People movers...suggestions!!

So we are looking at possibly moving to a people mover...and I would like some feedback.

At the moment, we are looking at a Toyota Granvia...we need something that can fit at least 3 children (in carseats) and 3 adults, that can easily tow a (heavy) trailer without doing 80km up a hill....does anyone else have any suggestions?? We would also prefer a diesel...but I'm open to suggestions!

I like them too...but how economical is it on fuel, seeing as it's petrol???

This is the one we are looking at for the moment...

Toyota Granvia

I thought diesel ended up being about the same as petrol, once you pay for road user charges, etc? I actually have no clue, that's just what I've always been told.

We just got a Mazda MPV today!!
SOOO much boot space, heaps more than any of the others we looked at. Also lots of leg room which is important for a 6ft 2" 14 year old!

Car

The middle row can be two separate seats (which will be for the boys. Or if you want you can slide them together to make a bench seat. The back row is just a bench seat, which can be moved, or taken down.. Just not 100% sure of the moving back and forwards.. will check that....

I was in my friends one a few weeks back, we had 5 kids, 3 bikes, beach toys and boogie boards.. with still lots of room.

Goooo the Mumbus!

I wouldn't agree with a diesel being more economical to tow with. My mate has a diesel van that he tows with and it can drink more fuel than a petrol vehicle. You need to do your research and finds whats best for you. Just remember diesels cost more to service and repair than petrols but are cheaper to fill. I would work out for yourself what the costs of a diesel or petrol when it comes to a vehicle.Don't forget rego is dearer for a diesel too and road user charges increase for the size of the tonnage of the vehicle also. Also if towing I would check to to see how much it can actually tow legally too.

Good luck with your search. We are looking at buying a new vehicle too and its soo hard to find something that ticks all the boxes

noisybaby - we're well used to the costs of a diesel....the Landcruiser is a 4.2L turbo diesel, and the Granvia that we have looked at it is a 3L turbo diesel....so most things are really going to be more economical than the Landcruiser hehehe

Hvent read all the answers but Toyota Estima all the way we actually have 4 at the moment all of which are for sale because i want something smaller but as ugly as i think they have been they have been damn good vans.

MUST be the 2.4 petrol the others just dont seem to have as much power. We have towed over 3 tonne Invercargill to CHC and again from Nelson to CHC which is really hilly. We brought the first one to sell as it was really cheap and ended up keeping it the past almost 4 years as it towed the racecar so well over all the hills to nelson.

Its not too bad on gas and suprisingly manages to go a lot of places off road as DP and his mates have used it as a shooting wagon a few times (can get 2 guys out moonroof 2 hanging out tailgate one out the slider as the chair swivels and one out the passenger window).

Seats all fold flat and make not a bad sized bed and they all fold up to fit a lot of crap in the back. We generally have the back seats folded up since we hardly use them and DP normally has his car crap in the back (joys of living with a mechanic)

DP has certainly tested the towing to the limit. The trip to chch we had a hiace van on the car trailer thats bigger than the estima and the trip back from nelson was a smaller van on the trailer loaded with 7 motors and we had 1 in the back of the van as well as 3 adults 1 child and all our crap to stay the night up there. That was a slower trip (it was snowing) but nowhere near as slow as i expected - they werent the most legal trips as we would have been over weight but the van handled it fine. With our racecar up the back of it (toyota startet) and loaded with tools and our gear (so probably not as heavy as your car) we hardly notice it on the back havent had any problems passing other cars etc. Poor van has had a hard life but hasnt had any problems at all - DPs a mechanic and WOF inspector and we have no big problems with it

This is a great thread. And I'm going to HIghjack it.

We need to upgrade  possibly sooner rather than later. I know we haven't even got number 2 out yet. But the value of our current car is decreasing and we know we'll never fit 3 car seats across the back of what we have now (its a honda accord) I love my honda. I will miss it dearly, we are thinking of just going to an odessy but I'm a bit worried about the boot space. The seats do fold up and down but will it fit a weeks holidays worth of sutff without having to get a trailor.

I like the sound of a van. But NOT a people mover van. I more a toyota hiace person. 

My DH is a serious boy racer and I can't even get a van past him, he will only bend at an odessy.