Am I missing something? Car for 3 kids…

[girlrunningoncheese]

Why am I finding it so tricky to get a car that’ll fit 3 kids?! Context = DC3 due in Aug, already have a 6 + a 4 year old.
My criteria is under £30k (ideally £25k), and for all 3 kids to fit in the middle row. Don’t really want the eldest scrambling over into a third row seat or getting in/out the boot.

maybe it’s because we don’t have a Volvo XC90 or Landrover budget but it seems surprisingly hard. I didn’t think 3+ kids was that unusual but there don’t seem to be loads of options.

we test drove a Peugeot 5008 only to discover that the newest model no longer has 3 separate seats in the middle - they’ve gone back to the 40/60 split which is unhelpful. So we could go for a 2023 version which is probably the obvious choice.
any other recommendations - anything I’m missing?
i’d rather have an SUV than an MPV but could be persuaded otherwise. Am nervous about going much older than 5 years for maintenance reasons but not super precious about it.
advice gratefully received!

Thanks so much everyone - a few ideas here I hadn’t thought of!
annoyingly, we had the Kodiaq up until last October…traded it for the Sportage and found out I was pregnant 2 months later 🤣
tbh I don’t think it would quite fit the bill. I used to sit between a Cybex and a HBB in the middle and it was not comfy; you’d struggle to fit even a small booster in there. And as mentioned, I’d rather not have a child in the boot because a) it eats into the boot space and b) they have to get in/out through the boot which seems a faff.

to answer the question about the 40/60 split - yes, you don’t get 3 isofix with that setup. I’m not wedded to 3 isofix but from what I’ve seen (eg the Kodiaq), without 3 separate seats it’s a bit of a squash to get 2 x HBB and a baby seat along the back.

You don’t need to use isofix with most booster seats including HBB. The isofix is only there to keep the seat in place when it’s not in use. The seatbelt is what secures the child.

My DC are younger but we fit 3 across in a Ford Kuga and we now have the Skoda Kodiaq, I like having the flexibility of 7 seats even if we only use it 3 across most of the time. Both would be in your price range but neither have 3 individual seats.

With three kids I'd recommend a vw sharan or seat alhambra. There will be times you are grateful for the extra two seats in the back (runs to clubs, parties etc). I think they're both discontinued, but you should hopefully be able to get a less than 5 year old model. I traded my 60 plate in once the older two left home, but they're like a tardis. I loved the high driving position and the ability to basically turn it into a van for Ikea runs, and the sliding doors were a godsend for car parks...

Having dragged a lot of car seats round a lot of car show rooms 3 across is a bit of squeeze in most SUVs. I found they fit int he Kodiaq better than they fit in most others party because you can stagger the 2nd row benches. Maybe look at a slimmer fit seat for your middle child too.

You’d need to go for a berlingo or MPV if you want 3 isofix and no squeezing.

There's quite a good list on this website which gives you years / models to check as well: https://www.bumptobooster.co.uk/post/3-across

We had the same issue…we bought a Citroen C5 Aircross plus slimline (Britax do then) car seats.

I loved that car….that said, it’s now buggered (diesel and not driven enough) and been recalled three times in 4 years. Might just be unlucky though, and it was worth it for the space 🙈

I disagree I found the 3rd row seats to be much closer to the boot door on the touran than the Kodiaq. Kodiaq pictured below, I got excited in the show room by the size of the boot 😂

https://babydrive.com.au

I found this site really useful when we were looking.

Sportage is plenty big enough for 3 kids in the back row?

I have a Hyundai Tuscon N Line. I looked at a Mokka first but they're tiny inside so got a Tuscon instead. Best car i've ever owned x

Very good point about the isofix and HBB, thanks!

is it? I can’t figure out how…pretty sure both my older kids need to be in HBBs, plus a baby carrier…at the moment I have a HBB and the Cybex toddler seat, which takes up about the same space as a baby carrier would. There’s no way I’d fit another HBB in the middle seat.

There are restrictions in the manual that make 3 across tricky, especially if a recent year. My parents have a 24 plate and iirc, their manual says no car seat in the middle seat.

That’s very informative, thanks!

Renault scenic, got mine for 3K, 3 isofix in a row and a massive boot or two extra seats in the back

when researching I also looked at the Citroen c3 Picasso, ford galaxy and ford c max

I know someone who has 3 ERF Axkid seats (not sure which version) across the back of a Sportage. If you want to keep the Sportage, I would visit a car seat specialist to find seats to work in there.

If they will all still be in car seats, you will struggle even with a car that actually has 3 seats. I've got ford eco sport which has 3 seats and is quite big but you could only squeeze a person in the middle of two car seats, another car seat would not fit.

Look up In Car Safety Centre: they have a Facebook page where they give loads of advice and you can ask your specific questions and they do also have an actual shop but it depends where you live to if that's an option. They can see your car and actually try different configs out for you - they only sell seats that have been extensively tested so can be a bit pricier but very worth it. Bog standard car seats are only tested to 30mph crash tests.

Also research 7 seaters for their safety tests on the 6/7 seat. I drove a 7 seater for 2 years and always assumed despite it being extremely squished that it was safe for adults in the back. I found out that the 6/7 seat aren't safety tested at all, I have been told VW do test theirs but I'd check for yourself.

Also remember you need to fit teenagers in, as kids don't stay in car seats forever and you can't make a teenager be slimline! If a child will eventually sit in the middle of two car seats it could get quite uncomfortable for them (speaking from experience)

The Citroen space tourer was our best option.

An Eco sport is a compact suv. It’s really not on a par with larger family cars and some of the cars mentioned here are very dated in terms of NCAP safety too.

Kia Carens, no longer being made but can be bought secondhand, great car.

Ford S max has 3 full sized seats in the middle. I’ve had 2 and they’ve been absolutely brill cars. I got my first just before I had my 3rd child and it was amazing for space. The boot is huge when you’ve got the 2 back seats down but still big enough for a food shop if they’re in use. You’ll be able to pick up one in your price and age range easily. I only had 2 due to budget reasons and having to go for older ones.

We had a Ford Galaxy which had 7 adult size seats. It was a diesel and went on & on & on .....

Fair enough . It probably depends how you're packing it. - I tested it with a large musical instrument case, and the Kodiaq was the only 7 seater car it didn't fit into!

I also had a Peugeot Grand Scenic - amazing space, and drives well. unfortunately things kept going wrong so it was expensive to maintain as an older vehicle.

Years ago when my 3 were all in seats (my youngest is 14 now!) I had a Scenic that worked well for us.

If you’re not completely tied to 3 isofix points, i currently drive a Hyundai Ioniq 5. It only has 2 isofix points I think, but the backseat is huge - I suspect you could get 3 seats across the back - it’s bigger than the scenic was. It’s an EV, but has a decent range (about 300 miles) has a huuuuge boot and is super comfortable. You can get one a few years old in your budget.