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Original poster

renault scenic - can you fit 3 child seats in the back?

23 replies

Amberc · 19/07/2010 20:38

I'm pregnant with twins and have a 2 yo DS. Jut passed my driving test today (hurrah!). We need a car with three seats in the back and as far as I can tell only a renault scenic, a Honda FRV and a Citroen Picasso can do this. Keen on the scenic but need to be mega sure there is a car seat which can fit the middle seat (slightly slimmer fit). Any help gratefully accepted!! (PS don't want a 7 seater yet - may graduate to that later on!)

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Original poster
Amberc · 20/07/2010 09:28

Bump - anyone?

OP posts:
NKffffffffee0f8010X1140828dc0e · 20/07/2010 11:25

think it depends on your car seats. I have same problem and buying a car in a week. need a really good boot space for double buggy plus luggage and think sliding doors is a good idea too so i'm thinking of kia sedona or maybe even the ugly citroen berlingo / fiat doblo type.

LovingTheSunshine · 20/07/2010 13:22

It is best to take the car seats with you to the showroom & try them. We test drove a few cars & liked the VW Touran & Ford S-Max - we then took the car seats in to the showroom & there was no way on earth we could fit three across the middle row in the Touran but there was ample space in the S-Max. Gping to get an S-Max
Good luck & congratulations on your pregnancy & passing your driving test

JacksMummy73 · 20/07/2010 13:46

I hope so! I also have a 2 year old DS and twins on the way and we have already got a Scenic and have said that at least we already have the big car!

We have a Grand Scenic which has the extra seats in the boot but without them, the boot is MASSIVE! I think it's great, it's the first "big" car I've ever had but it doesn't feel massive if that makes sense?

Congratulations on passing your test!

Original poster
Amberc · 20/07/2010 20:31

Thanks all - I have bought the scenic and found that if you don't care so much about isofix then there are options like the Britax Evolva for the toddler and loads for the newborns!

OP posts:
Nickoka · 05/09/2010 16:54

We had three car seats in the back of a Mondeo. The answer for us was to buy different brands of car seats, and they fitted in better than all the same type.

NKffffffffee0f8010X1140828dc0e · 06/09/2010 20:07

We ended up buying a grand scenic. It has the same size rear seats as the normal scenic and we fit our very large 3 car seats in fine.

thisisyesterday · 06/09/2010 20:10

i fitted 3 across the back of my old style scenic.
apparently the audi a6 will do it too. or something like the ford smax

we now have 3 across the back of a volvo v70

will depend on your seats tho

tassisssss · 06/09/2010 20:12

Yes, we have had all variations of 3 car seats in the back of a scenic!

SmacsGonePotty · 06/09/2010 20:21

We have an 07 Scenic Grand.
I am pretty confident we could fit 3 seats across the back but haven't tried. One thing to consider is the foot lockers. Not sure if they have them in all models but there are under floor storage lockers in ours and they are not strong enough to have a car seat leg on. I have 2 DDs, one is in a group 1 seat and one is in a group 0 infant carrier. We have the easyfit base for it (as old car didn't have isofix) and it can only go in the middle or in the front with the airbag off. I wasn't sure about having the 2 girls sitting so close but infact they are very sweet and sit facing each other (one rear facing, one front facing) holding hands, initiated obviously by the big one!) but this might be a problem if you have have twins and want all 3 children in the back. Not a problem if you just use the seatbelt but IMHO the bases are so convenient rather than faffing with seatbelts.

JustKeepSwimming · 27/09/2010 13:07

I have the normal (not Grand) Scenic and am expecting DC3 next year.

I'm really not sure what to do for the best:

  1. sit DS1 in the front with his highback booster seat (not Isofix), puch the seat as far back as it can go and find out if a garage will turn the airbag off
    & DS2 in the back in his toddler seat (Isofix)
    & baby in the back in baby seat (Isofix)
    This way I can fit in the middle if all 5 of us go anywhere.

  2. try and cram all 3 in the back, I have experimented this morning with;
    DS1 & DS2 in highback boosters (one Isofix, one not, in the middle seat) - assuming DS2 puts on enough weight by April
    & baby in baby seat (Isofix)

Option 2 does fit, just but I'm not sure how safe it all is really, esp for the middle seat.

Either way it seems like DS1 is being given the short straw re safety :(

Oddly, our 2nd car, a Toyota Yaris, which is pretty small, would be safer as it has Isofix in the front passenger seat & the airbag can be turned off, but only for 4 of us, no way can anyone fit in the middle in the back.

AlicesWonderland · 27/09/2010 13:14

My parents have the grand scenic the one with the two seats in the boot

They can fit three car seats along the back, one is an isofix baby baby seat, one a high backes graco booster and the other justa booster seat

it is a little tight and fiddly Grin

ShrimpOnTheBarbie · 27/09/2010 13:16

Mine does. We've recently been looking for a bigger car for DH to upgrade from his little car and it's been hard to find one with space for 3 across - and most of the sales people have been quite uptight at the mention of the fact that I can get 3 in my 'little' scenic. They aren't that common over here. We only have two children at the moment, but would like a third so don't need the space at the moment, but I regularly lift others and find it easy to fit a third in the middle of my DDs seats. The only slight issue might be fitting a double stroller and weeks worth of shopping in the boot.

ShrimpOnTheBarbie · 27/09/2010 13:17

Oh - and I LOVE my scenic. It's a great car and feels very small to drive (and easy to park) even though there is lots of space on the inside. The only problem is that the air con isn't that powerful in the Aussie summer.

JustKeepSwimming · 27/09/2010 13:19

I should have said, so far we only have Recaro seats, but all the narrow boosters i've seen on the net don't have backs, we do have an emergency booster with no back but I don't want DS1 to be using that just yet full-time, he's only 4.

Also, in my manual it says that in the 'non-utility version' no child under 12 can sit in the front.
If you have a 'utility version' then children from 3+ can if using an appropriate seat.

Anyone know if they have a utility one or not and how do i find out???

peppapighastakenovermylife · 27/09/2010 13:20

I do - although they are a bit squished!

DD (2) is on the left in a britax first class si.

DS (4) is in the middle in a maxi cosi rhodi high backed booster

DS2 (6 weeks) is on the right in a maxi cosi cabriofix.

I worried sooo much about this (and then only tried to fit them in on the way back from the hospital Confused but all was fine Grin)

oooggs · 27/09/2010 20:50

I had a picasso when our twins were born and ds1 was 3.

had twins rear facing and ds1 in middle in a britax isofix

then dt1 rear facing and ds1 in a maxi cosi rodi & dt2 in britax isofix

then ds1 in maxi cosi rodi and dts in britax isofix

then dc4 came along and we bought a c8!!!!!!!

the seats don't have to be isofix just the one we had were

pippibluestocking · 27/09/2010 20:56

I have a Scenic and it's nigh impossible to fit 3 car seats in. I have one booster cushion and a booster seat with a back on either side (by the doors). At a push I can fit one more small (and I mean small) booster cushion in the middle seat but it's a struggle. I would say that you probably could do two seats either side (of any type) and one small booster cushion in the middle but not three seats with backs.

tassisssss · 27/09/2010 21:00

sorry to contradict pippi but we had a scenic and it was a breeze with 3 carseats in the back. Having said that the clips were close together which made it hard for kids to strap themselves in if using booster type carseats but a doddle if using the big ones with 5 point harnesses.

Take carseats with you to try before you buy if you're not sure.

Congrats and passing your test!

zapostrophe · 27/09/2010 21:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

buttonmoon78 · 11/10/2010 12:04

My friend has one and can fit 2 x boosters and one big forward facing job or 3 x boosters (high back) in it.

I have no worries - got a Merc Vito. Can fit anything in that!

lucya1980 · 13/10/2010 22:50

hello,we dont have a scenic, we had a zafira, but be careful as it may fit a 123 car seat and 2 baby carriers(ours did although it was a tight fit!) it wont fit 3 next stage car seats or one of each. we have had to change our car as we did not think of this problem at the time . we have gon for the caravelle this time and theres more than enough space for all the little ones! (just small matter of parking a very large van/bus!!!good luck

cece · 13/10/2010 22:56

We have a grand scenic.

I fit a forward facing car seat for a toddler and two booster cushions along the back row easily.

Your best bet would be to ask a Renault dealer I would say. Or go and try it out in real life...

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