This is for car buyers who need a big car for the family and fun with 7-seats and AWD capability. In other words it's about the most motor you can buy. Here we're looking at what you can buy for the least money.
It's important to always be absolutely certain a car will fit your purposes and purse. If you get it wrong the consequences can be disastrous.
Here we look at the Chevrolet Captiva, Citroen Crosser and Kia Sorento as a guide to what's available. Normally I'd say the ideal family car is a large MPV like the Galaxy, Espace or Sharan but in this case I'm imagining AWD is needed to go off the tarmac onto poor road and fields. I'm not suggesting these cars are suitable for extreme off-road driving or extreme weather conditions. They're no mountain climbers and they're not for social climbers being value and popular brands.
A quick look over the three cars shows they all have 7-seat options, AWD options and have lower price ranges than similar cars. A Chevrolet Captiva has a significantly lower price range than the Citroen Crosser. The Sorento sits in the middle. Let's examine the detail to see what you get for your money.
Chevrolet Captiva Review
2.4 petrol FWD, 2.0 diesel FWD or AWD, auto option.
mpg 31.7 to 39.2 mpg, 191 to 225 CO2s
size 4.63m long, 465/930 load space as 5-seater,2-seater.
performance 117/124 mph, 9.9/6 secs to 62 mph
Citroen Crosser Review
2.2 diesel AWD, auto option.
mpg 39.2 to 40.4 mpg, 185 to 189 CO2s
size 4.68m long, 184/510/1686 load space as 7-seater, 5-seater,2-seater.
performance 123/4 mph, 9.9 to 11.1 secs to 62 mph
Kia Sorento Review
2.2 diesel 2WD or AWD, auto option.
mpg 38.2 to 43.5 mpg, 171 to 194 CO2s
size 4.68m long, 111/531/1546 load space as 7-seater, 5-seater, 2-seater.
performance 118 mph, 9.2 to 9.6 secs to 62 mph
Ignoring the Captiva petrol option you can see all three rank very closely for fuel consumption so bearing in mind these are lab' figues there may be no significant difference in real on the road driving. The same could be said for performance. There is a small difference in emissions.
The Crosser and Sorento have similar load capacities. However the Captiva has generous 6th and 7th seats which are simple and light to operate. It's important to test all three for youself for space and ease of operation to know you'll fully utilize the car's versatility. All three are vitually the same overall medium size.
The main differences will be in your personal taste regarding style and driver comfort. Devoting time to test drives is essential.
All three deliver space with 7-seat and AWD options. They're OK for fuel consumption on paper but not wonderful for emissions. If AWD is not essential there are many medium size 7-seat MPVs that provide more space and versatility, more efficient engines at a much lower price.
The data makes the Captiva, Crosser and Sorento very similar so demonstrations will provide the real proof of which is the best car for you subject to the best deals you can negotiate.
Personally I'd think twice about AWD. Even on skiing holidays and in my caravanning days I've never found the need for 4WD. I managed to get around the UK in the snow last year and the year before with FWD.
Regards
Ralph
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