Things with 7 seats and look van like... Talk to me....

[dieselnutjob]

Mercedes V class?

I test drove a V class a few years ago. My analysis was that the brakes were so heavy that I feared my wife would not stop the thing properly in an emergency. Also I heard horror stories about the FWD ones having a weak transmission.The T4 Caravelle is a much nicer vehicle to drive IMHO. The 5 cyl diesel is quick enough and not too juicy, and the SWB one fits in a standard London parking meter bay.

[dieselnutjob]

To honest I prefer my 806 though. A friend bought a SWB Caravelle TDI and I drive it regularly so I know both cars.The 806 is much lighter vehicle and feels far less commercial to drive. It's also much quieter, smaller and fits in multistory carparks and Eurotunnel height restriction that the Caravelle doesn't.I haven't driven a Toyota Previa. They look nice and I'm sure are super reliable but at the time cost a lot more ££ than the 806.I rejected the Sharan/Galaxy and Espace because I wanted sliding doors, and a mates Galaxy seemed a bit fragile which is odd as they are based on B4 Passat mechanics and my B4 Passat was pretty bomb proof, so I don't know whether the car or the mate was the problem.

[messerschmitt owner]

personally, I'd buy a 7-seat estate and get a roof box for the pram, etc.

[dieselnutjob]

I don't know of a seven seat estate that has seven proper seatbelts.Anyway a Galaxy is just a Passat Estate with a taller shell for example.Maybe he should just get another Zafira .... I bet you can disable the environmental stuff on an early diesel one easily.

[Father Ted]

Apparently yuo can on the petrol ones, but not the diesel ones. The wife wants a petrol one. I want to pour petrol into the back seats and apply a lit latch to mine.....

[dieselnutjob]

just give her what she wantsif you don't and it fucks up (which it will eventually) you'll never hear the end of it.Remember, if you win an argument with you're wife, you've actually lost.

[Akron]

How about a Seat Alhambra with the 1.8 Turbo it is a fantastic solid engine? The Diesels are good engines but if you are not doing the miles then a petrol would be cheaper compared to the Diesel price premium.

 

http://tiny.cc/1rJGN

 

Not sure of your budget but this looks ok to me.

[pogweasel]

just give her what she wantsif you don't and it fucks up (which it will eventually) you'll never hear the end of it.Remember, if you win an argument with you're wife, you've actually lost.

Oh yes. This is very true. Hence why we are now not looking at Discoveries. And are back to a 1.9TDi Galaxy as 'top pick'.

[Akron]

How about a 2.8 four wheel drive Sharan Pog?

[dieselnutjob]

And are back to a 1.9TDi Galaxy as 'top pick'.

it might actually meet your spec, depending on the yearmy old 1996 Passat 1.9TDI is still running around with over 150000 miles on it. It was originally a 90bhp, but I put a superchip is the ECU and a K&N airfilter. At about 120,000 miles the economy started to drop off so I took the downpipe/integrated cat thing off, and sawed off the cat. Then I paid a tenner for a straight bit of pipe and got a local blacksmith place to bend it to the right shape and pit it where the cat was. Next I replaced the rest of the exhaust with a 16V petrol one, so now it has a 55mm no cat exhaust.Also I disabled the EGR simply by unplugging the electrical plug on the EGR solenoid valve. No error lights, and probably 120bhp or so.So, with the older 1.9 TDIs you can easily have a reasonably powerful, economical car with no emissions controls.The engine is electronically managed but I have a vag-com cable which means I can read any error codes etc and they are quite cheap.I think later models might complain at the lack of EGR, but the ECU won't know if the cat is cut off, and the MOT man won't care.Provided you change the cambelt when you should the 1.9 TDI is actually a pretty bomb proof lump, and the electronics protect it quite well. For example if the water pump fails or the water all leaks out I think that the ECU will not let your wife cook it.Also on the older ones the water pump isn't driven by the timing belt unlike the French stuff.It's really not such a bad choice if choose a good one.