Recommends for a 4x4 please?

[Nc4post99]

Posted yesterday about weird nct car seat advice also asked about 4x4s but didn’t get any replies on the car type.

Need a new car will be doing lease hire, will have 2 chunky isofix bases in car and would still like the use of the middle seat and decent boot space. We live in the suburbs of a city so still needs to be practical for that too.

Dh thinks a 4x4 is best, he’s thinking of a seat Ateca or formento (sp?). Anyone got an ateca, how you rate it from space? Or any other 4x4 recommends? Reluctant to go to lots of dealerships as I’m 7 months preggo x

You will only get two car seats in the Atecca, with no space for an extra passenger.

Also the boot isn't huge, but enough for day-to day stuff. I really like the Q5 or the Volvo XC60 but both are a bit pricier.

As you live in the suburbs perhaps an mpv with sliding doors would be better? E.g. Ford B max or Grand C max, Seat Alhambra or something like a Citroen Berlingo that's kid proof. Big boot.

@ForestDad

As you live in the suburbs perhaps an mpv with sliding doors would be better? E.g. Ford B max or Grand C max, Seat Alhambra or something like a Citroen Berlingo that's kid proof. Big boot.

Think those are a little too big, especially for me, I’m used to my hatch back lol

If you want to use the middle seat with two car seats then the only 4x4s that I've found that have enough space are the Q7 and the XC90. I live rurally and have 3 kids- I have the Volvo and love it, but it's a bit unnecessarily big for running around town etc. The Seat won't be big enough across the back seat.

@sqirrelfriends

You will only get two car seats in the Atecca, with no space for an extra passenger.

Also the boot isn't huge, but enough for day-to day stuff. I really like the Q5 or the Volvo XC60 but both are a bit pricier.

I love the look of the q5 too but audis they are bit out of the price range, although curious how much do you reckon they run for per month?

@Northernexile

If you want to use the middle seat with two car seats then the only 4x4s that I've found that have enough space are the Q7 and the XC90. I live rurally and have 3 kids- I have the Volvo and love it, but it's a bit unnecessarily big for running around town etc. The Seat won't be big enough across the back seat.

We’ll have 2 younguns so it would be me sitting in the middle so definitely not enough space for lil old me?

Big cars just seem miserably stressful for parking in towns…,

Sitting in the middle can be done. Some neighbours of ours have two kids and an atecca and the mum (fairly slim) sits in the middle when they have an extra person. There is no way it could be done with massive seats though, maybe with one chunky and one smaller. How old is your first?

That being said, it's a problem with most 5 seaters.

SIL just got a Peugeot 5008, it's gorgeous and 3 full seats plus optional back row to make it 7 seater. Reasonable price too.

We used to have a toureg and it was great! I used to have 3 ful car seats in the back of mine and the boot was a great size to

@sqirrelfriends

Sitting in the middle can be done. Some neighbours of ours have two kids and an atecca and the mum (fairly slim) sits in the middle when they have an extra person. There is no way it could be done with massive seats though, maybe with one chunky and one smaller. How old is your first?

That being said, it's a problem with most 5 seaters.

She’s only 2 and a skinny Minnie so she’s got a joie safe spin seat with an isofix base so it’s chunkier than a belt in seat. The infant seat we have is a cybex cloud z and that base is huge.

Yeah as you said problem with most 5 seaters, they’re more like 4.5 seaters. I’ve got a 1 series right now and it’s just tight with 2 car seats, boots kinda crap too lol x

@everythingbutthesink

We used to have a toureg and it was great! I used to have 3 ful car seats in the back of mine and the boot was a great size to

That a VW? X

We've got a Zafira. Two car seats in middle row and my husband can sit between them if needed , then a huge boot (or extra row of seats).

(We have two huge ERF toddler seats)

Oh ours is a Zafira tourer which is wider than a standard one

Not a 4x4 but we needed space for 2 erf car seats and an (adult sized) teenager in the back and a Skoda Octavia was the most comfortable one we found. It is also a fab car and has the biggest boot ever!

A 4x4 in the city 😂😂

I have had an Ateca and cybex car seats and you definitely wouldn’t seat even a slim adult comfortably in the middle. I loved the Ateca but wouldn’t view it a 4x4 as ours was two wheel drive - it’s just a high up driving position comfortable family car. It was a fab car and I miss it, really nice drive not too expensive against similar cars such the Tiguan. I would have one again, but it doesn’t sound like it may be large enough for your current needs.

A ford bmax is about 30 less long than a seat ateca but about 10cm wider. www.autoexpress.co.uk/ford/b-max/practicality

@NothingInterestingToDeclare

I have had an Ateca and cybex car seats and you definitely wouldn’t seat even a slim adult comfortably in the middle. I loved the Ateca but wouldn’t view it a 4x4 as ours was two wheel drive - it’s just a high up driving position comfortable family car. It was a fab car and I miss it, really nice drive not too expensive against similar cars such the Tiguan. I would have one again, but it doesn’t sound like it may be large enough for your current needs.

I’m not the most car savvy person, it looked 4x4 ish to me, probably not a true 4x4 like a discovery or anything.

DH loved Seats, what’s the boot like on it? Xx

Dh has a RAV4. The back is pretty spacious, decent boot size.

@Shhhhhhhshh

Not a 4x4 but we needed space for 2 erf car seats and an (adult sized) teenager in the back and a Skoda Octavia was the most comfortable one we found. It is also a fab car and has the biggest boot ever!

Did you have the estate one? I said this to DH earlier and he scoffed at me and told me they don’t have the extra width.

@Nc4post99 Yes the estate one.

It was definitely the widest back seat we saw. We didn’t want an SUV tho so can’t comment on those. It’s much bigger inside than my friends ATECA though.

Why is your DH so insistent on a 4x4, especially in the city?

We looked into this extensively and briefly considered 4x4s but in reality their boot space is normally a bit crap in comparison to most estate cars, and they're just so, so bad for the environment.

We went for a Skoda superb estate and it's amazing. Cannot fault it. We have two huge erf seats in the back and I can just about squeeze in between them (but it's not comfy)! This would be the same in any of the four by fours you look at (I spent a long time researching this), other than the humongous ones like the Volvo xc90 which would be an absolute nightmare to park in at the shops etc.

Skoda parts are all the same as BMW parts etc but they cost less because for whatever reason the brand is perceived as less fancy, but if you look up the reviews for the Skoda superb you'll see they speak for themselves.

Oh and just to add, it's hard to beat the boot space of the Skoda superb. We can fit in out monster double buggy, a single buggy, some suitcases and a load of shopping without breaking a sweat. You can't do that in most SUVs!