3 across the back - help!

[AnythingNotEverything]

I'm going round and round in circles. Please help!

I'm 31 weeks and have just discovered our zafira won't fit all the kids across the second row.

Kids are 4 and nearly 3, both forward facing now and in a Joie every stage and a Britax dualfix. Baby has a Maxi-Cosi Cabriofix and easifix base waiting. We will want baby to RF longer term so will need room for baby to go in either the Joie or the Britax RF, and can put this behind passenger seat as we can pull that seat forward (I need the driving seat quite far back so we've always struggled with ERF behind the driver's seat).

We're open minded about cars, we don't do a lot of long journeys, maybe 2-3 times a year we'll do a 3-4 hour drive for a holiday/visit family.

Budget is up to £15k ish. I'd ideally like second hand with about 20-25k Miles. DH would happily buy a banger.

I'm lost in google searches about storage boxes and support legs :-/

Thanks!

Kia carens is 7 seater but has 3 individual seats in the back. Great car as we used to have one. 7 years warranty as well

An example

Thanks! Will check that out on our seat fitting lists ...

Ford SMax, if you can get one in your budget.
Have a look at the Ford Grand CMax - I can't recall the seat fittings / suitability in the back row, but it is worth taking a look as a smaller option compared to the SMax (you can get 6 useable seats in the Grand CMax, compared to the SMax's 7)

The newer Zaf has 3 seats in the back.

Also consider SEAT Alhambra - VW Sharan

Both Citroen and Renault do a 5 seat car with 3 across the back but I can't remember the model numbers.

The CMax is great price wise but would need to put a child in the boot looking at the pics, which isn't practical with pram plus scooters, shopping etc. Shame!

The grand CMax I mean.

The zafira Tourer can't take a child seat in the middle seat so definitely discount that one. We have a ford SMax with 3 erf seats in and planty of boot space and room in the front. will shortly be getting a vw Sharan which will easily take 3 seats too.

We have got 3 across the back of a c4 Citroen grand Picasso and a discovery. Also, completely weirdly, across the back of a Nissan pulsar.

Honda FRV? Six proper full seats, 3 front and 3 back. They stopped making them in 2011 I think so would definitely be second hand. Honda are excellent at making Tardis-like cars, so should be good space. Or Fiat Multipla has similar layout.

S-max for three proper back seats. And it also has 2 fold down ones in the boot. We've fit a variety of car seat combinations across the back ranging from newborn to 5+ high backed boosters.

Same dilemma here. In addition to those mentioned -- VW Touran. We really liked the Carens and Alhambra too, and the smaller KIA Venga also worked for us.

We have a VW Touran and get a infant carrier, HBB and group 1 seat in the middle row. The middle seat is slightly smaller but with the right seat three will fit well. Unfortunately it's trial and error to see what fits.

We took a range of seat sizes to the showroom and tried all the combinations we would be needing now and for the next few years before buying. I look after my nieces and have 2 kids myself so needed to make sure as they moved through the seats I could still get them all in. I'd recommend this as much as possible before buying any car.

We had a Citroen Picasso for 2 large kids and a baby seat. Very roomy, cheap to buy and surprisingly economical. On the downside, it's a very bouncy drive, wide to turn, poor visibility for parking and if it starts costing you big garage bills get rid asap. It was very practical for us and we've had 2, but not a car I loved.

I've just brought a VW Sharan for the same reason. Have a 4yr old, 2yr old and a newborn. Can fit all three in a row and has two extra seats in the third row that can be folded flat.
Absolutely love it, drives as nice as my old BMW X5, pleasure to drive.