Parents of 3 or more. What car do you drive?

[girlsyearapart]

Hi I am due in august with dc3. The dds will be 2 and 3 in September.Anyway we will struggle to fit into the car we have now so are looking to buy a new one.

I am not the world's most confident driver so I don't want a bus but would like a 7 seater so if dc4 ever makes an appearance we wouldn't have to change again.

Budget 5-7 grand.

Thanks.

Skoda Octavia fitted our 3 car seats in a row in the back (but the dc's did fight, being in such proximity ).

Vauxhall Zafira. don't bother. it's crap.

I have a Kia Carens and it fits a 6'3" hubby in the back row of seat quite well.Not much boot space but I tend to have one of the back seats flat so its no a huge hassle.

Bumping for evening lot!

cranny what's wrong with the zafira?

I have zafira (although high spec automatic one) and I am very happy with it. Massive boot space (if rear seats down), rear boot seats very comfortable, all folds down for moving stuff around, can fit my buggy (which is small) behind rear seats - why is it crap?

Downside which doesn't really affect us is that hard to fit 3 car seats in back - can only do it if one is rear facing infant carrier or booster cushion although probably would manage 2 of the narrow high back boosters (like the graco one) - ok for us as DD will be 7.5/8 by the time baby (due April) needs forward facing car seat and can sit on booster cushion (rather than high back booster) by that point.

You may want to consider this multimac - while it isn't cheap, it is suitable for children from birth up to 12 yo and you then won't need to change your car at all now. We have just got one and think it's great.

we have citroen xsara Picasso - only 5 seater so no good for 4 DC but fits a proper cr seat into each slot IYSWIM.

Nice and high too so no car sickness.

Of course usual French car - sloppy suspesion, expensive to repair etc etc.

Thanks sleep but I have obviously been a good daughter this year as my parents are buying the car for us [spoilt brat emotcion ]

Mitsubishi Grandis - is v good, could probably get one a few years old for that budget.

Ford S-Max
i got it when they had just come out. (When i was having my third) It's great, seats just pop up and down to make it a 7 seater and when it's not the boot is big enough for all of us to get in and have chips down at the beach.
I started in a mini, then a focus and was terrified i wouldn't manage an s-max but it's fab. Lovely car.

Fiat Punto.

We have a Zafira, love it. Its is far and away the most reliable car we have ever had and has oodles of space, is comfy, and we have had no bother with it.

The CD player doesn't work in ours. That really is the extent of our gripes.

But we are not fussy about cars, so maybe that balances up.

Whe we had newborn dd2 plus 22mo ds and almost 4 dd1 we had an Astra and they all fitted in that fine.

We have peugeout 406. It's a 7 seater, nice and high. Huge boot and tonnes of room for 3 car seats in the first row. But I admit it is a bit ugly.

I would like a Zafira Or a Ford S-Max because they look most like a 'normal' sized car. I do realise you give up alot of the boot space though (if you are using more than the 5 seats) - but my buggy is just small.

Just looked at the multimac website - what a fantastic idea, although my first thought was that as the back seats of cars are mainly used for children, this should be offered as an extra on all new cars...

We have a phil and teds which isn't a small folder - upper..

does anyone know anything about renault grand scenics?

potpourri is your 406 a constant 7 seater or are the other seats 'optional' ones?

They are optional. currently we have them out all the time, but number 4 child is due any day so we will need to have one in. The boot will still be massive when there is only one seat in. And it's still quite generous with all 7 in. But as I said, it's no looker...

sleepwhenidie Have you go the multimac? It's pricy and I would be worried about how safe it is, can't see how 4 kids could fit in a compact car (like my little peugeot 206, where I can't get 3 car seats in the back), although the website says one model can. Just wondered if you have it and how you find it. It's over £1000

Thanks. Don't really care much what the car looks like (though am drawing the line at old stylee volvo!)

Will put that one into auto trader and see what I can get.

I haven't even been driving 3 years and was heavily pregnant with dd1 when I test drove my current car so I'm determined to get the car thing sorted before my bump is too big.

The multimac should be offered as an extra I agree, but then of course people wouldn't change cars as much when their families grew so it isn't in car manufacturers' interest. The maker is having trouble marketing it for that reason.

Re safety it has been extensively tested, including in Scandinavia where safety standards are particularly high, because of the nature of it (holding up to four children of hugely differing ages) so it is apparently very safe.

Downside is the cost, also it is pretty heavy (4 str 39 kg) so although it is easy to unbolt it from the car you wouldn't want to be moving it in and out often or on your own. The benefit of this however is that it feels very safe and solid, like part of the car. It fits like an isofix so is secure. I also hate the infant carrier as it doesn't seem as comfy and cosy as a maxi-cosi and is heavy and awkward to carry - when i am the only adult travelling i have been putting maxi-cosi in front seat for this reason.

volkswagon touran , love it!

girlsyearapart - you could still get a new car and a multimac, just get the car you want, rather than a bus you don't...that's what we did!

We drive a Mazda 5, with 4 dc ages 9 - 15. We preferred it to the S-max because of the rear sliding doors and the fact that the side airbags cover all 3 rows of seats. Boot space is limited if you drive 7 up tho. If you only have 5 or 6 it's OK.

Ford S Max - brilliant!

My favourite feature of the zafira is that the boot seats fold very easily and quickly in the floor of the boot. Someone can ask at school for me to take their kids home and its fine... also don't need to store them in the house.

Not me but SIL. 3 kids and she drives a Citroen C4 Grand Picassso. Absolutely loves it. She thought she'd hate it as she didn't want a bus either but she says it's easier to drive than any other car she's had.

Personally I'm after the new C3 Picasso but I only have one dc so that's no use to you

we have 3 and drive a volvo v70