Going From 2 to 3 (Car advice)

[mandbaby]

Just found out that we're expecting our third child (already have 4 and 2.5YO sons).

We currently have a smallish car (Honda Jazz) which is perfect in size for 2 young children, but there's no way that 2 car seats and a booster seat will fit in the back. We're gonna HAVE to get a new car.

I still want something fairly small (to keep costs down). What does everyone else drive that will fit 3 young children in the back?

I'm not sure small and 3 car-seats across the back go together. We have a Ford S-max - either 5 seats and a big boot or can be a 7 seater.

I have just had this exact problem - about to have a 5, 3 year old and baby. I asked advice o n here too and upshot was there are not many cars that will fit 3 car seats! I have just bought a citroen grande picasso diesel and am happy with it so far - it was cheaper to buy than other options and seems relatively fuel efficient.

I did look into the multimac, to try and avoid buying a new car but wasn't very happy with the reviews of the baby seat I read.

My SIS and SIL both have Hyundai Santa Fe's and love them.
It probably doesnt tick your 'fairly small' box though.
I'm the same, i hate big cars.

But i think grizza is right, ultimately 3 is an awkward number, there really isnt a 'small' car that is going to work i dont think. It's probably the reason many people decide on 2 children families!
Im personally hoping i'll always get away with having a golf!

a car like the renuelt senic that has 3 seats that move independently from each other should fit 3 car seats in (although we had a 2nd hand senic and it cost us more in repairs than what we bought it for!)

we have a Toyota corolla verso (5 seater) and have 2 dc (8 & 5) with a baby on the way. both dc are still in hbb and I want to keep it that way for as long as poss. we have tried various combo's and have found that extended rearfacing wont fit with 2 hbb but a baby seat will as long as its not used with a base.

We bought a touran for when ds3 was born last august (ds1 and ds2 were 5 and 3 at the time).

In hindsight, I wish we had gone for a sharan or smax. 3 seats fit, but only just, and they do touch each other, which I believe they aren't supposed to.

The boot also feels small, particularly with all of the baby paraphernalia I had forgotten about. We will be getting a bigger car in a year or so.

I have a grand Picasso too, previously a Renault Scenic.

There is more room in the middle row of this car than in the back of the scenic, plus more boot. Having said that my scenic was a 53 registration.

Ive got a (2012) picanto and due dc3 in 6 weeks. My dd is 7 so ive bought her a bubble bum car seat which she loves and has been using daily. We tried her sat in the middle with my ds whos 3 (in his full backed booster) and baby seat on either side, and suprisingly they fit.
However by law a child can go in the front with a booster (minus air bag) if theres a valid reason why they cant all fit in the back practically.
We have decided therefore that my dd will sit in the front when its just me and the kids as it is most of the time, and go in the back if i need the front seat for another person.
We arent in a position to afford a new car so this for us is the best option and proves it is possible with a bit of jiggling.

We've two DC and bought a Kia Carens. It's a 5 seater but can convert to a 7 seater if need be.

We've just bought a Ford S-Max.

We have a 15yr old, a 12 month old (in group 1 seat) and due DC3 any week now who'll be in group 0 seat.

We also have 2 dogs and the double buggy to get in and can do this if we drop 2 back seats making it a very comfortable 5-seater.

We have a Honda civic, and am expecting DC3. I have found narrow booster seats on GBdriver.com so we can fit 2 of these in the back with a baby car seat. Much cheaper than buying a bigger car as all the cars suitable for 3 DC consume a lot more fuel than ours.

interesting find sugar, just checked them out as im in desperate need for a solution as im going from 2 to 3 in september and have an astra at the moment. my eldest is about to turn 6 and is currently on a booster seat with no back - are these safe for every day use? that would be my only concern really especially with my almost 4 yr old (by time baby is here)
i also hate the idea of my DS1 sitting in the middle as its the most dangerous seat in the back and i dont want him being more at risk if god forbid we ever crash. only other option is the honda frv i think its called which has 3 seats in front and 3 in back - just where do i find the money to upgrade to that from! best start playing the lotto!

In an ideal world I would buy a Honda FRV but don't have the money either. It really bugs me that almost all car seats are unnecessarily wide. My 6 year old seems pretty secure in a normal booster.

We bought an S-Max, as I really wanted 3 isofix fittings across the back, and there are only a handful of cars which have that feature. Also decent fuel economy and plenty of space, and doesn't feel like a "I've given up on life" car like a vauxhall zafira.
Mine are now 4 3/4, 2 1/2 and 2 weeks and it's working out great so far.
Just one more thing, contrary to popular belief, the middle rear seat is actually the safest seat in a car as it's furthest away from any impact zones.

Wux - we hope to be in a similar position in a year or so. Your experience is very useful!

Good luck with the new baby.

Don't go too small, it's useful having a boot that fits luggage for 5!

We have Honda frv, it is brilliant (though guzzles petrol). It was considerably cheaper than s-max, we were lucky to find one which was 6 years old but with low mileage. All non-french big cars seem to cost a fortune, though we had never previously spent more than 700 quid on a car, so it was bound to be a shock I suppose!

Thank you, Anything, and all the best with your endevors, too!

Fiat multipla