Car for 5

[Chianna]

I have just found out I am expecting twins to go with my two year old. Great news but it means that we need a new car. We also go camping a lot so need plenty of room for gear and a tow bar for bikes.

Any recommendations?

I have 3 children, 6, 4 and 2. We have a Galaxy - fits 3 carseats no trouble, enormous boot (take it to France at least once a year filled with the kids' stuff and still get loads of wine in the back), easy to drive. The two extra seats in the back fold into the floor and are very easy to pop up - v handy for children's' friends, grandparental visits etc.

DH is dead keen to get back to camping (can you tell I'm not so sure ) and I'm confident that we'll get everything in. I don't tow with mine, so can't say anything on that score. I average about 39mpg, and have a bit of a lead foot, so I think you could get better out of it.

It's not a driver's car - I had a Saab estate before and I miss it from a driving point of view, but the Galaxy wins hands down on practicality. As a good friend said to me, maybe it's not the car of my dreams but it sure is the car of my reality!

We have the same age gap between twins and DD, and have Honda FR-V. It's great - wide enough to fit three stage 2 car seats in a row which is really rare, and has three separate seats in the front too, so can fit 3 adults (although would be a bit of a squash and probably ok only for short journeys). Deceptively huge boot too.

It was expensive, but as we're planning on keeping it till they leave home it'll be worth it!

if you want really big - then the kia sedona is great - huge boot with the rear row out, or reasonable boot with them in. Roof rails included.

Slightly smaller - the VW touran - big boot with back row down - no boot if they are up. You can just fit 3 seats across the back (middle row) - 3 full seats.

We have both - plus 7 year old twins and a 9 year old too. We haven't yet figured out how to do the bike thing with all 5 of us - DH mulling over a trailer.

Good luck with the pregnancy - id or fraternal ?

Thanks for advice, Fraternal twins so any combo is possible, think I will have to find out the sex as we had enough trouble with names last time without having to think of 4.

DH thinks you can do 5 bikes with combo of roof rack and tow ball. He is a bit of a fanatic so he is not sure how he would get our bikes in a car but he would be alright!!

I have a c4 grand picasso which is great can fit three in back now problem all three seat have issofix as well. Have to change it this autumn (motability )
car) c4 are now at top of budget (motability nothing really to do with cost of car) so am properly going to a grand scenic which also had three isofix

Thanks to everyone for the advice - now just need to find some money to buy something!! Either that or only go to places within walking distance for the next five years