18th Jan 2014, 06:08
Update:
Now replaced, initially with a Chevrolet Captiva 2.0 VCDI LT 7 seat 4x4, but we got sick of it being a glorified Daewoo, having niggles and costing money, so traded that after a few weeks for a brand new Vauxhall Zafira Family (old model!) 7 seat 1.6 VVT with 5* NCAP safety rating, curtain airbags, ABS/EBA/CDC/ESP+, air-con, cruise control and all the bits. This was new to us (not pre-reg) on a 63 plate with 1.9% finance and the lifetime/100,000 mile warranty for under £10k.
We miss the Tourneo, but the Zafira, although far less rugged and practical, is very good to drive, feels very well built, and has the safety features the Tourneo was lacking.
Whether I will be raving about the Zafira in three years remains to be seen. A Tourneo is a very hard act to follow, and money no object, we'd have had the new Custom model with a warranty.
Trading a mk6 to a mk7 Tourneo with no better safety and more complexities seemed the wrong thing to do, so we went for the Zafira, which was an outstanding deal.
1st Feb 2014, 16:52
Does anyone know where I can get insurance for an 8 seat Tourneo as a car and a reasonable price? Most of the well known companies only insure up to 7 seats only, and put an end to my dilemma.
I ordered a new 9 Seater Tourneo Custom Limited 155PS; although it was sold by the commercial section of the Ford main dealers, they said that Ford were pushing this as an MPV for large families, and the brochure backed this up with family picnic shots. I have grand kids, so I needed an 8 seater minimum.
After initial problems with delivery, so much so that the dealers let me have a like vehicle for 2 weeks over Christmas, the vehicle arrived. But then the problems started.
I thought I had done due diligence, finding out the cost of insurance on the comparison sites. I put in all the details of the vehicle; the seats etc and received reasonable quotes. Trouble being when I went to buy the insurance, none of the quotes I was given allowed me to complete over the Internet. I kept being given a phone number to call and a reference number. Each said they would not insure a 9 seater, despite the quotes they initially gave. The only quotes I could get either limited the use, making it pointless to have the vehicle, or were in the region of £1500 from minibus insurers. As the vehicle was principally for weekend use, this was simply not financially viable. Seems there is a gulf between a government defined minibus and insurance company definition. The Tourneo Custom Ltd on the V5 is an M1 (a car), diesel car and MPV. The government/DVLA state a minibus has 9 passenger seats (so 10 with the driver) but insurance companies are not interested in that... 9 seats... it's a minibus! Spoke to the Ford dealer; they were shocked and tried to help, they ran into a brick wall as well. They were dumbstruck "it's a car... it's shown as a car on the V5".
In the end I could not go through with the purchase, the dealer was so stunned about the insurance problem they gave me a full refund of my deposit, without any comment about the two week loan of a 9 seater Tourneo over Christmas. For which they paid the fortnight's insurance because of the delivery problem to start with.
The new Tourneo Custom Limited is superb. We used the L2 long wheel base version no problem with pushchairs, luggage and toys for the ankle biters in the luggage area. The adults had plenty of leg room, and as the seats are full size, there was width squish even when sitting next to a child seat or booster. The cabin was well laid out, plenty of room for bottles of drink for the front and rear seats, carpeted throughout, nice leather seats and the lift up sun blinds for both 2nd & 3rd row would be great with the kids in the summer Driving it was great, loved the additional lights that come on as you corner. The only thing that made it feel van like was the long drop on the handbrake, which my wife found awkward, and the lack of a parcel shelf/roller type blind to cover what is in the luggage area. The passenger seat lifts up to hide away smaller items; handbags and the like.
General problems... being so wide, although you have radio/CD controls on the steering column, it's a bit of a reach for the driver to slip in another CD.
Although the parking sensors are excellent, the L2 is long and will stick out some way in any car park unless the depth of the spaces is very generous. You have to drive forward into the parking spaces (which means maneuverability in a car park is problematic). If you don't then you will not be able to open the tail gate (the Tourneo does not have the double rear door option you get on a Transit; I suspect to keep it as a car rather than a van). That's always supposing you can get it in the car park; it's around 6ft 8in tall, so as car parks often have 6ft 6in height restrictions...!
Still a great MPV for the family, so now looking to get an 8 seater, which I think some (but certainly not all) insurance companies will tolerate at a reasonable price. So if you have read this far and can help with a company name?
2nd Feb 2014, 14:20
Original poster:
Sorry to hear you had such issues, guess you had not come across this thread earlier stating it was an issue insuring the 9 seat, when the 8 seat has a few companies which will cover it.
As said, I used Aviva, but had to go directly to the underwriter to convince them that it was an 8 seat MPV only being used privately as any other 8 seat MPV such as the 807, and not as a taxi.
The whole MPV/minibus classification is a mess as insurers are uneducated and the police wrongly assume the vehicle is commercial and not a private vehicle.
It does not help that the classification is M1 (car) and the body style is listed as "minibus", but a minibus under UK legislation has 9 passenger seats or more.
The fact that Ford dealers only sell the Tourneo from their "commercial" centres is also another hurdle to overcome - you can't even get a price list at normal Ford dealers.
Great vehicle, but needs some of the paperwork bumps ironed out in order to buy one as a private car!
3rd Feb 2014, 16:19
Thanks for the Aviva tip. Will try them. The trouble is getting hold of someone who is more than a data inputter or answers the phones. The underwriters all go home at 4pm! The paperwork on the Tourneo appears sorted, but getting the insurance companies on board is different. Ford showed me the V5 for the 9 seater LWB I used over Christmas, M2 (car) diesel car and MPV body style. No mention of "minibus" or "van" anywhere on the paperwork.
13th Feb 2014, 02:07
Missing the Tourneo in the current floods, as it was very good at wading compared to cars/MPVs. Neighbours knocked at the door asking if we could take their kids to school through the flood water, but had not realised the Zafira was the permanent replacement for the Tourneo, which has gone.
I used a car I have in for sale in the end, as I did not want to risk the new Zafira... occasions like this speak volumes about the difference in every-event usability of the Tourneo as a family car, compared to other vehicles.
14th Dec 2013, 14:20
Update:
Well it's a sad farewell to the beloved Tourneo after years of delighted ownership, sold quickly on eBay with loads of interest.
I can honestly say it is by far and away the very best vehicle I have ever owned, and has been extremely cost effective, as after parts and repair costs, it has cost us less than £1000 in two years and 25,000 miles including depreciation, the repairs (fuel pump, alternator etc) and maintenance, plus £560 road tax. Fuel costs were low at circa 35 MPG too.
It's been very easy to live with and was very easy to sell, so the whole experience has been enjoyable.
We will miss it greatly, but it was over 13 years old and we had the chance to buy an excellent low mileage 2007 7 seat 4x4 for the same money, so the timing was right.
We will probably have another Tourneo in the future, as it has been the best family vehicle anyone could wish for. The kids are mortified it is gone - we've had tears - and not just from them!