Choices for a 7 seater 4x4

[cooa99]

I have had my 2005 (E53) for 9.5 good years and very reluctant to part with it.

With 3 kids in the family, a teenager and 2 still using car seats, the back is getting cramped. There is also the occational movements with the parents which results in having to travel in two cars rather than one. I am partially  on a lookout for a spacious 7 seater to replace my E53. I don't want too spend much as all our financial focus at the moment is on buying  another property.

I would like a 7 seater where the last 2 seats can comfortably seat a teenager or 4yr old with a car seat.

I was considering the E70 but not sure how comfy the last 2 seats are. I also noticed that when the 2 seats are up , there is literally to more boot space left.

Two other cars that spring to mind bigger than the E70 are The Audi Q7 and Discovery 3 both having some boot space left. These 2 do seem to carry a heavy road tax cost in comparison to the X5!

I would be looking for something around 2008-2010 .... year

Please I could do with some insight into those cars or any you can think of that I have not considered.

Thanks

[X5Sport]

If you are prepared to look at another option outside BMW/Audi, then the Škoda Kodiaq might give you a choice, although they may be a bit new for your budget - though you could lease or PCP it if funds permitted?

[sid10]

Look at a Gran tourer 7 seater that you can get in 7 seats , we changed our X1 9 months ago for one still have my X5 ( E53 owned for 12 years ) .
The car is extremely spacious , very adaptable & well specd in M sport guise , ours is a 220d xdrive M sport , 190 bhp , 40+ mpg , 7 sec to 60 , satnav , self park , sunroof , auto , heated leather , folding mirrors , etc .
I have been amazed at how much easier it has made long journeys with our 3 kids 15,13 & 7 going on 21 , no more arguments about who is sitting where & leg room is greatly improved as the seats move in the 2nd row .
Have a look as I found the Skoda abit tight in the back for getting in & out of also .
  some good deals on 2nd hand ones and start on a 2015 plate .

[X5Sport]

Forgot about that option......which considering I’m looking at that or the Active Tourer was a ‘doh’ on my part.  :-[

[cooa99]

Good options guys.

I was not aware that the 2 series back seats was as spacious as the E70?

A colleague at work has a 2012 Kia Sorento which I saw him climb into the back seat ...

[sid10]

hi it is probably more spacious as the middle row of seats all move forward & backwards so leg room is better !
I have searched for a 7 seat X5 for the last couple of years to replace mine , unfortunately they are fairly rare as I wanted a specific car with a factory towbar , 40D Msport .
The 220 xdrive gran tourer has been a much better car than I thought it would have been , its engine in 2.0d form has 400 nm of torque & 190 bhp so it goes like stink , has several settings for eco , comfort & sport which quickens everything up & being 4 wheel drive it handles well also , ours has an 8 speed auto with flappy paddles which suits the car well .
Standard spec is very generous but I would opt for M sport for the xtras , you will get a 2015/2016 for similar price to the 2012 /2013 x5 , recommend having a go in one even if not sure as I still love the X5 but practically the 220 wins hands down .

[CondorX5]

Well I have a 40d MSport with factory towbar and 7 seats Sid, so not sure they are all that rare . Mine even has a factory dvd system to keep my dogs amused .  Jokes aside, the third row of seating is the best I have seen to date.  They are real, individual seats with full seat belts, but are really not suited to anyone over about 5’ or close to it.  None of these third row seats in SUVs are.  For full size third row. Seating buy a VW Caravelle Executive!  We have an elderly Caravelle with 300k miles on the clock and it drives incredibly well, is really comfortable and has oodles of space!  And fits into a normal parking space, unlike a Q7!   
The other really positive point about the 7seater X5 though, is the additional suspension and aircon to the the rd row, which makes it just that bit nicer for passengers and more balanced and probably safer too.

Kia Sorento is a big old brute without much refinement and finish, if you are used to German build cars, but it is spacious and offers a lot for the money, but resale on them is dreadful.

I meant to add, the Disco’s so called “jump seats” are truly awful. The worst of all of them.  I would not want a child to travel on one of them.

[NehalX5]

This was the big decision for us when we were looking. Narrowed it down to:

Mercedes GL 320/450 CDI - V6 diesel is slow and struggles with weight. V8 is powerful, expensive running costs, moreso than a 3.0sd. Very luxurious inside, leather dashboard was standard etc, but old infotainment system. Also, there was 2 sunroofs! Found it too large and was paying a lot for something that was about 2 years older than our X5. Seats are great however, third row electrically folding etc. Facelift late 2009 made these more modern, space is good so consider these.

Q7 is similar too, again slow as engine struggles with weight. No amenties for third row. Bad quality car, VAG struggle to make cars feel premium, at least these cars. Maybe not so now, as the new ones look very upmarket. However, tyre woes put us off, and thats with the X5's expensive tyres. New tyres every 4000 miles doesn't sound nice.

Discovery 4 - if third row space is priority, this is the car. Again, no dedicated AC, only the X5 and XC90 had those in the back. All seats are full sized, can take 7 large adults with no issues. There is minimal boot space with all seats up, much worse than the X5, so a roof box is needed for any travel. X5 could fit a few weekend bags when 7 up, it's doable in them. Very comfortable cars, was a tie between this and the X5, but the reputation of Land Rover sealed the deal. That's not to say the X5 is cheap to run either!

XC90 is dated, bit slow, but again best compromise for practicality. Has best boot space with all seats up, all seats are large enough and very comfortable, designed purely for large families, which it handles extremely well. Will have you wanting more for power, which is why the X5 appealed more, they are different beasts. Comfort on par with the Discovery, no air suspension but still rarely feel bumps in the road, although wallowy over speed humps i.e. it can rock about like a boat, and handles like one too.

IMO the X5 is the best compromise on all the offerings above, but the cars above are still good alternatives and won't leave you too disappointed. Only thing none of those offer is handling performance similar to a 5 series - the X5 is one of the best handling SUV's today, and one of the better handling offerings from BMW, better than a 335d touring.

[graemeX5]

Hi

If you looking at a dedicated 7 seater and boot space then have you thought about going up in size?

A couple of mates have gone for 6 seat Vauxhall Biturbo vans with 6 seats which got me thinking about that type of vehicle. See link below which is for a Merc dualinerthis one is a 9 seat van/bus.

They do different configurations some 5 through 9 seats,  I guess it depends on your need, but also a lot of larger people carriers do have 7 seat option, is another possible option.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified ... ans&page=3

Graeme

[sid10]

Hi Condor is yours up for sale? Would be interested!
Sid10

[CondorX5]

Only bought it last August Sid, on HP so likely in neg equity territory now especially with all the bad press about diesels.  Plus I love driving it so unless I get a crazy, good offer, I guess not! We never use the extra seats so its a shame, but it ticked all the other boxes for me so I bought it!  It came over from JKC in Ireland, as did my 4.8, they do seem to get very low mileage incredibly well specced cars and they are AUC too.

I can second the alternative idea for a van type vehicle as Graeme mentioned above - the VW Caravelle is amazing, well the old ones (T4s ) certainly were and are great for large families. 

[sid10]

Hi CondorX5
        Have just looked at jkc cheapest car is 47k! Is it classed as an import ?
Thanks
      Sid10

[CondorX5]

No its not, luckily. Directly transferable on original plates. Plus they deliver free of charge anywhere of your choice on the mainland and collect a part ex if there is one, at the same time.  They are really friendly and efficient -its an owner /family run main dealer in County Tyrone.

[cooa99]

The VW vans will be too big for me.
So looks like narrowing down to an X5 or 2 Series. Just wondering if I should go for diesel or petrol

[X5Sport]

That’s a dilemma all it’s own, and I’m in the same pickle.

It probably depends upon how many miles you do a year v cost of fuel.  For me doing 15k a year it means diesel as the real world mpg is still a non starter for petrol (and assume at least 20% difference between the official data and real world until the new testing rules come in).

The unknowns of course are what is the Government going to do to Diesel Owners?  If you have a Euro 6 vehicle then may be not much, but any earlier could get whacked!  We have an EU4 and EU5 BMW and an EU6 Škoda.  If you go for an EU6 Diesel car you will also need to factor in the AdBlue additive at around £12 every 7-8,000 miles.  Not all use it, but many do especially on more powerful engines such as the 20d 190bhp version.