7 seater reliability run down - agree or disagree?

wingnut

Range looked at:
Budget 5k+-.
Years 07-11
Driving-Short trips rural (no traffic)

The reliability Kings:
Verso 1.6 petrol
FRV 1.7 petrol
Touran 1.6 petrol

Good rep:
Mazda 5 1.8 petrol (too small in back)
Touran 1.9 diesel
Alhambra/Sharan 1.9 diesel

Ok
Galaxy/smax 2 litre tdci
Verso 2.0 d4d

Give trouble:
Galaxy/smax 1.8 tdci (wet belts, injectors)
Grand Picasso 1.6 hdi (dpf egr injectors)
5008 1.6 hdi (turbo)

Don't even go there:
Verso 2.2 (head gasket)
Touran 1.4 tsi
Grand piccaso with paddle shift
ANY Renault

Unknown quantities (anyone run these???)
Grand Picasso petrol 1.8
Galaxy/smax 2.0 petrol
Citroen C8

So I had this in mind but an absolute mint Galaxy 1.8 came up, I bought it and it was a disaster. Luckily I got a refund so off i go again!

Although I love the space in the galaxy i am thinking of going with a verso as it is easier to get a petrol and everyone I know that has one says they are bulletproof.

Questions- Anyone have the petrol Galaxy/smax does it cost crazy money to run? How about the C8? Are the grand Picasso's really that troublesome there are so many on the road?

Any other decent sized 7 seaters I'm forgetting (need 3 across the back). At the moment I think I'd prefer a petrol that costs more to run over a diesel this age that could give endless expensive issues

pah

wingnut wrote: »

Range looked at:
Budget 5k+-.
Years 07-11
Driving-Short trips rural (no traffic)

The reliability Kings:
Verso 1.6 petrol
FRV 1.7 petrol
Touran 1.6 petrol

Good rep:
Mazda 5 1.8 petrol (too small in back)
Touran 1.9 diesel
Alhambra/Sharan 1.9 diesel

Ok
Galaxy/smax 2 litre tdci
Verso 2.0 d4d

Give trouble:
Galaxy/smax 1.8 tdci (wet belts, injectors)
Grand Picasso 1.6 hdi (dpf egr injectors)
5008 1.6 hdi (turbo)

Don't even go there:
Verso 2.2 (head gasket)
Touran 1.4 tsi
Grand piccaso with paddle shift
ANY Renault

Unknown quantities (anyone run these???)
Grand Picasso petrol 1.8
Galaxy/smax 2.0 petrol
Citroen C8

So I had this in mind but an absolute mint Galaxy 1.8 came up, I bought it and it was a disaster. Luckily I got a refund so off i go again!

Although I love the space in the galaxy i am thinking of going with a verso as it is easier to get a petrol and everyone I know that has one says they are bulletproof.

Questions- Anyone have the petrol Galaxy/smax does it cost crazy money to run? How about the C8? Are the grand Picasso's really that troublesome there are so many on the road?

Any other decent sized 7 seaters I'm forgetting (need 3 across the back). At the moment I think I'd prefer a petrol that costs more to run over a diesel this age that could give endless expensive issues

If you live the space in the galaxy a verso won't come anywhere near it.

Do you need 3 car seats along the middle? If so then smax galaxy Alhambra Sharan grand picasso Grand Scenic.

If it's older kids that don't need car seats you'll get away with the likes of verso, touran but will still be tight. The width of those cars usually not any better than a large saloon, Mondeo, superb

beauf

pah wrote: »

....If it's older kids that don't need car seats you'll get away with the likes of verso, tourism but will still be tight. The width of those cars usually not any better than a large saloon, Mondeo, superb

Couldn't disagree more.

They are a box shape whereas the salons have low roof and curve in. So shoulder space is vastly worse in a salon. Which is what you need for car seats. Interior space and access into the rear is vastly better on a mid sized MPV.

But not all mid sized are the same. The zafira at least the older ones are narrower than most.

Gregor Samsa

The Galaxy/smax 2 litre tdci is pretty bulletproof, especially in it's manual incarnation. I've had a 2010 the last 5 years, and the only thing that went wrong was an aux belt snap, which was a 30 minute fix in the driveway. From being on the Smax owners group on Facebook, it's regarded as being very reliable. I should note that mine is the non-DPF version, though.

Cee-Jay-Cee

I'd go for a Verso purely because they are absolutely bullet proof and reasonable to run and maintain.

wingnut

phutyle wrote: »

The Galaxy/smax 2 litre tdci is pretty bulletproof, especially in it's manual incarnation. I've had a 2010 the last 5 years, and the only thing that went wrong was an aux belt snap, which was a 30 minute fix in the driveway. From being on the Smax owners group on Facebook, it's regarded as being very reliable. I should note that mine is the non-DPF version, though.

How can you tell if it has the dpf or not?

NIMAN

As a previous owner of an FRV, I'd give that my vote.

Bullet proof.
Comfortable.
Not huge.
Great boot, even when all 6 seats in use.

wingnut

Looking at a 2 litre Galaxy at the mo. Apart from the dpf have they given people here trouble?

Mongfinder General

Don’t buy a Citroen, you will have never ending issues.

Eddie Air

I've owned a 2.0TDCi S Max since Nov 2008 when it was 7 months old, apart from (my own) normal servicing and wear & tear items it hasn't missed a beat, great car and hope to have it for years to come.

wingnut

Eddie Air wrote: »

I've owned a 2.0TDCi S Max since Nov 2008 when it was 7 months old, apart from (my own) normal servicing and wear & tear items it hasn't missed a beat, great car and hope to have it for years to come.

Sounds good.
Anyone running the petrol galaxy or smax?

FirefighterT7

08 2.0Tdci Auto Galaxy, absolutely bulletproof car in my opinion, I do all my own repair and servicing and can’t fault the car.

wingnut

I bought a 2.0 TDCI 140 BHP 09 Galaxy. Had a lot of hassle with that 1.8 tdci I reckon I am due a bit of luck!

TheDriver

Mongfinder General wrote: »

Don’t buy a Citroen, you will have never ending issues.

I'd disagree, everyone I know with GPs have zero trouble and some get an awful hard life from their owners.