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Original poster

Third child, 3 car seats Audi A6/A6 Avant, please say they'll fit!!!

24 replies

fixuplooksharp · 19/02/2015 14:48

Hi, I am pregnant with DC3 and super excited but need to get a new car. Currently we have a Mondeo and there is no way 3 car seats are getting in the back of that. So we need to get a new car and I really don't fancy an MPV at all. I just want a big car which still looks smart without being too mumsey.
My favs are the Audi A6 or the Audi A6 avant, has anyone got one and can fit 3 car seats in please?
I have looked on forums and it's mixed so I'm confused.
I have a maxi cosi baby seat with the base unit, a graco booster and a maxi cosi 9 month - 4 year one. Or I could probably go with 2 boosters and a baby seat as my middle one is getting quite big for his Maxi Cosi.
Sorry for rambling on!!!
Any help/advice would be appreciate before I trawl the country looking for a decent car in budget x

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juniorcakeoff · 19/02/2015 15:49

I have 3 car seats in the back of my (3 door!) car which is much smaller than mondeo. Have 2 boosters with no backs though (my older kids are older than 4) and third is in a britax, no base unit. The kids are quite cosy though. Maxi cosi are quite small no?

douchbag · 19/02/2015 15:53

3 wouldn't fit in my a4 avant not sure if that's any help

Bluepants · 19/02/2015 16:04

I have the skoda equivalent of an A6 avant, which I think is the same chassis. I can get 3 seats in if the eldest child is on a very slim booster (cushion only) and that particular child is quite slim. I specially bought the slimmest booster cushion I could find. But it is a squash. So if you have the middle seat slim, you can have full sized baby and toddler seats either side.

Generally though I do think interior space in Audis is not particularly large compared with similar vehicles. I would try your seats in an Audi as they'll be a pain to buckle up.

Peachy27 · 19/02/2015 16:05

We had exactly your dilemma! We have an Audi a4 and you can ( just) fit maxi cosi baby sit with ISOFIX base, maxi cosi 9 months- 4 years (Priori) and a booster in the middle. We had a cheap one from Halfords so you may need to look around for a small booster. So as an A6 is bigger (obviously,) I would imagine you'll be fine. Like I say it is a squash but manageable. During the week when my husband was at work I put the eldest in the front to make it easier. And on the couple of long journeys we did we actually took the ISOFIX base out and strapped the baby seat in with the seatbelt as it made it more comfortable for the one in the middle. Then had the ISOFIX for easy in and out the rest of the time.
When you move the baby up to the 9 month-4 years one we have found that when all five of us are in the car it is actually more comfortable for the older two if that seat is in the middle so when we go on longer journeys we move I around. Not the easiest to get the baby in and out and bit of a pain to switch the seats just for the weekend but worth it for the comfort of the other two I find. Also stops the squabbling as they aren't next to each other!!

Peachy27 · 19/02/2015 16:09

Oh by booster I mean the cushion only type, no back.
I did also read at the time when I was panicking that legally if you cannot fit three child seats in a child over three doesn't have to have one.....I suppose that would depend on the height of that child tho and if the seat belt sat right across them without one.....

Bluepants · 19/02/2015 16:13

How old/tall is the oldest child?

uggmum · 19/02/2015 16:13

We had a couple of A6s. Although we didn't have 3 child seats in the back we did have a boosters either side and an adult in the middle. The middle seat is the smallest.
The seat belts (fasteners) are fiddly as they are built into the seat.
I would take all your seats into the dealership and have a good play around with them.

Original poster

fixuplooksharp · 19/02/2015 16:15

Thank you for your help everyone.
Peachy - thank you!!! I feel more positive about the car situation now :) I was thinking of doing the same re putting DS who is 6 in the front during the week, so hopefully we'll manage. I know the S Max would be the best option but I'm not ready to go there on the mini bus type car!! Haha!!!

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Original poster

fixuplooksharp · 19/02/2015 16:16

Bluepants - the oldest is 6

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Original poster

fixuplooksharp · 19/02/2015 16:17

uggmum - you're right I probably need to go and endure that exercise, I can feel the heat now of putting 3 car seats in and out at a dealership, I may do this in my lunchbreak while I don't have my two boys with me :)) x

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Ihateparties · 19/02/2015 16:22

We put 3 in the back of my dad's a6 all the time. The shaping of the seats is awkward but it's fine. Day to day we have 3 in an Ibiza and 3 in a hyundai i10 although one of those is a no back booster, so I'm fairly sure I would be happy to put 3 in a mondeo too. You might be more comfortable with something with 3 separate seats in the back if you're not happy with 3 in mondeo sized car.

Original poster

fixuplooksharp · 19/02/2015 16:28

Ihateparties - In the Mondeo at the moment I have the booster on one side and the 9months - 4 years maxi cosi on the other side, I looked in the back this morning and there's no way a person could squeeze in the middle gap let alone a seat, it looked so small, unless maybe it's because I haven't tried yet so haven't moved the two outer seats as far to the side as possible? We are ready for another car anyway so I'm happy to buy another but really want an Audi and the A6 seems to be the biggest, plus I feel safer in a big car (had a nasty head on when my eldest was a baby and now a bit paranoid about smaller cars) x

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Original poster

fixuplooksharp · 19/02/2015 16:29

Ihateparties - is your Dads an S Line? I noticed the seats are awkward on those because they are sports seats so they are sloped making it tricky to get the car seats right to the edge

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Ihateparties · 19/02/2015 16:41

I'm pretty sure it's not an s line but I don't know precisely what model it is. Our Ibiza has similar and it's just a bog standard ecomotive model. Location of seats in the car can make a big difference, I know exactly what you mean with the two fitted currently nothing would fit in between. You would have to move the outer ones closer to the doors, which is made harder/impossible sometimes with shaped seats.

In one car we have the stage 1 toddler seat in the middle with a high back booster on either side. In the other we have the no back booster in the centre with a toddler seat passenger side and hbb driver side. The same seats don't fit in other configurations. Belt location makes a difference too, as do the tricksy recessed into the seat plug thingies. Iykwim :-D

Peachy27 · 19/02/2015 16:43

We weren't ready for a mini bus type thing either and for the extra hassle of moving seats about and it being a bit tricky to plug them in I'm glad we stuck with our Audi. Plus DH always about when all three have to be fitted in the back so can help!
With you on the safety too. Had a massive rear impact crash in my previous A4 the police officer said in a different car it would very probably have been a different story....

Original poster

fixuplooksharp · 19/02/2015 16:48

Peachy - Exactly, big boot and big bonnet are the way forward :) So much safer as the car takes the impact. I think I will continue my Auto Trader mission (I'm such a man, I love looking for cars) and get an A6 saloon or Avant, can't choose between the two x

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Original poster

fixuplooksharp · 19/02/2015 16:50

Ihateparties - it is the annoying bumpy side bits of seats which make it tricky isn't it :) I am confident we can fit them now, just got to find the car I want at a decent price x

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Original poster

fixuplooksharp · 19/02/2015 16:50

Ihateparties - it is the annoying bumpy side bits of seats which make it tricky isn't it :) I am confident we can fit them now, just got to find the car I want at a decent price x

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aneesa28 · 20/02/2015 08:28

It's not a legal requirement to have three car seats in the back, as peach says.

This might be helpful: www.safekids.co.uk/what-age-can-children-sit-front-seat-car.html

mrssmooth · 20/02/2015 08:42

I'm afraid 3 won't fit in an A6. We had this exact same problem - it ended up that any family trips out, baby would sit in the front seat (airbags disabled) and I would have to squeeze in the back between the two other carseats. We eventually had to get rid of it as it just wasn't working for us. Gutted as it was a superb car. Just not a family of 5 car :(

monkeyfacegrace · 20/02/2015 08:46

We've got the brand new shape A6. Fits 3 across the back fine.

I'd get the avant if I was you. Still looks good but the novelty of a new car wears off fast, and then you'll be glad of the space.

mrssmooth · 20/02/2015 08:48

When we needed to replace our A6, we had a look at the Zafira (I know, I know!) Couldn't fit 3 carseats along the back of that either! We asked the salesman if it was possible to fit 3 along the back - oh yes, says he. Oh, can we give it a go then? Erm, yes OK he says looking slightly panicked. Got the 2 hi back booster seat thingies out, put them in and immediately said to dh - there's NO WAY the babyseat will go in between them. We ended up with a Citroen C4 Grand Picasso. Fantastic space. Really crap car to drive though :(

MyBootsAreMuddy · 20/02/2015 09:07

A friend has a VW Passat estate which I think is pretty much the same as the A6. She had a Britax two way elite RF in the middle and a Britax adventure HBB either side. She now has the adventures either side of a backless booster for her 8yr old, it's just a narrow basic one from halfords.

The adventures are good boosters for fitting 3 seats as they are narrow and don't have the armrest 'horn' bits like other boosters so your more likely to be able to get your hand down the side for strapping In........ although she often keeps hers strapped in and then just pulls on belt to loosen it and her ds's duck underneath and slide up into seat, she then pulls the belt to tighten it round them(does same for getting out too). This method was mainly used when the TWE seat was in middle to prevent it accidentally being unplugged.

Rostron89 · 08/08/2021 08:54

I know this was from a long time ago now, but we have this exact issue now: did you go for an A6 avant in the end? Thank you

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