3 smalls in the back- car seats and car recommendations please!

[honeybunny]

I'm expecting no3 in Dec and now have the dilemma of how do I fit everyone in the car. I currently drive a BMW 3series estate and have ds1+2 in maxi cosi priori seats. There is definitely no space for a baby in the middle, infact cant even get the middle seat down between them. ds1 is small and slight for his age and if he continues to follow his 9th centile for growth he wont make the required 15kg until he's 5yrs (Oct 05). Have looked at lots of different car seat options but all stage 1 seats seem to be much of a muchness in the width dept, so will it have to be a new (2nd hand)car? Ouch!

SO..... which one?
I love my BMW and would love a 5series equivalent, but is it big enough? What about a merc estate? Dont know what model... Cs or Es whats the difference? and are they big enough?
How about a Saab estate? or a volvo estate?
Absolutely hate 4x4s and PCs, and wont even consider them... besides ds1 and myself get really car sick in high wheel-base vehicles.

Has anyone got any recommendations?

well we only have a little rover 214 (new shape) and we can fit all 3 rugrats in it fine.

I have a friend with a large BMW estate and she has managed with 3 boys , now 4,3 and 1, all in their various stage car seats, so it can be done! Probably a 5 series but will try to remember to ask. She's got another dilemma as no.4 is due at end of the year !

One thing to bear in mind. We have a4*4 Scenic with 3 3-point belts so you can get 3 kids across but the middle belt is too short for a Rock a Tot.

We've got 3 kids and a VW Touran which drives and feels very much like a normal size car - hired a Galaxy and really didn't get on with it - too big and drove like a bus. We wanted 3 3 point belts in the back and the extra seats in the boot have been v useful - they fold down into the floor when you're not using them. No problems with fitting car seats across IME.

My brother has a Volvo estate and 4 kids, and they fight over who's going to sit in the wee seats in the back. facing rearward they can wave at the people in the cars behind!

wow, lonelymumof3, how did you manage it? What car seat arrangement do you have, and did you have when no3 was in a new born seat? dh has a rover 216GTi (Jreg) and there's no way I could get them in that. I'm more than willing to go out and buy 3 new car seats if I thought they'd fit my current car.

Tissy .. will the volvo fit 3 maxi cosi priori seats (or equiv)across the back? Dont like the idea of putting ds1 in a booster style seat before he reaches the minimum weight of 15kg.

The volvo estate has an option for factory fitted booster seats. Our children sit in the boosters and the nanny puts her baby in the middle. Not sure if you would get 3 big car seats across the back, although Vovlo do their own car seats which should fit. We also have the bench seats in the boot which are useful when children coming home for tea or when friends and family visit.

HTH

my children are 4, 2, and 20 weeks. ds1 has a graco booster. dd has a mothercare highback booster suitable from 9 months. ds2 goes in a chicco car seat that was with a travel system, but our new one fits in as well..again a mothercare one....rearward facing then forward facing from 9 months. I wondered how we would get them all in but we did it!!!

honey bunny, our ds is on about 9 th centile but was still heavy enough for a high back booster (M-C Rodi) by 4. Otherwise you could get one which is labelled as suitable from 9 kg (although manufacturers say 10 kg now) such as Britax Cruiser, although they are pretty wide at the base too so doubt it would make that much difference.

Lonelymumof3-my 3.8yr old just isnt big enough for a booster seat. I've just looked up Graco boosters and the child needs to be 22kg (mine is onlyt 13.5) for the booster and 15kg for the booster high back. I 'll have a look for the mothercare one now, could you fit 2 of those and a baby seat in your car? And what if you only have a lap belt in the middle.... will the seats secure ok?

Lizs-ds1 is 4 in Oct and hasnt put on any weight in the past 5months. He's just stuck at 13.5kgs. I keep piling in the calories (full fat everyting with gallons of cream and cheesey things.... dread to think what his arteries and cholesterol must be like)but his weight stays put. Cant say I'm hopeful for a 1.5kg burst in just 4months!

Oooh honeybunny, here's our experience (you may not like it...) We had a Toyota Corolla, T reg, old shape, huge car; when DS2 was born we could do DS1 (then 4) in booster (extra narrow one from Asda); DD (then 2) in Graco booster+back combo; DS2 in rockatot in the middle. But becuase of the bucket seat-style of the side seats, couldn't get DS2's big Club Class seat from 1yr in the middle (annoying but that's how it is). Looked at lots of other saloon type cars, Renault, Toyota Avensis, Ford mondeo etc, no joy. Now DS2 is 15 mo and tooooo big for rockatot we have bought ...a Citroen Xsara Picasso (told you you wouldn't like it). Only other alternatives we found were Renault Megane and Nissan ALmera Tino (same sort of thing ie big and up high) or sthg with 6/7 seats (Fiat with 3 in front, Vauxhall Zafira etc) All these big high cars that won't suit you I fear. We didn't really want extra seats and the Fiat is very wide hence the Picasso. Also available at good price 2nd hand. I'm personally not mad keen on cars where the kids sit in the boot as it were as a regular thing. Don't know why you have to drive a bus in order to get three proper seat spaces in the back (the car is actually barely any wider) but there it is.
Not sure if this is any help to you!
BTW all children up to 11 will have to sit in quite big car seats with side impact protection from 2006, so anyone with 3 smalls even if not tiny will face this problem.

think that a people carrier is the only option now we have to have these enormous car seats, unless two in the back, one in the front and hubby following behind...!

Thanks Clary. Useful to know about new reg coming in. You're right though, not mad keen on the Picasso. Hired one once and had probs with ds1 and motion sickness. Currently not a prob at all in the BMW. And I'm not great if I have to spend too much time peering round to the back if dh is driving, checking on the kids. I end up feeling sh**e in the high wheel base cars (ie a multipla, a vw sharan, and a citroen people carrier, cant remember the name....all hire cars in the past)

NancyKominsky- that really is our only option come December. There's no airbag on the passenger side at the front so I could happily get three kiddies in, just dh in another car. Doesnt help come Xmas though... I'm likely to be heading for my 3rd CS and wont be able to drive for a few weeks. So no trip to the family likely I fear.

hello honeybunny, we can all come to you instead

Great, I think!! dh is working Xmas and boxing day. And I wasnt looking forward to Xmas on my own. Dear Dad sounded less than enthusiastic about it last time I mentioned it. How was your holiday?

Brilliant. What we saved on the cottage we spent on the wine ! When's your 20 week scan?

Sorry, I may have killed your thread. Please still leave honeybunny's car recommendations here! And I hope its not true about side impact seats for up to 11 year olds, I've just spent a fortune on a new booster seat and head rest thing for dd1 - and more to the point, she'll be HORRIFIED if she has to go back into a car seat and what if you can't afford one!!??

clary, is there somewhere detailing the proposed 2006 legislation. I ask because am currently having a difference of opinion with MIL over whether ds (6) should need any more than the ordinary cushions which SIL is apparently happy for 5yo cousin to use in their car. Being made to feel like an overfussy mother. Also does it rule out having under 11's in front seat as that is already part of Swiss law and would have an impact on car decisions like honeybunny's.

Lizs not sure, DH was told about it by (fab) staff at (fab) shop near us where we have bought car seats, pram, carrier etc...they are well informed so sure to know...but agree we need more info. Just going off line now but will try to google later and find out.

20week scan on the 19July....fingers crossed!

Finally, on the car issue. Has anyone got an estate car that can fit 3 stage 1 car seats across it. ie the 9kg-15kg seats or possibly with a 15kg-40kg seat in the middle/side. And what is it?

We'll be thinking of you...let us know . And surely you just want to get a bmw estate anyway and MAKE them fit ????

we fit 3 9-15kg car seats (standard toddler seats, britax ones) across the back of our bog standard vauxhall astra. no problem.

Fennel-which Britax car seats, and how wide is your astra!! wow. Could only just squeeze myself in between 2 maxi cosis (9-15kg) in the back of a mondeo and I thought they were quitte wide. It wouldnt have fitted a third car seat. I'm really surprised about the vauxhall.
enid- ok you know me too well, ....itching for another bmw but they're so pricey! Just trying to be sensible.