Family motoring is an eternal battle between people-packing and purse-pinching.
After buying a house, the next biggest outlay for any family is their car. And if you think finding suitable affordable housing is hard, wait until you take a look at the dealer forecourts.
In the manic rush towards SUV-styled crossovers, the car market abandoned the little-loved – but ultra-practical – people carriers or MPVs. Yes, those boxy minivans were little to look at and often had all the driving dynamics of a bread van, but they could cater for up to seven passengers plus the detritus of everyday family life.
In the race to embrace rugged SUV aesthetics we sacrificed practicality for prestige. The car industry can be blamed for ending production of people carriers, but they were led by sales figures that showed families turning to crossovers in droves.
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And so we find ourselves in a market filled with jacked-up hatchbacks styled like off-roaders but barely able to conquer a grass verge. What’s left for those who prize practicality is a fleet of converted vans.
So let’s set out the criteria for the average family buyer. It comes down to seats, space and practical features. Next comes price. Far, far down the list comes driving pleasure.
First, let’s tackle the child seat debate. Isofix (a standardised child-seat anchoring system) is the recommended option for fitting child seats. It is worth noting that experts suggest the child seats attached using seat belts can work just as well, provided you fit them correctly. The benefit of Isofix is that you simply click the seat’s connectors into the anchors, which makes it a much easier process with less room for error.
If you are looking to cater for two Isofix child seats, then most family-sized cars can fulfil your needs. If you are looking to accommodate more than that with Isofix fittings, then the shutters start to come down.
Let’s start with the good news: there are still a few cars that can cater for up to four Isofix seats. And they’re not just budget minibuses. They include a fleet of Mercedes-Benz.
For example, the seven-seat version of Mercedes-Benz SUVs from the GLB up to the GLS can take two Isofix seats in the middle row and another two in the third row – so four Isofix in total.
You’ll need to be a bit of a yoga master to contort them all into position in the third row, but it can be done. The same is true of the all-electric EQB. The downside? You are looking at an outlay of €60,000-plus for either of these and significantly more as you move up the Mercedes model alphabet.
The same applies to seven-seat offerings from many other brands: Kia, for example, also offers four Isofixes – two in the middle row and two in the third row – on models such as EV9 and Sorrento.
Again, these come with €60,000-plus price tags.
For those on a more limited budget, a quick trawl of the current new car market showed the most affordable vehicles offering three Isofix across the back seat are largely passenger versions of vans.
The Stellantis Group – which owns Opel, Peugeot and Citroen among other brands – delivers on this front, with three models all derived from the car giant’s compact van offerings.
Let’s start with the all-electric Citroën e-Berlingo, at €36,782 for the five-seater version after grants and VRT reductions. A seven-seat version is available for €38,693. Both variants claim a range of 345km between charges.
For that money, which is in line with many family hatchback models these days, you get a spacious and ultra-functional family vehicle. Yes, it’s a van with windows, but there’s a roomy cabin that makes fitting child seats a bit of a doddle, further helped in busy car parks by the slide side doors. The boot is massive and it’s well-equipped for the price.
The downside? It’s electric, which means a limited range for those long treks across country.
As for whether you opt for the Berlingo, Peugeot e-Rifter or Opel e-Combo, there’s not a lot of difference between them aside from aesthetics, so it might well come down to which dealer makes you the best offer and is closest to your home – an important consideration for when things go wrong.
If you want to move up in size, options such as the Volkswagen ID. Buzz, VW Multivan (with 5 Isofix in the back) and Citroën ë-SpaceTourer exist, but prices rise quickly, and so does the “van” feel.
Some cars offer three Isofix, split across two rows: two in the back and one in the front passenger seat (assuming the airbag is deactivated). The obvious downside is it leaves you with the occasional quandary as to where to put any adult passengers on a trip.
Options here include the new Fiat 600 at €28,995, a host of Renaults – from the new all-electric 5 to the Captur and Austral, a couple of Volkswagens such as the ID.4, Tiguan and Tayron, and several Skodas including the popular Kodiaq, Enyaq, Superb and Octavia models.
The last two on that list are worth a special mention, for the estate versions of both are really worth strong consideration because of the enormous boot space. They boast boot space you could lose a Labrador in, are pleasant to drive, start about €32,300, and offer frugal engine options.
Only two Isofix seats fit in the back, but you might squeeze a booster into the middle – depending on its size. It will be a tight fit, but it is possible.
As the children grow, these estates shine as family haulers for holidays, bikes and Ikea trips.
In terms of engine choices, for school runs and shopping trips, electric makes a lot of sense – if you have a private driveway. If you are doing regular cross-country treks or live in an apartment, then petrol, diesel or regular hybrids are still the go-to options.
Think hard about your real-world travel needs. It’s one thing to pass 30 minutes recharging in a desolate car park while you scroll through social posts on your phone, another doing it with three screaming toddlers in tow.
Remember also, it’s not just about seating. There is more to look for in a car’s back row, such as sun blinds on the rear windows, fold-out rear tables for the middle row and clips – plus charging points – in case you succumb to the temptation to let Netflix or Disney distract your young passengers during the journey.
And so to finance. For family buyers, there are a number of options, from cash (unlikely to be readily on hand if you have a house-full of youngsters) to bank loans and Personal Contract Plans (PCPs). There are also dealer finance offers, which can be competitive, but read the fine print carefully.
As a rule, always shop around when it comes to interest rates. PCPs make sense if you are confident of a steady income and budget over the next three years. If your life’s unpredictable, a standard bank loan may offer more flexibility.
Also check the mileage cap on PCPs, and always look for breakdown cover and a solid warranty. These extras matter when you’re juggling kids, chaos and car seats.
Clearly there’s the temptation to turn to the used car market, where prices are more competitive and you could pick up a 10-year-old people carrier such as the Opel Zafira or Ford C-Max and S-Max models for €5,000.
However, remember that you are now carrying the increased risk of something big going wrong with the mechanics, creating a matching big bill. That’s where a good warranty from a dealer or a pre-purchase check by a friendly mechanic can be invaluable.
Unfortunately, AA Ireland no longer offers car inspections. However, some independent engineers offer these inspections, and the list can be found on the Institute of Automotive Engineer Assessors (IAEA) website.
Take heart, too. As you curse in pain after catching your finger on a child seat latch, remember – this time will pass. One day you’ll trade booster seats for boot space, and the world of empty-nest motoring is gloriously full of two-seater sports cars.
