[Closed] Recommend me an MPV

Ford Galaxy/S-max for starters?
Think your going to struggle with good MPG from this class of vehicles though

Mk2 Galaxy / Sharan / Alhambra.

All 5 rear seats are removable, leaving a boot big enough to get a dining table and six chairs in.

£5k won't look at an Smax..... which isn't quite tall enough to get a bike in upright with the wheels on.

As above Galaxy/Sharan/Alhambra with removable seats are great bike vehicles. Mate has one with a chipped diesel (more power better mpg but you need to drive sensibly) and its the "go to" car for Alps Trips. Sleeping in one is a little more work as its not dark of course.

Might be selling my S Max shortly for that. Full leather, Titanium spec (2007) (only one I've ever seen) 75K on the clock, recently done DMF and clutch, new power steering pump and other bits, recent new tyres all round.. few scratches and little dents that could be tidied up, doesn't worry me and nothing major. Towbar + electrics fitted.

You won't get a bike in it upright, you can sleep in it if you fold all the seats flat but I wouldn't want too for more than a night. MPG is OK, 40-45 ish at a guess but I've not measured it.

I'm going to shamelessly plug the Galaxy, seeing as I've had mine 7yrs now. 🙂
I think they are fab.

Its practical, umpteen seating combinations. Kids love them.
Carries 4 adults & 4 bikes, (3 of which fully built inside the car if need be, plus 4th with wheels off).

Its our go-to vehicle for bike trips as its just so bloody good at it.
A little dated now, but if that's not an issue their simplicity & practicality can net you a right bargain. I say simplicity because its basically technology from mid 90's VAG TDi. The 1.9 engine, if kept serviced, is a reliable old beast. Avoid the 2.3 petrol, but above all avoid anything with an auto box. Run. Forget you ever saw it & move house. Its a £2k fix, & if you see 60k without a re-build you'd be giving Norris McWirter a call.

Tailgate is excellent, its huge giving you a sizeable area out of the rain when faffing. We've often cook under it on days out etc.

The driver & passenger seats spin 180 degrees. Admittedly not something you use all the time, but for days out etc, its handy.
With all the seats out its basically a van, you can stand up (albeit hunched over), & the floor is completely flat.

TDi engine is strong, returns 40mpg if needed, typically 35 running around. Had close on 50mpg on a run. Belts need doing every 40-60k. Not sure why the difference. Shop about, my last one was in with a service but it was about £270 on its own.

If you avoid the later Seat model, there's no DPF's to worry about.
(Galaxy went to 56' Sharran about a 57', Alhambra 59' I think...)

Keep a healthy repair budget, they are fond of needing repairs.
Nothing major, turbo's & dmf's are no less reliable than any VAG TDi vehicle.
But yearly drop link changes (dealer £30+ each, Ebay 2 for £15), its a 30 min job to do both sides, I normally chuck new roll bar bushes in at the same time. They are heavy cars, & hard on bushes.

Vibration under acceleration is usually driveshafts. Dealers will take your children as part payment, but thers an Ebay company called J&R, who do the whole lot for about £100.

The AC may need attention. Again, nothing major, its the high pressure line. Part is about £60 from Ebay, & its a couple of hours work. Its a job you'll probably do once in its lifetime though, & obviously a re-gas afterwards.
Do they need AC ?...its bearable (just) in summer but that dash is like a big radiator. Park with the sun on the back of the car helps. My AC is currently up the duff, I'll get round to changing the pipe at some point. 😕

Look up fgoc.co.uk
Yes, there's an owners club...!!!
Think of it as a support network & you'll not go far wrong. Most of the common repairs have been written out & photographed because Haynes didn't produce a manual until a couple of years ago. There's some really helpful chaps on there.

Only problem these days is finding a good one.
Cab drivers love them.
Don't be put off by it having a few miles on it.
Ours is on 123k now, & it still hauls our 1500kg caravan with no bother. I'd happily hook up & point it across Europe tomorrow. It could probably drive itself to Bike Park Wales these days.

Avoid:
Renault ...

I've owned/own two VW Touran's (2004 & 2007) and one Galaxy (2014). I prefer the Touran. Better MPG and solidly built. Plenty big enough as a big lugger.

I have owned Touran and (new shape) Galaxy... And prefer Galaxy. Better built, so far cheaper when it did go wrong, and has gone wrong less.
And much, much bigger, so I am happy with a few mpg less.

I'm getting 37 - 40mpg out of my 2.2TDi SMax, 45+on a long continuous run and that's with roof bars on. I don't think that's bad for a big heavy car. You can fit bikes in upright with the front wheel off and seat down on the dropper or seat lowered or removed. However if you're after a compromise between a car and a van then you're only slightly better off with an MPV than you are with a car. The benefit of a van for me is being able to chuck your bikes in dirty - the SMax is still a car inside so you won't want to put muddy bikes in - I tend to put mine on the roof for local rides, on the tow-bar rack for long motorway journeys and family outings and only put the bikes in the car if i'm going on an after-work ride so the clean bikes are inside when the car is parked up in the car park at work all day - they go back on the roof post-ride.

So in summary - not much more convenient than a decent sized hatchback or estate - and no difference if you put the bikes on the roof. But still a great car - so practical for other things and you'll be amazed the number of times the 6th and 7th seats come in handy.

For convenience you just can't beat a roof mounted cycle rack. Obviously not as secure and a very slight hit to economy - not really an issue as you don't drive around with the bike permanently on the roof and you're not going to notice the hit for a few journeys every week. Ride upto the car and in 20 seconds the bike is secured on the roof. Concerned about mud on the roof? well the SMax is a high car so most people won't notice and it'll be gone after the next rain shower. Anyway if you're that precious about your car then maybe using it to cart around dirty mountain bikes is not ideal - or invest in a Moby jet washer and spend 30 minutes after every ride cleaning and drying off your bike.

I'd love a van cause they're just great things, but as hard as I try I just can't justify one - too much of a compromise.

We use S Max in work. They are terrible, the most unreliable vehicles we use ( most are 11-14 plate) electrical faults, eat tyres, just rubbish. I would go Jap or VW (Verso or Touran)

Strange, because everyone I know with an SMax are perfectly happy with them. Mine is touching 80k miles and the only thing that has gone wrong is the Blue tooth module has packed up. One person I know had an early DMF change but 60k miles on it's been faultless. Yes, tyre wear is not the best, but its a heavy FWD car - not sure what people expect without resorting to rock hard tyres with no grip, and not sure how an SMax would be worse on tyre wear than a similarly heavy FWD car. I live off a main dual carriageway and close to the M1 and M6 and I see more VW's and BMW's broken down or on the back of a flat bed than any other make of car. German cars are living off a reputation for reliability built up in the '70's and '80's, but now they're no worse or better than any other brand of car.

My SMax hasn't missed a beat in the 3 years/40,000 miles that I've had it.

39-41 mpg.
1.8 Diesel.

Mine is touching 80k miles and the only thing that has gone wrong is the Blue tooth module has packed up.

Have you tried holding down the on/off button on the stereo for 15 seconds? It resets the system. I found this out the other week when I lost Bluetooth.

I'm now running a Fiat Doblo 2013 model with seating for 5. (SWB effectively). They do a LWB version too if you can find one. Drives like a van, looks butt ugly, cheap to buy, so far been cheap to run and am averaging 46.6mpg out the 1.6 diesel (don't hang around in it).
The trick is finding one that's not disabled access conversion or ex taxi.

Hmm, for that budget you're not going to find much from the above options.

Thats Eurovan 2 territory that is.

Eurovan 2 aka Citroen C8, Peugeot 806 and Fiat Ulysse (also a Lancia but I dont think they were ever sold here). Squeaks and rattles as only an MPV with that name could but is otherwise reliable. Speedo is also rather avante garde, being placd in the middle of the dash facing directly backwards (the parrelax error at 30 is immense) plus the electric door sensors were probably prototyped on Christine (or just sometimes dont work which leaves you having to shove a rather strong door back open as it closes on you, not fun).

I sell it well dont I?

Actually, now I think more I can find more faults, probably just best to run, they're sterotypically French/ Italian shitely designed crap that nobody should suffer. I'd take an elderly Tourneo over any of them.

+1 for Ford Galaxy.

We're selling our Mk2 because the A/C has failed. Getting a Mk3.

£5k won't look at an Smax..... which isn't quite tall enough to get a bike in upright with the wheels on.

Don't you mean a Grand C Max?

Edit: that's the smaller one, with sliding door.

Our Mazda 5 sport is awesome, now 10 years old.
Reliable, comfy and carries kids and everything.
The petrol engine (same as an mx-5) sounds great.
My only grumble is I can't fit my boot lid mounted bike rack
and I prefer driving my Vito.

Verso/Touran/Mazda 5 are ok, but doubt you'll be able to stretch out in the back to sleep.

Don't you mean a Grand C Max?

Don't buy the Renault Espace, seriously. I've just ditched our 3.0DCi Grande Espace Initiale ... it has been nothing but a PiTA

We've had two major mechanical issues...
- first one where the dealer replaced the entire fuel system front to rear >£3.5k of costs fortunately picked up by Renault
- then it's been in the garage more than with us since October '14, bit-by-bit replacing the entire cooling system (inc2xrads), injectors, 2x head gaskets etc

Great design and perfect family car when it's working but a Money Pit when it's not 'cause the cocks at Renault are more about form than function...any work basically means the engine needs to come out (and that's approaching a grand of labour each time).

😥
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+1 for Touran

I'd lean towards the galaxy personally, that said my old man has been running a 2004 zafira for several years as a general not particularly cared for utility vehicle and it's been faultless apart from general wear and tear maintenance.