Aibu to ask a car question...?

[Hawkmoon269]

Please? Am stuck and I'd love some fast suggestions....

We have a 5yo (so normal booster seat with sides), a 1yo who is about to go from his infant seat into a rear facing seat (until he's 4) and we will have a new baby later this year (normal infant seat on family fix base thing).

Which cars will fit all 3 seats in the back and still give us some leg room in the front (the rear facing child seat means that in smaller cars the front passenger seat would have to be v far forward).

Just spent hours looking cars up online and am very confused now!

[gordyslovesheep]

only speaking from experience but Zafira and S-Max will, Focus will but it's tight

Mini and Audi TT will NOT!

[Hawkmoon269]

Thanks gordy

Does anyone have a passat or touran? Any good space wise?

[ENormaSnob]

Older style Picasso

[Twinklestarstwinklestars]

Galaxy's will, I'm a cm and have a seat in all 5 rear seats.

[Oodsigma]

Scenic would but I don't recommend them!

[FrustratedSycamoresRocks]

I second the galaxy. I have 2 highback boosters and large SN carseat. And will fit a rear facing with loads of space. (6 seat layout)

[CarpeJugulum]

C-Max as mid ground between S-Max and Focus.

[Hawkmoon269]

Thanks all!! Am googling all your suggestions...

[themindwonders]

i am so glad ppl saying focus - cos i am about to have a 3rd child and was wondering. lucky for me my ds1 is 8 and not far off the height limit

[3monkeys3]

We have a VW sharan - it has awesome sliding doors and is generally rather fab. LOTS of room in all 3 rows and a huge boot with seats 6 and 7 down (which is the set up we have most of the time - 3 dc in car seats).

[3monkeys3]

To add - dc3 has a huge erf seat and it fits easily.

[landofsoapandglory]

Citroen C4 Picasso, or Grand C4 Picasso.
Xsara Picasso
New Scenic (I have one now, I love it).
Peugeot 5008 or 3008
Nissan Quashqai

[Cantbelieveitsnotbutter]

A4 will not (so I'm gonna guess passat is the same). a6 / 5 series may depending on seats.
Try a touran, similar proportions to drive as a passat (and cost to run) but if they don't fit most are 7 seats.

[SJisontheway]

VW Sharan.

[Skinnywhippet]

Oh I loved our scenic. Pity DH went and crashed it now that we are thinking of having children. So spacious and comfy. Now don't have a clue what to replace it with, but unlike OP only need car for two adults and a baby. Will go off and research focus unless. Liking the look of the Nissan Qashqai though......

[Hawkmoon269]

So it's probably going to have to be a people carrier, hey.

Hmm.... I love my golf. Very sad to let it go (although good swap for a new baby!)

[floatyjosmum]

I have a focus and transport kids for work. I can't get two of the 5 point harness forward facing and a booster in. The two seats and a little bottom is the most you could

[TarkaTheOtter]

Not much to add, but worth checking if the s-max and c-max have storage compartments under floor in footwell as that will mean you can't use familyfix base (or might only be able to use it in middle - not very helpful if you have big carseats either side). From memory I think at least one does. The scenic does too I think.

Also, my 56 plates focus did not have isofix because for a long time it was a free optional extra and the previous owner clearly wasn't bothered. We had to retrofit. Again, from the research I did I think to do this for the s-max/c-max would require cutting into the seat cushion (not the case for the focus).
God help me I'm boring.

[wannabedreams]

We have a touran and it's great - three separate seats in the back plus two extra seats in the boot.
This does in my experience in many ways depend on the car seats you're using. I have two low back boosters and one second stage infant seat in mine. I did however get a britax eclipse on recommendation as the base is a lot narrower than some.
That said I have also squeezed the same three car seats in the back of a zafira, a corsa and an astra. There is definitely more space in the touran than these models though.

[gordyslovesheep]

my S-Max has Isofix as standard

[CarpeJugulum]

Ah yeah. We needed to free the C-Max isofix up - DH did it with a kit himself rather than using the garage (lots of swearing but doable!). There is an issue with the underfloor storage, but not with the seat we have.

Still love the car but would strongly recommend not to opt for 18" rims

[GreyTS]

We have a C4 grand Picasso with 2 erf seats and can fit another car seat in the same row, however with the storage boxes we can't have more than 1 seat with a leg. So we have a Maxi Cosi Mobi with a leg in the middle and a Britax 2 way elite on one side, could fit another on the other side. Plenty of leg room in front seats. I know that some people hate citroëns and while it's not in the least bit sexy and is basically a van it is super practical and drives surprisingly smoothly

[wannabedreams]

I have been told they don't really recommend isofix after 1year old though as it hasn't got enough 'give' if you were in an accident and could cause more injury. Not sure how true this is but friends were told by a specialist car seat centre.