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Confused about car seat regulations? Find baby car seat advice here.

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Confused about car seat regulations? Find baby car seat advice here.

Car seats

What's the best seven seater around? Or should we just get a landy and have done with it?

59 replies

GloriaVanderbilt · 14/08/2011 16:57

I would prefer something you can hose down, I mean inside, iykwim

We've four children between us at present and thinking about another. So theoretically we will need a bigger car...we have two at the moment and normally end up with one of us driving one car and most or all of the kids squashed in.

I'm clueless about what's out there for this size family so if anyone has any suggestions I'd be grateful.

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SpringFlowers · 14/08/2011 21:22

We just bought a Peugeot 5008 and love it. Seven seats, loads of room and I quite like driving it. A thing to look for is how the back seats move. In the 5008 each if the three seats moves independently of the others, prevents older children making illegal use of their elbows . Some models don't have very lively engines, if buying look for those with around 150 bhp.

We've gad the car a week and don't knowhow we managed before!

rearfacingcarseats5timessafer · 14/08/2011 21:40

Get a Land Rover and jobs a gooden. We have one, and it's great. The third row seats are big enough to seat an adult in, in comfort, this is not what we found in some other cars!!! Search discovery 3 on you tube to find the advert where they get 7 rugby players into it!!

GloriaVanderbilt · 15/08/2011 07:53

thanks guys, brilliant stuff, I'll have a look at both.

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PerryCombover · 15/08/2011 08:05

We have an Smax. It drives like a decent car and I forget that I have a child wagon. Apparently the Galaxy is also v decent and worth a go as has extra space.
I was very pleasantly surprised by Ford tbh.

Sam100 · 15/08/2011 08:14

We have an smax too. It is great for 3 as you can get them all across the middle row in car seats and still have a big boot. The 2 seats in the boot are handy for extra kids but not big enough for an adult IMO. if you were regularly going to have 5 kids in the back then I would say you need something more substantial.

GloriaVanderbilt · 15/08/2011 10:21

Thankyou. Sorry for rushed post this morning.

The thing is, there tend to be a lot of times when I do need to take all of them and so perhaps we need to work on that principle.

Currently have a fiesta which though it copes, well the back is very squashed with even three of them, and one has to sit in the front which has an airbag so far from ideal (can't turn off the airbag on this one and they wanted £££ to do it at the dealers), so really I'm fairly desperate for another car anyway even if we don't add another to the throng

It would be lovely for us BOTH to go places with all the kids and just one car. I'm wondering if I could somehow trade in the fiesta as it's not that old, and go for a bigger Ford.

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PerryCombover · 15/08/2011 11:43

Have a look at the galaxy, it's good

Catslikehats · 15/08/2011 11:46

Have had an XC90 - yy know it's a volvo but I like the fact that it seats 7 and still doesn't feel huge.

seeker · 15/08/2011 11:51

Bongo!

Sidge · 15/08/2011 11:51

A Fiesta is pretty small - anything will be bigger than that

I LOVED my S-Max and now have a Citroen C4 Grand Picasso which is pretty good too. But the 2 extra seats are really only suitable for children and not adults. But when down they do leave you with an enormous boot space.

Friend has a Galaxy which is lovely, another friend has a Chrysler Grand Voyager which is also great.

I just had a Zafira as a courtesy car and hated it so would say don't go for one of those.

GloriaVanderbilt · 15/08/2011 12:27

Seeker...I've seen a bongo from the outside but I'm mainly looking for everyday use, not camping etc...is it economical enough for an everyday car?

Our dealership said they have galaxies and s-maxes to look at so I should go and see them (and be given the hard sell) I might go and see the galaxy, it's far far cheaper than the s max by the look of things...not sure why?

thankyou Sidge, will look into the Chrysler as well...and I like volvos, really would be happy with a volvo again, though probably quite dear aren't they.

My folks have got a meriva and it's not big enough I don't think. But actually it might work, maybe they would swap! They don't need 7 seats on an everyday basis!

Thanks again for all the suggestions. It's really helpful.

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seeker · 15/08/2011 12:45

We use our bongo as an everyday car-as well as for overnighting. We call it a beach hut that can do 90 down the motorway!

GloriaVanderbilt · 15/08/2011 12:47

Really? I think I will take a look at the seat configs and see if it would suit us.

Thanks...our neighbours up the road have one but I think they only use it for campling, it's been gone a week...and I don't know them well enough to ask to look inside!

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PeelingmyselfofftheCeiling · 15/08/2011 12:49

VW Caravelle?

26minutes · 15/08/2011 12:51

We have a Galaxy, would love an S-Max but can't afford one . Although underneath it's a VW, the styling is still Ford & being a Ghia the spec is high. I really like it. We've always had Fords so it was really the only choice for us. It drives well, fuel consumption is well over 50mpg on a run, drives round town well & tonnes of space even with the back seats in. Surprisingly doesn't feel very big either. We have a Mondeo as well which actually feels bigger and heavier than the GAlaxy.

GloriaVanderbilt · 15/08/2011 12:54

That sounds good if it's nicer to drive than a mondeo. And I'll look at the VW. I suppose I'd really like something that's more a 'normal# car, I mean low-ish, nothing too complicated, just more space.

I did think of getting an old Volvo 70 or something, you know those enormously long ones that have hundreds of children's seats, but I don't know how long they last. Also like old Mercedes, they seem to do well.

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seeker · 15/08/2011 12:54

Ours has two rows of 3 seats. Both rows fold back or forward to make either a bed, or a boot space or a table the middle with 3 seats in the back. If you see what I mean.

KittyWalker · 15/08/2011 12:55

Love my S-Max, lots of room good to drive (for a large car)

26minutes · 15/08/2011 12:55

Also looking at the newer people carriers the back seats have a lot less space than in the older Galaxy. DH and I sat in the back the other day as we let FIL have a drive and we were suprised at how much space there was and how far away you are still from the tailgate, whereas a lot of the newer ones (I was having a nosey in a C4 Grand Poocasso that was parked next to us) the back seat seems to touch the tailgate and has no proper headrest. Just a thought if there will be LOs travelling in the back 2 seats regularly.

Ponders · 15/08/2011 13:00

meriva is only 5 seats so no good to you

does it need to be a new car? the best big 7-seater was always the Toyota Previa but they stopped making it in 2006.

BeckyLK · 15/08/2011 13:04

Kia Sedona...it's huge, seven proper seats that can be moved/removed seperately so eveyone can be seperated and accomodated as necessary!

GloriaVanderbilt · 15/08/2011 13:04

Yes have just realised that Ponders, when someone mentioned the zafira I thought, ooh I wonder if the meriva has two extra seats. But you're right it doesn't.

Good to know about the older galaxy...wonder what year that was up to. I think the one they're selling is an 07.

I will look into the Previa as well. There are loads to look at, aren't there...I do want something that will carry them all happily all the time.
Still harking back to the idea of a landrover, but then fuel economy and parking isn't SO great I imagine?

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Ponders · 15/08/2011 13:09

\link{http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/reviews/hyundai/i800-2008.aspx\Hyundai i800} is a new one on me. Looks huge (but huge to drive & park too!)

Hyundai do a transferable 5-year/100,000 mile warranty

GloriaVanderbilt · 15/08/2011 13:10

kia sounds very good. I also wondered about a Seat (alhambra?) as it had fitted child seat restraints or someting...? Can't remember now, someone told me it was unusual in that respect.

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GloriaVanderbilt · 15/08/2011 13:11

wow that hyundai does look mahoosive!

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