been a good buy and you've a dealership nearby with whom whom you have a good relationship, I'd consider getting another one.

ive had cambelts done on Both of our cars (outside of warranty periods) and have used a mechanic i know, under £200 which is cheap.other people i know have paid close to £500 for a new cambelt

 

[biggs682]

we faced same decision a few years ago , and went Picasso option very happy and versatile vehicle