Suggest SUV type family 5 seater for €12-15K, like Tucson/Santa Fe but cheaper!

grazer

Looking for a spacious 5 seater with 3 full size individual rear seats for sprawling teenagers. Budget around €12, 13K but could stretch to 15 if a particular car really worked for us. Mileage up to around 100,000km.

I'd love as many bells and whistles as possible, but obviously am limited by budget - sunroof / panoramic roof, hill assist, automatic wipers, elec windows & mirrors, sensors, bluetooth, satnav etc. I had a lot of these, and space, and leather seats, in the Citroen Grand Picasso 7 seater I was driving. But it was 07 and felt like a bit light and rattly and anyway, my other half has it now!

So, my eyes are bigger than my wallet for all the fancy SUVs and crossovers. Santa Fe, Tucson, Kia Sportage, Renault Kadjar, Mitsubishi ASX ... are all the type that I think I like, but are mostly out of my price range. And mostly seem have a bump/narrow middle rear seat.

Any suggestions / ideas? NOT the Dacia Duster please! I've trawled carzone and am boggle eyed. If I could narrow down what I'm looking for it would help!

The three full seats in the rear thing is significant - my three teenagers are lined up together often enough for long drives, and it gets pretty uncomfortable for the one in the middle if they're sitting on a raised bump with armrest behind their back.

Thanks if you've read this far!

drunkmonkey

Those SUV's you mentioned aren't that spacious, this is huge and it's the top spec with all the gadgets. https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/skoda-superb/24066672
I wouldn't hesitate too long on it.

bazz26

None of those cars except maybe the Santa Fe, will seat 3 teenagers individually in the back as they are too narrow. Even a Santa Fe the 3rd row of seats would really only be for kids. You might want to rethink your type of vehicle.

grazer

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Those SUV's you mentioned aren't that spacious, this is huge and it's the top spec with all the gadgets. https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/skoda-superb/24066672
I wouldn't hesitate too long on it.

Not so keen on estate type car but worth considering, thanks.

grazer

bazz26 wrote: »

None of those cars except maybe the Santa Fe, will seat 3 teenagers individually in the back as they are too narrow. Even a Santa Fe the 3rd row of seats would really only be for kids. You might want to rethink your type of vehicle.

It’s a 5 seater I’m looking for. Do you still think they’re too narrow?

SeaDaily

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Those SUV's you mentioned aren't that spacious, this is huge and it's the top spec with all the gadgets. https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/skoda-superb/24066672
I wouldn't hesitate too long on it.

He was looking for an SUV or crossover with a max budget of 15k and you post a superb estate for 17k? Not particularly helpful and not what he is looking for.

colm_mcm

The OPs own list doesn’t fit his own criteria. No harm in suggesting something different IMO.

grazer

Budget is biggest restriction.
Car space, height and spec are biggest wishes.
3 teenagers from 5’4 to 6’ are fixed (apart from getting taller) but their ultimate comfort is negotiable!
As other posters have pointed out, I may have to expand search from just SUV. But hoping I might find something in that style.

Ferris

We have a Citroen Grand Picasso, the newer model to the one you have and it has really impressed me. It has everything - satnav (useless, try and get a later one with Carplay), glass roof, heated/massage leather electric seats, self park (useless), rear camera, adaptive cruise control (great) etc. Its very comfortable and solid on the road. I thought i'd hate the thing but its won me over and it has the 3 individual rear seats you need. We got the 2L diesel as I wanted to avoid the 1.6, ideally I would have liked the 1.2 petrol but at least the diesel gets 6-700km to a tank. The only relevant SUV with 3 individual rear seats is the new model Peugeot 5008 and thats outside your budget.

Edit: I bought ours up north and it cost about 12.5k VRT'd and all.

coolbeans

That Skoda has an air of daddy cool about it. The rest are small and don't really meet the op's needs.

ml100

If space for the kids is important have a look at a ford smax, huge boot in 5 seater mode and middle row has 3 individual seats that can slide forward and back individually which is handy for not having them all in a line. I bought one when we had our 2nd and 3rd (twins), tons of space and a good drive.

grazer

Followed a previous poster’s suggestion and looked online at Citroen Picasso C4. Citroens generally good price and come with lots of spec and three individual rear seats. We’re very happy with the grand Picasso we have. But there are very few 5 seaters. We really don’t need two seven seaters.

Now turning my attention to Hyundai ix35. My poor man’s version of the toucson and my ultimate preference, the Santa Fe. Both of which are outside my budget.

Any opinions on the ix35? Will test drive a 2015 1.7 diesel tomorrow. It has more or less all the spec I’m looking for. It’s the very top end of our budget. Have reduced my focus on comfort for the teenagers in the back seat. (It was a trying weekend in our house!) Parents’ - particularly my - comfort much more important!

ETA: also, any opinions on ix35 vs Kia Sportsge?

Heres Johnny

ix35 is just the forerunner to the Tuscon isn't it?
Used to be sold alongside santa Fe and never alongside Tuscon?

Would you compromise on age OP and get a Santa Fe? It seems to be the one you want and it's a decent bit bigger.

I personally am always happy to compromise in age to get the car I want rather than the reg plate I want....

grazer

Heres Johnny wrote: »

ix35 is just the forerunner to the Tuscon isn't it?
Used to be sold alongside santa Fe and never alongside Tuscon?

Would you compromise on age OP and get a Santa Fe? It seems to be the one you want and it's a decent bit bigger.

I personally am always happy to compromise in age to get the car I want rather than the reg plate I want....

It'd be a compromise on mileage. The only Santa Fe that appears with <100,000km for <€15K on CarsIreland is an 06 one!
On Carzone anything within price range is 150,000+ km.
Not willing to go over 100,000km.
I'm not bothered on the year if I can get good spec and low mileage. Budget is the limiter.