Estima Fuel Consumption 2.4L 4 cyl vs 3.0L 6 cyl??

[mrhunzi]

Hello good people,

I'm a newbie needing some info from those that know best.

I'm hoping that a few people can share some fuel consumption figures as a comparrison with the different engines in later model Estima's, post 2000 models.

My wife and I are pretty keen on getting a 04/05 Estima as we need a bit of extra space to accomodate for our 4th child that is on the way. We currently have an '07 Kluger KXR (7 seat, 2WD) that has been great but we cant get 4 child seats in. Fuel economy for the kluger has been about 11-12L/100km around town and down around 8.5 for highway driving. I've been pretty happy with that overall, it's a big car and good powerfull engine and has been good to tow a trailer when needed. I'd like to have something that will be similar as we'll be carting kids and kiddie gear/stuff/paraphenalia etc for a few years to come. I'd also like to be able to tow a loaded trailer when needed as house reno's are ongoing and family camping holidays are inevitable...

I understand that some of the Estima's have 4WD and therfore will be heavier due to the extra mechanical components but what are the average litres per 100kms people are getting?

Is there a big difference between the 2.4 and 3.0 around town or is it only noticable fully loaded on the highway?

I'm leaning towards the 3.0L V6 as the bigger engine won't be working as hard and I think that this would provide the most flexibility and have enough power to cope with what I'll need it for but I'd love to hear what other people think and wether bigger isn't always better...

I apologise if someone else has already asked this question, I've tried to look through the forum for answers but havent found anything on models post 2000. If it's already been dealt with please refer me to the thread.

Thanks :-)