Cheapest people carrier available? (General Comments / Tips Concerning Your Car)

Name: woodburnr

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Product:	General Comments / Tips Concerning Your Car
Date:	27.07.01 (444 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Reliable engine, practicality

Disadvantages: style, security

The seven seater 2.0 Montego Countryman estate variant is available on the 2nd hand market for very reasonable prices. An M reg 1994 with 55000 miles costs around £1500. Compare that to a Renault Espace of equivalent age and mileage, £5500.

Now let me clarify my position. I do not for one minute suggest that they are equivalents, they are patently not. The Espace is a modern purpose built people carrier, with a large dose of style and panache. The Montego is an old design with absolutely no style or street cred and the bodywork and fittings are of poor quality.

However, if you consider three things, a) what can I afford and b) What do I actually need, c)Am I a fashion victim, then I think I can make a very strong case for the Montego.

If you are on a limited budget you want a car which has low maintenance, is reliable and practical. The Montego is all of these. You may have a large family and need a car for the school run, shopping trips, family visits. Again the Montego will cope admirably.

The Montego has the same versatility as a people carrier, the reat boot seats fold down to return the car to its estate mode and the middle row fold down to provide a huge load space.

Spares are readily available for the Montego, definitely not the case for some of the imported People carriers, the Montego is cheap and also the engine is basic and lends itself to self maintenance.

My biggest concern is security, I have been told that you can break into one with a teaspoon. (The lock on the rear door has packed in and needs repaired.) It has no factory fitted alarm, immobiliser etc.

I recently hired a Peugot 806 and was impressed with the concept but unfortunately my budget did not stretch to more than the Montego which we bought yesterday.

Hopefully I am correct in my assumptions!!

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