Conference terri::cars_uk

    The MAZDA 626 Estate come with an extra row of seats as standard (in
    The UK anyway).
    
    - John.
    

    .0�    all have what I 'm looking for.  But they are very expensive (65K
    .0�    Pounds & above) with the exception of Volvo (50K Pounds) and Renault
    .0�    (40K Pounds).
    
    Are you sure about these prices ? Seem very high to me ...
    
    Over here the Audi 100 Avant is around 30K pounds, the Renault 21
    Nevada is 15K pounds, the Renault Espace is around 20-25K pounds ...

    Can we please know where you are located? Those prices are
    **ASTRONOMICAL**!
    
    From personal experience of a similar oddysey...... I drew the
    conclusion that the most cost effective 6/7 seater was in fact the
    Savanna and had two of them. I'd still be driving the second today had
    it not been written off earlier this year. Had it still been on the
    road. I'd probably burn some of my redundancy money on it, too.
    
    In the UK the Audi Avant estate has nor been available with an extra
    row of seats for about 7 years.
    
    The Peugeot 505 is no longer available and the 605 estate is about 18
    months away.
    
    The Citroen XM is not available with a factory fit extra row of seats.
    (I asked a local dealer why and he said it was because Citroen were
    trying to reposition the XM estate as a "Volvo competitor" and not a
    "Renault competitor". Maybe that's why they jacked the price into the
    unaffordable bracket as well........
    
    The Mazda does have seating for 6/7 but the seats occupy the boot space
    and they really are only for smallish children. Goes quite well if you
    take the GT model.
    
    Ditto ANY Volvo estate, but add on much worse fuel consumption than the
    Mazda or Renault without the performance of either. You could go for
    the Turbo version but then the price goes beyond ridiculous to
    unbelievable.
    
    The Mercs aren't available with extra seats in the UK (according to
    Rivervale in Reading) and their price book is even sillier than BMW's
    (.... f'rinstance, get beyond the "and Sir does want wheels on his car
    doesn't sir? stage and you find that a tow bar for a regular 190E
    estate will set you back the best part of 750 pounds!
    
    Don't rule out the Savanna just because the dealer can't be trusted.
    IMHO none of them can......
    
     A couple of other points..... Irmscher do an aftermarket extra row of
    seats for the Carlton and someone in France does the same for the XM.
    Sorry, but I don't have any further details of the XM mods.....

    re.2 & .3 on the car prices quoted.
    
    I live in the country called Singapore.  Here, the import tax and
    duties for vehicles add up to 195% (used to be 220%).  On top of that
    high taxes, one have to bid for a Certificate of Entitlement (COE)
    before they can buy a new car.  The COE system is a quota that the
    Registry of Vehicle control the amount of new cars put on the road each
    month.  It is only good for 10 years, and after which the owner of the
    car have to buy a new COE at prevailing rate (equals to the average
    COE prices of the last 12 months).  There are different categories of
    COE based on engine capacities.  Just to give you a feel, June COE for
    1601-2000 cc cost 10K quids.)
    
    Yes, the cars here cost a 'bomb' to own.  For the same amount of money,
    I could drive very nice cars in U.K.
    
    BTW, thanks for the info you have provided to my 7-seater search.
    
    Regards,
    G.G.

    re .1
    
    John, thanks for the info.  I rang the local MAZDA dealer but was told
    that they have no plan bringing any estate car.  One down.
    
    re .3 about reconsidering the Savana.
    
    I will.  At least I have not reached a stage of having to make up my
    mind yet.  I'm still in the "shopping" stage.
    
    Still, I'm eager to hear from someone about the Tempra S.W.
    (stationwagon).  It looks good on the brochure which the local FIAT
    dealer sent me yesterday.  I must say they have been very prompt in
    replying to my enquiries to date.  Most likely they are eagle for
    some business.

    
    When I was last in Singapore, in October, I recall that Cab fares were
    very cheap *AND* the drivers were friendly, surely it would be cheaper
    to use cabs when needed than fork out all that money for a car.
     
     

    re -1.
    
    You must remember Singapore has achieve a high standard of livings. 
    Over 80% Singaporeans own their own home.  Most households own at least
    one car.  Some even have two or more.  Many of these cars are luxury
    makes like Mercedes, BMW and Jaguar.  Not to mention the fact that
    average family size is 4 to 6 people (i.e. husband, wife, 1 to 3 kids,
    and a maid).  Moving around in cabs are not exactly convenient.

    
    Not to mention, its got a great climate, clean, friendly .....
    
    
    
    Err there isn't any jobs going is there ? ;-)
    

    re.6 again.
    
    There is one way to pay less import taxes.  That is the "weekend" car
    scheme.  One pays 115% instead of 195%, and only 30% of the road tax
    payable.  But the catch is you can only drive the "weekend" car around
    between 7pm to 7am. on week days, 3pm onwards on Saturday and all day
    Sunday and Public Holiday.  These "weekend" cars are identified by the
    red colour registration plates.  If for any reason you want to use the
    car during the restricted hours, you have to display a special permit
    which costs S$20 (i.e. about 6.5 quids).
    
    p.s. The unemployement rate is a constant zero therefore jobs are
    abound (though not in Digital Singapore at present).