Does anyone currently own or have experience with a Chrysler Voyager that can help us decide. Or can you recommend a good 7-seater out there if you have no experience on the Chrysler. THanx.
As the family is expanding we are looking at buying a Chrysler Voyager but have heard mixed reviews on it regarding its reliability and running costs.
I am on the same boat as yourself. In search of a 7 seater....last week i had a test drive of Renault Espace 2.2 diesel. It is a very impressive machine but with no flexible flat seating system.
I have read good reviews of Ford S-Max but it is not a real 7 seater...5+2 category.
I heard that voyager is quite thirsty.
Exeriences are welcome.
cheers,
Yes, thirsty is what i have heard to of the Voyager. My better half is keen on the Voyager so i thought i would get some reviews on it.
The Renault looks fantastic but rather on the expensive side I thought. You may want to check out the New 7-seater Citroen C4 and C8 as well. The price is good and they are quite flexible.
Are you looking for a brand new car. I am targeting something two to three years old with 30,000km. Till now i have checked Vauxhall Zafira, Espace and Honda FRV (6 seater). I still prefer the drive of Espace but practicality of Zafira is unbeatable.
We are looking for a second hand one too, afraid the budget wont stretch to a new one. Thought you where in the market for a new one.
We also thought the Zafira looked good. The Voyager stood out though as it seemed a good price and had all the bells and whistles.
Where are you looking. Are you looking online or locally as well. All the online ones seem to be miles away
It's not exactly the safest car you could buy...
Wow, thanks Bern that is interesting reading.
Ok, i think the Chrysler is definetly not going to happen anymore. Now the Zafira needs closer inspection.............
In fact for MPV's I would stay away from all the American ones. None of them seem to do particularly well on the Euro NCAP safety tests (these are a touch more discerning then any American tests done), and the American cars tend to handle like boats, which is not something you want when carrying your family around on twisty Swiss mountain roads!!!
We have a Toyota Previa. It is a true 7 seater and I think when you are in that stage in life when you must drive a bus! one of the best.
If you buy a Voyager bear in mind that it will be very hard to shift when you have finished with it. Friend of mine had to give his away when he left CH. Beware.
The Chrysler Voyager is quite popular here in the USA as the Dodge Caravan or the Chrysler Town and Country. I believe yours are made in Austria with different engiens, so your troubles might be different.
See http://www.allpar.com/model/caravan.html
I had 1996 Dodge Caravan model and although it never left us broken down on the side of the road, it was not a good vehicle. It appears to be designed to last for the duration of the warranty and then things start falling apart. The common problem areas are electrical troubles, transmission problems, rust, and extremely poor resale value. I too had to practically give mine away as there were over 100 used ones for sale in a 100km radius and I gave up and decided to trade it in at a dealership. I didn't do so bad as it was worth $4000, needed at least $2000 in repairs and the dealer gave me $2000 trade in value towards a used Honda Odyssey. The Honda Odyssey has required minimal mantenance and nothing of consequence has broken on it. It is thirsty for fuel though.
A co-worker in Germany told me about a VW minivan with a 2 litre turbo diesel that is quite popular, but I don't think it is a 7 passenger.
Before going any further you have to make up your mind about two points:
Proper 7 or 5+2 seats and petrol or diesel.
I would personally go for a diesel moter with 2 to 2.5 liter engine and i can live with a 5+2 seater car (Zafira, S-Max, etc). I have checked that a Zafira of 2000 is about 10 to 13k.
Thanks to everyone for there words of advice that have helped me with my decision.
Greenhill, thanks to you especially, as this weekend we went off and bought a Zafira. It was your words of advice on the Zafari that did the trick in the end. Very very happy with our purchase indeed. Just one tiny little word on the Zafira, if it is important to you, it is not to us so we went ahead anyway. Just something small but the middle rows middle seat has a lap belt only not a full belt. Not a biggy for us. Keep us posted on what you go for in the end.
Interesting read... What has surprised me is the distinct lack of interest in the VW offerings Touran/Sharan/Multivan and the Peugot/Citroen/Lancia car - it is the same car with three different badges...
VW:
Touran is a 5 plus 2 and a dream of a car to drive - superior to the Zafira as it is wider and sits lower, extremely practical but rather too small for a true 7 seater - Zafira class.
Sharan - 20cm longer 7 seater but an old design, old chassis, old... New model due so some bargains to be had.
Multivan - Any men out there? This is the "van" for men. Seats in the second row turn around to face the rear, table between the two rows and underneath the table is a fridge. All you need is the beer and the cards and we are away.
Peugot etc - Great car, Lancia have the best fittings and reliability is fine apart from the engine protection cover which keeps falling off...
Interestingly aside from this no-one has picked up on the concept of sliding doors. Given that much is said about the size of parking lots this is a major selling point IMHO.
Oh and nearly forgot the new Voyager is absolutely fine in all departments including safety and including fuel economy at least with the diesels (Merc design)
we have a toyota previa. 7 seats and all can come out. great for kids and toys. don't buy a diesel, costs are going up and a new fuel tax is supposed to be implemented for pollution.
All others failed certain crash tests and services for toyota are great, 3 free and 100000km warranty.
the Chrysler is a poor vehicle for safety and hard on fuel.
Check out the TCS reviews.
my 2 cents
Well I guess it is a shame that they don't make it any more then...
they sure do... ... well, it depends on if you want 0kms or 20000, but it is still new
I thought we are talking about used vehicles...VW Touran is OK and very similar to Zafira. But Zafira edges out Touran on Price/Performance ratio. As i said a 2000 model is available for 10 to 13k.
VW Sharan lacks the Flexible seating system.
Peugeot/Citroen/Lancia are very good in newer models (expensive). I am not impressed with the older versions.
Voyeger is a waste of money even with sliding doors. By the way sliding
doors are very good concept for Switzerland. Peugeot 807 is offering one with remote function.
Previa is very nice but way too big for us.
Yip we where talking used cars. The VW is way to expensive and you said it all on the others Greenhill.
No I am very happy with my choice of the Zafira thanks.
Couple of my friends opt for Zafira too and they are quite happy with this mini van.
I am just waiting to get rid of my old car.