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Original poster

A car for three children - what do you have?

51 replies

popsycal · 22/02/2008 09:57

We need a new car anyway so are considering getting something bigger in a few months time all being well.

We want a car that will last us as the children get bigger - ds1 will be 6 and ds2 will be 3.5 when next one arrives. Am thinking that by this time, ds2 will be on a booster seat with a back (and maybe a 5 point harness one) by this time. Baby seat has a base.

So:

  • three kids comfortably in the back
  • decent safety
  • personal views on what you have found reliable etc

For the record, we currently have a peugeot 307 which we HATE and have forked out a small fortune in the 3 years that we have had it.

Thanks in advance!

OP posts:
Egg · 22/02/2008 17:28

Well I can safely say a Golf is not big enough. Got DS1 who was 2 this week and 6-week old twins and it was a struggle getting us all home from the hospital. Managed to get the car seats in just but I barely managed to fit in the back seat with DS1 and DS2, with DD in front seat with airbag disabled. Would not even contemplate trying to get double buggy in as well!

Still thinking about our next car. Considering Touran but would like Verso. My sis has it with three children and can take various friends along too, or TONS of luggage with no probs.

BibiThree · 22/02/2008 20:26

Just another point, our Verso has 7 seats (2 fold down into the boot) but the back 2 aren't suitable for use with baby seats - but have recently read you can have baby seats in them if they are Toyota ones. And of course, you lose most of the boot space which is no good if you've got a buggy or two.

But, it'll be fab when the girls are older and we don't need so much boot space so we can take friends along.

nappyaddict · 22/02/2008 21:07

you can put car seats in the back two seats of the verso. at least you can use britax ones cos it says so on the website.

TheDuchessOfNorksBride · 22/02/2008 21:29

A friend has just bought a Kia Sedona - it has 3 rows of 2 seats and you could fit adults on all of them, leg room is amazing. The 2 seats in the back slide out so you could remove one and put in a really big pushchair and the shopping. Slidey doors at the back. Visibility is great, it's the first large car she's had and she's backing it into tiny parking spaces with ease. It's quite thirsty but then all the 6/7 seaters are.

I currently have a Range Rover which did have 3 x big Stage 2 seats in a row along the back when we needed them, has a huge boot and doubles as my off-roader. Parts cost a fortune.

SlightlyMadSecretSoundWinner · 22/02/2008 21:49

Nappy Addict. In the Avesnsis Verso (as opposed ot ehthe Corolla verso) you have to remove the middle row of seats to put an infant carrier in hte back.

That kind of negates the point of having 7 seats

BibiThree · 22/02/2008 22:07

I've got a 2004 model and the handbook says no to car seats except Toyota ones. Maybe it's the newer models you can use other makes with?

Sazisi · 22/02/2008 22:09

We have a Mazda 626; all the seats just squeeze in. I hate the idea of a 7 seater

dropscone · 22/02/2008 22:14

We like our VW Sharan - we have 3 kids and the ability to sepatate them across 3 rowns is sometime very handy ! With a Multipla - kids ina row = troubl potential to transport friends is limited.....

nappyaddict · 22/02/2008 22:14

oh i was referring to the forward facing car seat not a rear facing one.

BibiThree · 22/02/2008 22:19

MIL is looking for a big car to take our 3 and her other grandchild out in, so she needs one that can take 2 rear facing and 2 forward facing car seats, and her and FIL.

BUT she doesn't want "anything too big"

I may get this thread and print it out for her so she can see 4 children and 2 adults aren't going to fit into a Honda Civic.

nappyaddict · 22/02/2008 22:21

tell her to get the other verso. the one where you don't have to take the seat out. or the zafira or the s max.

Yorky · 22/02/2008 22:49

We have a Vauxhall Zafira and love it. Don't know how it is with lots of car seats as we only have one but it runs on LPG, so it costs the same as our previous Corsa to run!

Sidge · 22/02/2008 22:49

We've got a Ford S-Max and I love love love it.

I test drove A LOT of cars and that was far and away the best.

We have 3 children (1 is disabled so we need a huge boot for all the pushchairs and equipment we need) and it ticks all the boxes.

Thomcat · 23/02/2008 08:17

I have a Rav4.
DD1 is 6 and has SN's so in the same bulky car seat as DD2 who is 2 and DD3 is 5 months.

Such an easy car to drive and I hate / am scared of big long wide cars.

nappyaddict · 23/02/2008 18:14

is there a nissan 7 seater?

luckylady74 · 23/02/2008 18:22

multipla great for our 3yr twins and 5 yr old - it's always fitted all our luggage in and we have many car picnics. I really like not having to have a row of seats between me amd any of them because I'm always passing stuff back!My double pushchairs were small though - a marco sky and a we2 that fitted in my micra too.

hairycaterpillar · 23/02/2008 18:34

We have corolla verso. I love it to drive as does DH. Have 3 dc and fit in backseat fine...although I find the seatbelts fiddly DH doesn't though?! Massive boot and option of two extra easily popped up seats in the boot if needed for friends.

nappyaddict · 23/02/2008 19:10

can you fit a car seat in the front middle seart of the multipla?

luckylady74 · 23/02/2008 19:20

not sure nappyaddict - never tried, but it is a full size, separate[converts into a table] seat with full seatbelt. we only have had adults in it. we have switched off the airbag in the front and had 2 adults and 1 child in front and 3 children in the back which was 4 car seats stage 2 aNd 3.

BigBadMouse · 23/02/2008 20:23

Nappyaddict - yes I can think of a Nissan seven seater. It's called the Nissan Serena - it looks a bit like a camper van. I have two local garages where the mechanics / co-owners both have three kids or more each and they both have one so I guess that is a good sign.

I know there are others too but brain is sleeping (again)

twospecialgirls · 23/02/2008 20:24

we have a vauxhall zafira and love it its huge x 7 seats very nice to drive

twospecialgirls · 23/02/2008 20:25

can fit 3 car seats and a booster and a pushchair !!! what more do you need

nappyaddict · 24/02/2008 00:46

are the 2 seats in the very back suitable for adults on the zafira cos in the grand scenic they aren't much good for anyone over the age of about 8.

Yorky · 24/02/2008 20:19

My friend and I fitted in the rear seats for a forty minute journey and we're both quite long legged, but I don't think I'd have wanted to go on a much longer journey in the boot!

NomDePlume · 24/02/2008 20:23

congrats popsy

We have a Grand Scenic (7str - mine) and a Subaru Legacy Spec B estate (5str - DH's). I

I think when my car is due for a change I'll end up with an XC90, or something with a little more room in the last row of seats than my Grand Scenic. Mainly because we plan to have DC4 and so the 3rd row will be in permanent use.

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