MAZDA CX-7 2.3T 5dr (2007)

Pricey to run but cheap second hand, and massive fun

We needed a car for our growing flock but I still wanted something with a bit of performance in it. Trouble was our little darlings were sort of draining our bank balance so it had to be something on a bit of a budget. I was getting a bit depressed about the idea of a dull people carrier and slipping into boring dad mode. I saw a new Mazda CX-7 a year earlier and it was 30k, way over our price range, but for some reason the prices drop off massively second hand. We got one 18 months old for 14k!!! And it looks totally badass! I mean it's a family car and all that, but it gets to to 60 in under 8 seconds! Twin exhausts, sleek body work, really awesome compromise. When the kids aren't in it I love to bomb along in it, and it eats up the miles too. The Mazda CX-7 doesn't roll around like I've had in some other big cars, and it hugs the road very nicely, good on corners and v grippy. When the conditions get worse in winter the 4x4 comes into its own and keeps you driving pretty much no matter what. I nearly put it in a ditch one evening but that was really my fault.

The only headache is the cost of petrol, which is really getting to me. I mean it was cheap second hand and I'm still appreciating that, but really it doesn't even get 20mpg in town driving, which is mostly what we do. I reckon we should have got a diesel as those apparently do much better. Might get one of those next.

There's masses of space inside, great for growing little ones. Proper seatbelts for all three back passengers, comfortably sits our two girls and my mum together. There isn't much of a dashboard but many other spaces all around to store things.

Good bunch of features in the Mazda CX-7. Windscreen wipers know when it's raining, why don't all cars have this?? The fuel cap you can open with the car key - again, should be in all cars, much easier. Sound system is AWESOME, just fantastic. You'll wish for nothing else. The parking sensors are a good idea but they're a bit too twitchy, over sensitive sort of thing. Nice on board sat nav - display is a little bit small but well placed just below line of sight.

I'm loving that it's a total beast on the road, and my better half loves the space and safety. We both loved the ticket price, only thing we're not loving is the fuel cost, especially these days. That'll be the only reason we sell it.