Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: stuart30 on 17 June 2007, 01:13:49
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Im toying with the idea of buying a 7 seater as a second car (Omega would be kept for work ect).
Has anyone experiences of 7 seaters....been looking at reviews for Toyota previa (seem to hold there money well),Nissan Serena (apparently noisy cabin and sluggish).
Cant really think of any other proper 7 seaters except vauxhall Zafira (too bloody expensive) so really any ideas or experiences would be welcome,oh and as its going to be a second car something around 1997/1998 would be fine.
My bank has very kindly agreed to refund all my bank charges so going to have some spare cash soon.....just received first cheque for £494 just waiting for the other two banks to pay out and they should be around £1500 each,not bad for 15 minutes of letter writing and a visit to local county court. :y
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What do you want? MPV or estate with dicky seats?
MPV screams Ford Galaxy [sorry but they're actually an OK vehicle]; the estate Volvo V70 or a late 850 with boot seats - sadly the volvo will be available with a punchy 2.4 turbo with just shy of 200 horses and a bucket full of torque that will make the meega a bit second rate.
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What do you want? MPV or estate with dicky seats?
MPV screams Ford Galaxy [sorry but they're actually an OK vehicle]; the estate Volvo V70 or a late 850 with boot seats - sadly the volvo will be available with a punchy 2.4 turbo with just shy of 200 horses and a bucket full of torque that will make the meega a bit second rate.
Not interested in an estate as Ive been there....would need to be an MPV.
I"ll have a look round and see what i can find out about the Galaxy... :y
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Actually I have to agree...
The Ford Galaxy (especially higher specced models) has excellent reviews.
Toyota Previa is... a Toyota so will be good, and generally reliable. I know someone who has a diesel one. Had it for years, tough and very reliable.
This is a good site for real owner reviews of cars. http://www.carsurvey.org
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having owned one for 2 years and done 50,000 miles in one i would strongly recommend the Zafira.
Yes they are dear, but early ones are still holding their money even after the Zafira B model has come out.
The engine to look for is the 1.8, best compromise of performance and economy.
Good driving position, handles well, will carry seven easily, seays fold flat so are not the hassle that the Galaxy/Sharan seats are
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having owned one for 2 years and done 50,000 miles in one i would strongly recommend the Zafira.
Yes they are dear, but early ones are still holding their money even after the Zafira B model has come out.
The engine to look for is the 1.8, best compromise of performance and economy.
Good driving position, handles well, will carry seven easily, seats fold flat so are not the hassle that the Galaxy/Sharan seats are
Correct, they are such a pain
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I have a 97 Previa from new, best MPV IMO...
Firstly, mine seats 8 (it has a bench in the middle instead of two separate seats), I know of no other MPV that has this configuration - for some reason they are all 7 seaters in this range. But you may not need the 8 seats anyway so not sure if this is relevant to you.
Secondly, it has a unique flat-4 engine (See Alfarsud and Subaro...) which is located under the front seats leaving more space inside - this is the only MPV in this range where you still have room for luggage behind the rear seats even with all 7/8 seats open. But keep in mind that the 2000 onwards models are a little smaller than the older 91-99 models.
Thirdly, as said, it is a Toyota... in the 10 years we own it nothing ever went wrong with it - all it need was routine servicing. Oh, and we did the clutch and brake discs once.
The downsides....:
No DYI... the engine is right under the front seats and not accessible, even relatively small jobs such as changing the spark plugs are an engine-out job, and therefore can not be really done on the drive (remember the engine comes-out from underneath the car...
Then there is Toyota dealer pricing.... in London it's 95 per hour, I think that only Plumbers and Brain Surgeons charge more... and Toyota official work times are also ridiculous, like 1.25 hour for changing brake fluid (realistically 30 minutes job on the drive, 10 minutes at a properly-equipped garage..)
On another note, there are also Japanese imports - the Lucida and Emina - they are generally better equipped with toys such split aircon (rear/front) and dual sunroofs, this is OK but the Lucida is narrower than the standard Previa.
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I have a 97 Previa from new, best MPV IMO...
Firstly, mine seats 8 (it has a bench in the middle instead of two separate seats), I know of no other MPV that has this configuration - for some reason they are all 7 seaters in this range. But you may not need the 8 seats anyway so not sure if this is relevant to you.
Secondly, it has a unique flat-4 engine (See Alfarsud and Subaro...) which is located under the front seats leaving more space inside - this is the only MPV in this range where you still have room for luggage behind the rear seats even with all 7/8 seats open. But keep in mind that the 2000 onwards models are a little smaller than the older 91-99 models.
Thirdly, as said, it is a Toyota... in the 10 years we own it nothing ever went wrong with it - all it need was routine servicing. Oh, and we did the clutch and brake discs once.
The downsides....:
No DYI... the engine is right under the front seats and not accessible, even relatively small jobs such as changing the spark plugs are an engine-out job, and therefore can not be really done on the drive (remember the engine comes-out from underneath the car...
Then there is Toyota dealer pricing.... in London it's 95 per hour, I think that only Plumbers and Brain Surgeons charge more... and Toyota official work times are also ridiculous, like 1.25 hour for changing brake fluid (realistically 30 minutes job on the drive, 10 minutes at a properly-equipped garage..)
On another note, there are also Japanese imports - the Lucida and Emina - they are generally better equipped with toys such split aircon (rear/front) and dual sunroofs, this is OK but the Lucida is narrower than the standard Previa.
This would be my choice, as you say they are better equipped, also they are diesel and usually come with low mileage.
I would not buy a Galaxy or a Sharan, I would go for the Alhambra, same car but cheaper, ( if you don't mind the Seat badge )
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My sister had a V8 Land Rover Discovery with LPG that had seven seats... that would be the seven seater for me, Mrs and Kids safe, not gonna come worse off with much :y
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My sister had a V8 Land Rover Discovery with LPG that had seven seats... that would be the seven seater for me, Mrs and Kids safe, not gonna come worse off with much :y
At least you can fold the seats out the way in a Disco :y but not forward facing though and then where do you put any luggage with the seats folded down :question
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My sister had a V8 Land Rover Discovery with LPG that had seven seats... that would be the seven seater for me, Mrs and Kids safe, not gonna come worse off with much :y
At least you can fold the seats out the way in a Disco :y but not forward facing though and then where do you put any luggage with the seats folded down :question
You climb up the ladder on the back door and put it onto the roof rack ::)
You Foreigners ;D
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My sister had a V8 Land Rover Discovery with LPG that had seven seats... that would be the seven seater for me, Mrs and Kids safe, not gonna come worse off with much :y
At least you can fold the seats out the way in a Disco :y but not forward facing though and then where do you put any luggage with the seats folded down :question
You climb up the ladder on the back door and put it onto the roof rack ::)
You Foreigners ;D
Too much hard work ::) Wish they still made something like the Renault Savannah or the Pug 505 estate. Three rows of forward facing seats and a good size boot :'(
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Get a rear seatr conversion on an estate!
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Depends who is going to sit in boot seats as my kids call them,The smaller MPV like the Scenic and Zafira the seat are ok for kids but to small for adults.My Dad has just bought a Grand Espace and gone for the 6 seat set up and its like a limo inside.
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I hire a lot for work and squeeze in 7 adults.
All new of course but the last few have been:
Vw Sharan - roomy and drove ok but clutch was a stiff old bitch, all the same I was told :-/, it felt like a converted van to me.
Vx Zafira - rear seats a little cramped but enough room for 7 and drove like a car, both petrol and diesel varaints were ok.
Renalt Megane Scenic - rear passenger heads fit against back window, no good for anyone over 10 imo
Ford Galaxy - took this out last week 2.0 Zetec TDCI - loads of room, comfy and went like a rocket. Best fun I've had for ages and it handled well, returning 40mpg too.
So in order of choice: 1 Ford, 2 Vx, 3 Sharan and there is no 4 >:(
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So in order of choice: 1 Ford, 2 Vx, 3 Sharan and there is no 4 >:(
Chrysler Voyager? or the Grand Voyager has a load of room for 7 plus lugage - according to reports, although I've never been in one
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Had a good look at the site laidback posted....outstanding info :y
Looks like i need to be looking towards the Ford Galaxy as Zafira is out of my price range and if the Previa is expensive to work on then thats a non starter.
The 7 seater will be solely used as a second car so not looking to spend much so as i said before maybe a 97/98 (P/R reg) would be fine....and most likely would need to be auto as thats what the wife is learning to drive in,good reviews and seem cheap enough so best start trawling auto trader and Ebay.
Regards the Galaxy does anyone know how much room the driver has as in seat size/comfort...after driving omega"s for the last few years and having oodles of room and comfort im concerned im gonna feel cramped in anything else,being 6.2ft pie eater ;D
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I had a Previa for 2 weeks....its bloody awful....best avoided, by far the worst people carrier I have driven as it quite clearly shows its van under pinnings.
The VW based ones (Galaxy/Sharon) are ok (watch the Galaxy though coz the engines are rubbish), the Espace is reasonable and the Zafira holds its own to.....GSi anybody?
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Having recently been looking for a people carrier, here's my verdict. (And I know these might be a little out of your price range, but worth noting.
-New Zafira = Hateful thing. Couldn't get on with it at all and the 120 version wouldn't pull you out of bed in the morning.
-Kia Sedona = Very big, but very cheap, noisy, slow and the steering was so low geared even going round a shalow bend resulted in flailing of arms.
-New style Fiat Ullyse = Didn't like it. Very slow, but very funky interior. Peugeot and Citroen variants are better spec'd and infinitely more reliable though. The old style ones are apparently very good value for money. All of htem have sliding rear doors. (A real bonus if you have children that neeed help getting out of the back seats in car parks.
-Chrysler Voyager. Brilliant and with those sliding rear doors. Depending on who you speak to they're either wonderfully reliable and nothing ever goes wrong, or they're awful things that keep the AA in full time employment. Lot's of room and good spec'.
-Ford S-Max = Outstanding car. Just like a Galaxy only a bit smaller. Nippy, comfortable, drove like a car and well spec'd. No automatic option though. I'd have one in a minute.
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I hire a lot for work and squeeze in 7 adults.
All new of course but the last few have been:
Vw Sharan - roomy and drove ok but clutch was a stiff old bitch, all the same I was told :-/, it felt like a converted van to me.
Vx Zafira - rear seats a little cramped but enough room for 7 and drove like a car, both petrol and diesel varaints were ok.
Renalt Megane Scenic - rear passenger heads fit against back window, no good for anyone over 10 imo
Ford Galaxy - took this out last week 2.0 Zetec TDCI - loads of room, comfy and went like a rocket. Best fun I've had for ages and it handled well, returning 40mpg too.
So in order of choice: 1 Ford, 2 Vx, 3 Sharan and there is no 4 >:(
[smiley=angry.gif] bit bitchy
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Omega Estate and a conversion - you know it makes sense :y
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Omega Estate and a conversion - you know it makes sense :y
Trouble is with the estate conversion is firstly im not gonna ask my aging mother to crawl on her hands and knees and sit on to cushions bolted to the floor and secondly theres no way id let the missus loose in an Omega. ;D
It looks like on my very limited budget im either going to have to look for either a Ford Galaxy or a Renault Espace.....trouble is its just a second car so really cant justify spending much on it,also assuming its auto then gemma will be continuing (Twins safely tucked up at home with there nan ;)) to learn to drive/take test then it would her pottering around car.
Omega is going to have some time and money and expert help lavished on the old girl and i"ll continue to use that for my daily driver....too old too make it worth while selling so may as well get it it tip top condition and keep the bugger. :)
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Quote from Timbuk on Yesterday at 15:22:
Quote from Loo-knee on Yesterday at 15:18:
My sister had a V8 Land Rover Discovery with LPG that had seven seats... that would be the seven seater for me, Mrs and Kids safe, not gonna come worse off with much
At least you can fold the seats out the way in a Disco but not forward facing though and then where do you put any luggage with the seats folded down
You climb up the ladder on the back door and put it onto the roof rack
You Foreigners
The later (i think 2000my on) disco has proper forward facing rear seats that fold away. and still has a bit of boot space, but these ones are holding there price quite well
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Ahhhh....an auto....in which case forget the Espace as the auto boxes are shite...... there made of chocolate! (well plastic)
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Here's an intresting choice, Mitsubishi Pajero 95-96 ish. Well spec'd, leather, toys galore, 7 seats 2.8 turbo deisel auto, proper rear seats that fold away even down not a bad boot by anyone standard, cheap to buy and you only pay normal road tax as its before march 2001. Plenty of Mitsi dealers and parts not that expensive. Okay its an import but doesn't affect insurance etc.. over the less well equipped Shoguns :y
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Here's an intresting choice, Mitsubishi Pajero 95-96 ish. Well spec'd, leather, toys galore, 7 seats 2.8 turbo deisel auto, proper rear seats that fold away even down not a bad boot by anyone standard, cheap to buy and you only pay normal road tax as its before march 2001. Plenty of Mitsi dealers and parts not that expensive. Okay its an import but doesn't affect insurance etc.. over the less well equipped Shoguns :y
Sounds perfect....one small problem,how much do they cost and id imagine the mpg is gonna be terrible. ;D
If the espace auto is no good thats off the list...... :)