What family car do you guys own?

[pommy_golfer]

Hi All,

Its been a very long time!! I am in the uk and have been for the last year. Returning next month. We are expecting baby no2 in a few months which leads me to my question...

I want to stay loyal to the brand so what family cars do you lot drive and what would you recommend. I have been thinking about passat wagon, 4 avant (both B5/B6 platforms) and the possibility of a T4 or caravelle?

Obviously above all else i want reliability and comfort.

Also i have never been keen on the autos but should that be an option for a family car?

Advice please dubbers? any info would be muchly appreciated!
Cheers
Thierry.

[team_v]

VW Tiguan
My do-everything practical beast which is also my weekend fun car.

Will fit the family in when i get the that point.

[kaanage]

Caddy Maxi Life?
How old is your 1st child? Does he/she still need a pram/stroller?

[The_Hawk]

We have a Kombi (Multivan) for the family + a golf for me. I still refer to the Kombi as a "Sports Van" since I am so impressed at how well it gets up an goes considering how damn big it is! The only downsides are having to keep an eye on the height of carparks and how bloody small car parking spaces are these days, or maybe it's just that we do just a good job of filling them


We upgraded from a Subaru Outback (Wagon) to the Van and I have to say there are buckets of extra room but with only two kids it's probably overkill unless you plan on hauling lots of friends or luggage. The Passat is probably a good choice with the Caddy and Tig good options if you want something that little bit bigger.

Auto vs Manual... it's more about personal preference and where/how you drive. In peak hour traffic manual can get old very quickly, but it's also less likely to break and cost a fortune... that and I personally find it more fun to drive. (athough I am considering DSG for my next car)

[team_v]

Should I be the first traitor to say another brand? Ford Territory Diesel would have to be one of the best all rounders out there, they're like the family Labrador and diesel means they don't even eat as much.

Sticking to VAG, Passat TDI Wagon, Golf GTI if you want some fun and manual, or stocko A4 Avant. New Toureg is pretty cool too depending on budget.

Oh and don't forget some of those funky Skodas.

Skoda Octavia wagon either TDI or Vrs (if you want the GTI like power) would be an awesome family car

[blutopless2]

i have one child nearing 4 and have an 08 jetta. It is really good with the boot size and can fit heaps into it... we used a moutain buggy pram that folds down only (does not go thinner) and this thing fits in really easy. We have had 3 adults and our daughter (when she was 2) and full luggage for a week away and it all fit in the boot.
We also have a Tiguan that i have yet to try and load up the hatch area but it definitely wont fit the pram in there. We are heading away next month up north and taking the tiguan so it will be interesting to see how much stuff will fit.
Tiguan is also a great car... really nice to drive etc and comfortable as..

[kaanage]

The Passat is probably a good choice with the Caddy and Tig good options if you want something that little bit bigger.

Is the Tiguan really bigger than a Passat wagon? The Tiguan has a pretty small boot area (whatever you call that in a wagon) for a wagon - I know someone who bought a BMW X1 because it had noticably more room.

Should I be the first traitor to say another brand? Ford Territory Diesel would have to be one of the best all rounders out there,

"Watch me do 1000km on a tank" "Watch us go around the world"
A friend of mine sold his Territory because it has such stiff anti-roll bars (to stop it wallowing) that the pitching whenever hitting pot-holes was causing neck soreness.
And has ANYONE got near the official fuel figures for the new diesel? The road tests that I've read indicate that you'd have to be driving on the highway at 70km/h to get 1000km from a tank.

[anthony]

The new Jetta will be out next month,and it is such a practical car,as very roomy,with that MASSIVE boot.

It would be right up there on my list...

[DonJuan]

golf gti pirelli... has seat achors for child seat... i'm all set...

[RSOK]

Hi there, have 2 young ones of my own (they were 2.5yo and 1month old when I bought the car) and after test driving a heap of sedans, wagons and 'soft-roaders' (eg Tiguan) I went for the Skoda Octavia RS... my first Volkswagen Group car and very impressive.... the boot is enormous and easily beats out a Golf or Tiguan for load space which has proven very handy time and again in the 16 months I've owned it so far... it has 9/10ths the performance of a Golf GTI for when you want to indulge in a little spirited driving but it also has a little more ride comfort for when the family is cruising along... couldn't be happier.