"Lifestyle estates"??

[Dave Lewis]

My Honda Aerodeck was a "lifestyle estate" (ghastly term), in that it looked like an estate car, but you couldn't get much in it, due to the rear suspension intruding into the load space, and lack of self-levelling. An E-class estate is a proper utility vehicle, actually designed to be used fully loaded. I recently did a club tour of Holland in my W124 with 5 adults ( I use the term loosely...), bass rig, guitar rig, half a drumkit, 3 guitars, and other gear in the back, plus baggage in the roof box. It drove brilliantly.

 

[Tiff]

I dont know what the fuss is about.

When I had my first child, the only family transport was a Lancia Y10 Turbo. (about the size of a chincecento [sp?]) and we managed just fine.

Until only a couple of years ago (with two kids), the family transport was my W124CE and again, we had no problems at all.

That said, I've always had a roof rack for any car I own so that big items can be transported.

LOLOL, I had a Y10 FIRE, and 3 kids. Did Fife to Tain many times,5 of us,1 child seat, a dog and once a lawnmower!

A few years later,we got an Espace, and I got fed up with having 2 seats kicking around in my garage...

2 weeks around Europe with full camping gear etc with 2 panniers on a BMW motorbike..

Weeks camping for 2 with big tent, and 2 garden chairs in a Fiat X1/9

5 of us for 2 weeks in Germany, including 2 kids in a VW Santana, got video footage of 130MPH on the autobahn.

You don't really need to lug around all that stuff do you?

 

[Long_black_coat]

Thanx, lads.

At the end, I think I will buy Renault Espace for family purposes and then a real car..
Smth like this, maybe?
http://www.shannons.com.au/library/images/auctions/IDBKB9JERZ47FK0M_medium.jpg

 

[Long_black_coat]

or
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lsyt_wQ2a...z-S-Class_Coupe_1981_800x600_wallpaper_03.jpg

 

[SilverSaloon]

Thanx, lads.

At the end, I think I will buy Renault Espace for family purposes and then a real car..
Smth like this, maybe?
http://www.shannons.com.au/library/images/auctions/IDBKB9JERZ47FK0M_medium.jpg

i took my kids out for a spin in my 107 SL with the roof down in the summer - my 5 year old had to have his leggs crossed to be able to fit in the rear seat!

 

[BTB 500]

Ours go quite happily in the back of the R129

And yes that's a dog on my wife's lap

 

[Smatt]

Ours go quite happily in the back of the R129

And yes that's a dog on my wife's lap

Not for long methinks....

 

[BTB 500]

My mum has been in the back!

It's really a 3-seater. You can easily wind the front passenger seat forwards, giving plenty of legroom both front and back.

I normally have the driver's seat fully back (I'm 6'1"), so to have anyone other than Douglas Bader behind me means having the seat further forward than I'd like. But being an auto this isn't too bad for local trips.

 

[flango]

5 of us for 2 weeks in Germany, including 2 kids in a VW Santana, got video footage of 130MPH on the autobahn.

SWMBO had a VW Santana, Navy blue with BBS alloys absolutely fantastic car never spent a penny on it other than servicing it, it just went on forever had about 186,000 miles on it when we finally let it go and it was still good.

 

[BTB 500]

OK I'll bite .. never heard of a VW Santana before! From a quick Google it looks like a Passat saloon (as the Jetta is/was to the Golf)??

 

[ckember]

The S203/4 certainly has a bigger boot than any of the other "lifestyle estates" a term I think Volvo started with the V40 in 1998, these being the A4, 3 series, volvo, alfa 159, even the Jag X type has a smaller boot, surprsing as its actually a Mondeo chassis.
My old S203 was certainly up to the job with one small child, once he got to about 8 though the rear leg room was a problem when sitting behind me, so I upgraded to the E.

When my son was First born I had a V40 estate and that was tight with the full size pram etc so shopping was a no no. The Alhambra was better when only 5 seats fitted.