AIBU to think we need a 7 seater car?

[Rhayader]

We definitely need a car - we’ve done the maths and it is significantly more expensive to rent for essential trips than own especially when you take into account the cost of using public transport more. Plus we have our fair share of emergency hospital trips with DC2.

Until now we have always had small hatchbacks, we had a 3 door when we had 1 DC and when I was about 6 months pregnant with DC2 it got too difficult to do the car seat for DC1 so we upgraded to a 5 door. But still a hatchback.

DC3 is on the way and I just can’t see how we could possibly fit 3 car seats in, we can’t even fit a small adult in the middle of the two car seats for very short journeys currently. Are there magical 5 seat cars that fit 3 car seats and 2 adults in or are we destined to join the ranks of suburban families with enormous cars? Any recommendations? We won’t buy a diesel.

There’s also the Multimac which is sort of a whole unit that fits across the back of most cars to allow three children.
It’s expensive but might be worth a look at if the overall cost of a smaller car + the multimac is cheaper than a bigger car. I think it only needs 2 isofix points too although I might be wrong.

We have three DC and we had a Citroën Picasso, three proper seats in the back, loads of boot space, great car. Got it when kids were 5, 3 and 1 and eventually scrapped it when ds2 (youngest) was almost 15, it had done 189k. Think they still make them in some form.

Vauxhall insignia has 3 isofix points in the back. Why won't you buy a diesel?

Ford S-max here, bought when I was pregnant with DC3 (others were 5 and 1 when 3rd arrived). Echo others saying the option of 7 seats is really helpful - without the extra seats we would have struggled to have friends over for DC1, etc etc. Boot is also absolutely enormous (with back 2 seats down) and a decent size even with seats up, which is great for carting about all the paraphernalia of 3DC. Ours is fairly old (but still pretty reliable) and the plan is to run it into the ground and then get a newer one once it conks out.

Oh and the S-Max is petrol too 👍

Thanks all, lots of options here to consider.

@Tinkerbell19 we can’t buy a diesel as we live about 100m inside the extended ULEZ zone, so if Sadiq Khan wins the next mayoral election which is very likely (and possibly even if he doesn’t win) we will have to pay £12.50 every time we drive off our driveway 😬

Please don't do what every other person seems to do and buy a much bigger car than you need!

There are 5 seaters that can fit 3 car seats across. Especially because DC1 is 6 and presumably in a high-backed booster - you can get narrow ones.

I suggest you join the FB group "Car Seat Advice UK" as there are lots of posts and recommendations for family cars to fit 3 across.

PS if it was me I'd get a used Kia Niro PHEV (or the self-charging hybrid which is a bit cheaper)

we can’t buy a diesel as we live about 100m inside the extended ULEZ zone, so if Sadiq Khan wins the next mayoral election which is very likely (and possibly even if he doesn’t win) we will have to pay £12.50 every time we drive off our driveway 😬
Not all diesels are created equally! I have a diesel Citroen and it is exempt from ULEZ charges and is also £0 road tax so worth looking into

I’m just really worried about them moving the goalposts and then us being stuck with a car we can’t sell 🙈 we’re not the kind of people who change cars every few years, we’re hoping to keep something for a long time.

erfmission.com/car-seats-3-across-in-the-backseat/

Toyota verso. Fits 3 car seats in the back and has 2 extra seats in the boot, but is a normal sized hatchback. I think they come in hybrid nowadays.

OP newer diesel cars are low emission. I drive a diesel and it is exempt from the ULEZ charges, and road tax for the year is free.

we got a C4 grand Picasso when DC3 was born in the summer, DC1&2 are 3.5. Great car!

Mines petrol and had 3 proper seats with isofix points in the back/middle row and the back 2 seats fold into the boot so the boot space isn't compromised at all.

Citroen grand picasso, or Space tourer as they are called now. We can fit car seat, baby seat in middle and adult in the middle row door side. Two more on back row. This is the roomiest car for the two back row seats compared to other mid range 7 seaters and the seat configuration is amazing as it has 3 individual middle seats with isofix, so you can have two carseats in side by side and adult on door side, rather than car seats on the door side and adult wddged into the middle seat. Roomy boot when back 2 seats are folded down and the clearest rear parking camera i have seen for a long time. Plus, its not any longer or wider than the average mondeo sized 5 door saloon car which we changed from. Not the sexiest car but for the practicality, wins.

@Barbie222 a Prius + is a hybrid 7 seater, fyi.