What car do you have if you have three children in car seats?

[Darcourse]

We're expecting DTs in the spring so need a new car to fit 3 DCs as my car is a standard size, and I can't turn off air bag in front seat.

We've been looking around, and most 7 seaters don't appear to have enough space for three car seats across the middle row (Touran etc) and I don't think I would be happy with relying on the back/boot seats for every day use.

What do others do?

We've got the across the middle row in a Toyota Verso. The baby's in a Maxi Cosi Pebble, middle one in a giant Iso Fix thing (second hand) and the oldest in a full height booster seat. So far works well and loads of boot room when the back row is down.

The back seats aren't very comfortable so we move the baby they're when we're transporting grannies. Feels a bit like she's in the boot though.

Citroen Picasso. Fits 3 car seats in a row. Plenty of leg room too.

Vw Sharan has enough room for 6 car seats (& driver) they are all individual seats. Also same car but different brand is ford Galaxy, seat Alhambra

ford s-max. Three across the middle and another two can be put in behind for friends etc, otherwise makes a pretty decent sized boot.

We've just got Seat alhambra, middle row has 3 proper seats. Love it so far.

Volvo XC90 has 3 full seats.

We've got a 7 seat Picasso and have three car seats all isofix across the back seat. We only really use the boot seats for the kids friends/visiting relatives on short journeys. I was a bit hesitant about it at first, I had a golf before and loved it, but actually it's been fab and so easy to just chuck everything in the boot and go without having to carefully pack everything we need on longer journeys.

We have a Kia Ceed SW and have three kids rear facing. We have one in the front passenger seat with the air bag off but will fit all three rear facing across the back when baby is out of the maxi cosi

Citroen Berlingo- my best car ever with kids, didn't even have to fold my buggy to put it in the boot. Also Cmax fits three across the back.

Also there is plenty of boot space even when back seats are in use.
Or get a car where you can turn airbag off and have one at front of you don't want to be driving a 'bus' I wouldn't if I only had 3!

I've got a Picasso and have fitted in two infant seats and a Sirona in the middle. It was a nightmare getting DD in, I don't think that was the best configuration!

2x extended rear facing seats and a high backed booster fitted in our Renault scenic.

Ford Tourneo connect extra long wheelbase. Best car we've ever had. Couldn't recommend it enough. We have 3 across the middle and 2 in the back and there's still loads of leg room and a big enough boot for the pram wheels and shopping.

Peugeot 5008 is fab.

Peugout 5008 (which is identical seat wise to Citroen c4 grand Picasso). There are three separate isofix seats in the middle row which is very very rare! Last row is handy but we don't use it much which means the boot is huge which I love.

I'll be honest, I hate the car but it ticks all the boxes for now!

I think the current thinking about front air bags is that you shouldn't turn them off, but position the car seat as far back as it will go. Hope that helps.

Saying that, I've just found this which seems to contradict itself. The advice from my cars manufacturer is that it's ok as long as the seat is well back.

Oh wow - loads of responses - thanks. Lots of food for thought. I suppose it'll come down to whether I drive a bus, or opt to sit in middle seat myself in a smaller car. That and cost of course!

Thanks all.

Honda FR-V or Multipla might work for you too. Both are 3 seats in the front and 3 in the back, with a boot but not bus-sized at all. Could put the 2 littlest either side in the back, and then (depending on how far back it goes to get away from the airbag) move the middle front seat to its furthest back position for the one who's forward facing. I think the seat in the Honda at least moves a long way back.

We used to have three car seats in a Volvo estate.

I sat in the middle at the back with the DTs and DD1 in the front until they were 10 months and we got a bigger car. We have a SEAT Alhambra and love it. We now have DC4 and all fit in comfortably.

Check out the multiMac car seat for your existing car - could solve the problem much more cheaply (even though not cheap)!

I have a Peugeot 5008 with the two extra seats in the boot. DS1 is nearly 6 and is in a Britax Adventure high-backed booster, DS2 is nearly 3 and is in a Britax Evolva (still with the 5 point harness), and DD1 is 3 months old and is in a rear-facing infant seat. All three of them fit fine across the middle row - with the biggest seat in the middle (the Evolva).

The only problem we found was that DS1's seat from my old car (another Britax Evolva) wouldn't fit. So we swapped it with the Adventure from DH's car and it is now fine. My only frustration is that DS1 can no longer fasten his seat belt by himself, as the seatbelt fasteners are quite low and hard to reach with the 3 seats next to each other...

FWIW, I'd have plenty of room to fit another rear-facing baby seat instead of one of the high-backed boosters.

Oh, and I forgot to add - although it looks like a bus from the outside and feels huuuuugggggeeee when you use the third row of seats, it's actually not much bigger than my old car (Peugeot 308).