Cars with at least three isofix points

[allthecats1982]

We are struggling to find a car! We have the infant seats (maxi cosi) and the isofix bases already but cannot find a car that will fit the three infant seats in and an additional HBB all at the same time. We looked at seven seater cars but they either only have two isofix points so that was a no or I have been informed that if I put three car seats across the middle row then I can't put passengers in the back row because in an accident they cannot get out due to the isofix bases! This renders us lost in a world of ever shortening days till the three musketeers are here!

We currently have an 8yr old DS who we would be willing to move out of the ERF into a HBB to make things easier but the one we have is the kiddifix so is an isofix. The triplets will then each have an infant carrier. Ideally a car with four isofix would be great. We also need to consider the fact I have a large pram and carrycot/seats to get in the car too as I cannot carry all three babies at once when going out for the day. The reason we got three isofix is because it's going to be much easier to click a seat into the middle seat than have to faff about with seatbelts every time we go out. I'm being lazy I know but triplets and the British weather means I want a quick transition in and out!

So far we have looked at:

Hyundai Santa Fe - only has two isofix in the middle row
Kia Sorento - same as above
Peugeot 5008- three isofix in a row but means you can't use the back seats if you use all three
Skoda kodiaq - only two isofix points
Audi q7 and Land Rover - not in our price range
Ford smax- no longer available

DH is considering us buying a van and that gives us loads of space to take stuff out but I don't know if you can get isofix retrofitted to them safely.

TIA

this seems like a good option? or one side seat could be left out in the middle instead of the middle one?

Sounds like a logistical nightmare trying to work it all out though, and cruel of people to say you shouldn't have children if you can't afford them, no one gets pregnant thinking it'll be triplets! There'll be a solution somewhere. Have you got any local car seat adviser people? we have a lovely lady local to us who can offer ERF advice etc, that might be useful for you if you have one?

Do any 7 seater cars allow two car seats in the boot then use the middle and one rear side in the second row allowing one seat on the second row as the access point?

@lochmaree exactly. We tried for another bay for eight years and went into this with the intention of having another baby. We are of course excited and overjoyed there are three coming bit logistically it's a nightmare! It's not just the car. I'm going to have to find £37500 a year from somewhere for nursery and only make £23k before tax!! So that's a second job I need to find to try and make up a bit of the difference. At least one child we could ask family to help out some days but none will take three 🤣

@Lavender2021 we can't put an infant carrier in the back row. My son can go in the back if we forward face him though. It would also mean no pram and I'd have to carry all three at once if we went out.

The other problem of using the 3rd row is that stuff needs strapping down as it will be sitting next to your older son and would be dangerous for everyone in a crash. I don't think a van would be much better for stuff moving but might be easier to tie down or have proper built in storage.

On the childcare front OP I actually know someone who took out a 10 year bank loan to cover the cost of nursery for twins until the 30 free hours kicked in. They saw it as an investment in their career and got a much better rate than if they put more spending on a credit card.

I've mentioned all suggestions and read posts to DH and he has said no to everything. I'm considering the option of leaving him home and just taking the kids out by myself in a normal big car. Seems the least stressful option!

You’re right to have taken heed of the advice about your eldest going in and out via the boot.

Even with a fairly minor bump to the rear of the car could warp the metal in such a way that would prevent the boot from opening.

It’s an even bigger risk in the event of a more serious accident, where god forbid your ds or the adults in the car were physically incapable of helping him get out quickly.

A pp’s idea of putting one infant carrier in the front passenger seat with air-bag off; 2 side by side in the middle row with one window seat taken out, leaving easier access for the back row for ds and your DH if needed would work?

And pray tell what realistic solutions has he suggested…?

@FirstFallopians I'd be more than happy to sit in the middle row if we all went out together because a) I wouldn't have to listen to the complaints of DH b) as the triplets get older I can negate any disagreement and c) I get to look at all my babies better. However I don't drink and DH does and I'm not sure he would be AS willing to sit in the back!

Also does that not still mean a seat won't fold down? Do the middle rows split into three? If it's two like our current car that still means I can only use one car seat in the middle row as even in an accident one would be belted in the way.

@FirstFallopians he has zero advice and zero alternatives to offer. 😒 he's getting on my last nerve today if I'm honest! I feel like I might suggest he gets his own car and travels alone.

Most 7 seater should have a seat one side that will move to allow access to the back seats. So you can still use two seats in the middle row.

A van seems the most practical option, but remember to check if your licence allows you to drive it as I think licences taken post 1999/2000 ish only allows you to drive a vehicle with 8 seats otherwise you have to take another driving test.

Just checked, its if you passed after 1997 you can't drive anything bigger than a 9 seater (including the driver).

A 7 seater we had growing up (Citroën something) - each seat across the middle could be removed individually. so you could have any configuration of seats in or out.

I think where the seats are individual units as opposed to one individual and two together, or a more bench style, then you will be able to have 1 baby in the front and 2 in the middle side by side with one adult and your eldest in the 3rd row.

DH is being ridiculous if he won't sit in the back on an occasion that he's drinking and you have all kids out with you in the car (struggling to imagine when this would happen anyway!) To me it sounds like the best solution. though factoring in safe storage may be the next struggle - a roof box?! (also DH could go in there 🤣)

aw bless you, congratulations on your babies! I cannot imagine how exciting but terrifying it is to have triplets on the way!

fwiw I was in some of the car seat groups when I just had DS1 and I ended up leaving because they were so ridiculous, and i am an advocate of ERF! There is some useful advice in there for sure but some of the things some of the members suggest is just ridiculous and not helpful and makes parents feel like absolute rubbish.

We have Ford Galaxy 3 years old with three isofix points , we have had all combination of baby / toddler / high back boosters in there no problem.

The middle row seats usually move and fold independently so you can isofix two and use the other to fold for access to the third row

Give it a break for now and come back to it in a couple of days. I feel like these things can swim in your head and it makes it hard to take on new info or organise the info that you have. There will be a solution - people have had triplets before, or twins when they aready have 2+ children, and childminders often have more than 4 children to drive around.

Get on Twins Trust or the multiples board and see what other people do. Just gathering all options so you can write them down and look properly with DH rather than either of you writing things off instantly because you're stressed.

For when you come back:

I'm sure you can use 2x isofix seats in middle row of 5008 and still use the back row. However, I don't think it takes child seats in the rear seats at all. They are only smaller seats.

At least, I hope so - as this is exactly what we plan to do when we get ours! 😬 We have 2 in isofix seats plus an adult sized teenager. He doesn't come with us in the car v often but currently he's stuck between the two toddlers in the 3008 and it's really cramped for him. Once we get the 5008, he can choose middle seat which is full sized or back row.

But anyway - I thought the rule of thumb was just that you can't have 3x permanent fixtures in the middle row (and this applies to any/most 7+ seaters). So 2 there should be fine? Then you would still have to put one baby in the front. 5008 has no isofix in the front (3008 does).

You probably CAN get four rear facing, if you really wanted to - I am pretty sure there are a couple of 4x RF set ups in this album (in fact there is a 5x ERF seats near the end). I'm sure some of these set ups are ignoring the third row access rule - so def check manuals etc before you commit to buying anything. https://www.flickr.com/photos/153076285@N05/sets/72157687963842866/

Have you given any thought to belt fitted infant seat bases? You've got a choice of:

Maxi Cosi original Cabriofix plus Easyfix base
Cybex Aton 5 plus base 2-fix
Joie i-Gemm 3 or i-snug with i-base 2. Or the cheaper Clickfit base for the older Gemm models.

(Off the top of my head. I will look for more, if you like the idea but don't like those seats.)

I know you've already got car seats but if you're looking at buying a new car, then the cost of replacing one of the car seats + base is fairly minimal in the context of that plus it means you can have the base convenience for all 3, without necessarily needing isofix for all 3.

Everyone with a big family on the FB pages raves about the Alhambra.

Something with 6 seats facing each other is also a good option - your eldest's Kidfix can go on the rearfacing seats, and the triplets can go on the forward facing row in rear facing seats. Once the triplets get to high backed booster age you can put them into 3x Britax or Cybex boosters on the rear facing seats, and your eldest will be much older then so can sit in the forward facing row facing them.

@lochmaree it would happen on a Saturday during the football season if it's a home game (or if it's a big away game he'll go out to watch it) Sundays, golf competition days and any time we go out to eat as a family, Christmas, birthdays, new year. It's actually fairly often 🤣 if we go to either parents he drives there and I drive home. I'm helping my son learn to drive by explaining over the next nine years why and how things on the road work. That way we can share taxi duties when he's 17. By that I mean he can get his dad.

A roof box for him is a good idea. Although my next post online might be advice on disposing of a body if he doesn't get with the programme! Hormonal, hot and hungry 24/7 is not an ideal time to wind me up!

Citroen C4 Spacetourer/Picasso 5 seater has 3 isofix in the middle, which fit any car seat because the seats all slide individually, letting you stagger them slightly for car seats if needed, even adults fit in the seats. So I suspect the Grand version (7 seats) will have the same 3 isofix in the middle row. Also the boots are huge.

My VW van is the best purchase I ever made in my life. I had multiples and was terrified how this would all work but this vehicle has truly been fantastic. 4 isofix points, enough room for me to get in the back to do up all the harnesses, space to change a baby if necessary. Two adults comfortably in the front, and not much bigger than any other family car. My giant pram in the boot 😂 You don't need to go for the new multi van, have a look at ones that are about 7-10 years old and you should find one that's suitable.

may have already been said but I thought the Kia sorrento (at least some versions/years) had isofix points in both outer middle row seats and also in the back row seats?

@theclockticksslowly it has two in the middle row and nothing in the back. We looked at one today.

OK, I've gone to check the 3008/5008 2022+ manual for you, because Peugeot decided to make this the most confusing unclear document in the history of cars, but I'm pretty familiar with it having had the 3008 for the last 3 years and studying the newer 5008 manual before we committed to it. The main thing is getting used to the fact that they have decided to use a fancy shadow version of each car to denote where instructions differ by version, and the shadow version of each of these cars is nearly identical 🤦‍♀️ (why why whyyyyyyy)

Since this is pretty impossible to google BTW, here's the link to access any PSA group current manual, so you can look at any larger car from any of these brands and suss out what the rules are. First click on Peugeot/Citroen/Vauxhall, then use the flag at top right to change it from French to English, then choose model. The weird toggle button thing means Right Hand Drive (UK edition).
https://public.servicebox.peugeot.com/ddb/index.html

I've now scoured all the child seat pages, all the safety pages, and I've even run a search for "seat" and read every single page that suggested. It has lots of info about the third row seats but:

It doesn't say ANYTHING about not using the back seats if you have child seats in place.

It doesn't say ANYTHING about not using all 3 isofix points at the same time. AKA you can.

In short, double, triple, quadruple check anything that someone from a facebook group (or mumsnet, TBF) tells you, especially when everyone seems to hold "the admin" <said in hushed tones> up like magical all-knowing experts. I'm not an expert, I've just read a manual - you can read it yourself above. (Get some sleep first!)

The main thing that will likely be a problem for you is that Peugeot does not permit the use of ANY child seat, including booster seats, in the very back row. Having sat in them, I am guessing that this is probably because they are small seats. Which means that there is a possibility the seatbelt will fit your DS OK without a booster, since he's smaller than an adult. But obviously you may not be OK with this as you sound like you are quite into car seat safety. So it would be whether you're willing to put one child in the front and make DH take the very back seat, whether you're willing to stick a child seat on one of those seats anyway (maybe a backless booster).

The other issue with this car is that the back seats take up nearly all the boot space. You will have some space with one folded down. But it might not be enough for a triplet pram.