I think I might need a bigger car ....

[Sahkoora]

I have a pretty old car, an S Reg Ford Escort, so no Isofix or anything. In the back I currently have DS1 (6) on a HBB and DS2 (3) in a Britax First Class Plus. In the middle is only a lap belt.

DS3 is due in Oct and I was originally going to get a Group 0 seat, either the Obaby Zezu or a Maxi Cosi one to fit on my pram. But I don't have a huge budget and I really can't stretch to a base. So I'm thinking now that if I'm going to strap the seat in and out every time that I might as well cut my losses and get another First Class Plus and just unstrap DS3. DS1 and 2 have both been big for their ages and would have grown out of a Group 0 at about 9months. So I will probably have to get a FC+ then anyway, as I know and trust them and want to keep baby rf as long as I can.

But it's just dawned on me that I won't be able to fit another seat in the back whatever I do! Not sure how safe it is to put baby in the front? And I don't think I can put a HBB in the front? My car doesn't have airbags or anything.

Is there any way I can do this safely, or should I start looking for another car?

There are no laws about putting children in the front, and with no airbag there is no safety issue, so I think you would be fine with your oldest on a HBB in the front. You should move the car's seat back a little, but you'd need to leave room for a rear facing seat behind it (or the legs of your middle child in their seat).

If you wanted a baby in the front then I think an infant carrier would be better because it would be lower down. I've got a First Class seat but I've never tried it in the front because I imagine it might block the view of your mirror on that side.

I think budget-wise, another First Class makes the most sense. I used mine from birth with my first two children, but did 'give in' and borrow a CabrioFix that fitted on my Mothercare pram wheels for my third baby. I'd been dead against 'travel systems' until then, but had to admit defeat and realise that actually with baby no.3 and two older children at school/pre-school there were times when an infant carrier on the pram wheels was so much easier than getting the baby out of the car seat and into a pram.

Could you borrow an infant carrier from anyone just in case you too find that it would be easier to have that option?

I bet you will know someone who has an infant carrier not in use, we seem to perpetually have one somehow. If you do for a fixed seat the joie ones are also pretty good, dd2 uses a joie tilt, she has just gone over 13kg at 2y almost 5m and can stay rf in it until she is too tall (which will come before she is too heavy). The stages has more longevity as it's a lot bigger (I need to fit three in so bigger is no use to me) and if you tend towards having big for age children something with more room probably makes more sense for you.

If your 3yo is approaching 4 possibly another hbb might be the way to go rather than another infant seat and pass your fcp to the newborn?