I want to buy a mid-size minivan. I have two small children, but sometimes need a third child seat and even a fourth (not sure if the front seats are supported on all models child seats). The use is basically urban, but also for three or four long family trips / year. I am especially interested to be a safe vehicle, (to prevent accidents and human damage in a collision), second and third internal consumption capacity for storage. I have looked at the Renault Scenic, Citroen c4 picasso, the Ford B-Max and Ford C-Max, Volkswagen Touran, Toyota Verso, etc.
What minivan to buy?
Opel Zafira Tourer MPV for ciudad
Whether you require a car for urban use basically makes the automatic transmission is one of the elements I would include in the equipment to get. Once you have circled two or three days with this rate you’ll wonder why the hell city not bought an automatic car before. Yes, it will be necessary for the change to work properly and this is where the big differences between them start models. However, is not the only issue to consider, and the fact that we are talking about models for basically city driving also requires that you must consider very seriously the possibility of opting for a gasoline engine instead of a diesel, as current diesel models have, because of the special operation on all the FAP particulate filter, problems to operate only city.
But we are also looking for a car with enough force to travel with a good number of occupants and to have active safety and passive safety, that is, you can have elements of comfort and safety besides an engine with good torque which not take missing tackles at crucial moments like overtaking or climbing. Infant seat (SRI) in the front seat is always possible if we can disable the front passenger airbag, which is present in the models we contemplate.
All the features above plus space requirements and low consumption discussed lead me to think of an automatic MPV, with space enough gasoline and torque. Rule here first those with change piloted single clutch because, in my view, do not provide enough comfort level, the same way between gasoline engines will have to find those that have a minimum torque of the environment 180 Nm, and thus we have the following list of model
Opel Meriva 1.4 Excellence 5p. Aut.
Exclusive their mode of access to the rear seats with doors opening in the opposite direction to the march, the Opel Meriva, together with the Altea, the shortest of which we can see. Its 1.4-liter engine offers 200 Nm of torque but is rather lazy low while automatic transmission has a torque converter that provides good comfort level but something that hampers consumption, so the consumer approved em city is situated 9.6 liters and average consumption at 7.2. An advantage is the fact that, at least in terms of PVP, the cheapest option. It has good width but behind isofix seats only have two occupants. Three regular chairs can get.
SEAT Altea 1.8 TSI 160 Style DSG
SEAT Altea XL
With a dual-clutch driven change, this transmission option is the most satisfactory in terms of comfort / consumption ratio, which is confirmed with good urban consumption of 8.9 liters despite having a high motor and 250 Nm 160 hp of maximum power, the combined consumption remains at 6.7 liters. Shorter and wider than the Meriva, provides a similar trunk except for the fact of not having longitudinally adjustable seats (if available in the Meriva). For a higher price have the Altea XL, that improvement in boot having more than 530 liters in exchange for a slightly higher price and nearly identical performance and consumption
Chevrolet Orlando 1.8 17W Automatic
However this is a naturally aspirated engine not as capable as the supercharged by turbo Meriva and / or Altea, also offering a traditional automatic transmission torque converter that does not help get good consumption, which is reflected in an urban consumption approved whopping 11.2 liters.
Opel Zafira Tourer 1.4T Excellence
Much more capable than his brother inside Meriva, Opel Zafira Tourer offers the same mechanical and due to the higher weight, lower dynamic capabilities than that, however clearly improving in terms of interior capacity for occupants and luggage.
Renault Scenic 2.0 140 CVT
Renault Scenic
The naturally aspirated engine of the Renault improves the Chevrolet Orlando but also lags behind the turbo Opel and SEAT in strength and also for consumption, as it has approved figures of 10.9 liters in urban consumption with 6, 5 liters of mixed consumption. Inside is wider than rivals discussed so far except for the Zafira, which stands at similar values.
Toyota Verso 1.8 140 M-Drive
Toyota Verso minivan citizen
As in the case of the Renault Scenic, this is a CVT (continuously variable) rate with which we obtain a somewhat slow response but good ride comfort, penalizing consumption theme further changes piloted. Yet he is able to approve consumption 8.5 liters and 6.8 liters in combined consumption
Peugeot 5008 THP 155
One of the most prestacionales next to the Altea 1.8 TSI, 1.6-liter Peugeot is coupled to an automatic transmission with torque converter that consumption to 9.9 liters and 7.3 mixed urban consumption increase further to stand as a PVP clearly than 30,000 euros.
Above price wise find models like the Volkswagen Touran 1.4T, but it seemed to me that the more than 34,000 euros of excess PVP him away from competitors.
Conclusion.
Models that have been rule out, for consumption, Chevrolet Orlando, the Peugeot 5008 and Renault Scenic. The Opel Meriva imperiously rule it out if we need three good rear. Of the rest, and making a list of “highly recommended” to “less desirable” in my opinion and the proposed requirements, we have
1.SEAT Altea XL
2.SEAT Altea
3.Opel Zafira
4.Toyota Verso
The Opel Zafira Tourer can have greater active safety and passive safety that the SEAT Altea but the mechanics clearly lags behind the 1.8 TSI, which is much more forceful.
What minivan to buy?
