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!

We had the same issue, it’s so hard to find one. We recently moved overseas and we got a 7 seater. We have the option to either put 3 kids in a row or one kid at a 3rd row. Our 6 year old loves being at the very back! He feels very autonomous and not squeezed between the other two. So I would say do not disregard a 7 seater.

Seat Alhambra with electric sliding doors was brilliant for us. Had three car seats across the middle, only used the rear two seats if transporting extras. Also a massive boot with the,rear seats down, ideal for fitting kids bikes/pushchairs/camping equipment etc. And a decent size boot even with the rear seats in use.

Ford smax has 3 full seats in the middle

We have our 3 in a VW Touareg. We had a xc90 before I do miss the 7 seats occasionally but so much better value and nicer to drive. If you can manage with 5 seats is definitely a strong contender

We had an old Citroen C4 Grand Picasso. It eventually died but we loved the space and the way it could be configured.
We now have a 2022 GT 5008 Peugeot and really like it. We use it with 3 equal seats in the back and a huge boot most of the time. The 3rd row is useful for transporting extra guests. We had 2 car seats and a 3rd child in the 2nd row comfortably for a time. We also appreciate the integrated sunshades ,air conditioning and charging points in the back. There’s lots of leg room if you don’t need the 3rd row up, but it’s a bit tight if need all three rows.

I actually used all 5 isofix points in my Touran on Friday! The kids had a school trip to a local wildlife park and I got 6 kids in, 5 of them in car seats (with a year 6 in the front).

The GLB has 3 full size rear seats, it’s surprisingly spacious whilst externally not being too big.

We have a Citroen C5 Aircross now and before that we had a C4 Grand Picasso (which has now been superseded by the Space Tourer I believe).

We spent hours traipsing around looking at different cars and the citroens were good value for money and with plenty of room.

VW Sharran or Seat Alhambra.

Both I believe no longer made but you can get a 2021 model.

So spacious, 3 in a row, sliding doors so helpful with bigger car and especially with baby car seat to lift in and out.

Solid reliable tanks! Very practical and feel high enough up to drive like SUV rather than estate.

Worth getting Sharran instead of Touran in my opinion. Slightly bigger but as it has sliding doors it’s much easier in car parks etc despite being larger and has bigger boot.

We had a VW Sharan. Bonus is it had two booster seats built in!

Copy pasting from my twins group!

For information, this is taken from a Facebook post by an independent car seat retailer.

3 Children in Car Seats?- These Are the Cars You Need

Many people are having more than 1 or 2 children nowadays, and as such trying to find a suitable family car that can easily fit 3 car seats across the back row is one of the most commonly asked questions.

The key thing to look for is 3 proper, full, individual seats in the second row. Most of the time these will all have their own ISOFix and move independently forwards and backwards on their own rails. All 3 seats should have their own 3 point seatbelt and not a lap belt only.

I will list the cars below that I know take 3 across easily, however if I have missed one, and you know your car is approved for 3 across, then please let me know and I will update the list.

Volkswagen Sharan
Volkswagen Touran
Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace
Seat Alhambra
Ford S-Max
Ford Galaxy
Citroen C4 Picasso & Spacetourer (5 seater)
Citroen C4 Grand Picasso & Spacetourer (7 seater)
Kia Carens
Kia Sorento
Peugeot 5008 (MPV version)
Peugeot 5008 SUV
Landrover Discovery 3 & 4
Citroen C5 Aircross
Citroen Berlingo
Skoda Kodiaq
Honda CR-V
BMW 2 Grandtourer
Vauxhall combo life

You can usually fit 3 across in the Audi Q7 and the Volvo XC90 but the back bench is little narrower than the ones listed above, so some combinations may not work as well in them as they would do in others, but it is still achievable. Almost all MPV, 7 seater vehicles will allow for 3 across the middle row easily, however be aware that a lot of these vehicles have floor storage compartments with lids. You would need to check with the manufacturer if the lids have been reinforced to hold a support leg, or if a filler is needed for the box.

Commercial vehicles such as the Peugeot Rifter, Peugeot Traveller, Mercedes Vito and Ford Tourneo will also fit 3 across easily, and may even allow you to put your double buggy in fully assembled and standing up!

Cars that you should avoid, as we know its’ not possible due to the user manual not allowing seats in the centre seat:
Vauxhall Zafira Tourer (year dependant, as some allow and some don’t)
Nissan Quashqui
Nissan X-Trail
Renault Kadjar
Renault Scenic/Grand Scenic (2016 onwards)

There are likely more of these and most will be the SUV type vehicles.
SUV cars are very deceptive when it comes to the space in the back passenger row for car seats, and can severely limit the leg room for the driver and passenger in the front. It’s important to test the fit of the car seats in the car before purchase if possible.

If you have an older child who is in a High Backed Booster (HBB) then we would usually recommend having them in the middle seat with the rear facing seats either side. Seats laid out this way tend to puzzle much better together as the widest parts of each seat are not pressing against each other.
However if you have 3 children all under 4, they will likely all be rear facing, so the seats may have to be adapted in terms of leg room, for belt fitted seats, or the seat itself may have to be moved forward or backwards to offset them if they are installed with ISOFix.

I, personally, would not recommend the use of a MultiMac in any vehicle. This is due to the fact it can only rear face to 13kg, the same as a standard infant carrier, and then must be used with the harness forward facing from this point. It is also only tested to the R44/04 standard and has no side impact protection. It gives smaller seat space and forces children and adults to sit very close to the actual car door, which can result in more severe injuries in an accident. For the cost of a MultiMac you could put a deposit down on a new car that would accommodate your growing family.
This also goes for the Rivemove ISOFix extender bar. This also moves the ISOFix points in your vehicle and pushes the seats closer to the car door itself. This is not approved for use with any harnessed seat, and only for use with HBB, however, car manufacturers are unlikely to approve use of these in their vehicles as they have resulted in child fatalities in Europe.

As Always, any questions I am happy to help.

Drive Safe
DMB Car Seat Advice

We bought a Peugeot e-Rifter in 2023 when our granddaughter was born (my daughter and son in law don’t drive! It fits two adults and the car seat comfortably in the back not stylish, but safe and has a great big boot!
we have a Mercedes for the stylish car! It’s worked well for us.

You don't actually need to have 3 child seats if you have 3 children. The law allows the third, as long as they are over 3, to sit in an adult seat.

As a coach driver I regularly have 40+ kids sat in normal seats. It's about how you drive. Instead of a new car maybe do AIM or Rospa training. Statistically this will keep your kids far safer than any child seat.

My ex SIL was horrified when I brought this up when she had her third. She then became a coach driver and realised that, before training, she was the problem!!

Citroen C4 Grand Picasso. 3 full sized seats in the middle, optional 2 in the back/massive boot
with them down.

@ECGG Yes, see attached, but who in their right mind does that unless it’s an emergency? The seat belt in an adult seat usually goes past the neck of the child. It’s best to try and fit 3 seats.

I have a Skoda Kodiaq. Love it. 7 seater as the 5 seaters are hard to come by. Can fit 3 seats I’m sure. The boot is huge when extra seats are down and fairly useful when they’re being used - we had a Zafira but when 3rd row was up the boot space was awful.

Used to have a Citroen Picasso that also had 3 full seats but they don’t make that suspect the C4 is the equivalent.

I don’t need the seat space and bough this due to boot size and affordability. We sometimes camp and keep a massive box of horse riding gear in a boot storage box as well. I also keep a load of work related stuff in during term time. Think the 5 seater kodiaq has a bigger boot slightly but we couldn’t find one second hand and dealer said there aren’t many. The extra seats have come in handy when we’ve needed to transport extra friends or family.

I had a Hyundai Santa Fe a while ago and could fit 3 car seats in the back, plus the boot was massive as I had to put a double pram in and could get a weekly shop for 7 in as well.

Buy a Multimac - they’re amazing! We got one when I was expecting my third. Made to fit in all different makes/models of cars, can be three or four seats across and have baby car seats and boosters too. So much cheaper than buying a new car and are brilliant quality.