Looking to buy a new People Mover.

[Gordon Gekko]

Hi All,

Its time to up date our people mover, we currently have a Chrysler Voyager, wouldn't buy one again.

Looked at our first car today, The Volkswagon Multi van, very impressed at first glance, big, safe, loads of power. Has anybody had any experience with this car?

Next question : We have enough cash to go and buy one. A thought I had was to buy the car under finance and put the $60k away for the term of the loan into a term deposit. This would be like a forced savings, paying off the loan and at the end of it, still have the $60k (approx) I haven't done the math but what are your thoughts?

Cheers

Jay

 

[Aaron_C]

If you are self-employed it's often best to lease the car using a chattel mortgage as it preserves your cash and you get tax deductions each year.

 

[zuludotcom]

We are on our second Honda Odyssey. Drove others like Tarago & Voyager, not so impressed. The Honda Feels like a real car with comfort for 7.

Bought earlier this year with 2.9% finance offered with new Hondas at the time. With finance after best negotiated deal. Not sure whether these deals are still available.

 

[bbmick]

We have the Kia Carnival as a company wehicle from wife's work & it's just brilliant.

Plenty of power, space & flexibility - all the seats can even be easily pulled out and used as a flat bed van. We tow a camper van several times a year.

 

[Hoffy]

We have the Kia Carnival as a company wehicle from wife's work & it's just brilliant.

Plenty of power, space & flexibility - all the seats can even be easily pulled out and used as a flat bed van. We tow a camper van several times a year.

Agree. We have the grand carnival. Plenty of power, plenty of room. 100,000km on the clock without issue. Genuine 8 seater with still good boot space in that configuration. Like having sliding doors on both sides so my kids can't damage mine or someone else's car in a car park.

We configure the second row as two seats with a central walkway to the third row.

 

[Jamie M]

I read the title and was going to say anything but Chryser! But it looks like you've sorted that one out.

Cheers

Jamie

 

[Jaggannath]

Hyundai iMax? Cheap to run, always comes up well in reviews, although I think it was a bit underpowered... if it was just for my wife to drive, not such a problem.

 

[RPI]

Missus has the Grand Carnival. I used to have a Chrysler 300c and she even preferred the carnival to it. Its comfy and has heaps of Boot space (I have 5 kids and it fits us and all our junk in). Bit thirsty but quick, comfy and great for travelling in. Have done some long road trips and its nice and toey for overtaking the caravans. We looked at lots of others and nothing seemed to have as much room in the boot. Leather and electric side doors etc are available if you want them. But what I have done for the last couple is buy an ex avis or hertz one, 1 year old and 20k on the clock and you can pick them up for around the 30k.

 

[Ostraylia]

+1 for the KIA Grand Carnival.

When we were looking we ended up choosing this over the Toyota Tarago, Honda Odyssey, Mitsubishi Grandis and Chrysler Voyager. The others just couldn't compare for practicality and overall value for money.

The boot space alone in the GC instantly knocks off the competition. Even with the 3rd row seats in place, the boot is very usable and deep. The flexibility of the seating arrangements is far superior also.

The V6 is strong and combined with the 5sp auto is very usable and easy to drive, even with it fully loaded. With the safety aspects we were very pleased to have the curtain airbags include the 3rd row passengers. (Something Tarago's didn't have until 2010 irc)

My only complaint about it, would be the petrol usage, but then again what 6 cylinder people mover doesn't have consumption issues?

Kia do have a diesel version which you may also want to test drive if fuel usage is of concern.

Anyway, good luck with what ever you choose.

 

[RedPanda]

People movers are just that, people movers. But I don't think they look good and they just serve one purpose of moving people. We had this similar issue a few months back when we were loking to buy one. Then I thought why not buy a 4x4 which has more seats. They are people movers, look good and also be used for off-road trips. I ended up narrowing down on buying a Pajero or Landcruiser. Ended up buying a Landcruiser Prado. Looks great, drives great, carries 8 people, tows a boat or trailer, can go off-road as well. They are a bit more expensive but with a car like that one can also buy a used one. It'll still serve you 10 years without much dramas. Very happy with the purchase.

 

[Ideo]

People movers are just that, people movers. But I don't think they look good and they just serve one purpose of moving people. We had this similar issue a few months back when we were loking to buy one. Then I thought why not buy a 4x4 which has more seats. They are people movers, look good and also be used for off-road trips. I ended up narrowing down on buying a Pajero or Landcruiser. Ended up buying a Landcruiser Prado. Looks great, drives great, carries 8 people, tows a boat or trailer, can go off-road as well. They are a bit more expensive but with a car like that one can also buy a used one. It'll still serve you 10 years without much dramas. Very happy with the purchase.

Unless you are a mosman mother or st ives soccer mum that never actually uses the 4WD and instead uses to to take darling little Jacinta and Edward to school, and then park badly around every major shopping centre, reverse into cars because you can't see out of it and generally act like a menace on the roads.

Combined with the fact that in a single vehicle accident, or accident with a large vehicle they are much less safe, they chew fuel, generally have less interior space, cost more to rego, drive very poorly compared with car based transport, cost more to service and more to buy, it's hardly really the best option.

Unless you go offroad.

As for people movers, the Kia does develop some head gasket issues at higher kms, but that should have been dealt with by the new model.

As for financing, I'm a believer in a lease.

 

[Ostraylia]

As for people movers, the Kia does develop some head gasket issues at higher kms, but that should have been dealt with by the new model.

This hasn't been an issue since the 2006/7 model where they changed over to the Mitsubishi 3.8ltr based engines.

The earlier models 1999-2002 had atrocious failure rates of around 40% or something like that, but they where using Rover engines. They were failing from as low as 30,000kms. Anyway this is not a concern today, almost 10years on. (Also almost 7 years on from when the current shape/model was introduced back in '06)

Kia/Hyundai are very different to what they where a decade ago and have come a long way. I would never have touched one, but nowadays their standard and reliability are much much better. Hyundai especially are aiming with higher sights (my guess is they are looking at Honda qualities with Toyotas previous reliability)

--

FYI to OP, there is a difference between the Carnival and Grand Carnival, the Grand Carnival has the longer wheel base and bigger boot.

 

[Ideo]

This hasn't been an issue since the 2006/7 model where they changed over to the Mitsubishi 3.8ltr based engines.

The earlier models 1999-2002 had atrocious failure rates of around 40% or something like that, but they where using Rover engines. They were failing from as low as 30,000kms. Anyway this is not a concern today, almost 10years on. (Also almost 7 years on from when the current shape/model was introduced back in '06)

Kia/Hyundai are very different to what they where a decade ago and have come a long way. I would never have touched one, but nowadays their standard and reliability are much much better. Hyundai especially are aiming with higher sights (my guess is they are looking at Honda qualities with Toyotas previous reliability)

--

FYI to OP, there is a difference between the Carnival and Grand Carnival, the Grand Carnival has the longer wheel base and bigger boot.

I thought that was the case. Cheers for the info.

One of the things that turned me off going a early model Lotus Elise as a toy car was that it used the K series engine. Which are basically made of cheese.

ETA - I'm with you. The quality of Korean cars is much, much better than it used to be. Massive improvements every model and they should be a serious consideration now.

 

[VYBerlinaV8]

V6 Tarago. I've driven a couple, and was pleasantly surprised.

 

[RedPanda]

Unless you are a mosman mother or st ives soccer mum that never actually uses the 4WD and instead uses to to take darling little Jacinta and Edward to school, and then park badly around every major shopping centre, reverse into cars because you can't see out of it and generally act like a menace on the roads.

They are actually more easier to park than a Tarago or a Carnival because of an elevated position.

Combined with the fact that in a single vehicle accident, or accident with a large vehicle they are much less safe,

A Landcruiser or a Pajero is actually much more safer compared to a Carnival or a Tarago. Reason. 4wds are much more strongly built, usually have a bull bar, the position of the driver is much further back with a big bonnet, compared to a Tarago or a Carnival which has very less shock absorbing capability.

they chew fuel,

Yeah right, just check the fuel aconomy of a Tarago vs Landcruiser. 14L/100 km for a Tarago and 14.5L/100 km for Landcruiser.

cost more to rego

Not sure, but I wouldn't mind 20 or 30 bucks extra per year if at all.

Yes they are a bit expensive, because you are getting better quality product.
And you always have an option to go offroad as well even if you use it rarely.

I should add that people movers have an inferior build quality and end up guzzling more money in repairs than 4wds in the long run. Not the mention the looks.

The point of writing the above is to consider it as an option, because many people don't. Remember a 4wd is a car (people mover), and much more. Best of luck for your purchase.

As for people movers, the Kia does develop some head gasket issues at higher kms, but that should have been dealt with by the new model.

True, but these issues are discovered after a while so newer models might develop such issues later as well.

 

[tubs]

We've got an Odessey too. Great car, and unlike most people movers they look good too. When we checked our options it came out clearly on top.

 

[wylie]

We've had a Mitsubishi Numbus and love it. Seats 7 adults easily. Not as roomy with all seats in as some of the others sound, but still fit in luggage (but not for seven people ).

Drives like a car, looks like a nice wagon, and safe. Newer model is called something else, but this or the Honda Odyssey would be my pick if we were looking now.

I would never cart my kids in a 4WD, but that is a whole other argument .

 

[Ideo]

A 4WD is generally not safer in a single vehicle accident because
1) ladder frame and the general construction of them transfers shock to the occupants rather than absorb impact
2) High centre of gravity so higher chance of rollover.

 

[wylie]

Those would be two reasons why I consider them a lot less safe too.

(Changed my post because I mis-read yours. I agree with you.)

Now let's all watch as things get heated about which vehicle is safer

 

[Ideo]

Those would be two reasons why I consider them a lot less safe too.

(Changed my post because I mis-read yours. I agree with you.)

I didn't see the original, so no drama from me

There are exceptions to this (Audi Q5 kind of things) but traditional fourwheel drives are a less efficient and less safe way of moving kids.

It's fine if you just want a vehicle to bully other people out of the way though. Or impress other soccer mums.

Or, as I said, actually use it to go off road.

But a people mover has been designed from the outset to perform that task. It is the purpose of it. And they tend to excel at that task.