AIBU to ask what you did if you had a premium saloon car and had a third child?

[3kidsinacar]

Did you go up the scale to a premium large car like an SUV

Or did you jack it in and get an S Mac type thing?

I hate driving anything other then an Audi or VW

I've just got a brand new A6.. pregnant

Have a 5 year old and 2 year old

MultiMac? What do I do?

When our 3 were little and had 2 car seats and 1 booster - main family car was a Volvo V70 estate - fitted all 3 kids and enormous boot for all their stuff. Would definitely have another although we now have the Skoda superb Laurin Klement model which has everything and chose it out of all the similar sized cars

Barbara Youre being rude and sarky

It's the same size as my a6 you Wally

@delphgirl

That's a strong contender and ULEZ applicable too which would be sweet

Ill go test drive one, wonder if the R line or whatever the equivalent is, is a bit lower, I'm 5ft 1 which is annoying to help the kids into the car when it's high up

Oooh baby that sounds delicious, a 911 would be such fun.

@berkeys what car seats do you have? I would have a Tesla for sure

@nothingorall

Yes my dad had one of them actually! I swear they had seats in the boot when I was a kid

We sold our saloon and bought a VW Touran. I love it. Best car I've ever had, and we are now on our second. Really practical and comfortable. Sizeable boot, plenty big enough for a pram and all the other toddler paraphernalia you end up with. Great to have the extra 2 boot seats that are still usable by 6ft teenagers (and their friends). And it drives really well too. It feels like a nice, normal car, rather than a van. All the back seats fit car seats. We had 3 under 5 and easily fit 3 seats in the back. We currently have the 'family' version with panoramic sunroof, and its ace! If you like VWs anyway its definitely worth a look.

The touran was on my list for sure, do you have one of the newer models? My friend bought one and said it's very tight with three seats but admittedly she does have them in enormous very safe seats, like the axis kid and cybex sirona

Can you fit stuff in the boot if you put up the back seats?

We sold our saloon and bought a VW Touran.

Below average reliability though but then so is the OP’s existing A6.

This is really down to personal preference and how much money you can and want to spend.

On a sliding scale of £££ -

XC90/Q7/G Class (not the GLE/C nonsense, a proper one)

Touran or equivalent

Used seven-seater of whatever brand

Keep current car, use Multimac ~ c £2000 or so new

Keep current car, put one seat in front and second adult in back middle.

Keep current car, delve into the world of narrow car seats / which configurations would work (a friend’s husband is one of those “brain the size of a planet” types, barrister, and his special subject is fitting car seats into cars ).

But the whole “premium saloon” rhetoric is, I think rightly, getting up lots of people’s noses, so you may want to scale that back and focus on your actual needs and budget.

Given it's a workhorse item that gets you from a to b, I'd maybe open up choices to Kia Sorrento, Hyundai Santa Fe for larger SUVs (also has 7 seaters if you need but fold down)

And keep in mind that if you’re contemplating either or both driving holidays or double buggies boot space starts to get tight in saloons.

Also I had a Volvo estate a year ago - I don't rate them after the geely(Chinese?) took them over. The gearbox was awful it jerked everytime at Roundabouts. Got rid as soon as lease was up.

We have a VW Touran. I love it, we have the R-line and it's nicer looking than the S-max.

One of my cars is an RS6 and I can wedge multiple children into it. It’s fast AF so they love it. Only one (my one) requires a car seat though.

But other than that, I tend to use the dreaded Range Rover. It tows extremely well, it’s comfortable and safe and also, pretty shifty.

I shall be flayed for this, flayed.

Wehave had a Skoda superb
A Volvo
Resorted to a van (mercedes vito) when they were teens (sailing, rugby loads of other kit!!)
Back to a Skoda Octavia now. But eldest is 21 and not here.

@onairjunkie

Not surprised they love the RS6 🤣🤣 can I have a turn too? Super mum!!

Yes they break down all the time

test drive a RR Vogue with aV8 engine for a week a few years ago when things were a bit more flush .. holy moly I think it was the only SUV I've ever driven and adored

That an an RSQ5 which was a courtesy car for a month 😂

Is it?? I thought it was most reliable and one of the least crashed cars and no fatalities at all in the last year?? It's a 21 plate ? @Shade17

@TheWayTheLightFalls that's a good list thanks I will think about it
It shouldn't get up their nose I asked a question I didn't ask them their opinion of me or my car i asked if someone had one what did they do
Sorry they are not happy I asked

Always liked the Kia Sorento bit husband doesn't like them

Oh FFS. Skoda and Seat are the same as VW/ Audi. I grew up in a VW/Audi owning family (which continues - our family gatherings look like the show room has decamped to suburbia)

My SiL and I have have a polo and Fabia respectively.
You can sit and count the identical components in the cabin and under the bonnet.

The only difference is SIL paid 4 grand more for her polo (same engine) and has a shitter spec'd radio than me (it doesn't sync to her phone via bluetooth to stream media whereas mine does).

Her car is 6 months newer than mine.

Stop being a label snob. I've just been to the garage today (independent VW/ Audi/skoda/ seat specialist) and the owner said with no prompting from me how good he thinks the skodas are and that he would no longer pay extra for a VW badge. I've known him a long time.... (20 year, shit!)

I'm from a part of the country where it is almost a badge on honour not to drive BMW/ merc. Audi have gone that way too now so now my colleagues (highly paid professionals) have wall to wall skoda octavia estates with the odd Passat or Volvo thrown in for good measure.

If you need 3 car seats then there are very few cars that have 3 full seats across the back. Most standard cars, regardless of their size, only really have 2 and a half seats.

When we had our 3rd we had a 7 seater and my eldest who was 6 went in the back. It was a nightmare as it drastically reduces the size of the boot. We then went on to get a Peugeot 5008 which was great and fit 3 seats across easily.

We now have a volvo xc90. Great car and fits all 3 car seats. If you want an audi you'd need to get the Q7. I don't think VW do a car that has the 3 full seats across the back.

Here’s a list of cars that can fit three across (there are a few omissions, like the Peugeot/Citroen Partner / Berlingo) and I imagine some are roomier than others, but may still be useful.

From a seminar for parents expecting twins who already have an older DC, who frankly know what they’re talking about .

VW Touran. Not much bigger in footprint (or even the same size) but option for 7 seats, and has 3 isofix seats in the back.

@Thebig3

If you need 3 car seats then there are very few cars that have 3 full seats across the back. Most standard cars, regardless of their size, only really have 2 and a half seats.

When we had our 3rd we had a 7 seater and my eldest who was 6 went in the back. It was a nightmare as it drastically reduces the size of the boot. We then went on to get a Peugeot 5008 which was great and fit 3 seats across easily.

We now have a volvo xc90. Great car and fits all 3 car seats. If you want an audi you'd need to get the Q7. I don't think VW do a car that has the 3 full seats across the back.

Sorry just realised there is the VW touran!

@TheWayTheLightFalls that list is actually so so so helpful thanks I will now have a better idea of what to test drive

Thank you 🥰 I think I might just get rid of the two year old instead he just destroyed my bath by chucking duplo in it, screaming to get in it and also touching my leg and arm with his icy little hands
He's a fiery one!

I went to a Kia Sorento. 7 seaters all 5*rated. Lots of extras come as normal, such as heated seats. 7yr warranty and I also had 3yrs free servicing. And it looks great!

And fits 3car seats across easily

I wonder if a Toureg works
It's just high up which I don't like

I like the idea of touran sharan transporter vianno or the Marco Polo idk if they have that in England, a 2 series tourer..

Wonder what's the best value
Maybe I just need a transporter or vianno

The kids will be large soon and they have bikes each etc

Thankfully I use a baby zen buggy so it's pocket sized but their coats etc honestly I have to put my seat forward in the car for my 2 year old to have enough "leg room" if I'm the passenger or he screams