Reply With Quoteyou said it cant be too big but your looking at X5' and range rovers ? not much bigger than them
Ok folks so here is the brief: we are expecting our 2nd child later this year, when we will need a larger family car:
It needs to be able to carry 3 adults (me, wife and the nanny) and 2 kids in car seats plus luggage.
We live in London, so can't be too big as parking will be an issue, though we have a second small car for short local runs to the shops.
I do tiny mileage (less than 2k per annum) so running costs are not really an issue.
I like something a bit sporty (currently have a 330d Msport touring) but needs to be comfortable and practical for the family.
Maximum budget is about £20k, and I don't mind something a few years old and with a few miles on the clock, given how little I will add to it.
currently on my shortlist is an X5 or RR sport. Does anyone have any suggestions for others I should be considering? Or experience with either of those 2?
I don't know why but I am just not that keen on Audi so the Q7 is probably out. I was following the 5GT thread recently with interest but have come to the conclusion that at 5metres long, it is probably not a viable option in London!
Cheers
Stu
you said it cant be too big but your looking at X5' and range rovers ? not much bigger than them
Last edited by Fianoglach; 3rd June 2016 at 23:13.
Well the Q7 is nearly the same size as the sun so it's a good job you've discounted it ;)
Well this is why it is a dilemma! In London the main issue is the length of the car for parallel parking and manoeuvres, why is is why I was thinking of a shorter, taller car vs a traditional estate like the 5 series or e class.Originally Posted by Fianoglach
These monster 4x4s are just the ticket in London. You can mount kerbs, straddle parking bays, take up to 2 children to school, be impervious to the inconvenience of deep mud and/ or snow and still make it to Waitrose.
the F10 5 series will be replaced next year so prices will probably plummet after tha happens so be aware of that if you go buying one . they are a fantastic car i had an estate one as my last car and loved it . i really miss the carrying capacity that had . great family car .
the E class would be similar and i actually think it has a bigger load capacity . although not as nice to drive as the bmw .
the Audi Q5 or bmw x3 would be a nice bit shorter than the X5 or enormous Q7 so may be options but they will obviously have less interior room personally i wouldnt touch a mercedes suv . but thats just a personal dislike i have for them
i assume you want to stick to premium brands? nothing like a Mazda CX-5 allowed in the running ?
Don't laugh but given your spec a petrol 4x4 Skoda Yeti is hard to beat.
The wife has a 2wd version and along with being a short but capable car the ability to take to seats out and turn it into a van makes it uniquely capable.
I do like the look of the 5 series estate. I had ruled out the Q5 and X3 as I am not sure there is much extra seating space in the back vs our current 3 series.
I have a preference for premium brands, but if the right choice is something else (ford s-max?) then I will give it some thought. A friend of mine has the cx5 actually so might have to see if we could all fit in it!
Ok, sounds like it is worth a look. I know it is surprising how much space some of these smaller cars have. The main issue is finding something with the space to seat an adult and the 2 kids in car seats in the back, which is not possible in our 3 series.
only other premium ones i can think of is the Jaguar XF estate or Audi A6 estate
the RR evoque is tiny and the RR sport is basically just a re-badged Discovery so not massive inside either
left field options maybe a Jeep Cherokee/ Grand Cherokee ?
anything will have more rear leg room than a 3 series . im 6ft 5 and in my seating position in my old 3 series there was about 1-2 inches of leg room in the rear
There's a RR dealership 5 mins from my house, so I shall go and sit in a RR sport to see if it is big enough.
Volvo XC90 would be an option but I heard that the old model(which I would be looking at) is very outdated by today's standards.
A jeep with a big US style V8 might be quite fun :)
the old xc90 was a great car in its day and the new one is beautiful . but the new model should have come out a few years earlier . by the time they changed the old model was very dated in every way . dont think i could pay 20k for one . The Volvo XC60 could be worth look though . could pick up a nice 2012 for around the 20k mark
Well we recently got a Yeti and I am blown away at the sheer quality of it and what a superb car it is but as far as I am aware they only make the 4x4 in diesels and only 2wd in petrol, we have the 1.2 petrol with a superb DSG auto box and it is just so good to drive also I was told by the dealer that 70% of Yeti sales are the 1.2 petrol.
London, SUV - what about the Lexus RX ?
z
If you want practical, buy a galaxy. Your problem will be the two child seats and an adult on the back seat. The galaxy is wide enough to accommodate all three. Sure, you could use the rearmost seats in the X5 but with a buggy in the back and two kiddy seats in, it'll be a ball ache to climb in and out of.
If you need something with a bit more prestige, then buy a galaxy and hang a Rolex off each wing mirror.
Yep, many nice cars fall down when you need to get three in the back. For me the problem is three lanky teenagers but an adult and two child seats will be pretty much the same. We've had a Galaxy and can't fault it for practicality. When we looked at 4x4s we looked at the Range Rover (older ones) and came to the conclusion that the back seat was designed to carry two adults in comfort rather than three. We found the Discovery better than the RR for a practical back seat.
So start by drawing up a list of cars that will take an adult and two car seats in the back and then work out which of them you can live with.
Again don't laugh and it might be a tight fit but two carseats and an adult is possible across the back in a Honda jazz. Short trips anyway.
I can get another 6'5" behind my 6'5" driving position with knee room too spare
Last edited by acg; 4th June 2016 at 08:16.
Mercedes R class is very good for rear space. M class if you want 4x4. We spent a lot of time looking for a car with ISOFIX in as many of the rear seats as possible and opted for the new Q7 smaller than the old and more practical. Challenge is if kid seats occupy outside seats in the back very hard to get in middle seat especially for Nannie. The other one worth a look would be Mitsubishi Outlander good on space and the PHEV version would mean no congestion charge in London
Discovery is a good shout. Not the smallest though. I'd swerve the XC90. I've got one. Very practical and the rear seats should just work, although using the 6th and 7th seats is easy in them.
As a London car though, forget it. You measure the turning circle in miles rather than meters.
Something with sliding rear doors.
S max, 3 full size seats across the back.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classifi...used&logcode=p
I have just taken delivery of my new Q7 and it is a fantastic bit of kit. Far better than the aged X5 and not as troublesome a RR.
Class leading ride, ultra smooth V6 and the latest tech and when inside the fantastic cabin you don't have to look at it. 200 mile trip home from up north last Monday fully loaded ave'd 41.5mpg and it PULLs
Your budget precludes the new model but there are some fantastic PCH deals out there.
I have an XC60 and whilst it would meet most of your requirements it is a very tricky car to park with a massive turning circle. I've recently moved out of London and it makes sense out here but I wouldn't consider one in town, just too big. Personally I'd bite the practicality bullet and spend about £10k max on a VW Touran - masses of space, easily fit in all the people you need, easy to park (not much bigger than a Golf) and you won't be bothered if it gets scratched or dinged. As you only do 2k a year, why spend a lot of money? - the Touran I had was brilliant, great for trips to the dump, you can get a washing machine in the back, petrol ones (which you'd need as a diesel will clog the dpf with short town trips) are not that popular so also cheaper. A friend has a RR sport and compared to the Touran feels pokey. But hey, if you feel the need to buy a status symbol 4x4 as opposed to a kid transporting van that's up to you 😉
My brother had exactly the same problem with his A4 Avant. The solution was the A6 version.
3 individual seats across the back of a Discovery. They're great cars.
Not in the same league of pose value but have look at the Kia Sportage 4th generation
I'm 6' 7" and sitting comfortably to drive I still get an adult behind me with enough leg room for long journeys (the thing is like a Tardis inside) plus the rear seats also recline making it even comfier in the back.
They come pretty well spec-ed too (AWD, reversing cameras etc etc etc) and the avantage for me is that they're no bigger in terms of footprint than an A4 / BMW 3 / Volvo V50 etc.
Some good ideas here folks. I probably do need to get over the badge snobbery and get something like a Galaxy or s-max. Either that or just get the nanny a bus pass so I only need a car with 4 seats!
I think next course of action is to get myself over to cargiant so I can view and try a few different options side by side
Well I've had a surprise today - the Opel Mokka holiday hire car is pretty good! It can fit 3 car seats across the back (just), the 1.4 turbo petrol engine / auto box combo works well, and it's got (decent) sat nav, reversing camera etc. Wasn't expecting that! Well, I was expecting a Yeti but I'll let that pass...
Lexus RX450h
No congestion charge
will be newer for 20k than X5 or RRS
more reliable than X5/RRS
Has good image and fulfill all your requirements
you must be all legs :-P im 6ft 5 and i cant sit in the drivers seat of my sisters sportage without my head hitting the roof , but all my height is from my ass up . short legs long torso. very annoying as someone who loves cars as im very limited by what i can own because of it
Mercedes ML, great cars and plenty of room 👍🏻
I went from a LWB L200 to my Q7 and the Q7 is quite a bit shorter plus I really don't notice the size atall although that be down to always having owned massive cars ;-)
The Q7 has so many drivers AIDS in terms of sensors and reversing cameras etc that I genuinely park it anywhere with any issues??!! Saying that I will hunt a larger parking space out so no one smacks it in the supermarket car park but it still doesn't overhang the spaces anywhere near as much as my L200?!
Chris
That it - it's all relative isn't it?
If you've driven medium sized cars all the time and go up to something the size of a Q7, it will of course, feel massive. However if you're used to large estates or 4x4s then a Q7 is just another "car". The footprint of a Q7 is probably smaller than quite a few of the larger estates - i.e. E class, 5 series, A6/Superb/Passat and V70 etc. it just "looks" bigger.
s-max every time..so practical and brilliant for taking crap to the dump...
How's it going Chris??
Had my Q7 three weeks now and coming from an A6 it still felt massive, but now, it feels no different. Keep an eye out for the big black beast.
Pitch
Seriously consider the Seat Leon ST, in Cupra form it's a weapon, it's 28cm longer than the 5 door version only (not much bigger than a Golf) but the packaging is amazing. I'm 6'2 and with the seat in the position I drive in there is more room than in a 5 series, to top it off the boot is enormous. To put it into context a 4F Audi A6 has 565lts seats up, this has 587 and an adjustable height boot floor. Just when you thought it couldn't get any better the 290 version is the quickest FWD car sound the 'ring. BOOM
Pretty good mate!! They are a nice machine I must admit and with all the options on the suspension it can be adjusted for every event!!!
Mine is black aswell which wasn't too much fun earlier when it had been sat in the sun all day :-( black car with black leather/alcantara is not great for reflecting the heat :-)
Chris
A friend visited today and parked her Q7 next to my XC60 on the drive. The Q7 dwarfed it (although the height is the same) - it looked absolutely massive. In fact the owner commented how much she hated the car as it's just too big for most parking spaces (she 'inherited' the car from a deceased parent) - I must admit I was surprised how bulky they are.
Exactly the same as mine and yes I was parked at a meeting in Long Stratton this morning before heading back to town and it was like an oven.
RobDad, yes when mine was delivered I thought heck it's big but after three weeks you soon get use to the size and I have no issues at all. Wifey finds it easier to handle because of the driving position and prefers it to my previous A6. I have not given parking a thought and find it fine although not taken it into a multi storey yet.
Mate of mine complains he has much more dents in his doors since driving (and parking !) his Q7. It is a beast (but a nice one !)
Toyota Auris Touring Sports Hybrid
Stop messing about with these "girly man" cars and buy a Discovery. Job done!
First I will say I have a slight bias as I work for BMW but you should reconsider the X3. It is really a great car, it is actually bigger inside than the original X5. There is really useful space inside and the extra height over the 3er Touring is apparently useful for chucking in kids seats etc. It is really a very good car indeed and a bit more sensible size for London than Q7, RR etc. Go drive one and see what you think.
Just bought an E55 AMG estate & it's immense.
I just returned a 63 plate BM 520d and replaced it with a fairly hi-spec Skoda Superb. Definite improvement.
I would be interested to know in what ways the Skoda is an improvement? Is the interior comparable to the BMW?
X3 would definitely be my preference but just not sure you would be able to get 2 kids in seats plus an adult in the back. The X5 is, I think, 8cm wider which could make all the difference. As you say, probably need to try one.
Ah well I don't have kids so I have never tried it but I really think it is a great car. Go try it out, I am based in China these days but worked a long time in the UK so if you need any help with test drives etc let me know
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/skoda/superb
That review's echoed everywhere (including a cheeky version recently by JC in S Times). As to the interior, well, I've owned quite a few BMWs - 320i, 320d (x2), 120d, M3 - and been around plenty more inc X3,X5,X6 etc and they have a pretty unvarying dashboard which whilst perfectly practical is also pretty boring and to me the Superb's is certainly no worse and in terms of the tech (phone, radio, satnav etc) rather better in both form and function. Other than the M3 and (from memory X5) BM use that strange 'leather' that obviously isn't leather whilst the Skoda's if fake is a rather superior fake. Roomwise the Skoda's a monster including the boot space which is truly huge. Real world fuel consumption is also markedly better.
TBH I've owned a LOT of cars (currently own 19) and the Superb's a revelation. Weird, I know, but there it is.
http://www.whatcar.com/skoda/superb/hatchback/review/
Last edited by wolf; 8th June 2016 at 17:30.
You own 19 cars?! I thought I was bad with 4!
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