Vauxhall Zafira vs VW Touran

It’s interesting to compare these two MPVs. The Touran is VW’s new replacement model. The Zafira is due for replacement. The story goes the Zafira will not be replaced. It will receive a major face-lift. Why not? Vauxhall Zafiras  have class leading versatility, efficient engines, they handle well and are safe. Vauxhall’s plan is to add a slightly longer more up-market Zafira Tourer to compete with the Ford S-Max.

The Touran benefits from the VW Sharan’s reputation as one of the original 7 seater people carriers following the Espace. Although the compact 1996/7 5 seater Scenic and Picasso rocketed the MPV concept into volume popularity the 7 seater MPVs like the Zafira emerged to be the best sellers.

Why? Families are no longer mum dad and 2.5 kids. It’s more like mum and dad have the one, mum has two previous as does dad. That’s 5 kids. So to keep the greater family together and a sense of relationship they go out together on weekends, when they can. That’s occasionally – there’s always one of the ex’s who can’t do it – so a large Espace/Galaxy people carrier is a bit over the top. A medium size Zafira or Touran does the job. Their story will be they’ve an MPV to take along friends and socialize the kids.

Back to business. The Zafira enters the market at £15410, the Touran at £18175. Both have a wide range of engine and trim options so calculate the value as you walk up the model ranges.

There’s a tiny difference in overall length and not a significant difference in load capacity as 5-seaters. You might get an extra suitcase in the new Touran with all seats folded to a 2-seater. The insignificant differences in dimensions make it difficult to decide.

If you evaluate engine fuel consumption, emissions, maximum speed and acceleration there are differences on paper. However they could mean next to nothing on the road, if anything.

When you have cars ranking closely for fuel consumption the DVLA remind you their figures are lab’ tests and any difference may not be present on the road where many other factors come into play.

In the same way a difference of 5 mph maximum speed around 120 mph is meaningless. As is half a second or one second difference in acceleration. It’s only when there’s a two second difference you can feel it.  And nobody ever in their lives drives a car – especially an MPV –  in the same way these figures are achieved.

So despite the Touran being the newer model it offers no real advantage over the Zafira for versatility, engines efficiency or safety.

When it comes down to taste in style and comfort even here the approach is the same. Both have clean lines with firm supportive seats and stable rides. It’s personal but some MPVs – to me – like the Grand Scenic, Grand Picasso and Peugeot 5008 are more likeable.

When two cars compare so closely you might like to find the best deal. This summer most manufacturers have great deals on offer. Vauxhall with their many trim and engine options normally have many matching manufacturers marketing programmes.

When cars are so similar you can play one make off the other as the next best negotiable alternative. When you’ve got the best deal ask the dealer what they are going to do for you on top of the makers offer. Remember there are four deals – discount, finance, part-exchange, options – get the best deal on all four.

That’s probably the difference between a Touran and Zafira. Vauxhall salespeople very much focus on their deals on offer so they’ve put themselves up for negotiation. It’s a game Ford, Renault and Citroen can also play. You gotta shop around.

Regards
Ralph
carbuyersinfo.co.uk car comparison site revealing similarities and differences to help find the right car for you

MPV Cars Seven Seater vs Five Seater

When Renault launched the 7 seat Espace it got off to a slow start. Later they were joined by the Ford VW Seat and Peugeot Citroen launches and MPV cars 7 seater or people carriers as they were called became quite popular.

However a survey of Espace owners revealed that although the liked the ease of access, space, versatility and elevated view of the road drivers felt guilty driving around by themselves in what they perceived to be a big car. Plus most owners rarely if ever made use of the 7 seats.

In response Renault launched the Renault Scenic with 5 seats. It was a hit and a winner for Renault. Citroen quickly followed with their Xsara Picasso and took the lead with a cheap as chips pricing policy. Vauxhall followed a little later but with 7 seats in a compact package and the Zafira eventually became market leader. The Vauxhall Zafira price range was also very competitive.

This caused Renault to launch the Grand Scenic with 7 seats and Citroen to later bring out the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso with 7 seats plus a more compact 5 seat version.

Most new MPVs now have a 7 seat version, for example the new Ford C-Max. It makes you wonder if surveys are worth it as we all say one thing and do another. And why do some need a seven seater MPV?

The Ford Galaxy and Renault Espace which have grown in length over the years still plod on and have been rejoined by the VW Sharan as the only options in the large 7 seater MPV market.

The real expansion has been in the medium size MPV cars 7 seater market. We’ve mentioned the Grand Scenic and Picasso. They’ll be joined by a longer Zafira later this year. The main player and target to compete with seems to be the Ford S Max.

Other medium size seven seaters are the Mazda5, Peugeot 5008, Toyota Verso and VW Touran. Citroen/Peugeot, Ford, Renault, Vauxhall and VW all have a large presence in and commitment to the MPV market.

There’s a good choice of cars with extremely well thought out interiors. You can choose large, medium or compact. The more compact MPVs being the Meriva and Roomster. There are also mini MPVs like the Modus, Note, Agila and Splash.

Diesel MPVs are becoming increasingly popular because MPVs have large frontal areas to push through the air and are not the most economical with petrol. New technology in automatic gearboxes is also worth considering because you no longer pay a penalty in fuel consumption and performance in fact quite the opposite can be the case – they can be more efficient.

If you are considering an MPV make sure you operate all the seats and judge if you find them simple, light and easy to move about. Also have a look at older MPVs to see how they’ve stood up to battering and breakages some normally suffer with kids climbing all over them.

Some MPVs have very high performance so keep an eye on the car insurance groups and get quotes before you buy.

So why do we need MPV cars as seven seaters when five seaters seem adequate given the average family size. It’s even possible for a partnership with one child to enquire about an MPV. The answer is one partner may have several children with a previous partner as may the other partner. So if they have one, dad has two previous as does mum that makes five kids and they need 7 seats when they all go out together of a weekend.

Funny how things change.

Regards
Ralph