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Original poster

Car recommendations for 3 car seats...

31 replies

Gem13 · 09/05/2006 17:03

We're expecting number 3 at the end of the year and were talking about reducing the 2 cars down to one anyway. We will have a 4 yr old and a 2 yr old as well as the newborn.

One of my requirements is high doors so that I can get the baby and youngest in and out without too much bending. My back can be dodgy.

I like the look of the VW Touran and we hired a Fiat Multipla on holiday last year and were really impressed with it.

Anyone care to share their experiences?

OP posts:
Enid · 09/05/2006 17:04

I have a multipla!

its fabulous and even dh has come round and can't get over how practical and nice to drive it is. I have three car seats (baby, second stage and booster) and as each seat is full size and seperate there is no problem - in fact I have had five kids in car seats in it no problem!

Enid · 09/05/2006 17:05

(dh has a swanky new BMW 5 series estate and fitting three car seats in the back is a PITA)

Original poster
Gem13 · 09/05/2006 17:29

Thanks Enid - I knew you were a Multipla fan.

Does it feel big to drive though? I was too chicken to drive it in France last year (old city - very narrow, cars parked haphazardly, etc.) and we live in a town here with narrow streets, short on parking, etc.

I currently drive a Peugeot 306 estate quite happily but sweat it a bit when I have to reverse park DH's Audi A6 estate!

OP posts:
Enid · 09/05/2006 17:34

I have an old style one which I think is slightly narrower than the new one. I have lots of tiny windy country lanes to negotiate and it has been fine - the dds love the button that folds the wing mirrors in Grin. I was concerned about it but it really is not a problem.

jeremy clarkson reported that the new style one felt very wide to drive

squigglesmum · 09/05/2006 17:45

We recently got a citroen berlingo which is fab. The doors are high, and they're sliding ones, so they're really easy to get seats in and out of. I've had three full size baby-seats in the back of ours, no problem. They're quite a lot cheaper than people carrier types as well.
Not very stylish though, if that bothers you!

tassis · 09/05/2006 17:55

we love our renault scenic and you can get 3 carseats into the back of that

Original poster
Gem13 · 10/05/2006 13:16

Thanks for that. DH apparently is considering the Multipla.

I am not too bothered what it looks like but DH gets a car allowance and sometimes has to collect colleagues from the airport so the Berlingo might not be swishy enough for that purpose. Shame as it sounds good.

The Scenic might be ok.

OP posts:
AllieBongo · 10/05/2006 13:18

i can get 3 in the back of my picasso. Selling it shortly if you want it! Grin
(we are also going down to 1 car!)

Original poster
Gem13 · 10/05/2006 13:40

Is it the bluey colour? Best friend has one of those, her MIL has the greeny one.

We could swap!

OP posts:
katzg · 10/05/2006 13:45

we have a renault scenic the new style one and you can get 3 car seats across the back - it has three diagonal belts, we have had a britax reanaissance, a mamas and papas primo viaigo and a mamas and papas like the renassiance very comfortably

katzg · 10/05/2006 13:48

DH likes the scenic because it doesn't look like an mpv just looks like a big car! and he is still trying to convince people that its not an MPV!

the boot on it is good too, i managed to get my huge mamas and papas 2 in 1 pram in plus a suitcase plus the travel cot plus some other stuff

AllieBongo · 10/05/2006 16:35

tis blue! what you got to swap?

Original poster
Gem13 · 10/05/2006 16:56

Audi A6 estate and Peugeot 306 estate.

OP posts:
Clary · 10/05/2006 17:08

we have a citroen picasso and it's fine. I now really like the gearstick in the dash (well, not really, but not on the floor) and the digital speedo!

hub2dee · 10/05/2006 17:41

LOL @ the swap... Just wrap each car in a pretty ribbon and take it to the post office, OK ?

fattiemumma · 10/05/2006 18:34

i have a vauxhal zafira. its not too much bigger to drive than a normal saloon car but you have bags more room. plus there are two extra seast hidden in the floor.

the seats are pretty high too. plus they arent too expensive either and parts are cheap as vauxhall are quite popular.

AllieBongo · 10/05/2006 18:52

lets have a new swapping thread for cars wrapped in bows

geogteach · 10/05/2006 19:24

I have a galaxy which is fine to get 3 seats in, fine to drive but costs a fortune in fuel and repairs, if I were starting again I would definately take this more into consideration than I did.

GDG · 10/05/2006 19:38

I'm taking delivery of my next car on Monday - Chrysler Grand Voyager - has sliding doors which are fabbo and can easily get 3 seats in. I'm having 5 and 3 yr old on back seat and 19 month old on middle row. That might put you off but it doesn't bother me.

I'll tell you next week what it's like to drive! Am a tad scared of parking the mother, but it has parking sensors at least!

Also going to have to get used to automatic and the stick thing (?!) is on the steering wheel, not where the gear stick would be. Gulp.

Twinkie1 · 10/05/2006 19:44

We have a Picasso which is really nice and economical, mind you day to day I drive a golf as DP got me new one this year (did I tell you I am marrying him!!! Smile) and he drives the Picasso to Golf, but my best friend has 3 kids and she gets all her car seats and double buggy and herself and husband in her Picasso.

Picasso isn't much bigger to drive than a normal car although it can feel like a bus to start with as you are so high up and is easy peasy lemon squeezy to park especially if you get beepy beepy parking thingy (whihc I insist on in all our cars!!!) Oh and putting kids in and out and getting infirm relatives in and out is easier than the golf because its so much higher!!

womblingalong · 10/05/2006 19:47

Add my vote to Enid's for the multipla - I love it. It's great to drive and park, there's loads of legroom back and front, You can even have the baby in the front middle seat with you, if you swithc off the middle airbag, all in all it's fab

Bubbaloo · 10/05/2006 19:53

Another vote for the Picasso.We bought ours last year and are very pleased with it.It's very roomy,has a large boot and lots of little hidden compartments inside.It's also that nice bluey colourGrin.

AllieBongo · 10/05/2006 19:54

twinkie! we have a picasso and a golf too!

Twinkie1 · 10/05/2006 21:07

WOW!!!

Love my golf but I do like the Picasso being higher up than others and being able to fit pushchair in front of back seats is such a bonus when you go shopping and can't fit it in the boot!!!! (God just realised thats why he got me the Golf - he is cutting down the amount of shopping I can do whilst pretending to be nice!!!!!!)

AllieBongo · 10/05/2006 22:41
Grin