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Searching for an MPV

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Nov 182011

Honda FRV (6 Seat MPV)

My family and I went looking for an FRV six seat car because we seem to think that with four children we only actually need six seats. We also thought that we’d end up with a reasonable boot and lower running costs because there were only two rows of seats rather than three.

Although the garage advertised a top of the range FRV with leather seats and all the gadgets for £12,500 when we turned up the saleswoman told us that there hadn’t been any for months on the forecourt and that the FRV is rare.

Honda FRV 6 Seat MPV

I did a bit of research on the Honda FRVand apparently their engines are bombproof.

Mitsubishi Outlander

We went to see the Mitsubishi Outlander a 4WD similar to the Citroen C-Crosser and Peugeot 4007. Although my husband was drawn to its “manly” appeal I wasn’t that impressed with the two rear seats because they were joined.

Mitsubishi Outlander – 4WD 7 Seat MPV

What I mean is you can’t have one seat upright it has to be two. It’s a bench seat that is folded flat when not in use and then propped up when you want to use it. This is perfect for occasional use for small children but not so good for long journeys when you only need the extra one seat so that you have space for luggage.

Mitsubishi-Outlander-Rear-Seats

Third row seats are not available in the GX2 versions. The brochure states that the rear seats are elevated so that everyone gets a panoramic view.

Mitsubishi Grandis

We then saw the Mitsubishi Grandis. And although it was a bit bigger the boot space was only marginally better and the two rear seats although bigger had less legroom. The distance between the base of the seat and the floor was less than standard and not really suitable for a grown up. I was surprised that for such a big car it seemed to be very similar to my Kia Carens.

Qashqai+2

We then saw the Qashqai+2. The rear seats in this are tiny. I think only suitable for a child. Again my husband was keen on its Qashqai+2 masculine looks. It was slimmer than the other MPVs, which would be easier for nipping around town and parking. However I didn’t like that the Qashqai+2 2nd row of seats were a bench seat rather than individual seats. The third row seats can be folded up and down individually but for an adult that does not want their knees in their ears it is really only suitable for smaller people.

Ford S-Max

We then moved onto the Ford, and I have to say that the S-max is rather good. The S-Max was lot bigger than I expected. The glass roof certainly makes you feel like you in a bigger car. The S-max has a sportier look but at £26,000 it was out of our price range. I’m sure there are cheaper versions but today that’s all the choice we were offered. Surprisingly, the boot space seemed to be bigger than the Galaxy.

Ford Galaxy

Then onto my favorite of the day the Ford Galaxy. I never expected to like it as I always thought it to be quite a large mummies car. But with very blacked out rear windows, a host of gadgets and reasonably sized, and separate third row seats I was quite keen.

The Galaxy I saw was a 2L Ghia. It can do 44MPG combined and is only £165 a year tax. However the two rear seats (in the third row) were still a little smaller than in original versions of Galaxy’s. Also what seemed to be apparent is that although the seat was a full sized adult seat the legroom wasn’t. The distance from the top of the seat to the base of the floor wasn’t as much as all the other seats. I did however like the individual seats in the second row.

Volvo XC90

The Volvo XC90 is a favored 4×4 option with my husband. But the running costs and initial buying cost puts me off. But if I did have enough money this would be an option.

Kia Carens

Although I was all geared up to buy a new car when I actually saw what was on offer It made me reaslise that my Carens is actually quite good. It averages about 43MPG and is only £165 car tax a year. The third row seats aren’t huge but at least I can sit in them for short journeys, which is completely out of the question in the Qashqai+2 or C-crosser.

MPV’s Discussed in this Article

Disneyland in a 7 Seater

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Sep 062010

Family Holiday in a 7 Seater

I have recently been very fortunate to visit Disneyland Paris on a summer break. We spent the first 10 days in the South of France and then travelled up to Disneyland Paris in our 7-seater Kia Carens where we stayed at the Davy Crocket Ranch. There were six of us sharing one Wooden Lodge, (AKA a wood clad caravan). We had a picnic table, some outside space and an area to do a barbeque. The outside space available is why I chose to stay at the Davy Crocket Ranch.

Disneyland Paris * Parking Entrance * 7 Seater Car

The pool facilities at the Davy Crocket Ranch were excellent. The shop is expensive but exactly what you’d expect from Disney. The lodge does not have a cooker, only a hob and a microwave. Therefore the majority of food in the shop is suitable for the microwave. There is a dishwasher and a microwave. However with 4 children I would prefer a washing machine instead of a dishwasher.

Breakfast is very generous. With a quarter of a baguette, a croissant, brioche roll, carton of milk, carton of juice and a variety of drinks. There is plenty of bread left to make sandwiches as part of a packed lunch to use in the resort.

Driving from the Ranch to Disneyland takes about 10 minutes. If you have a satellite navigation system and search for a “Point of Interest” and then “restaurant, McDonalds” you will be directed to a huge shopping arcade with a variety of shops, restaurants and Sea Life. We ate here a few times and it was quite reasonable compared to eating in one of the Disneyland parks. There is also free WiFi which is handy considering there is no internet access in the Davy Crocket Ranch.

If you are driving to Disneyland Paris and need to park in their absolutely gigantic car park, the prices are as follows:

Bikes – 8 Euros
Standard Car (including 7 or 8 seater) – 15 Euro’s
Camper vans – 20 Euro’s

These amounts are valid at time of writing and are for one day and one car only. Seven seated cars are charged the same amount as standard five seat cars. If you stay in a Euro Disney Hotel you have a pass, which gives you free access to the car park during your stay.

Cars have to park on the left and sections are numbered from A to Z with lane “A” having around 350 rows. The six to eight motorised walkways that help you get into the park quicker, however expect a long walk! If you are taking younger children it might be a good idea to bring a buggy. I hired a buggy every day for 8.95 Euro’s. It is just larger than a normal buggy but not big enough for two children. However my two smaller children, (aged 4 and 5) squashed in nicely with one sitting on the hood and one sitting on the seat.

My children loved Disneyland paris nearly as much as me !

Catching a Ferry in a 7 Seater

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Sep 032010

Ferry to France please?

Catching a Ferry to France in a 7 seater was easy. The length of the car has to be within a certain amount or you have to pay more. They seem to calculate this automatically when your number plate is supplied. My Kia Carens was within the specified length but a Galaxy is slightly too long and will entail a larger fee. Also if you have a roof box you may not be able to go in the regular car area but in the other section with higher headroom. This costs more and you’ll be with the lorries and buses.

Seven Bridge Crossing Driving to Dover in 7 Seater

We drove to Dover and followed the signs for the Ferry Port. We were also taking instructions from our satellite navigation system. We were catching the P&O Ferry at 12.55pm. At Dover port the signposts for P&O were clearly visible and we navigated into the correct lane for P&O. We drove through Passport control which involved everyone in the car showing their face to the person in the kiosk. This took minutes and no one had to get out of the car.

Boarding at Dover Port in 7 Seater

Once we were through passport control we followed the signs to the P&O reservations kiosk. It is clearly visible and is a case of driving forward a few hundred yards. P&O reservations seemed to have our booking before we even presented our reference number. I assume this was because they used my number plate to find the booking. We were given a large card indicating the departure time of the Ferry and the number of people in the car. We had to hang this from our rear view mirror. We didn’t get out of the car and my children watched a DVD throughout the entire process.

We were then given a lane number and instructed to queue in that lane. Lanes are clearly indicated and driving to the correct lane is easy. Once in the correct lane we waited for the cars in front to board and we followed when cars started moving. Security staff alert the Police of anything untoward, like an illegal immigrant or drugs by using a sniffer dog. I wasn’t carrying any of these.

Once on the Ferry we were allowed to go up to the main part of the boat. We had to keep a note of what colour stairs we’d come up because there are a few. I forgot within half an hour but luckily my four year old remembered.

On the way back we arrived 2 hours early to catch the Ferry. Luckily as there was room we were allowed to board the earlier Ferry. This was at no extra cost. In fact it is worth bearing in mind that all tickets booked through P&O allow you to turn up two hours earlier and get on a different Ferry at no cost. This gives you a great deal of flexibility when driving. I wish I’d known this on the way over because I was charged £45 to change my booking. However there must be space on the Ferry!

When departing the boat it is easy to continue with your journey as road markings are clear. Remember to drive on the correct side of the road. You could buy a sticker on the Ferry that reminds you to drive on the correct side for only £4.50!!

I think traveling via a Ferry to France was so much easier than flying. Far less waiting and far less hassle when going through Passport and security control.

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