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Original poster

I can't fit 3 car seats in my car!! Help!

47 replies

rachael4 · 30/03/2009 11:37

Hello everyone. Apologies if this thread is in the wrong place. I'm new!! I have just fund out i am expecting my 3rd child and cannot fit 3 child seats in my peugeot 307. I know its early days but i do like to be organised! Does anyone have the same problem and has anyone got any suggestions/knowledge re which car i should be buying. Many thanks in anticipation of a solution! x

OP posts:

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JumpingJellyfish · 30/03/2009 11:41

What age are will your DCs be when DC3 appears? Some cars can fit a slimmer booster seat in the middle, between 2 "proper" car seats (this is what a friend has done, so her eldest who is 3.5 sits in the middle).

My DH is anti people carriers so we have an estate car which can technically fit 3 car seats in the back, but it is a squeeze.

smellen · 30/03/2009 11:44

Essex County Council has six Road Safety Officers, who are working to inform parent about safety issues relating to car seats. As part of that, they run a "try before you buy" service for children's car seats.

The centre is open Tuesdays 12.30?15.00 and Fridays 10.30?15.00 and is situated at Lubards Farm, Hullbridge Road, Rayleigh, Essex, SS6 9QG. You can reach the centre on 01268 297593 (leave a message on the answer machine if there isn't anyone available to take your call).
If you are a parent and you live in the Essex area, you are welcome to the Centre on Tuesday afternoons and Fridays. If you are not local, you can still get loads of advice from these impartial ladies via phone or email.

The Centre carries a sample of all the seats that are currently on sale in the UK to try in parents' cars to determine the best and most secure seat for the child and car. They also give advice on existing seats, check the fit in the car and whether it is suitable for the child.

Funnybunnyyumyum · 30/03/2009 11:53

When we decided to go for number 3 we bought a Ford Galaxy and we love it. Have got 2 big dogs too so needed a big boot as well. It has got three proper full width seats in the back. Even some people carriers have narrower middle seats in the back.

Original poster

rachael4 · 30/03/2009 11:54

Thanks for that. My son will be 9 and has a booster seat and my daughter is 4 and has a booster seat with a back. Both seats are wide and cannot fit another in, even a small one! Any idea where i can purchase a slimmer booster seat? Don't fancy a people carrier but do like 4x4's, most of those only have standard back seats though x

OP posts:

Tangle · 30/03/2009 12:00

I had a friend with 4 - she wound up with a Ford S-Max, which wasn't horribly people-carier like and seemed to work very well.

I'd 2nd the Essex Road Safety team - they're absolutely fantastic and will give you masses of good advice over the phone on what seats they've fitted into a car like yours and/or what seats are compact and would be worth you looking at. (They may even be coming to a town near you - they do most of the free car seat safety checks at fire stations around the country. They came near us and brought 3 RF Grp1 seats for us to try).

insywinsyspider · 30/03/2009 12:12

I'm expecting no 3 in June and ds1 will just be 3 - we're looking at getting a volvo V70 which we can fit a maxi cosi group 0 isofix, maxi cosi rodi high backed booster (for middle seat) and maxi cosi forward facing isofix

we have a 206 SW at the moment (my 2 boys can hold hands so def no room for a 3rd seat!) We've tried and therefore know the seats will fit in a Scenic, Galaxy and 307 SW (one with 3 individual seats not the estate) but won't fit in Focus or Mondeo

If you have a bigger budget then I have been told the S-Max and VW Touran are also very good, or a Fiat Multipla is meant to be very cheap

We decided to buy the seats we wanted and felt were the safest and find a car to fit them, for the high backed boosters its really important to get something that fits the child as they ae using the seat belt. I think the maxi cosi seats are all quite big too and there are options.

hth

insywinsyspider · 30/03/2009 12:15

I took so long posting that loads of messgaes appeared! your dc's are muh older than mine so you should be able to get slimmer boosters for them, are halfords and mothercare no good? they do free fitting so you can try everyone, also some of the volvo's have intregrated boosters in the seats whih would be good for your 9yr old

singyswife · 30/03/2009 12:17

heres one

HTH

MerlinsBeard · 30/03/2009 12:50

we currently have a britax eclipse si (was a graco autobaby), and 2 hi liners in our peugeot 307 sw estate.

Trinityrhino · 30/03/2009 12:52

legally the 9 yer old can go without his booster seat if it wont fit with the other two

scarlotti · 30/03/2009 15:54

We're expecting no.3 and used to have a 307 estate. We sold it and have bought a Citroen C4 grand picasso - we went for the grand as the 2 spare seats fold flat but are there just in case I'm ever ferrying friends around as well as mine.

We currently have dd14 and ds3 - so we don't have the booster seat issue, but do have a child we have to seat and want to be comfortable! She is very slight, but only just fit in between the car seats.

Your ds is 9 now, but in a few years will be a strapping teenager in the making so you need to think a bit longer term, unless you plan to change your car again. Chances are he will be coming on holiday with you for the next 6 or 7 years, and if you want to drive there (we drive to France most years) then you all need to be comfortable. A 7 seater gives you more flexibility in where to sit them - i.e. if they're all fighting you can split them across 2 rows.

We chose the C4 as it doesn't look van-like and is good to drive, still has a bit of poke. Best bet is to go and test drive some options.

JLo2 · 30/03/2009 17:48

We have a Volvo V70 and can fit 3 child seats across the back, although it is a bit of a squish.
We're now expecting no 4 (with 2 of the others still in booster seats with backs) so are back to square one! We're both big MPV haters which doesn't help Currently on the short list is Volvo XC90, Discovery or Nissan Pathfinder (the most affordable option) which are all 4x4's

iSOLOvechocolate · 30/03/2009 17:53

A Citroen Xsara Picasso will fit three full sized child seats in, so should therefore be able to fit two boosters plus a baby seat.

FAQinglovely · 30/03/2009 17:56

we fitted an infant carrier, Graco (low back booster - as DS2 (then 3 1/2yrs old) was tall enough and heavy enough for one) like this and one of these for our DS1 (who was then 6 - but again tall and heavy) in the back of a Ford Focus.

gizzy1973 · 30/03/2009 18:17

just been and test driven a citroen xsara picasso today which we are now buying and it is so roomy all round

i am only expecting my first but as i work as a nanny i need the 3 back seats and this seemed the best for our budget

TaleofTwoCities · 30/03/2009 19:33

Hello - we're facing this too though different ages! We have a Saab 93 which is quite new (didn't plan on this third baby!) and we'll have ds 5 , dd 2.9 and baby. So far we've managed to fit the Britax Eclipse in the middle (which is safe according to the Britax fit finder on their website) and my son's high backed booster to one side. But there doesn't seem to be room for a baby seat, either with isofix or done up with belts. Good luck with it anyway!

MerlinsBeard · 30/03/2009 19:38

our 307 estate IS a seven seater

sazm · 30/03/2009 19:43

i have am MGZR which is about the same size as a 307,
it you put your baby in the middle of the back seat, and a high backed booster at either side for your lo's will that not work?thats what we do,
failing that put your 9yo with just a seatbelt, and your 4yo on a high back booster and baby in baby seat?
or could baby not go in front with you, thats what i do,baby goes in front with me,and both dc's in back,
if hubby is in car too,we have a maxi cosi cabrio in the middle and a britax hi-liner on either side,its a squeeze but they fit,

popsycal · 30/03/2009 19:45

we had a 307 and had to get rid of it for a picasso

Tummum · 30/03/2009 20:49

I am expecting DC 3 (all under the age of 4...) and wanted to avoid a people carrier so have ended up with a Landrover Discovery 3 which has 3 full size seats in the rear, and another 2 in the boot which fits adults. It arrived on Friday and I am really chuffed with it - it fits 3 X recaro child seats no problems.

HTH

Tummum · 30/03/2009 20:50

The other option is sit the baby seat in the front and the adult sits in the back (my DH's option which required no £ spending....)

hobbgoblin · 30/03/2009 20:50

I had a 306 and managed, isn't a 307 bigger?

FAQinglovely · 30/03/2009 20:53

the 9yr old doesn't need a high back booster! He'll be fine with just a basic booster cushion (and you can get really narrow ones).

Depending on the height and weight of the 4yr old she should probably be ok with a low back booster as well (but one of the "proper" ones that have the seat belt adjust strap on so that the seat belt can sit correctl across here).

herbietea · 30/03/2009 20:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Tillyscoutsmum · 30/03/2009 20:57

There are adaptor seats you can buy so that you can fit 3 full size seats across here

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