Prius+ 7 seater

wtawfick · 02-02-2014 12:38pm #1

I'm looking to buy a 7 seater MPV (automatic). I'll be trading in a 2004 VW Touran automatic. Mainly looking for a 2014 brand new car (that I'm planning to buy through the new PCP finance system). I've narrowed it down to

1- Toyota Prius+ 1.8 Hybrid automatic
2-VW Touran 1.6 Diesel automatic
3-Citroen C4 Grand Picasso 2 litre diesel automatic.

All three give roughly the same interior space, nearly the same miles per gallon (Prius+ slightly wins there) & relatively similar tax. All three will come with 3 year service & 3 year warranty.

Pros & cons of each:

1- Prius +:
Pros: My wife likes it the most (she's the one who's gonna be driving it). Lowest MPG, lowest road tax.
Cons: It's a relatively new car on the market & a bit quirky. Not sure if I'd be able to sell it later?? I think it only started late 2012 & only became available in Ireland late 2013. No used ones in the market that I could base an opinion on.

2- VW Touran:
Pros: Reliable car. Good resale value. VW have the least APR for the loan (3.9% compared to 7.9% for the other cars), so although it's theoretically more expensive, yet in the end it'll be the same as the others.
Cons: Boring as hell. :eek: Not many specs (even in the comfort line) compared to the others. We already have a 2004 Touran & the shape hasn't changed at all. It's giving us the feeling that we're not really changing the car.

3- Citroen C4 Grand Picasso:
Pros: Has the highest specs & options at a cheaper price.
Cons: Feels like cheap plastic inside. Not sure if it withstand the destructive forces of my kids. Seems to have the lowest resale value (although it'll cost me same price as the others to buy new. That's because I'll have to go for the 2 litre Executive model with full automatic transmission. I tried the 1.6 "semi-automatic" & it was awful).

My wife really prefers the Prius +, but I'm really worried about ability to offload it in the future. Are the ordinary 5 seater Prius good value for money, & can I base the resalability of this 7 seater, on that of the 5 seater?

Any thoughts are welcome.

Frankie Lee · 02-02-2014 2:34pm

I'd imagine the Prius 7 seater will hold its value very well. It is odd looking though.

RedDeadMarshal · 02-02-2014 2:41pm

Forget Citroen (**** Car) no offense to anyone driving one. VW is a solid car. It's German it's reliable it pulls it purrs. Got to love a VW but a Toyota is a Toyota less exciting than VW but if you're wife likes it then buy what she likes although it's a Prius so that's a no, no. How about a verso 2.2 d4d pulls like a freight train. If they still make those engines. This is coming from both a Toyota and VW owner. If anyone recommends a citroen to you they are ****. You are going to regret that for the rest of your life. Irish car 2014 my a**. Buy Toyota buy the best get a rope and tow the rest. Same goes for vw.

wtawfick · 02-02-2014 2:55pm

Frankie Lee wrote: »

I'd imagine the Prius 7 seater will hold its value very well. It is odd looking though.

Thanks Frankie. I have to agree, It does look odd. Not my first choice when it comes to styling (& that's even from a guy who drives a classic looking car. I drive a Jaguar S-Type). Having said that, it's my wife who'll be driving the 7 seater most of the time. I don't mind the looks as long as she's ok with it. I'll only drive it occasionally.

wtawfick · 02-02-2014 3:05pm

RedDeadMarshal wrote: »

Forget Citroen (**** Car) no offense to anyone driving one. VW is a solid car. It's German it's reliable it pulls it purrs. Got to love a VW but a Toyota is a Toyota less exciting than VW but if you're wife likes it then buy what she likes although it's a Prius so that's a no, no. How about a verso 2.2 d4d pulls like a freight train. If they still make those engines. This is coming from both a Toyota and VW owner. If anyone recommends a citroen to you they are ****. You are going to regret that for the rest of your life. Irish car 2014 my a**. Buy Toyota buy the best get a rope and tow the rest. Same goes for vw.

Thanks RedDeadMarshall. I got the same impression about the Citroen when I test drove it. Just cheap plastic interior. The only reason I had it in the comparison, was because it had the most gizmos, specs & options, at a cheaper price. When I drove it though, that's exactly what I felt "CHEAP". The semi-automatic gearbox was "HORRENDOUS" to say the least. That's why I thought of the full automatic 2 litre version. I put it out there to see if someone would talk me in to getting it. At least you've confirmed my fears.

You said

Got to love a VW but a Toyota is a Toyota less exciting than VW but if you're wife likes it then buy what she likes although it's a Prius so that's a no, no.

When you say a no no, is that because it's a hybrid, or is there another reason. I won't be using the car to tow anything. It's basically to carry around the kids & family. School runs & the occasional trip from Galway to Dublin. I don't need major towing power. The verso D4D unfortunately doesn't come in automatic. The only automatic version is a petrol engine, which will end up being even more expensive than the Prius+

TBi · 02-02-2014 3:59pm

Diesel will have better real life fuel economy than a prius BUT the prius will have far lower service and repair bills. It will more than likely be the cheapest to own. They are very reliable and not susceptible to the myriad of little expensive "surprises" diesels have (dmf, dpf, washed diesel).

I'd get a prius if the missus likes it.

pajo1981 · 02-02-2014 4:19pm

wtawfick wrote: »

Thanks RedDeadMarshall. I got the same impression about the Citroen when I test drove it. Just cheap plastic interior. The only reason I had it in the comparison, was because it had the most gizmos, specs & options, at a cheaper price. When I drove it though, that's exactly what I felt "CHEAP". The semi-automatic gearbox was "HORRENDOUS" to say the least. That's why I thought of the full automatic 2 litre version. I put it out there to see if someone would talk me in to getting it. At least you've confirmed my fears.

Is this the new C4 picasso? It's supposed to have an excellent interior:

Citroen also consistently score higher than VW in the warranty direct index which is based on breakdown stats and not just peoples opinions/ perceived reliability.

http://www.reliabilityindex.com/manufacturer

wtawfick · 02-02-2014 4:34pm

Hi Pajo1981:

Is this the new C4 picasso? It's supposed to have an excellent interior:

Yes that's the one you have in the picture. While I agree it does look flashy, yet it gave me a "cheap" vibe. Aesthetics is one thing, quality is another. One example: The brand new show model they had on display at the dealers (hasn't been driven), the foldable table behind the front seat was already falling off the back of the seat. I showed it to the dealer. He clipped it casually back into place (as if this was a normal occurrence). 5 minutes later it was hanging off again.
I'm by no means writing off the Citroen. It has too many options at a very competitive price. I'm just worried about its reliability.

Thanks for the link. I wasn't aware of it. I'll look up each car individually & post the reliability results of each

colm_mcm · 02-02-2014 4:40pm

The Prius+ makes a lot of sense if you want an automatic

bazz26 · 02-02-2014 4:47pm

RedDeadMarshal wrote: »

Forget Citroen (**** Car) no offense to anyone driving one. VW is a solid car. It's German it's reliable it pulls it purrs. Got to love a VW but a Toyota is a Toyota less exciting than VW but if you're wife likes it then buy what she likes although it's a Prius so that's a no, no. How about a verso 2.2 d4d pulls like a freight train. If they still make those engines. This is coming from both a Toyota and VW owner. If anyone recommends a citroen to you they are ****. You are going to regret that for the rest of your life. Irish car 2014 my a**. Buy Toyota buy the best get a rope and tow the rest. Same goes for vw.

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ_RrrpB3-p1iwfyP9kBmO6Qwzqw190YUcTIU6M6rJLJuXJ3pk-5Q

colm_mcm · 02-02-2014 4:49pm

#2.2headgasketfailure

wtawfick · 02-02-2014 5:00pm

pajo1981 wrote: »

Citroen also consistently score higher than VW in the warranty direct index which is based on breakdown stats and not just peoples opinions/ perceived reliability.

http://www.reliabilityindex.com/manufacturer

The Prius seems to be the most reliable (That was based on the 5 seater Prius, as the Prius+ is too new to go into the warranty index).

I was actually surprised to see that Citroen as an overall brand scored better than VW. The average reliability index is 100. Less than 100 is more reliable. More than 100 is less reliable. The Prius is miles ahead of the other 2 cars.

This now looks like it's forcing my arm into getting the Prius+ which I find to be so dull (although my wife does like it).

wtawfick · 02-02-2014 5:06pm

colm_mcm wrote: »

#2.2headgasketfailure

Was the Head Gasket Failure on a Prius? How old was the car when that happened?

Bigus · 02-02-2014 5:14pm

I bet you'll end up driving the Prius more than you imagine, because most people,Who have access to a hybrid,Grow to love the way they operate especially around town And the suburbs

noelf · 02-02-2014 5:35pm

You should be able to get a Volkswagen on 1.9 pcp till the end of march . I'm going for a new golf highline 1.6 tdi plus free servicing till it reaches 60000 km

02-02-2014 5:35pm

Prius is a very reliable car, the Prius plus is a bigger car so it most likely won't see 60-65 mpg I get in the MK II. Still for a petrol automatic it should get 50-55 mpg. I doubt most diesel automatics would do much better.

I think they were to add a lithium battery and make a plug in version.

The hybrid is well proven now and should reassure anyone thinking of going the hybrid route.

R.O.R · 02-02-2014 5:39pm

There is a substantial additional discount on the Prius+ at the moment, think it runs until mid Feb - hopefully it wasn't until the end of January.

wtawfick · 02-02-2014 5:42pm

noelf wrote: »

You should be able to get a Volkswagen on 1.9 pcp till the end of march . I'm going for a new golf highline 1.6 tdi plus free servicing till it reaches 60000 km

Hi Noelf,

I'm not sure if they do different APR rates on different models. It's definitely 3.9% (not 1.9%) on the Touran. This is at Western Motors in Galway. Could you tell me which dealer you're getting the 1.9% with. That might sway things in the Touran direction.

wtawfick · 02-02-2014 5:48pm

R.O.R wrote: »

There is a substantial additional discount on the Prius+ at the moment, think it runs until mid Feb - hopefully it wasn't until the end of January.

Hi R.O.R. Could you tell me where you saw the additional discount on the Prius+. I'm based in Galway, but have no problem going elsewhere in the country, if I'll get a reasonable discount.

The dealer in Galway, is gonna ring me back tomorrow with his final verdict on the pricing. He already has one in the showroom. brand new (still not registered). Has 10 kilometres on the clock (basically just my test drive). He says he'd be willing to do a deal on that one if I'm willing to take it, instead of ordering in another one. Still don't know exactly what the final price is gonna be. While find out tomorrow.

R.O.R · 02-02-2014 5:51pm

wtawfick wrote: »

Hi R.O.R. Could you tell me where you saw the additional discount on the Prius+. I'm based in Galway, but have no problem going elsewhere in the country, if I'll get a reasonable discount.

The dealer in Galway, is gonna ring me back tomorrow with his final verdict on the pricing. He already has one in the showroom. brand new (still not registered). Has 10 kilometres on the clock (basically just my test drive). He says he'd be willing to do a deal on that one if I'm willing to take it, instead of ordering in another one. Still don't know exactly what the final price is gonna be. While find out tomorrow.

My Toyota dealer rang me a couple of weeks ago with the news, just on the off chance I had anyone looking at one (I buy cars for a large fleet company).

Give Des Hughes Toyota in Portlaois a buzz tomorrow to see when it's running until.

wtawfick · 02-02-2014 5:51pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Prius is a very reliable car, the Prius plus is a bigger car so it most likely won't see 60-65 mpg I get in the MK II. Still for a petrol automatic it should get 50-55 mpg. I doubt most diesel automatics would do much better.

I think they were to add a lithium battery and make a plug in version.

The hybrid is well proven now and should reassure anyone thinking of going the hybrid route.

They have the lithium battery on the Prius+. Theoretically speaking it's supposed to be pretty efficient. It's well hidden under the arm rest between the driver & front passenger seats.

Everything on this thread about the Prius seems quite positive & reassuring. My only concern, is do you think that it'll be something that would appeal to people if I were to sell it in a few years time.

noelf · 02-02-2014 6:01pm

Western motors allways more expensive I went to commons cars in navan much better trade in value . oh if you want a change from touran the passat is 0.9 pcp estate perhaps ????

wtawfick · 02-02-2014 6:25pm

My Toyota dealer rang me a couple of weeks ago with the news, just on the off chance I had anyone looking at one (I buy cars for a large fleet company)

Give Des Hughes Toyota in Portlaois a buzz tomorrow to see when it's running until.

Hi R.O.R.

Thanks for that. I'll definitely give Des Hughes a ring tomorrow morning. Would be great if there actually is an offer going on.

colm_mcm · 02-02-2014 6:27pm

I saw 2 Prius+ today so someone's buying them!

wtawfick · 02-02-2014 6:34pm

noelf wrote: »

Western motors allways more expensive I went to commons cars in navan much better trade in value . oh if you want a change from touran the passat is 0.9 pcp estate perhaps ????

Hi Noelf,

I had a look at Commons cars in Navan. On their website they're only quoting the 3.9% across their range of models. I'll still give them a ring in the morning and ask.

I don't think a Passat estate would do it for us though. We need the 7 seats. No harm in asking them if they have better rates on the Touran though.

wtawfick · 02-02-2014 6:37pm

colm_mcm wrote: »

I saw 2 Prius+ today so someone's buying them!

That's great to hear Colm & very reassuring.

You did mention earlier something about a Gasket Head Failure. Was that on a Prius or on a different car?

colm_mcm · 02-02-2014 6:43pm

Nah, on the 2.2 toyota diesel, in reply to those bashing other brands

wtawfick · 02-02-2014 6:48pm

colm_mcm wrote: »

Nah, on the 2.2 toyota diesel, in reply to those bashing other brands

Thanks for clarifying that.

BMJD · 02-02-2014 6:50pm

wtawfick wrote: »

Everything on this thread about the Prius seems quite positive & reassuring. My only concern, is do you think that it'll be something that would appeal to people if I were to sell it in a few years time.

The regular Prius prices are holding up well so I would expect the Prius+ to be the same, if not better as there are few other petrol alternatives

wtawfick · 02-02-2014 6:50pm

Most comments seem to be in favour of the Prius+.

So unless the VW guys come up with a killer deal on finance for the Touran, it looks like I'll go for the Prius.

At this stage I haven't found any comment to convince me to go ahead with the Citroen, so looks like it's out of the race.

BMJD · 02-02-2014 6:52pm

105bhp automatic diesel should be enough to convince you not to choose the Touran

Prius+ 7 seater

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