To ask how big of a car I need for 3 children?

[NKfell]

It hits me sporadically through the day while I'm at Mumsnet...I mean, work...I need a new car. It's got the point where I push it out of mind.

So, I have a Fiat 500 for my current 2- almost 6 and 2.5 but now with this one due in a month(!!) I need another car.

I don't want a big car because a small car is very convenient where I live and drive to. I've managed perfectly comfortably with the 500 for 4 years but baby number 3 really pushes it.

I have a little bit of equity in this car to part ex so I'll be spending up to £15k absolute maximum.

Help?

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I have a vauxhall astra and am a child minder. I can comfortably fit 2 baby seats and a high backed booster across the back. I have also had two boosters and a baby seat. The boot is surprisingly big as well. I was worried about downsizing from a vauxhall zafira but it's been brilliant

Ford C-Max. They are barely any bigger than a focus (the only shape are particularly compact, up to about an 11 plate) but they have 3 full sized seats and a decent boot.

I went from a mini to an S-max - I loved my Mini but for 3 kids and 2 adults you need at least a large 5 seater

A focus would work - it doesn't need to be a bus

I'm looking for a new car for 3 kids too, although I'm on the other end of the scale as the eldest of my 4 is leaving home for Uni and the other 3 are long since out of car seats. I don't think I need a people carrier anymore and I want something a bit less Mum like.

That said, I have loved my people carrier. So many shiny buttons to press!

A small car is fine. We have the Lexus sport, and can fit x3 seats in fine

Friend has small bmw and fits x3 seats in fine

A way around it is if that company sells own car seats ie bmw sell bmw car seats for all ages, and you can def fit 3 of those in.

If they are 6 and 2 1/2 it will be an uber squash until the middle one goes into a booster with back type seat, even then it is still tight.

In all honesty the easiest thing to do is go put car seats in cars in garages. They don't mind you doing this. I did it to get my latest car.

From personal experience I've found a picasso was waaaaay less stress with 3 kids than various small car's I've had. You don't need to go 7 seater but a car with 3 proper seperate seats in the back makes a MASSIVE difference with car seats as they all fit into the seats properly. The issue with small cars is the middle seat is often too narrow to fit a car seat. As your eldest is only 6 this is really not great as middle seat belts can often be high as well (some come from up in car roof)

Now...I don't mind the Yeti- I live in the Northern Lake District so might be handy in the winter?

The Fabia story has given me hope!

Without having to Google Map my house- it takes an Audi A3 3 manoeuvres to get round a certain corner to my house- my sister's s-max takes someone guiding and 4 or 5 manoeuvres. So, it's not that I'm incompetent it would just be a total pain to have a big car!

Look at different car seats as well! There is a huge difference in size to some of them. You may be able to get a smaller seat (I think for instance for the 2.5 year old there are seats which are like boosters with backs but have 5 point harnesses on them which can be removed once they are older.) and this may make the diff of how big the car needs to be.

Land rover Discovery 3 or 4. Honestly, the best cars. You'll comfortably fit 3 kids with a boot load of shopping, dogs, prams etc. There are also two extra sests that fold completely flat if you ever want to trail parents around too. Honetly, I know they are a bit pricey but you can get some great deals on Disco 3s now and they are very safe if you get hit with kids in the car

Ps the Cybex Aton is one of narrowest baby seats. If you used that with isofix so it clicks in and out easily you could still fit x2 high back seats for younger two in the middle and other side.
Baby seat can also go in front with airbags off
By a babyzen yoyo0+ as tiny pram to keep in boot for £400 and save the £14 500 for something else. Keep the car

We have a Fiat Panda, and it fits a car seat, high back booster and patient skinny child who doesn't mind being a bit squished across the back seat. Wouldn't do 3 car seats though.

I have three under 5s. One in a HBB, one in a Maxi Cosi Tobi, one in a Maxi Cosi Cabriofix.

I did the most extensive research you can imagine and found the very smallest car I could fit them in was the C-Max. I didn't go for it though as belting them all in was a nightmare. You just can't your hand between the seats to do up the eldest's belt.

We went for a Touran in the end. It's ok. Roomy and drives well.
This helped me lots

By the way, I know they look huge, but their turning circle is very small. I can do a lap of my yard with it. I have to 3 point turn DPs BMW and Volvo.

Just remembered - have you seen this op?

This is not my street but it's similar- Map

I should have said, to park I need to go through a gap like the one in this street.

Yes cockadoodle and they do seem amazing but I always think they must be too good to be true?!

It depends if you want all three in the back or not. If you are prepared to put one in the front and won't be travelling anywhere with Dh as well then you have more options. If not you definitely need something c-max or Picasso sized. I have three and have had tried loadsof cars and tbh never been entirely convinced on how well car seats sit and how comfortable children are in the back so crammed in even to an estate.
Have got a Picasso now and had a c-Max on an extended test drive for mumsnet and although that was a little narrower they did all fit.
I'm looking for another car just now and finding nothing that does the job as well as what I have just now and it's frustrating.

Fil 's skoda estate could manage it. Think it was an octavia but not sure.

We have a Xsara Picasso and can comfortably fit a bulky HBB, baby seat and bulky toddler seat in the back. Lots of storage too.

My mum has a Zafira but you can only fit two seats in the back, possibly a very narrow booster cushion in the middle.

Definitely, you need 3 seats across the back seat.

I would also recommend a car with a boot, or specific rear-ending safety features. I went for the boot & extra rear-end safety option (Audi A4). I needed to believe that the children were as safe as possible in the back whilst my focus was on driving safely.

Our Yeti isn't a 4x4 model but still managed fine when we took a drive through Snowdonia & got lost had to go over a very steep hill on a road that was barely more than a gravel path.

We've not yet tried 3 car seats across the back but we've got 2 Britax Duo Plus seats isofixed into the back & I've managed to sit between them on long journeys. Not overly comfortable but bearable. I've also managed to climb through from the front to breastfeed between 2 seats when DS2 was small & screaming while we were driving around Longleat's safari bit.

Did I mention I love my Yeti?

I think Skoda is planning on a 7 seater yeti soon. DH had the standard (well, fastest possible ) version as his last company car and then switched to an Octavia estate once dc3 arrived. To be honest, with an infant carrier, one of those 'Kiddy' seats for the toddler and a booster for the eldes, it is a bit of a squash across the back, but it is lovely to drive and dead easy to manouvre. Certainly the steering locks better than the Fabia!

I love my yeti too :) just driven 1500 miles on holiday and back and it didn't put a foot wheel wrong, 55mpg with 4 people, packed to the rafters with 4 bikes on the back. They are fantastic family cars, packed full of technology and they are a bit quirky.

I had Fabias before and while they're great cars I wouldn't want to drive to the south of France in one.

Skodas next offering is to be called the snowman or so the salesman when I bought my yeti told me!