What Car For The Family Man

[chris205gtioliver 0]

We sold our Clio 182 and got a Zafira gsi, loads of room and very practical, now the kids are older we don't need room for prams and pushchairs we have an Astra sport hatch.

[damien 22 1 Cars]

306 estate with toe bar and roof box. not the sexest thing on 4 wheels but does its job.

only afew hurndred off fleebay and passed its mot without any problems

[christopher 5 1 Cars]

I'm sure there are loads of cheap practical cars in uk for families. Mine is never going to compete with all those practical creature comforts...but...

 

But if for me there was only one answer. I bought a Peugeot 405 T16. It is the ultimate family cult classic that you can still tune and cruise on the autobahn at 100 mph. It is 17 years old but it still has abs, aircon, a driver airbag and 4wd. I have brembo 4 pots RS4 pads and Tarox discs. It stops so fast it is scary..(important when you have your kids in the back)

 

 

i now have two kids and have driven down to Switzerland without a roof box! it's not an estate but with two kids it's fine. Now though I have another kid on the way and I'm not sure what I will do. I couldn't bare to sell my rallye and I can't really face selling the T.

 

I love the sleeper aspect to it and you feel much safer with 4wd. On the autobahn it keeps up with all those high powered audis and bmws even in standard form..

 

I guess I will have to try to fit 3 kids in the back and a roof box for the long journeys.

 

Practical no of course not. But then I drive a 24 year old 205 euro rallye every day so that is expected!!

Edited January 1, 2012 by christopher

[Batfink 201]

Roughly what sort of budget are you looking at Kev? Clearly recommendations for a grand will be very different to those for say £5k

 

 

That's why you don't buy them new - as a used buy when they've already haemorrhaged away most of their value in depreciation

 

I want to spend 'enough' without going silly. At the moment I'm toying with up to about £4k.

I might have persuaded the missus to testdrive a BMW touring. Can pick them up for about that price with all the trimmings....

[kyepan 291]

M57TUD30 2004–2007 2993 204 PS (150 kW; 201 bhp) 410 N·m (302 ft·lbf) 7.2 s

330d touring.

 

Remapped it will give ten to fifteen percent more efficiency and...

BMW 330d 204 (E46)  234 hp 470 nm

[Cameron 16]

What's the 115ps 1.6TDCI like to live with? I'm considering a new Focus 1.6 TDCI, and whilst performance shouldn't really matter (it'll spend 80% of it's life in city traffic) it's one of my little hang ups and I can't bare the thought of living with something too slow.

 

Mine's a 2.0 115PS rather than a 1.6, the 1.6 came out a little later to replace the low power 2.0 engines. I haven't had the chance to drive one yet but I imagine as they're a replacement for the engine I have they're as good or better performance-wise, and certainly better on fuel.

 

That's why you don't buy them new - as a used buy when they've already haemorrhaged away most of their value in depreciation

 

True, you get a lot for your money with Fords that are only a couple of years old compared to an equivalent Audi or VW! That will change in years to come though.

[johno_78 2]

I bought a P38 Range Rover just before my kids came along and has proved to be excellent at ferrying the family about and towing cars when the need arised.

 

Little niggles are starting to bother the missus with it, so now we only have one push chair and a buggy board, i've just got a 3.2 Veccy on a '02 plate. Plenty of boot space, all the toys and it goes well too.

 

I don't do many miles per year so i avoid getting a diesel. I've heard of so many problems with modern generation diesel engines needing new injectors etc. and bills of £1k, that i feel it's just an expense waiting to happen.

[Andy_C 50]

The 05 Vectra 150 diesel I had was the best daily I've driven in 15 years. Vanilla as anything but very frugal, roomy enough (hatch has enough boot for 2 kids' stuff) and not bad at all to drive. I had the SRi which had enough toys to keep me happy and as said the chassis wasn't bad at all and very good at soaking up miles. Did 100k in 2.5 years-ish without missing a beat.

 

Still not as good to drive as the SMax though - kid you not, this thing drives like a Monedo

Edited January 2, 2012 by Andy_C

[SPGTi 2]

We bought an Izuzu Rodeo pick up truck, with a box on the back. Loads of room in the double cab, loads and loads of room in the back (we use it for camping and get a couple of kids bikes in with all of the camping gear, no problem). Not the fastest but everything seems to get out of your way. It has leather, AC, electronic 4 wheel drive that is switchable up to 60mph and oversteers at will in 2wd (well when the roads are greasy and you give a boot round a corner). Tows up to 3 tonne and will take 1 tonne in the load bed.

A different driving experience and the most practical car I have ever owned. Was never a 4x4 fan but will get another when it is time to change this one.

 

Steve