3 car seats in the back of a car - do I need to buy a new car? Really? :(

[McDreamyingofawhiteXmas]

DC no 3 is due in 6 weeks. We have a 6 year old and a 3 year old both of whom can go into a high seat booster. So I need to get 2 boosters and an infant carrier across the back seat of our car (BMW). We went to Kiddicare in Peterborough today and they couldn't find a combination that fitted.

Can you get 3 seats across the bak seat of your car? If so which seats have you got? Or do I have to accept we need to buy an MPV?

we had to get new car - we now have a ford Cmax and a Renault grand scenic as couldn't get them accross the back of the mazda 626

we had high back booster/stage 2 and baby seat combo though

My brother looked long and hard for a car that would take 3 car seats. He even bought a new car because they swore at the showroom that it would all fit. Six months later I have the new car and he has given in and bought a Citroen Grand Picasso. He is now convinced there isn't a car out there that will take them and you might as well just bite the bullet.

we used to manage to get three carseats across the back of our vauxhall cavalier....altho that was with britax and graco carseats that are not made anymore.

I am wondering how much car manufacturers (sp?) pay to carseat makers to ensure that three cannot fit across normal cars and so parents therefore have to now go and buy MPV's, so boosting the car sales...

My old BMW couldn't get 3 seats across (and didn't have a 3 point harness in the middle either, so we ended up selling and buying a citroen xsara picasso.....there are some cars that will fit 3 seats, but they're more MPV or Estate Cars (some peugeot estates, volvos etc)

we have 6 year old and 3 yesr od and newborn in back of citroen picasso
2 high back boosters and rear facing seat

Oh Psycho, you're soooooo cynical... but probably spot on. Very suspicious, isn't it?

we have a graco autobaby and 2 britax hi-liners across the back of our peugeot estate. its a bit of a struggle to fasten the seatbelts but they are all safe! (and we had an MPV before that wouldn't have fitted them across)

I can just get 2 boosters and an infant carrier in the back of my Astra estate but safety folk would probably wet themselves with horror. Not sure what I'll do when he needs a stage 1 seat as we have an airbag in the front passenger seat. Guess it would be marginally safer to put 6yr old on booster in front and have adult passenger in the back? Tempted to just get a foam block cut from the market for the 6yr old as it will be narrower than a booster - does that make me evil?

I had a rear facing baby carrier, a stage 2 seat for a 2 year old and a normal booster seat in the back of a megane a few weeks ago. It was a tight fit but they were all in safely.

well, does make you wonder doesn;t it.

I mean, they used to fit, 10yr back.......and if the seats back then were as safe as they claimed, why have they suddenly made them that bit too wide now to fit properly, I mean, it cannot be a safety issue surely...hmmmmm???

And why do none of the carseats advertise their width? It's pretty vital information for buyers.

they are different shapes now. they have side protection that they didn't used to have, they literally used to "boost" you up so the seatbelt was at the right level

just to add we have 2 britqx hiliners abd a mothercare infnt seat

We have a Nissan almera tino, and can fit 3 across the back, dd1(3.9) in a britax high backed booster without harness, a friends ds(2) in a britax evolva 123, and dd2(21months) in a maxi cosi priori xp, it is very hard to get them all clipped in, and often leaves me with grazed knuckles, but it works, I only have to put 3 in occasionally at the min, but come june will be squeezing an infant carrier in, unless we can get a new car before!

Has the picasso got 3 individual seats in the back Popsycal?

it hasas mcdreamy - they also fold down sepRATELT nd can even be removed

ui love it
v comfy for an adult in the back with 2 of the kids too

would thorughly recommend

We are having the same problem. Currently have a toyota corolla 3 door coupe and am 39+1 with DC3! Fortunately we will all fit in our VW camper for the time being (as long as we wrap up well) as we simply cannot afford to buy a new car at the moment.

Done a fair amount of research on the subject over the past 9 months and it seems the most compact and reliable solution is the Toyota Corolla Verso (Jeremy Clarkson, reckoned this was the best option). Would really love one of those but couldn't afford one even if it was several years old.

Looks like we will end up with the cheapest option later in the year, which is a Fiat Multipla. Personally I think they are really ugly, but DH says that is part of their appeal!

whitenoise, surely only the 'proper carseats' have the side protection tho?? I mean, the booster seats don;t have sides to give protection, it is just the base and back, so the bases are getting wider for no reason as far as I can see (IYGWIM)

I've just been in a new Mondeo and they are massive
Try that
Honestly massive

but were there only boosters available after the first stage seats? or am i talking bollocks as per usual!

I thoughgt the plastic on the seatbelt buckles will shatter on impact if they are up against something else? In which case surely it's safer to have one sitting on a cushion than have 3 seats rammed in like sardines?

Rohaldinhio, Dad has a new Mondeo, they are big, but the back seat is a funny shape so the seats don't fit properly.

Thanks herbietea, have considered the Citroens, but DH is very anti Citroens in general and I have been so impressed with our corolla. Its been in the family since new, is now 12 years old and has only had one problem to report in all that time.

They could fit 3 seats in if you pushed but it would leave one booster at a slight angle and the fitters were adamant it was not safe. I have just been looking at the grand picasso and the renault scenic grand. Might have to accept it's the only way forward