Concerned about driving long distance with a full car

[IfyouStealMySunshine]

I drive a Vauxhall corsa and am travelling 7.5 hours away for a family reunion.
coming home the car will have 5 passengers (including me) everyone has a seatbelt but I’m worried that it would be overloaded. One is a child, one is a 13 stone man and other 3 are all women around 8, 9 and 11 stone.
I’ve said I can only take a small bag home each and relatives will bring the rest back the next day.

Should I be worried about weight/capacity? It’s legally allowed of course I’m just concerned it will put strain on the car.

One person should travel by National Express. Draw lots if nobody will volunteer.

Sounds hellish!

I’d volunteer, or would choose the train. 7.5 hours in a cramped car, no thank you.

me too! Or if I was the driver I'd put one of them on my car insurance, let them take the car and get the train ;)

Thanks for the replies - so to keep it vague they’re all late teens and only 1 drives and is my dc and I don’t want him driving that distance as a new driver. Train was extortionate and involves minimum of 3 changes.
Child is luckily 9 and doesn’t need a car seat as tall so there’s a bit more room but have warned them it won’t be a fun drive. It won’t be fun for me either as I love the car but it’s not comfortable for a long one. Hoping to set off very early so they all doze for the majority of the journey.

Wow, are their parents aware as there no chance I’d allow my child in that car!!

Why? Do you think a teenager won’t be safe with OP driving?

Car will be fine weight wise and more than 1 piece of luggage you fit in boot. I once had 4 in the back of my 1997 corsa and someone in passenger seat (I was destinated driver after a night out) but was literally 3 miles and everyone was drunk! I wouldn't do that now though as it was more relaxed in the 90s.

Anyway it will be very uncomfortable journey for 8 hours and 3 in back. Car seat or no car seat. The person in middle will have no headrest (unless its the child)

Also 10 stars for driving that far with a load of people, ive been driving for 25 years and wouldn't do that distance!

It seems ridiculous. Train fares are not always extortionate if booked in advance. Have you looked at family rail card and young peoples rail card? Or the bus!

I feel sorry for the child, that is one heck of a journey stuck in the back of a car with two adults. 7.5 hour car journey can easily turn into 10 or 12 hours. At least on the train the driver deals with it.

Just saw your update. I would put the 9 year old (assuming your child) in the front and the 3 teenagers in the back!

So I was going to put 9 year old behind me.

Slimmest teen in the middle (gf of the large teen boy), the oldest dc in the front with the chair pushed forwards more than usual and large teen boy behind her.

It’s rare we’re all in the car together now as oldest drives and we all are usually out and about all over the place but here we are, it’s a family reunion and they all want to come. I can’t afford to pay for trains for them.

No, not packed in a tiny car like that driving down motorways for 7.5 hours.

Why would you pay for trains? If they want to go they pay

Hmm depends if going uphill or down on the way back.

ie going from Lake District back to Suffolk is ok
but going from Newcastle to the Highlands, the car may struggle

You could look into renting a vehicle for drive up and then down and convoy it? Enterprise lets you pick up a car at start point and then drop it off at destination. So it would only be 1 car for day up, and then 1 car for day back.

How do you know the weight of all your passengers? Did you ask them?

It won’t be the comfortable with 5 adults in one car but the car will cope just fine. You may find it picks up speed slower than normal and braking takes longer if you usually drive on your own with no passengers.

The car will struggle to hit 60? It’s not from the 19th century; the car will be fine ffs.

Im amazed at some of these answers.

A 5 seater car, carrying, erm, 5 people.

Two people either side of the child and 2 in the front

Personally I would get the train rather than sit in the back for all that time but in terms of the car, theres no issues

Laughing at the person saying you cant get past 60mph and visibility will be poor!!!

Are they all wearing top hats in the back or something?

Well I assume OP will drive safely and they’ll have breaks. Do you think the car is unsafe to drive with 5 people in it?

I imagine there are many families of 5 managing just fine in what used to be just a normal car.

How are they getting up there if they’re only coming back with you? Can’t they get back the same way they go up?

It would be a NO from me!

Dooo you think you have to go uphill to go north or have I missed the joke?

You’ll be fine OP.
We’ve managed journeys of 1/2 hours with 5 adults in my friend’s Vauxhall Viva (the newish kind - a step down from the Corsa) and survived. Like others have said it’ll be a bit uncomfortable but as long as they’re all aware then that’s fine.
I’d recommend planning a couple of short breaks and a good lunch stop in though.

I think apart from the girl friend they are all OP's children, so I think she is aware!

Even if they werent her children, are people really that stupid that they think there is a genuine concern about 5 people travelling in a car?

What is the concern exactly?

Sciatica?