I have 3 kids under 2. Should I buy a 4x4 Land Rover Discovery or a sensible MPV, like an Espace?

Question

If you object to the 4x4 on environmental grounds, does it become acceptable in your mind if I offset my carbon emissions?
What about if I converted it to LPG?

Does anyone have any view if the depreciation on 4x4s (particularly on the discovery) will be heavier in coming years?

Answer 1

3 kids under the age of 2 will fit into a ford focus. No need to by something big

Answer 2

Go for the Land Rover Discovery. Screw what other people think about it. Just think of your kids safety in a thing like that!!

Buy British

if your worried about depreciation then maybe you should buy a used one and save yourself the instant loss as soon as your drive it out of the dealers forecourt. No one can really predict if a car will hold value well, most of its to do with demand like the mini for example. They are in high demand and thus the used prices stay fairly high.

LPG would be a cool idea but not nessesary plus there arnt that many LPG filling stations at the moment. With petrol prices fairly high it would seem that 4x4's will loose more value due to the fact that not many people can afford to run them. But this can work to your favour because u might be able to pick up a bargain.

I think a discovery would be more useful than an mpv to be honest what with the 4x4

You could even look into getting the better range rover. It looks better and drives better too.

oh and you should probably go for a diesel engine as petrol would give your less mpg!

hope this helps

Answer 3

Many believe buying a Land Rover or 4x4 is best to keep children safe, but I would ask yourself how often will you travel with your children on a road which is over 30 miles per hour is the answer is not often then most likely you won't need a big car as you are less likely to be hit at a fast speed. Another common thought is that if you crash into a wall for instance your children will be safer, but studies have shown often 4x4's are more dangerous as there are no crumple zones in the car and child could suffer major wipe lash or worse if the child seat is not correctly fitted, there was a programme on BBC1 recently discussing the Pros and Cons of 4x4's and with all the tax, fuel costs, they found a basic family car was better, family cars have been upgraded to be stronger, and safer for children so unless it is for looks your better off getting a fanily saloon.

Answer 4

Do u need a 4x4? If yes-consider a VW Touareg (If safety is paramount to U? It has a 5 star rating in the n-cap tests for passenger safety. Thats the best. Its also an awsome car!
If u are buying a series 2 discovery (old shape) then depreciation is not too bad. If u are getting a Series 3 (New Shape) then buy one with a good spec. ie terrain control, 7 seat option, sat nav etc. The really basic ones have bombed quite badly compared to the higher specifiction ones.
Havent seen it in the flesh but the new Ford Galaxy looks really good. The older one was awsome.

Answer 5

Consider that having three kids under 2 in a vehicle, each one must be in a car seat. And the three car seats MUST fit in the vehicle. Look for the back seat space in the Land Rover, and bring the three car seats to the dealer. Try to hook up the three at the same time in the back seat, and if they don't fit, don't buy the Land Rover.

There are some 4x4 vehicles that have three rows of seats. I think the new Nissan Pathfinder has those. But you have to go to the dealer to see it for yourself.

And remember, those three kids are going to grow faster than you think...

I have three kids and a 1998 Nissan Pathfinder. When they where younger, two of them used car seats. If I put both car seats in the back seat, the older kid was not comfortable or couldn't sit at all. Then we bought a Nissan Quest also for when we where going into long travels with the three kids. Now we have both vehicles.

Good luck!!

Answer 6

If you do need a MPV then look at the Hyundia Trajet. All seats will fit car seats in next to each other comfortably.
Lpg conversions cost around £1000 depending on vehicle.

Answer 7

Go for the people carrier, its much more sensible, and considering the safety standards of all cars this day in age, if you did have a bump, the car is built to protect all that is in the car. I drive a family saloon and have faith in it should i have an accident, and this is important as i also have a young child.

DO THE RIGHT THING!!!

Answer 8

Buy a Mitsubishi Delica , they are a 4x4 and have a people carrier body on top. Best of both worlds, funky and practical. Its the best vehicle I have ever owned. If you are worried about the environment then you can run them on bio-diesel.

Answer 9

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Answer 10

If transporting children in a car why not check the cars NCAP safety ratings as one of your criteria for choosing a car. I'm sure this is more important than emissions etc.