2 car seats plus adult in the back - looking for the impossible?

[MitchamMum]

We live in London and have managed without a car so far, but with 2 DC now, i feel like time has come to invest in one so we can have a bit more freedom at getting out of the city.

DD1 - almost 4y, DD2 almost 1y. No plans for a third!

Ideally I'd like a car that can fit 2 car seats in the rear and an adult (DD1 gets quite car sick and it's helpful to have someone in the back to help her). But when I'm searching online, everything recommended is a 7seater. Are there no 5seaters that would be big enough across the back seat?

We have a very short drive on a narrow road (the council have told us they are going to put double yellows down one side as well so halving the onstreet parking) and I think it will be a nightmare to have to park a 7seater when we don't strictly need it for the number of DC we have.

Any ideas for cars I can start looking out for online/test drive. We'd be buying second hand.

You can get smaller seven seaters - then you just put 1 of the kids in the 3rd row. Just need to make sure it can have the car seat. I had 3 kids and never had them side by side, always 1 in the 3rd row. I think the hyandai Santa Fe for example can get 7 seats.

We've done it in a golf and a civic.
Not the easiest to slip into the middle seat, but possible. Easier while you've got one forward and one rear facing. Tougher when both are forward facing, as the shoulder space is constricted.

However, the other seating possibility is a child goes in the front, with an adult and a child in the back. Look carefully at the safety of this before trying it tho.

I have 3 kids 2 of whom are twins. I've just got a normal family car - the twins are in isofix but the group 3 ones so slimline. If you want adult in the back space you have to sacrifice extended rear facing

I found being in the back with car seats much easier with both rear facing as shoulder space is worse than hip/bum space...

Depends how narrow hipped you are - it was possible but not comfortable with ERF 4 year old and baby seat, more twisted with older child in booster and can't with both in boosters

Have you tried the 4yo FF as this sometimes helps with the sickness?

You can do 2 seats and an adult, it's just a huge squash.

We have a zafira, used to do twins on either side and an adult in the middle. It was a bit narrower when they were in the baby seats but once in to the next stage it was fine.

It's a seven seater but I would never put a kid in the back row.

It's a normal sized car, easy to park. I don't think they make them anymore though which isn't particularly helpful to you.

You need a car with 3 full sized seats in the back. A Renault scenic or a C5 would be ok.

Thanks everyone. To answer a few questions -

It will be DH in the back as he doesn't drive, so he'll be thinner hipped but obviously broader shouldered. Actually never thought of putting one of them in the front - that helps narrowing options down as it means getting one that can definitely have the front airbag switched off.

Both are in ERF seats in my DM and DFs car when we go visiting (they have a Kia Sportage and it's super tight to get anyone in the middle).

FF or RF doesn't seem to make a difference to DD1s travel sickness (for example, if she sits forwards on the bus, she still gets sick if its a long journey and has also been sick on the train as well). Once she turns 4, im hoping that she can start taking travel sickness tablets to help her. I'm not opposed to moving her to a HBB at 5 and we could potentially wait until next year to buy the car so it lines up with getting a new car seat anyway but I think I'd still prefer to have someone in the back with her just in case. DH's sister still gets carsick now so I'm not necessarily assuming she'll grow out of it.

Thanks everyone who has suggested specific models - will take a look at these.