Hello, we (family of 5) are due to move to Calgary in July/August. We need advice on which type of vehicle to buy. In the U.K we have a Ford Galaxy 1.9 Tdi which is fantastic because it has 3 individual seats in the middle for the kids and 2 in the back which we take out and replace with dog cages. I have looked at a number of Vans or caravans as they are called in Canada on the auto trader site but only seem to find 7 seater's with 2 seats in the middle and a couch 3 seater in the back which is not suitable for us.

If anyone knows what i mean by the seating arrangements of the UK Ford Galaxy and can recommend something similar in Canada it would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your help.

When do you intend to buy?
My recommendation would be A truck with a crew cab!!
Yes I know its not a van but it provides the seating you want and the dogs will go in the bed no worries.

There's the Ford Windstar, failing that have a look at the Canadian Autotrader

Chevy Suburban or GMC Yukon

Not gonna be cheap on gas though, but that may make them cheaper on the used market.

PS A new Windstar is now called a "Freestar".

Never heard anything but a Dodge Caravan referred to as a "caravan" here.

Thanks iain thaTS the vehicle I was looking to recommend

Knew I'd seen one somewhere

Take a look at the Hyndai Santa Fe 2007, you can see it on the UK website. It can have 7 seats. I have test driven over here and it is excellent looking vehicle and great value. It arrives in Canada in July 2006.

Rob

Hi,

Don't KIA have a big presence in the north Americas? A Sedona is pretty big and practical, too.

Sid

yep i would deff have a look at the kia ,, it has a very good rep ..
stay away from the big 3(ford, gm, dodge,)
there all junk ..
suv yes for sure if you have lots of money..(big 4x4)
remmber gas is going crazy high now and it will go up not down here in van it is now $1.18 a litre convert that to uk then realise opps you dont live in the uk anymore,, then you think oh shoot ....
try any of the asian , korean , japenese models ..
they are the best..DID I mention the honda odessy or the nissan quest . they are an amazing drive with loads of room in the boot..

hi there
my cousin , has a pontiac montana ...........i really loved driving that when i was over , he just got the 2005 model this weekend and although that has split seats behind the driver and passenger seats , i know the earlier one had a middle seat that was split but straight across if you know what i mean that was a 2001 model i think
good luck ............cant wait to drive the new one though
sharon

My brother has a galaxy. I cant think of anything with the seating arangement you mentioned (hence my previous post) but perhaps its not necessary as vehicles in general here are much larger, a Galaxy would be considered pretty small here believe it or not.

Why the need for three seperate seats?

If a minivan is the answer and I had the money I would avoid everything but the Honda and Toyoya, just on depreciation alone, even before I factored in reliability. However the Chrysler built vans (Dodge included) are the only ones available with the very clever "stow and go" fold flat with the floor seats, which might be a factor for you.

Economy on a van is probably better than a "BFT" based SUV, but for lugging stuff it might not be as usefull.

Older "Domestics"...Ford, GM, Chryslers, didnt have the greatest reliability, but recently they are reaping the benefit of their investment in quality systems, and quality is OK (GM particularly). Plus domestic are generally cheaper to fix and spares readily available, and you can get better deals on them, but the Jap vans are just nicer when all is said and done.

If you are on a minimalist budget an old Chevy Caprice Classic station wagon would fit your bill. Acres of space in the back seats for the kids and a huge expanse of space behind for the dogs. Slightly newer and a little smaller would be a Ford Taurus Wagon, but you would have to factor in some budget to fix the tranny..they dont have a good reputation. Both have the advantage that A: they are not vans, and B: You could pick them up pretty cheap.

Depending on how big your kids are I would also seriously think about a Subaru Outback or Legacy Wagon, stellar reliabiliy, fantastic winter traction, good economy and perhaps room for three smaller kids line abreast with dogs in the back. Much nicer to drive than anything else mentioned so far too, but perhaps a bit too small.

Subarus are really nice but a bit pricey. What about the Tribeca? How big is that. I like the Hyundai SUVs. Because they are built on car chassis they apparently do not need that warning about rolling over on a corner.

Top level subarus are pricey, but the base spec Legacy MSRP is $30k and is very well equiped. Resale values are high, so used Subarus usually come at a premium. Tribeca is expensive and up market, I would consider it equivalent to other "Lifestyle" vehicles like a Nissan Murano or infinity whateveritis.

Most modern minivans and small / midsize SUVs are built on modified car platforms, there are very few based on a frame chasis anymore, since its cheaper and more civilised that way, and the manufacturers realised long ago that the average SUV was not going any further off road than the Costco parking lot.

All larger Subarus are based on the Legacy platform to some extent, and have low centers of gravity, helped by the flat "boxer" engine design. Even the Outback, despite its more aggresive styling has only 1.5" more ground clearance than a regular cheaper legacy.

We have just been lucky enough to pick up a really nice '98 Eddie Bauer Ford Expedition for a measley $9,000 from auction. It has 7 seats and the rear seat is remoevable and it has loads of gadgets and buttons that I will never use in fear of breaking it but my hubby just loves

Toyota Sienna passenger seats all stow flat. There are seven seater models that offer two single seats in the middle plus a single seat and two seater split seats at the back that are all adjustable. The eight seater model has a third seat in the middle that pulls forward toward the front. It is marketed as a great seat for infant car seats, but ICBC insurance won't cover you if you use it that way, as it slides and stows (i.e. has no fixed seat belt on the body of the car.) If your kids are young, be careful about the seatbelts that are actually in the seat - car seats (not boosters, they are OK) are apparently not safe when belted in on those. Some insurance companies might not cover you if a child gets injured in a carseat on that type of belt. I like the Sienna, I have one, but the all round visibility is shite if you drive on your mirrors like I do.

Do they stow flat into the floor, or just flat at seat level? interesting about the seat belt thing.