Cars with room for 3 kids

[Tizzle0901]

We are trying to find a car that will have enough space in the rear for 3 kids. We have a 10 year old (no car seat) 6 year old (high back booster) and 1 due at the end of the year. Our current cars are small so we are looking for a petrol car that will comfortably fit 3 kids in the rear (2 in car seats) but not a 7 seater. We have a budget of 10k. What would you recommend?

Just get a 7 seater Zafira. You can get 3 across the back and the extra seats are great for transportation of extra kids. There’s loads of them about too. For 10K you will get a really nice one.

You could probably do with something with individual seats in the back rather than a bench type seat, gives more space between children. We have plenty of experience with trying to fit children in cars as we have 4 ourselves, and know it is not nice sitting between 2 car seats unless there is loads of space.

We had a Fiat Multipla for a few years and loved that, even had an extra seat in the front for friends, then dc4 came along and we didn't need to change the car (but the boot was rather small, something you often sacrifice for more inside car space.) Other than that, something like a Ford S-max, a VW Touran (a 5+2 seater) or a Citroen Picasso (or grand Picasso for more boot space).

Whatever you try out, please put 2 car seats in the back and have an adult sit in there while someone is driving around to see how much space there is. Also check for leg-room as being scrunched up is something that makes longer car journeys a nightmare, and remember to take into account your children are still growing, even if they fit ok now they might not in a couple of years when their legs are even longer (unless you have plans to change the car again soon.)

We currently have a Ford Galaxy and, as we haven't been out all together as a family for a few weeks, we put the rear seats down and have been using it as a 5-seater with a mahoosive boot - something to consider. (The rear seats fold flat and it's superb for putting luggage\pushchair\travel cot\moses basket\a million cuddly toys in when going on holiday.)

Ford smax - comes as a 5 or 7 seater - drives like a Ford Focus

I have a Citroen C4 spacetourer - 5 seater car but the rear seats are all full size seats with isofix - I have 3 car seats in mine most of the time. Good size boot too.

We managed to fit 3 across the back of a golf for a few months , had to do a bit of car seat research though!

We went for a touran which has been fantastic. I'd rather an older vw than a newer Vauxhall.

My kids are pretty much the age of yours and we got a new Ford kuga.
The pram fits nicely in the boot. The back seat can be a bit cramped but with 3 car seats / boosters in a row this is inevitable unless you go fo a larger luxury car

Another one saying get a 7 seater! If you don't want the seats you can drop them down for a bigger boot, but the extra seats are so very useful.

Thanks all. We are not against a 7 seater we are just struggling to find a petrol car big enough. We have had a look at a picasso which would work but we cannot find a petrol version within our budget. We only do 6000 miles a year so diesel wouldn't work for us.

We have a Renault scenic. Has been very reliable and has 3 separate seats in the back and you can get the option of 5 or 7 seater.
We have a 7 seater (not used the boot seats since covid) the boot seats are surprisingly spacious and have sat in them comfortably myself at times.

S-Max
Galaxy
Touran
Sharon

And yes, you need 3 separate seats across the back rather than the bench seat.

Hmm our Citroen c4 Picasso is amazing but diesel. It has the highest eco rating DH could find across all the cars we looked at. You’ll need a big boot presumably with a baby so deffo look at 7 seater options.

We have a Mazda5, it would be in your budget. It is a petrol car, 7-seats although the middle seat isn't a full size seat but you can remove it making it a good 6 seater car with easy access to the back row. Sliding doors are a huge bonus too. It's not a huge car and nice to drive. We have had ours for 8 years but have 4 growing kids (youngest is turning 8) so are looking to upgrade to something bigger but up until now it has been very comfortable for us.

I've got a Peugeot 5008 and I love it. Three kids 9 and under.

Touran
Sharan
Smax
Scenic
Berlingo / Partner / Rifter
5008

Loved my Cmax Grand when my kids were smaller (I still miss it now and wish we hadn't part exchanged it)

Sliding rear doors and a middle seat that splits 40/40/20 so you can have two good sized seats with a gap between (the middle bit tucks away into one of the side seats). The very rear 2 seats have enough of a drop so it doesn't feel like you are sitting on the floor.

We have a Seat Leon, one baby carseat, one highbacked seat and space for teen who is 13 either in the middle or the end depending on where the baby seat is.

We have the C4 Grand Picasso (the newer ones are called a spacetourer). We have the 7 seat version but they do a 5. We rarely use the extra seats but love the boot space.

We dont do that many miles but have the 2.0 turbo diesel and its pretty good on fuel. Ours is the top of the range one, 5 years old now (had it from new) and is worth about 9/10k.

Why does it have to be petrol if you only do 6000 miles a year? I do way less than that and have a diesel Ford Tourneo Connect that's big enough for 3 kids across the back ) although is a 7 seater van really). When we had fewer children we had a Renault Grand Scenic (still 7 seats though). Both reliable cars.

We have a Vauxhall Mokka (petrol) and it's pretty roomy in the back. We also have a baby and a 6 year older so there are two car seats in currently and there is space for a third child in the middle. Tried and tested with cousins for short journeys and it's fine. Might be a bit squashed when 10 year old grows into a teenager.

The boot is fairly big too but you might need a roof rack as it won't fit everything for a family of 5 for a week away.

What style are you looking for, saloon, estate?

See here hally, particularly the sections on passive and active regeneration -

www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/emissions/diesel-particulate-filters/

Basically if the bulk of your driving is short, low-speed journeys in a city with low overall mileage, some dealers recommend against diesel vehicles.

Any really. As long as it has enough space for 3 across the back.

@hallyup6 because of the dpf issues from lots of stop starts and city driving

We have a zafira and can fit 2 extended rear facing seats and an adult in the back very comfortably. We are due third baby this year and have played around with different seating. We can fit three rear facing seats or 2 rear facing and a booster.

My dad has a Skoda superb and they are massive in the back. He has easily fitted two extended rear facing seats and an adult in the back. So I can imagine it working well with boosters and infant carriers as well.

We had the dpf issue with a zafira which out of all the cars I’ve had I absolutely hated driving the most but was the most practical for three.
Mine are adult size teens now and 11 we have a Renault Kadjar. Ds2 was still in a high back booster when we got it and I took all three and the booster seat with me to chooses it. I actually wanted a scenic but the older two literally couldn’t have sat in the back while I was driving we got the Kadjar because they fitted width ways and legroom wise. And we wanted a petrol for the dpf issue too. The Zafira was awful for it.