Recommend me an SUV/MPV-style car

3DataModem

OK here's my requirement;

> A car that is common (so parts and service etc are easy to get)
> A car that is relatively reliable
> A car that has a boot sufficiently large for a double buggy
> 4 door + hatchback
> High rear - hence the "SUV-style" or "MPV-style" to make getting kids in and out easier
> Not higher than average mileage
> Leather(ette) interior
> Air conditioning
> 2.0 liter or lower

Budget strictly nine grand.

I'm thinking '05 or '06 Hyundai Santa Fe such as this one;
http://www.carzone.ie/search/Hyundai/Santa-Fe/Fe-Like-/200924193093936/advert?channel=CARS

All suggestions welcomed.

af_thefragile

What about a Toyota Rav 4??
You can't go wrong with a toyota...

Lex Luthor

af_thefragile wrote: »

What about a Toyota Rav 4??
You can't go wrong with a toyota...

Boot might be a compromise?

Anan1

I was thinking the same, from memory the boot in a RAV4 isn't huge.

Cookie_Monster

Why SUV, plenty of good estate cars out there that fill thos criteria, is there a reason not to go estate over SUV?

Long Onion

This is a problem with a lot of the mid-size suv's. There could be an argument for buying a good estate car over some of these. My wife now has a Mitsubishi Outlander which tick all the requirements but they only came out in 2007 (forget the older one it looks like a bulldog licking p1ss off a thistle) so i'm not sure about the budget.

If you can stretch though i would have no problems whatsoever recommending it - excellent all-rounder.

DUBLINHITMAN

my dad just picked up a new nissan qashqui lovely yolk
understand now why there is so many of them.
it might be worth a look

robtri

Have to go +2 on the estate car...
offers virtually all you need, and much better selection out there.

Jaysoose

Shudders at the thought of another pointless off-road type vehicle taking up space on the roads.

Buy an estate.

niceirishfella

DUBLINHITMAN wrote: »

my dad just picked up a new nissan qashqui lovely yolk
understand now why there is so many of them.
it might be worth a look

the OP will not be looking @ a Qashqui with 9k to spend.;)
Re; the santa fe, this is the old model as you know, depressing interior and slow to move, but practical, decent boot,reliable and cheap now. They make a decent family SUV for the kind of lugging you want to do.
The petrol version will be hard on fuel and hard to sell on. Try and get a diesel model. The Timing belt and pump on them costs over €650 to do and main dealer is recommended on them - so ensure its been done recently or get it done in any deal. Check for Anti roll bar bushes at the back (knocking noises from rear as you drive) they tend to go over 100k(can go prematurely)as well as the handbrake cables too, they tend to sieze. Check the brake discs to for excessive wear, new rear ones for example are €130+vat OEM.

3DataModem

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Why SUV, plenty of good estate cars out there that fill thos criteria, is there a reason not to go estate over SUV?

Yes. Higher access to rear seats.

3DataModem

Jaysoose wrote: »

Shudders at the thought of another pointless off-road type vehicle taking up space on the roads.

Buy an estate.

Point of SUV-type vehicle is high rear access. (I presume I not clear or did you just not read the OP? Or are you just trolling?)

robtri

3DataModem wrote: »

Yes. Higher access to rear seats.

may I ask why you would need higher access to rear seats??? surely lower access is easier for everyone

3DataModem

niceirishfella wrote: »

the OP will not be looking @ a Qashqui with 9k to spend.;)
Re; the santa fe, this is the old model as you know, depressing interior and slow to move, but practical, decent boot,reliable and cheap now. They make a decent family SUV for the kind of lugging you want to do.
The petrol version will be hard on fuel and hard to sell on. Try and get a diesel model. The Timing belt and pump on them costs over €650 to do and main dealer is recommended on them - so ensure its been done recently or get it done in any deal. Check for Anti roll bar bushes at the back (knocking noises from rear as you drive) they tend to go over 100k(can go prematurely)as well as the handbrake cables too, they tend to sieze. Check the brake discs to for excessive wear, new rear ones for example are €130+vat OEM.

Many thanks. Very helpful post. Will make a note of these before looking.

niceirishfella

No hassles 3,

and ohhhhhhhhh, here comes the anti 4x4. anti SUV Brigade!

3DataModem

robtri wrote: »

may I ask why you would need higher access to rear seats??? surely lower access is easier for everyone

Because the children, when born, will probably be at most 4lbs in weight (and unable to walk) so will require my wife to lift them both in and out of the car reasonably frequently.

When they are big enough to get in and out themselves, the "family" car gets sold and they can climb into the back of my beetle!

Jaysoose

3DataModem wrote: »

Point of SUV-type vehicle is high rear access. (I presume I not clear or did you just not read the OP? Or are you just trolling?)

Read it, laughed at it..now im trolling, just admit you want one and are using the kids as leverage with the missus. You know you want to.

Reminds me of the guy i used to work with who bought a Santa fe for his one childs safety even though his wife didnt work and the kid was quite happy in her mums clio while the santa fe was always parked badly outside work.

3DataModem

Jaysoose wrote: »

Read it, laughed at it..now im trolling, just admit you want one and are using the kids as leverage with the missus. You know you want to.

Reminds me of the guy i used to work with who bought a Santa fe for his one childs safety even though his wife didnt work and the kid was quite happy in her mums clio while the santa fe was always parked badly outside work.

Nope... neither of us want one. Have a VW beetle that's more than enough car for me - I bike + train to work. However, with twins on the way it's not practical for my wife to be in the beetle - one buggy + baby would be fine but now that we know it is two babies and a double buggy we need something with 4 doors and a big boot.

And yes, you were trolling with your post.

Also - do you have a serious suggestion for what someone drives with two car seats and a double buggy?

Saab Ed

Op if its high back seats you want will you consider an MPV like a Scenic or something or is it the look of a SUV you want aswell?

Gary ITR

Jaysoose wrote: »

Read it, laughed at it..now im trolling, just admit you want one and are using the kids as leverage with the missus. You know you want to.

Reminds me of the guy i used to work with who bought a Santa fe for his one childs safety even though his wife didnt work and the kid was quite happy in her mums clio while the santa fe was always parked badly outside work.

Quit it or I'll take further action

3DataModem

Saab Ed wrote: »

Op if its high back seats you want will you consider an MPV like a Scenic or something or is it the look of a SUV you want aswell?

Yep, I'd consider a scenic. I suppose I never really understood the difference between MPV and SUV. I'll edit original post.

Saab Ed

3DataModem wrote: »

Yep, I'd consider a scenic. I suppose I never really understood the difference between MPV and SUV. I'll edit original post.

The reason I ask is because Im one of thoses SUV haters...never saw the scense in buying something thats bigger on the outside yet generaly smaller on the inside than a like for like car. Yes SUVs are sexier but an MPVs are far more pratical.

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Renault/Scenic/1.4-DYNA/200924193070886/advert?channel=CARS


http://www.carzone.ie/search/Opel/Zafira/Automati/200917192581307/advert?channel=CARS


or still best in class IMO....

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Fiat/Multipla/1.6%23-%E2%82%AC30/200840190277996/advert?channel=CARS

niceirishfella

3,
You'll find a Hyundai a lot more reliable than a Renault.
Oooooooohhhh, he's comes the Renault defenders!

3DataModem

Saab Ed wrote: »

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Renault/Scenic/1.4-DYNA/200924193070886/advert?channel=CARS


http://www.carzone.ie/search/Opel/Zafira/Automati/200917192581307/advert?channel=CARS


http://www.carzone.ie/search/Fiat/Multipla/1.6%23-%E2%82%AC30/200840190277996/advert?channel=CARS

Lovely!

All seem to do the job - especially the last.

More food for thought.

MODS - CAN YOU PLEASE CHANGE "SUV" IN TITLE TO "SUV/MPV"?

niceirishfella

Saab Ed wrote: »

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Renault/Scenic/1.4-DYNA/200924193070886/advert?channel=CARS


http://www.carzone.ie/search/Opel/Zafira/Automati/200917192581307/advert?channel=CARS


http://www.carzone.ie/search/Fiat/Multipla/1.6%23-%E2%82%AC30/200840190277996/advert?channel=CARS

I wound'nt buy any of the above with my own money.
I would buy the Renault, because its a Renault and will be the bane of your life (unreliable).
I would'nt buy the Fazifa as they have shag all of a boot with the 2 back seats up, and its an opel (i have a friend with one and she had nothing but hassles)
and I would'nt buy the fiat, cos its Ugly and well, its a Fiat.

Saab Ed

All joking aside , if you ever travelled in a Multipla you'd know what their owners see in them ( and it aint the looks ). Space is great but the ride comfort is out of this world. You'll have to keep it to get your moneys worth but they do have a loyal following when you want rid, all be it a price

Lex Luthor

Saab Ed wrote: »

but an MPVs are far more pratical.

they tend to be more family orientated than SUV's alright

I can understand the need for the higher access & seating when the kids are young...saves bending the back and also the kids love the high up position aswell.

I'd steer towards an MPV aswell. This one is worth a look. Missus has one and swears by it plus you get the reliabilty to go with it

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=200933194870808

3DataModem

Fantastic.

Definitely looking at an MPV now, and seems to be plenty of fresh tin out there for under 9 grand.

PS I'm keeping the beetle.

rs

I recently bought a SEAT altea. Found it to be the perfect size for 2 young kids (3 year-old and 3 month-old)

1. Taller than standard car and bigger doors so easy to get the sprogs in and out of.
2. Big boot (but not massive). They do an XL model which has an even bigger boot but only from '07 which would be out of your budget.
3. Higher than normal driving position, but not SUV high.
4. 5* NCAP
5. Handling is easily as good as the Golf we replaced.

Something like this

http://www.carzone.ie/search/SEAT/Altea/1.6-R-10/200924193058459/advert?channel=CARS

Note: does not have seven seats like the Verso, Zafira, S-MAX

Worth a test drive anyway. We were a lot more impressed than we expected to be.

rs

niceirishfella wrote: »

I wound'nt buy any of the above with my own money.
I would buy the Renault, because its a Renault and will be the bane of your life (unreliable).
I would'nt buy the Fazifa as they have shag all of a boot with the 2 back seats up, and its an opel (i have a friend with one and she had nothing but hassles)
and I would'nt buy the fiat, cos its Ugly and well, its a Fiat.

Totally agree.

1. Renault Senics have a bad rep for reliability. They are also crap to drive (lots of body roll)
2. Zafira - 7 seats is nice, but it's an ugly boxy thing. Not sure about reliability.
3. Fiat - I'd rather die than be seen in something so ugly.

niceirishfella

3DataModem wrote: »

Fantastic.

Definitely looking at an MPV now, and seems to be plenty of fresh tin out there for under 9 grand.

No! Feck the Suv haters here and buy one just to piss them off! LOL
Anyways, just messing,buy what suits you, your needs and your pocket,re rs's post, good call on the Altea! I like them.
@ Saab Ed, yeah, i get the uniqueness of the multipla,but still, no - i could'nt!:P
My wife has a hyundai tuscon, she loves the thing, I'm indifferent to it - she likes the high upness and it is practical. I do like a suv/mpv with roof rails though, handy to latch a big roofbox onto for extra luggage space when needed like we do sometimes. I had a 530D before my 535 and when she got the lend once she scraped my spoiler on a kerb, but no fear in the suv which is good for all of us:D
If you are going mpv, here my recommendation - http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/931220
C-max, fresh 07 and you'd get it for 8750ish I reckon;)

kyote00

How about this....

lots of space, 4 wheel drive (even the saloon A6 has a huge boot)

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Audi/A6/1.8-T-AV/200840190271114/advert?channel=CARS

I think you might find that most mid sized SUV (like rav4, xtrail, sante fe) havw much less space in the boot.

niceirishfella

kyote00 wrote: »

How about this....

lots of space, 4 wheel drive (even the saloon A6 has a huge boot)

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Audi/A6/1.8-T-AV/200840190271114/advert?channel=CARS

I think you might find that most mid sized SUV (like rav4, xtrail, sante fe) havw much less space in the boot.

8 years old?..........there's fresher stuff out there:pac:

galwaytt

3DataModem wrote: »

OK here's my requirement;

> A car that is common (so parts and service etc are easy to get)
> A car that is relatively reliable
> A car that has a boot sufficiently large for a double buggy
> 4 door + hatchback
> High rear - hence the "SUV-style" or "MPV-style" to make getting kids in and out easier
> Not higher than average mileage
> Leather(ette) interior
> Air conditioning
> 2.0 liter or lower

Budget strictly nine grand.

I'm thinking '05 or '06 Hyundai Santa Fe such as this one;
http://www.carzone.ie/search/Hyundai/Santa-Fe/Fe-Like-/200924193093936/advert?channel=CARS

All suggestions welcomed.

Well, we had a loan of one of those Santa Fe's while our new Galaxy was fubar'd.........my wife loved it. I was impressed, tbh.

On the estate thing.......mmmmmm........I have one, and I want my 1.4 16v Scenic back. The 'boot' in the Scenic much more useful (it's got height). Driving position v.good too.

Of course, that's why the Qashqai is popular - it's based on the Scenic, style-wise......

bazz26

Ford Focus C-Max 1.8 TDCi:
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=200918192629441

Lex Luthor

bazz26 wrote: »

Ford Focus C-Max 1.8 TDCi:
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=200918192629441

nice find. lot of car for the money there bazz. Low mileage and 3yrs old with decent spec


on the Tucson, had one as a hire car about 2yrs ago. AWFUL..!!!! One of the worst cars I have ever driven. Even the Kia Sedona I had before it was better and that was saying much...

niceirishfella

Lex Luthor wrote: »

on the Tucson, had one as a hire car about 2yrs ago. AWFUL..!!!! One of the worst cars I have ever driven....

From a bloke thats grand, as I said I'm indifferent to it, but she likes it. But they are not aimed at you and are very successfull in their market for the female suv buyer. As the bloke who services/fixes it, I'm glad i don't have to often as its good in that regard.:)

thethedev

Feck those yokes.

Get yourself a Fiat Scudo Combi!!
Loads of space, seats nice and high up and quite nice to drive to.
We have one, its great. Stay away from the 2.0 turbo the 1.9 non turbo is the good engine.
Not very stylish but very practical and more space than any SUV.

PinkTulips

3DataModem wrote: »

Because the children, when born, will probably be at most 4lbs in weight (and unable to walk) so will require my wife to lift them both in and out of the car reasonably frequently.

Nonsense, plenty of twins are higher birth weights than that, and if they are 4lbs you won't be bringing them home til they're 6lbs as SCBU doesn't allow it.

I have 3 kids and high rear access would be far more difficult for getting them in and out of car seats, don't forget the car seats add height. One woman i know has a SUV and finds she has to climb in to get the kids out as she can't lift them out of seats now they're heavier, it's a very awkward maneuver.

We have a ford focus estate and it's a fabulous car with kids, huge boot, easy to get parts, great fuel efficiency, rarely has any mechanical bother and drives really nicely.

BrianD3

According to the ADAC (that's the German equivalent of our AA) reliability statistics, 2005 and later Renault Scenics are at or near the top of the MPV class. Better reliability than the Zafira, C-Max, Mazda 5, S-max and others. The Citroen Xsara/C4 Picasso and the VW Touran are also good. As for the Hyundai Tucson, it is one of the worst in the SUV class.

ninty9er

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=200931194748089

Not too high, decent sized boot and leather included. Parts shouldn't be a problem.

Henry Ford III

ninty9er wrote: »

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=200931194748089

Not too high, decent sized boot and leather included. Parts shouldn't be a problem.

2.0 petrol auto though. No thanks.

ninty9er

I'm sure he could find a manual one. I wouldn't bother myself, but it really depends on the type of driving being done.

3DataModem

Update: I've decided on a Ford C-Max. Plenty out there and a nice big boot.

The big selling point for my wife was the fact that it drives more like a car than a van.... the scenics and others I tried all felt a bit "vanny".

Just need to get the 'ol ISOFIX installed and we're good to go!

(pssst... and hopefully will be able to afford to keep the Beetle too!)

Anan1

Can ISOFIX be retrofitted? The mounting points are welded to the body of the car.

biko

I would think a Volvo XC70 would fit the bill, if you can find one in your price range

3DataModem

Anan1 wrote: »

Can ISOFIX be retrofitted? The mounting points are welded to the body of the car.

Apparently it can. I believe they anchor the mounting points to the metal behind the chair and install two "holes" in the seat corner to accommodate the mountings.

Anan1

Magnus wrote: »

I would think a Volvo XC70 would fit the bill, if you can find one in your price range

I considered one when buying my last car, but heard they were a bit of a pig to drive compared to the V70.

R.O.R

3DataModem wrote: »

Apparently it can. I believe they anchor the mounting points to the metal behind the chair and install two "holes" in the seat corner to accommodate the mountings.

If you can get this done, can you post back with who did it for you?

We've had this query from one of our drivers on an old model A4 and all the info we got was it was a factory only job - for safety reasons.

3DataModem

In case anyone's still interested... my circumstances changed; I'm moving to the Isle of Man so decided to pick up a new March 2010 Qashqai for £13.5k.

Thanks for the advice anyhoo.