What MPV ?

[mahony]

My other half's aging Megan convertible is due for replacement and we are considering a MPV , the budget is about £2500 , I'm looking at a Renault Megane scenic or a Citroen Picasso ( just like Dave ) or a Ford C max , not considering a Zafira as it's probably a bit to big in size for the other half and equally not a Mervia due to the known power steering failures, it will also be a petrol engine and up to 1.6 , any thoughts much appreciated

[sprint95m]

The C-max is basically a Focus with a raised roofline affording the back seat passengers more head room,
however the Focus itself is not bad in that respect anyway.
The useful large boot space is very similar for both.
In other words, I would broaden your search to include the Focus. Their petrol engines give both good economy and performance.


A Picasso is a much bigger car. (More the Zafira size I'd say.)
Their petrol engine seem pretty good.
You'll need a socket set with all the curious sizes and shapes if you ever need to do any work on one, though.
A Focus is a nicer car to drive in my opinion.


I have no knowledge of the Scenic.




Hope this is worthwhile food for thought.

Ian.

[SprintMWU773V]

The MPV version of an ordinary hatch is curious as in most cases it offers extra head room at the expense of useable boot space and they nearly all have a horrible driving position. They are also usually much more expensive than the hatch version. I cannot understand the logic in them I'm afraid. My accountant had a series of Scenics and Espace's and every one was a nightmare to own. She now drives a Hyundai SUV thing.

If you're stuck on an MPV then why not look at the Japanese and Korean stuff. You can be guaranteed of the reliability rather than taking a punt on a 10 year old Renault. Remember the Toyota Corolla Verso? No? Great, no one else does either. Unloved but well specified so maybe there's a bargain out there somewhere. Just don't pull up outside a train station in it as someone will mistake you for a taxi.

[mahony]

Thanks for the replies chaps, plenty to think about , will take a look at the Japanese and korean offerings

[mbellinger]

I bought a Scenic new in 2002 as a family car. It was a 1.6 petrol in a mid-range trim.

It was good to drive, comfortable and supremely practical, with many clever well thought out touches. It was powerful enough, and consistently returned about 38 mpg. The driving position was fine and my (ex) wife and I undertook a number of long continental trips without complaint. The boot was larger by some margin than the standard hatchback equivalent. We originally conceived that we would change it every three years or so, but when the new model Scenic came out many of the simple clever design ideas in the original version like ours had been "developed out"; and at the same time the vehicle had become much more complex. So we kept it.

Divorce later ensued but my ex-wife kept the car and ran it into the ground - literally. Other than routine servicing and consumables (brakes, tyres, etc), a couple of cambelt changes and two ignition coil packs it was faultless. Eventually at 165,000 miles the gearbox packed up and the ex made the decision to scrap the car.

It was a brilliant car and I cannot recommend them enough. Avoid the auto - they have problems that are well known and keep the spec as simple as you can. The 1.6 petrol is all you need.

The Focus C Max is better to drive than the Scenic but has none of the clever interior or storage touches and it has a poor level of equipment. The Picasso wasn't as practical and the 1.6 engine was inferior.

If you can find a Golf Plus they are an excellent vehicle but they are expensive and thin on the ground as a petrol.

Of the new crop I would look seriously at the Kia Venga. I have driven a few of these now and they are truly impressive with good fit and finish, a quiet smooth drivetrain and an excellent warranty. There is cheap finance too at present. Again, the 1.6 petrol drives very nicely indeed, and the car is accommodating and practical. Their dealers are more parochial in nature and customer service ratings are very high.

Those are my thoughts - good luck.

[mahony]

I bought a Scenic new in 2002 as a family car. It was a 1.6 petrol in a mid-range trim.

It was good to drive, comfortable and supremely practical, with many clever well thought out touches. It was powerful enough, and consistently returned about 38 mpg. The driving position was fine and my (ex) wife and I undertook a number of long continental trips without complaint. The boot was larger by some margin than the standard hatchback equivalent. We originally conceived that we would change it every three years or so, but when the new model Scenic came out many of the simple clever design ideas in the original version like ours had been "developed out"; and at the same time the vehicle had become much more complex. So we kept it.

Divorce later ensued but my ex-wife kept the car and ran it into the ground - literally. Other than routine servicing and consumables (brakes, tyres, etc), a couple of cambelt changes and two ignition coil packs it was faultless. Eventually at 165,000 miles the gearbox packed up and the ex made the decision to scrap the car.

It was a brilliant car and I cannot recommend them enough. Avoid the auto - they have problems that are well known and keep the spec as simple as you can. The 1.6 petrol is all you need.

The Focus C Max is better to drive than the Scenic but has none of the clever interior or storage touches and it has a poor level of equipment. The Picasso wasn't as practical and the 1.6 engine was inferior.

If you can find a Golf Plus they are an excellent vehicle but they are expensive and thin on the ground as a petrol.

Of the new crop I would look seriously at the Kia Venga. I have driven a few of these now and they are truly impressive with good fit and finish, a quiet smooth drivetrain and an excellent warranty. There is cheap finance too at present. Again, the 1.6 petrol drives very nicely indeed, and the car is accommodating and practical. Their dealers are more parochial in nature and customer service ratings are very high.

Those are my thoughts - good luck.

Thanks more food for thought

[Carledo]

The newer model Scenic (2003>) is a disaster waiting to happen with too much electronics and the awful electric handbrake (even a sticking cable will give you a £600 bill) Diesels are even worse than petrols with lots of EGR, Head and turbo problems (the turbo is almost completely inaccessible too)
Kia, Hyundai and their ilk are nice and cheap, both new and used (depreciation is AWFUL) But parts are ridiculously expensive and sometimes hard to get, even from dealers. Generally they run last generation Japanese technology so are simple enough but this often puts them in a very high tax bracket.
The Focus C-Max is a good car, probably the best in class, but you will pay a premium for one cos everyone knows this. My only complaint is not a big enough boot.
The Zafira is a good enough tool but as you say, a little on the large side and a bit agricultural compared with more modern offerings. Likewise the Galaxy/Alhambra/Sharan. And all of these have NO boot space with all 7 seats in use.
Corrolla Verso, is a good choice, bland and boring but oh so reliable. And surprisingly rare! Buy one if you can find one!
And so to the (Xsara) Picasso. Generally speaking, I hate French cars, but I find myself a reluctant champion of this one. It's not the quickest, or the best handling, or the most economical - and probably not the most reliable. But it does all this pretty well. Because it only has 5 seats, the boot is generous, seats are extremely comfortable and the ride is excellent in the slightly roly poly French tradition. Simply made on very un-Citroen like conservative lines, there is not much to go wrong and not much does. And if it DOES go wrong, bits are cheap as chips and readily available. I paid £3k for the wife's 56 plate 2.0 petrol VTX auto in 2012 with 50k on the clock and a FSH. 4+ years later, it has had only routine servicing and has been utterly reliable. I had to have a 2.0 petrol as that is the only one that comes with an autobox which SWMBO must have and the penalty is £287/yr road tax and a 28mpg thirst (according to the trip computer, but is does do a lot of very short trips) it's pretty quick though with effortless kickdown acceleration and has all the toys you could wish for. Certainly the 1.6 is a bit gutless compared with mine, but the son in law has a 1.8 like Dave's old one, a 55 plate 1.8 petrol manual with a high spec interior and 105k showing which cost him a mere £650 last year. This seems like a happy medium to me, It's cheaper to tax than mine and somewhat better on fuel too. Your £2.5k budget will get you a late, low mileage one of these too!
So for sheer value for money, easy maintainence and a great ride, I have to recommend the Xsara Picasso.

Steve

[Toledo Man]

I'll second what Steve has said. The 1.8 is the best of the petrol engines. The 1.6 diesels can be troublesome but the 2.0 diesels are a bit more bulletproof. I went for the Grand C4 Picasso because it was a bit newer, makes for a great towing vehicle (it had a towbar fitted) and I had the money. Later Xsara Picassos are slightly better equipped.

[Bumpa]

We have had a VW Touran for five years now and it has been very good. Comfortable, quiet, roomy, good all round vision, adequate performance and 2 extra seats in the boot if you need them occasionally (not for long journeys - no leg room). With the third row folded away the boot is huge. It just feels as though it is built better than the French cars. Mind you, you will struggle to find a petrol engined one. Mine is a 1600 turbo diesel.

[Carledo]

We have had a VW Touran for five years now and it has been very good. Comfortable, quiet, roomy, good all round vision, adequate performance and 2 extra seats in the boot if you need them occasionally (not for long journeys - no leg room). With the third row folded away the boot is huge. It just feels as though it is built better than the French cars. Mind you, you will struggle to find a petrol engined one. Mine is a 1600 turbo diesel.

I thought of the Touran too, a terrific car in most ways, but I think the OP would struggle to find one in budget, let alone a petrol one.

Steve

[mahony]

Thanks for all the replies chaps, going to take a look at the Picasso and the C max