7 seater for family, occasional trip to north. MPV or SUV?

[Mangos]

Dear all,

Need some advice here.

I'm thinking of change from my current sedan (Mazda3) to a 7 seater, to cater my bigger kids and extended family. We also plan to do road trips to Malaysia or even Thailand more frequently in the coming years. Due to budget, I'll only consider 2nd hand.

Initially I was thinking of the popular choices, either a WISH or a STREAM, more inclined to the WISH. But I'm not sue whether a SUV will be more suited when drive to Malaysis/Thailand where road conditions may be too rough for an MPV.
Then I'm concerned with the service and fuel costs that SUV may incur more than MPV, and the noise level. So I summarised the pros and cons of the two options:

MPV
pros: cheaper, better FC, comfortable(?), quite.
cons: not suitable for bumpy roads when trip to some parts in north.

SUV
pros: good for road trip.
cons: rough ride(?), more costly (fuel and servicing), noisier(I guess?)

Not sure if my summary is correct.

For MPVs, my top candidates are WISH/STREAM, then some other less popular choices such as Grandis, Mazda5, Touran. The former are actually not cheap compared to the later due to its popularity but in the long run I think the overall cost in servicing will be less than later?

For SUVs I'm looking at Fortuner, Santa Fe, Captiva, Crossroad.

If WISH/STREAM has no problem for road trips to Malaysia/Thailand then I can settle with either one. But if they are not, then I'll probably choose an SUV, with priority given to reliability, quietness, FC in that order. Hope can get more info and suggestions for these cars listed.
thx!

ps: a side question, is it possible to install roof racks on WISH/STREAM? will it damage the car in someway or it's a standard add-on for any car?

Edited February 12, 2015 by HyperTonic

[Karu]

I don't see any problems with the mentioned makes going up north for road trip if you have no intentions of going off-road.

 

You only need to worry about the boot space. You can't possibly fit the luggage for 7 people into the limited boot space of MPVs. That's true even for full sized ones like Estima & Odyssey. Not sure about those huge ones like Alphard though. Guess that's why you asking about roof racks. But I haven't really seen people loading their extra luggage on the roof in this region.

[Ralliart99]

Dear all,

 

Need some advice here.

 

I'm thinking of change from my current sedan (Mazda3) to a 7 seater, to cater my bigger kids and extended family. We also plan to do road trips to Malaysia or even Thailand more frequently in the coming years. Due to budget, I'll only consider 2nd hand.

 

Initially I was thinking of the popular choices, either a WISH or a STREAM, more inclined to the WISH. But I'm not sue whether a SUV will be more suited when drive to Malaysis/Thailand where road conditions may be too rough for an MPV.

Then I'm concerned with the service and fuel costs that SUV may incur more than MPV, and the noise level. So I summarised the pros and cons of the two options:

 

MPV

pros: cheaper, better FC, comfortable(?), quite.

cons: not suitable for bumpy roads when trip to some parts in north.

 

SUV

pros: good for road trip.

cons: rough ride(?), more costly (fuel and servicing), noisier(I guess?)

 

Not sure if my summary is correct.

 

For MPVs, my top candidates are WISH/STREAM, then some other less popular choices such as Grandis, Mazda5, Touran. The former are actually not cheap compared to the later due to its popularity but in the long run I think the overall cost in servicing will be less than later?

 

For SUVs I'm looking at Fortuner, Santa Fe, Captiva, Crossroad.

 

If WISH/STREAM has no problem for road trips to Malaysia/Thailand then I can settle with either one. But if they are not, then I'll probably choose an SUV, with priority given to reliability, quietness, FC in that order. Hope can get more info and suggestions for these cars listed.

thx!

 

ps: a side question, is it possible to install roof racks on WISH/STREAM? will it damage the car in someway or it's a standard add-on for any car?

 

 

bro, suv is always higher and unless ur kids are all grown up. else it will take some effort to climb in , especially the rearmost seats. a lot of the suvs here, thought suvs as it may be. cannot go off road. fortuner is a rugged car no problem. not sure the rest of the suvs u stated

 

i also had this issue of urs but i'm looking at estima/s-max/odyssey

 

 

[Unitek]

i had a WISH, GRANDIS, ESTIMA and RX300 before. so i shall only comment on the above.

 

WISH (mini MPV) is the most reliable and best FC car we ever had. For short trip to Malaysia for 5 is fine. If you plan to sit 7, rear 2 and center row middle passenger may not be comfy.

 

GRANDIS / ESTIMA (MPV). Both should have no problem for long trip for 6-7 paks. FC for both are around 7-8kml. I would choose Estima over the latter for better reliability. But i suspect it cost a little more for a Toyota.

 

RX300 (SUV) is strictly speaking not for off terrain use. It is comfy and quiet despite my 19" rims. No major issues for the 3 years owning it. Too bad the new ones are just to ex. In fact, all Jap cars are now IMO over priced.

 

So you can see, i'm a fan of Toyota (although i have had Nissan, Daihatsu, Mazda and Mitsibitshi before). Go for a resale Toyota. It should give you a little bit more peace of mind.

[Mykarma]

I have to disagree that boot space is tight in an Estima for 7 people. I own one and still driving it today after 5 years. Before that 2 generations of Hyundai Trajet and those were the beter for space and value for money.

 

I drive annually to KL for golfing trip and once in a while with 7 or more people in the Estima as people carrier. Estima: in the boot space you can remove the floor flap where the last row chair folds into the floor and it adds extra luggage space. In my trips to KL[4 full-sized golf bags + lugguage for 4] the car is configured like business class in an airplane with the middle 2 captain chairs extended like a bed fully extended with footrest.

 

Do not recommend a SUV as the height might be a disadvantage especially if you have kids and elderly. Also I do not recommend the Ford Galay as it's too plasticky inside but the S-Max can also be considered.

 

Presently looking to add a Peugeot 508 SW to my drive. This is really a cheaper version of the Audi A6 Avant but with more options as I had checked out.

 

Alternatively wait for the coming Hyundai Santa Fe 7-seater.

 

Enjoy.

[Unltd]

Dear all,

 

Need some advice here.

 

I'm thinking of change from my current sedan (Mazda3) to a 7 seater, to cater my bigger kids and extended family. We also plan to do road trips to Malaysia or even Thailand more frequently in the coming years. Due to budget, I'll only consider 2nd hand.

 

Initially I was thinking of the popular choices, either a WISH or a STREAM, more inclined to the WISH. But I'm not sue whether a SUV will be more suited when drive to Malaysis/Thailand where road conditions may be too rough for an MPV.

Then I'm concerned with the service and fuel costs that SUV may incur more than MPV, and the noise level. So I summarised the pros and cons of the two options:

 

MPV

pros: cheaper, better FC, comfortable(?), quite.

cons: not suitable for bumpy roads when trip to some parts in north.

 

SUV

pros: good for road trip.

cons: rough ride(?), more costly (fuel and servicing), noisier(I guess?)

 

Not sure if my summary is correct.

 

For MPVs, my top candidates are WISH/STREAM, then some other less popular choices such as Grandis, Mazda5, Touran. The former are actually not cheap compared to the later due to its popularity but in the long run I think the overall cost in servicing will be less than later?

 

For SUVs I'm looking at Fortuner, Santa Fe, Captiva, Crossroad.

 

If WISH/STREAM has no problem for road trips to Malaysia/Thailand then I can settle with either one. But if they are not, then I'll probably choose an SUV, with priority given to reliability, quietness, FC in that order. Hope can get more info and suggestions for these cars listed.

thx!

 

ps: a side question, is it possible to install roof racks on WISH/STREAM? will it damage the car in someway or it's a standard add-on for any car?

 

For the mid sized MPV, you may want to look at conti makes such as VW, Peugeout and Citroen. With the current value of YEN and prices of Japanese cars, it may make more sense to purchase a conti, the comfort level is different and prices are quite close.

 

For the SUVs you mentioned, personally I find they are huge fuel guzzlers, especially the Fortuner.

 

Like the bros here said, unless you are going off road, otherwise SUV is really not needed and crossroad is really not much of an off roader...

[Picnic06-Biante15]

If can get a second hand Picnic, go for it....

[Verna24]

NO captiva please!!! Problematic car. I sold my after 1 year I got it brand new. Poor fc, last row can't really sit adults, very uncomfortable for long ride. Worst engine stalled suddenly w/o warning. Can restart after few mins, but super dangerous lor, luckily both incidents I able to reach home, at small road, traffic not heavy &fast. Worst still their workshop can't give me a good explanation, keep telling me nth wrong lol.

 

Anyway estima is a good choice, got 8km/l but for ride comfort, it's one of the better few in the market :)

[Tayspiderx]

If can get a second hand Picnic, go for it....

A second hand car would be ideal since its occasional trip.

 

Pinic, noah, voxy, stepwagen, isis all provide decent comfort with decent luggauge load for 3 days trip.

[Mangos]

If can get a second hand Picnic, go for it....

 

Yes picnic is an excellant choice for my purpose. sadly it's kinda obsolete so I'm worried about future servicing/parts issues. otherwise definitely a good candidate.

[Mangos]

For the mid sized MPV, you may want to look at conti makes such as VW, Peugeout and Citroen. With the current value of YEN and prices of Japanese cars, it may make more sense to purchase a conti, the comfort level is different and prices are quite close.

 

For the SUVs you mentioned, personally I find they are huge fuel guzzlers, especially the Fortuner.

 

Like the bros here said, unless you are going off road, otherwise SUV is really not needed and crossroad is really not much of an off roader...

 

that's what I found as well that the paper value of those conti cars are higher than japan made while market price is on par, indicating a good value. but I'm worried about maintain costs since much fewer conti are seen on the road. but thanks for bring a good point on price.

[TVT]

In my opinion only:

 

Based on your needs, if no need to go offroad, pick a MPV.

 

If for me, I would not (try not to) pick a MPV without rear aircon vents. From your list of 5, only Grandis, Mazda5 and Touran fits my bill with rear aircon. Among the 3 shortlisted, Mazda5 will be my pick because I prefer sliding doors.

 

But Touran is from VW, is it reliable?

 

I have seen Wish/Stream on our roads with roof racks. I don't think it is a standard add-on. You got to buy and install it yourself at those accessories shop, or unless the Wish/Stream you buy from the used car dealer comes with it (meaning installed by ex-owner).

 

 

[Zafira18]

NO captiva please!!! Problematic car. I sold my after 1 year I got it brand new. Poor fc, last row can't really sit adults, very uncomfortable for long ride. Worst engine stalled suddenly w/o warning. Can restart after few mins, but super dangerous lor, luckily both incidents I able to reach home, at small road, traffic not heavy &fast. Worst still their workshop can't give me a good explanation, keep telling me nth wrong lol.

 

Anyway estima is a good choice, got 8km/l but for ride comfort, it's one of the better few in the market :)

 

For citroen, u can rent the roof top box from CNC for $50 fir 3 day usage, $10 for additional day...

[Picnic06-Biante15]

A second hand car would be ideal since its occasional trip.

 

Pinic, noah, voxy, stepwagen, isis all provide decent comfort with decent luggauge load for 3 days trip.

I had been driving Picnic for the past 6 years.

 

Going up to MY very comfortable up to a family of 6 (one rear seat bring down for luggages) and FC is good....

[Picnic06-Biante15]

Yes picnic is an excellant choice for my purpose. sadly it's kinda obsolete so I'm worried about future servicing/parts issues. otherwise definitely a good candidate.

 

Picnic & Camry share almost the same engine parts (85%), so nothing to worry.

[Mangos]

I don't see any problems with the mentioned makes going up north for road trip if you have no intentions of going off-road.

 

You only need to worry about the boot space. You can't possibly fit the luggage for 7 people into the limited boot space of MPVs. That's true even for full sized ones like Estima & Odyssey. Not sure about those huge ones like Alphard though. Guess that's why you asking about roof racks. But I haven't really seen people loading their extra luggage on the roof in this region.

 

most of the time there'll be 4 adults and 2 kids for a trip to the north so my plan is to fold down 1 rear seats to hold the luggage. think that shall do it right? The roof rack part is just out of curiousity rather than practical needs here. indeed I haven't seen much luggage on the roof locally.

[Mangos]

i had a WISH, GRANDIS, ESTIMA and RX300 before. so i shall only comment on the above.

 

WISH (mini MPV) is the most reliable and best FC car we ever had. For short trip to Malaysia for 5 is fine. If you plan to sit 7, rear 2 and center row middle passenger may not be comfy.

 

GRANDIS / ESTIMA (MPV). Both should have no problem for long trip for 6-7 paks. FC for both are around 7-8kml. I would choose Estima over the latter for better reliability. But i suspect it cost a little more for a Toyota.

 

RX300 (SUV) is strictly speaking not for off terrain use. It is comfy and quiet despite my 19" rims. No major issues for the 3 years owning it. Too bad the new ones are just to ex. In fact, all Jap cars are now IMO over priced.

 

So you can see, i'm a fan of Toyota (although i have had Nissan, Daihatsu, Mazda and Mitsibitshi before). Go for a resale Toyota. It should give you a little bit more peace of mind.

 

I'm more inclided to WISH over STREAM as well. Toyota has good reputation in reliability and FC and I heard WISH is slightly more spacous than STREAM. ESTIMA is a little out of budget otherwise also a good buy IMO.

For 6 people (4 adults 2 kids), I hope WISH is sufficient and comfortable for trip to as far as phuket?

[Mangos]

In my opinion only:

 

Based on your needs, if no need to go offroad, pick a MPV.

 

If for me, I would not (try not to) pick a MPV without rear aircon vents. From your list of 5, only Grandis, Mazda5 and Touran fits my bill with rear aircon. Among the 3 shortlisted, Mazda5 will be my pick because I prefer sliding doors.

 

But Touran is from VW, is it reliable?

 

I have seen Wish/Stream on our roads with roof racks. I don't think it is a standard add-on. You got to buy and install it yourself at those accessories shop, or unless the Wish/Stream you buy from the used car dealer comes with it (meaning installed by ex-owner).

 

I've seen some pretty bad reviews of Touran even though my wife thinks it's nice (purely from the outlooking and german branding, she doesn't even drive lol)

Mazda5 is pretty good IMO. the only issue being the small population of it locally so may not find a suitable 2nd hand compared to massly available WISH/STREAM.