I have written about our need for a new car before – one with 7 seats and finally hubby has given me the ok to start searching as our poor old Picasso is threatening to cost more to fix than the car is actually worth.
I have already encountered problems in what should be a fun search!
Car review websites are aimed at men (glares menacingly at autocar). Yes it’s lovely having photos of a shiny new car and it’s gleaming bodywork, a tyre, a leather steering wheel and the dashboard. I have even seen pictures of the large boot with ALL the seats folded down like this:-
What I want to know is:
Can I get a buggy in the boot with all 7 seats still up?
Can I get three car seats in a row comfortably?
Can my teens fit in the rear seats?
My second issue was phoning up making appointments for a test drive. One company said yes, just turn up but failed to have any answers to questions I had about the car and their website kept crashing when I was trying to look.
The first question from another was “What colour car are you looking for?”
Yes I know I am female but I really don’t care what colour it is (so long as it’s not red). How insulting!
My husband will freely admit I know far more about cars than he does, I can change fuses, lightbulbs and even spark plugs in cars of old thanks to being taught the basics by my dad. His idea of the perfect car is it starts and gets him from A to B!
My husband is a salesman so he will be in charge of negotiations to get the best deal – that’s his job in all this.
Taking to twitter to air my frustrations I was pointed to mumsnet.com/cars which goes somewhere to answering at least some of my questions. It has certainly made me rule out some cars that I had previously entertained looking at but it is not enough – I want photographs of the car being used as I would use it. Not pretty staged ones either:-
- Photo’s of muddy kids being loaded into the car after football training with all the equipment
- Photo’s of car seats lining up in the rear seat
- Photo’s of a buggy in the boot (with all seats in use and not an umbrella stroller)
- Photo’s of shopping packed in the boot (again with all seats in use)
Is this too much to ask?
They should definitely do this. You’re right, it’s all aimed at men, and not our practical needs. Good luck with the search! x
I am also searching for a car, I need an automatic 8 seater but this seems virtually impossible to find on my limited budget.
Oh the nightmare of buying a new car, I only drive an auto is really narrows the field. Have fun 😀
I can’t drive myself so the tech side of cars passes me by, but like you we need a 7 seater with plenty of boot space. We used to have a VW transporter, it was amazing. I dream of it and we need another 🙂
I tell my husband what I want for a call and he look for it! Oops! Lazy me!
I hate choosing a car….We just gone for a Ford Edge
I don’t need a new car at the moment but when I do, I want that one in your photo – I could totally fit my skis in there!
If you want a 7 seater car that can fit a buggy, shopping or suitcases in the back with all the seats still up then Toyota Previa is very good. For some reason they have discontinued it here but you can import it from Asia. Also some landrover are quite big and do the job, but can be pricier. I do agree there should be more sites with all the practical info on them, but mumsnet cars is quite good. Tbh my husband actually does the car decision making for us, but that is because he is more interested plus he is the one driving it as I keep failing my test!
I know nothing about cars as neither of us drive but you are right they should give you more info on getting buggies etc in there! X
How spooky – I was actually about to tweet you rearding your car search. We have a Citroen Grande Picasso, which I adore. With all 2 seats up, we can it in my electric wheelchair and some pretty bulky ramps. Will take some pics if I get the chance. I do agree with you though, car dealers and the sites that recommend cars are not female friendly, and don’t tell you the things you really need to know. I personally looked at my cars score on Whatcar? and then went and viewed the 3 cars that I had narrowed it down too. GL with your search – keep us posted 🙂 x
Interesting post. I never realized how men-focused car review sites are because, well, I’v eneve rhad to buy a car. My husband drives, so my husband buys the car (well, I paid half of it). I laughed at hte car salesperson who asked what color car you wanted. Seriously though, it’s stupid.
We will be looking into this soon as our Zafira is on it’s way out. It’s so hard isn’t it to make a good choice and get everything you need.
Good luck! I passed my test a few weeks back and we are looking daily for a car for me! I am hoping to get one next week but it is so frustrating trying to find the perfect one!
You should register willmybuggyfitinmycar.com you could make millions!!
I would love to see more honest and practical reviews on cars for families for sure!
I love this, it’s exactly what they need to do – knowing that buggies fit AND the shopping is a necessity!! 🙂
Nodding my head in enthusiastic agreement.
You should be running the country, if not the car industry. You’d be a brilliant consultant and all the info should surely come as standard – but I realise it, shamefully, does not. I have two friends with 7 seaters – one is a Ford and the other a VW and they’re both pleased with them but can’t remember the actual models. If you want me to find out more, then do ask (anyaharris01) Good luck 🙂
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