Can you help us choose a large seven-seat family car?

Hello! We have a Peugeot 307 SW 1.6 petrol. We are due our fourth baby in the spring and are researching to find a full seven-seater (which could comfortably fit seven adults) preferably with low road tax. We think the full seven-seater is better from a safety point of view and aren't concerned about how this affects boot space. The newer models with low road tax are quite a bit more expensive but I assume are cheaper in the long run! What would you recommend? Value for money and safety essential!.

Feena Farrell (Kilcock)

Nov 2013 Filed under: choosing used car

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Expert answer

Hi Feena,

If you need actual space for seven full-sized adults (as opposed to jump seats for occasional use by small kids) then pretty much all of the medium-sized SUVs, such as the Opel Zafira, Peugeot 5008, Citroen C4 Picasso and Ford C-Max are out of the question. They're simply not big enough. You'll need, therefore, to trade up to a proper, full-size SUV and in that category there's simply nothing better than a Ford Galaxy. There's real space in the third row even for big people and while the 2.0-litre 140hp diesel engine is a bit juicy on tax (Band C) it's pretty good on overall fuel economy .

They're robustly made too, and while the Galaxy isn't on Ford's official Irish price list any more, a quick ring around the dealer network should easily turn up either a dealer demo model or a very young used car.

Let us know how you get on

Neil Briscoe - Complete Car Adviser
@neilmbriscoe