Three years ago I part ex'd my '01 Multipla 1.6 ELX and purchased a 53 307 SW (7 Seat) 2.0 HDi. I've well and truly had enough of the (piece of s*&t) 307 with it's various faults! I'm now looking at moving back to the world of Multipla but I am torn. I can get hold of a great condition 55 plate 1.9 Eleganza but I also have my eyes on a lovely Mazda 5 1.8 TS2 (Petrol).

There's probably plenty of others on this forum with 4 monsters to lug around and have the same lack of options when it comes to picking a new car. There's just too few options out there. Add that to certain restrictions that have been put on me by my lovely wife (No auto's, no electronic hand brakes, not too big in size or engine, leg room for all the kids, etc....) limits my options further. My two primary options are the Multipla and the Mazda 5 but I'm also toying with the newer shape Zafira.

Part of me wants something different to drive round in but another part remembers the great size and practicality of the Multipla. I transported 6 large 6ft+ blokes (including myself) in it once!

Has anyone else had the same or similar conundrum? HELP!

I look at least once a month on autotrader to see what there is. I never seem to get further than that.

A diesel multi drives a lot nicer than a petrol, and a lot more economical.
Can you get a fridge in or go to the dump in a Mazda 5..answer.. No
Zafira sounds practical, never driven one...
If it was me I would decide after a test drive with each, no point having a car that bugs you everytime you get in...
In any case, what matters most is what er indoors thinks, she may even like the vauxhall....

Hi I don't no if this helps but in my opinion stay away from the zafira I had a newer shape 05 plate diesel and I had more engine warning lights on than my Christmas tree has. And it was allways something different could not find the fault so got rid at a loss. That's when I got my 2nd multipla a 2001 1.6 elx as I love the way they look the old shape and the room they have. But I think I have fallen out of love with it as just to many problems i would go for the mazda. I am looking around for a new car in june when I will send my multipla to the grave yard funny enough I was looking at buying a 307 hdi estate lol

Avoid the 307 it's a pig. On top of the faults there's never enough boot space. I've very rarely had all 7 seats in the car.

I'm not to fussed about boot space as long as I can get a pushchair in there just need something that I don't have warning lights flashing and alarms going off just want something reliable and safe. Might look at a bmw 3 series or a vw Passat diesel. Good luck in what ever car you choose

Ironic. When I bought my Multi it came down to a choice between it and an HDi 307SW. I'd forgotten that until I saw this thread!

The Mazda will doubtless be more reliable, and soulless too. If you need a car for load lugging, check what the floor is like with all the seats folded/removed. I remember looking at a Touran and couldn't believe what a mess VW had made of the load bay floor - it's got an f'ing great step in it! I don't think the Zafira is much better.

I don't need my Multi for lugging people around that often - it spends most of it's life with just the 3 front seats in - but it is a very practical, well thought out car. When needed, it can carry 6 adults in comfort and still have room for some luggage. One thing it isn't though, is cheap to run. The parts are mostly pretty cheap, but you need lots of 'em......

Avoid the BMW 3 series if you need kiddy seats - you'll do your back in! Also, if you try fitting 3 kiddy seats abreast, you'll be lucky to get the doors closed. A mate of mine did this in his company car 3 series and smacked a hole in the door trim when he slammed it shut

Thanks for the replies guys. Went to see the good condition Multipla today and a Zafira. Wasn't impressed with the Zafira rear seats, how to fold them away and even trying to get into them! You have to move the whole bench middle row just to gain entry! I suppose this would be fine if you only need 5 seats with the occasional need for the two extra but for those of us with 4 monsters it's no good. The Multipla (D&J Autos Leighton Buzzard) is nice and it certainly brought back memories, shame it had an airbag fault. Trouble is I just got a huge deja vu feeling. It's a shame Fiat didn't spend some time face-lifting the interior as well as the exterior. It felt very dated and cheap on the inside. My wife liked it and the dealer gave the usual "I've got three others coming to see it" speech but it just didn't float my boat.

Now onto the Mazda. Loved it. Great interior and fun just a shame the one we looked at had ripped headlining from a botched DVD removal and a dodgy dealer. My parents had looked at this one a few days earlier for me, in those few days the dvd player had been ripped out and the price increased from 3790 to 4995. Cheeky bar stewards! I'm thinking they increase the price for the bank holiday punters.

Well off to look at two more tomorrow afternoon before work and then more than likely registering on a mazda forum! Thanks for all your help and good luck with your ugly bugs.

The main problem with the zafira is the boot and the fact that the back 2 seats when they are up are so close to the boot as if someone rear ended you the seat would get whacked. That's another reason I got shot of mine on the up side I have just bought a 08 vw Passat estate tdi well happy and my poor old multi is off to the scraper tomorrow

It sounds as if nobody has tried a safari. The middle seats fold flush with the front seats. I have had 2 chest freezers in one. Only sold it because the head gasket was going. Actually it had been going for a few months. Was offered a newer model a 1.6

A 'fold-away' seat system is all very well, but you're still lugging around all that weight, and they're still taking up space, wherever they go.
Answer honestly, how often are you likely to be out somewhere miles from home, and suddenly/unexpectedly need to use up all the available space in the back?
95% of the time, you'll whip the seats out at home and go off and pick up whatever it is you've found or pre-ordered, or it'll be enough to just flip the seats forward.

You've more than likely got your 'new' multi by now, well, it's the only practical way to go .
I'm on Multi No: 3. (JTD '03) I can't imagine life without a multi.
The worst problem I have ever had was the crank sensor on a 1.6 - fixed in no time (plastic metal - ran for over 2 yrs like that, never missed a beat.)
2 Diesels followed, in truth I prefer the diesels, more economical and they haul my heavy trailer about with no fuss.
GO ON, YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO

I'm on my second now, 02 110 JTD ELX.
Bought my first one (02 115 JTD ELX) in Oct 09, with 85,000 miles on it.
It finally died two months ago with 196,000.

I have never bought the same car twice in a row in the 36yrs I've been driving, which is in itself a big testament to them, what with me not being a great car-lover.

Hi don't know if my opinion will help but I had a 08 zafira and hated every minuet of owning it. It had warning lights going off everywhere and the visibility is quite poor where the pillows at each side of the windscreen are far to thick you can honestly loose sight of buildings never mind that poor old lady at the zebra crossing and there not very economical ether. And the two back seat have no leg room only good for little children