after hours and hours and hours of research into 7 seater vehicles, I think we have come to the conclusion that an MPV is best for us. I prefer the look (can't do an Estima!), the sliding doors, seating configuration etc. Buying a 'people mover' is something we swore we would never do but our 3 kids getting bigger (4,6,9) and often having to pick up extras, more seats would be handy.I know that everyone has their own opinions and preferences but I would love to hear from people who actually own one of these and hear their likes/dislikes, pros/cons, problems encountered etc. We are looking at a 2002, 2.3, low kms and want to make a decision asap cos I'm going nuts about this! Thanks.
twinsforus,
Jun 9, 12:32am
Best place to visit is http://www.mpvclub.com/ heaps of info, common problems etc. We have a 2000 MPV 2.5 V6, it is great but a little heavy on the gas. The great thing about them is that they are designed to drive like a car so they handle pretty well. Seating is fine we have 4 kids all in car seats and there is plenty of room, if you have kids I would suggest going for the "Sports" model or a 2001 onwards as they have a black interior and is easier to keep clean. Hope this helps
ernie68,
Jun 9, 1:11am
Thanks twinsforus! I find buying a new vehicle sooo stressful - always worried that we will end up with lemon. We've been Ford of Holden owners and only sedans so this is a scary step and its a relatively big financial outlay! How do you find yours on the open road (noise/performance)! And do you find visibility when backing okay! Cheers!
fiatracer,
Jun 9, 1:51am
my brother has an early 2000's 2.5V6. Problems have been - fried ECU, and more recently a blown head gasket [his fault for overheating it]. Aside from the fuel consumptioon they've been happy enough with it.
ernie68,
Jun 9, 1:55am
1995 Commodore we currently have is not exactly one of those cars you could say "will run on the smell of an oily rag" so hoping that if we leap into the world of MPV's, that it won't be any more expensive to run. Thanks for your comment
ernie68,
Jun 9, 3:17am
Thanks kazbanz - will do but pretty sure have looked at these before.
djazza,
Jun 9, 5:08am
I second what Kaz says. The other bonus with the Presage is the rear seats are split so you can fold one down and still have one seat in the very back usable. If you fold the rear seat away in the MPV you are only left with a 4 seater as opposed to a 6 seater in the Presage. If you are going to go for an MPV I would recommend the Aeroremix which came out in 2003. They have the dark grey interior, factory 17' alloys and a few other features that make them that little bit more appealing.
craig04,
Jun 9, 5:18am
We had a 2000 2.5V6. The good points were the seating layout and sliding rear doors (great in car parks!). The bad points were EVERYTHING else.
fordcrzy,
Jun 9, 10:15am
get a presage instead the mazdas are too unreliable
thejazzpianoma,
Jun 9, 10:19am
Have you tried a Touran at all! Some have even been going for under 10K lately, I fail to see the logic of spending more to buy a lesser vehicle.
The other brands are a generation behind in technology, technology that gives you more go for less fuel consumption and lower maintenance. Not to mention better handling and features.
The crazy thing is in NZ these are going stupidly cheap yet overseas you pay quite a premium for one.
djazza,
Jun 10, 4:13am
The only problem if you are looking at the Touran is you need to put aside $3500 for when the Trans valve body goes, and it will go! They all need replacing eventually. Other than that they are also a good option.
fiatracer,
May 26, 2:19pm
I wouldn't expect any improvement from a V6 Commodore to a V6 MPV type vehicle. Commodores are pretty good on gas aren't they!
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