Really can't understand the rationale behind designing the DS (and other marques)with 7 seats thus compromising the boot area. After 50 plus years of motoring I can count the number of times I have used 5 seats, let alone 7, on the fingers of one hand. Presupposing a family of 7, where would all the luggage go

This urge to create 7 seats might be short lived with family income benefit being restricted to 2 children for new claimants after 2017  MY 09 GS manual in Lago Grey, Wood Co arm rest and side bumper strips - now sold.

MY 15 SD4 SE Auto Orkney Grey with colour coded Bumper Door Mouldings

If seven seats are required there are planty of window licker buses around .

Mark 2009 FL2 TD4 SE (Sadly gone)
2007 FL2 TD4 GS (The wifes , gone after 8 great years)
2012 FL2 SD4 SPORT LE(Gone and missing it)
2015 DISCOVERY SPORT 2.2SD4 HSE (Now gone)
2014 Ford Bmax 1.0 ecoboost ( Gone but what next )
2014 Ford Focus 2.0tdci Zetec S (Gone,but what a car)
2020 Ford Fiesta ActiveX 1.0 Ecoboost
2024 Skoda Kodiaq 1.5 Tsi SEL

Couldn't think of anything worse than driving any distance with 7 in the car. MY13 HSE LUX Aintree Green
MY57 SE Stornoway Grey. Gone
Nissan X Trail
Discovery V8 LPG
Series II Land Rover

I follow that, Id be upset if someone picked my kids up to go to a party etc and put them in the boot seats or no seats.

maybe ok in a disco or similar but not rammed in like sardines

saying that as kids I rememberer a lot of car sharing going to swimming lessons, maybe 5-6 of us just loose in the back of an estate car seats down. nobody cared then. At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

One of the main reasons I walked away from the DS. My idea of a lifestyle vehicle and LR's idea are very different, my life style includes getting shotguns, fishing rods or loads of tools in the boot not two more passengers of the vertically challenged variety. Why on earth it is standard and not an option is a mystery. I wonder if it will continue next year when the £40k threshold for paying extra road fund is introduced for new registrations. I think at that point manufacturers may look at a number of ways to keep cars at £39,999. Sacrificing a couple of seats might help on the higher spec models. 2009 GS Auto Zermatt Silver - Sold June 21 after 10 years of ownership

2016 Subaru Outback SE 2.0 diesel SE Premium Lineartronic Sold 2024 after 8 years and 80k miles . Best Car I ever owned !

2023 Toyota Hilux invincible X 2.8 Auto .

I'd change my Freelander for a 7 seat DS if I could afford it.

Might not use 7 seats every day, but there are plenty of occasions when 7 seats would be very handy.

i often use 7 seat, take my family of 4, plus mother & father in law away to see family, along with 2 dogs.

The car i use is a Disco4, and my dads borrows the FL2 for the weekend etc

Would i buy 7 seats, myself, I'm undecided, as even a d4 loses the boot when so full and we just manage to squeeze in, a DS with 7 would be impossible, i'd envisage it to be 7up only when going to kids party, as those rear seats are not exactly the size for adults in party frocks to be climbing in and out, (unless the skirt is short and they are going commando )

anymore and it would have to be a Mercedes mini van, but then i can't have kids now  Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

Once upon a time we had a new Ford Sierra (might have been a Mondao) estate
Taking my kids, two other kids and their fathers to play rugby in far off Rawtenstall.

We got hit up the rear by a muppet on the phone, we were stationary on a dual carriageway, his engine ended up detached from his vehicle. My lads were in the boot of my car. Fortunately I had fitted a home made towbar, Brunel would have been proud of. The boot was OK but my car folded around the "C" pillars -got out through the windows.

Cut a long story short SWMBO will not put anything of value (let alone people) in the boot, so for us if reverting back to 5 seats in a DS was a no-cost option, it would be one we would take. Tangiers Orange - gone, missing her
Replaced by Ewok what a mistake - now a happy Disco Sport owner

Last edited by Andy131 on 12th Sep 2016 11:05 pm. Edited 1 time in total

Just used the third row seats in current Discovery to go to a wedding. Bride and train in third row and two bridesmaids and Prosecco in the second row! Everyone can spread it - Anyone can catch it. Stay home - the life you save can be your own!

When my 3 kids were young we went for 7 seat Disco so grandparents could join us for days out - even went to France with them

The luggage went in a trailer or roofbox

DS is available as 5 or 7 seat version and the latter outsells the first massively so speaks for itself

I would never place my kids in a car with 7 seats but a LR no problem as the muppet in the car who hits me will come off worse everytime

When I was a kid we didn't have seat belts, there were 4 of us and no 7 seaters - I remember sleeping in the back of dads Volvo Amazon estate with the seats down going on holidays - would never do that with my kids - how times have changed

I don't think families on benefits are buying LRs - certainly not newer LRs  Wanted a Series 2 LR since childhood but previously owned MY16 Disco Sport HSE TD4 Auto, MY13 RR Sport Black Edition TDV6 Auto, MY10 RR Sport HSE TDV6 Auto, 2007 Freelander 1 Freestyle TD4 Soft Top, 2009 Freelander 2 GS TD4 Auto, 2007 Freelander 2 GS TD4, 2004 Disco 2 Metropolis Auto, 2002 Disco 2 GS, 2000 Freelander 1 SE TD4 SW

Still hoping for a S2 one day!

When I looked at the DS I was told only the FWD base model was available as a 5 seater, and all 4x4 were 7 seats, is that not the case ? My personal view of cars is that they are 3 boxes, the precious cargo goes in the middle box. 2009 GS Auto Zermatt Silver - Sold June 21 after 10 years of ownership

2016 Subaru Outback SE 2.0 diesel SE Premium Lineartronic Sold 2024 after 8 years and 80k miles . Best Car I ever owned !

2023 Toyota Hilux invincible X 2.8 Auto .

5 seat DS available 4wd but manual only (150bhp) . FL2 gone now in 2016 Discovery 4 Loire Blue .

so you simply bought a box (subaru)  At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

MartynB wrote:

When I looked at the DS I was told only the FWD base model was available as a 5 seater, and all 4x4 were 7 seats, is that not the case ? My personal view of cars is that they are 3 boxes, the precious cargo goes in the middle box.

If you spec the 2500kg heavy duty towbar with spare wheel you get 180bhp with 5 seats not 7

All DS even 150 E capability are 4WD in UK at least  Wanted a Series 2 LR since childhood but previously owned MY16 Disco Sport HSE TD4 Auto, MY13 RR Sport Black Edition TDV6 Auto, MY10 RR Sport HSE TDV6 Auto, 2007 Freelander 1 Freestyle TD4 Soft Top, 2009 Freelander 2 GS TD4 Auto, 2007 Freelander 2 GS TD4, 2004 Disco 2 Metropolis Auto, 2002 Disco 2 GS, 2000 Freelander 1 SE TD4 SW

Still hoping for a S2 one day!

Thanks, Perhaps I remembering it wrong and it was the fact I couldn't get 5 seats and auto as per the posts above . Anyhow I didn't stay around long when the spec of car I wanted was over £40,000 and the boot to small for what I wanted .. 2009 GS Auto Zermatt Silver - Sold June 21 after 10 years of ownership

2016 Subaru Outback SE 2.0 diesel SE Premium Lineartronic Sold 2024 after 8 years and 80k miles . Best Car I ever owned !

2023 Toyota Hilux invincible X 2.8 Auto .