Every once in while there's a post about how to get 3 child seats in a car/mpv. With No3 on the way we now have little choice but to get some sort of MPV type car.
Things to consider:
1 - the 3 children will all be in baby or child seats (not boosters which tend to be narrower)
2 - After the tragic car crash in which the kids in the back of the MPV were killed we would like to get 3 kids in the middle row.
So we are looking for anything with a 2-3-2 seating arrangement. So far we have considered:
S-Max - looks promising but concerned over reports of poor build quality and reliability
Sedona - nice and cheap to buy, big and spacious but heavy on fuel and VED
Voyager - same as sedona but not as cheap to buy
Mulitpla - too ugly...
Anyone got any other suggestions? Ideally a mid sized MPV rather than full size, hence the S-Max looking promising.
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C4 Grand Picasso?
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The C4 is a good looking car, keen prices and good spec - but I just couldn't bring myself to buy anything French. (bad past experiences of French cars and heard too many horror stories of the new ones)
However, from what I've read they may in fact be more reliable than the Ford....
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We've had our S-MAX for about 3 months now - love it. Like you, I wanted all 3 in the middle row and the rear seats for occasional use only. Our kids are in Group 0/1/2 seats.
We went for 2.0 diesel, Titanium spec. They look good and handle very well, firm, but still comfortable for a 450 mile one day journey to France. The kids love sitting a little higher and having better visibility.
No build quality or reliability issues for us yet - Recommended.
Cheers,
Matt
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Good to hear some positive feedback from someone who has an S-max, it's our favorite at the moment but I want to check out other options before commiting to buying one.
How do you get on with the 3 child seats in a row? Is there much space between them or is it a tight fit? What make car seats are you using?
Apologies for so many questions!
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Hi moonshine,
I suspect there were *probably* some quality issues on the early models (as with many cars) - friends of ours have a May-06 model and there have been a few niggly issues, nothing mechanical though. I've always been one to wait a year or two until early release issues are ironed out :-)
Three seats in the middle row are no problem at all (unlike my 04 Mondeo) and getting seatbelts connected/disconnected doesn't scrape your knuckles. Our seats are:
1) Group 0 - Maxi-Cosi Cabrio
2) Group 1 - Maxi-Cosi Priori XP
3) Group 2 - Graco Logico
Are you looking to buy new/near new/used? One thing that surprised me was the high prices of the near new models (when compared to new broker prices). In the end we got ours through dealdrivers, as it was about the same price as a 6-12 month old Ford Direct model.
Also note - ESP (traction control) was only standard after May-07 (I think), prior to that it was an option. That was another reason for us going new.
Good luck with the decision making process!
Cheers,
Matt
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Matt - thanks for the feedback.
We have 2 Maxi-Cosi seats plus baby seat so a very similar setup to what you have.
We would be looking to by used/nearly new.
Local ford dealer wanted £18k for a 2007 2.5 Titanium, prices on autotrader suggest £15k is more realistic.
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Myself and a friend both manage this well in our VW Tourans. I've had mine from new (over 4 years), and it's very reliable and cheap to run in 1.9TDi form. So long as you can find a good local independent specialist to avoid the horrific dealer servicing prices......
You can't go wrong with a Touran, I reckon.
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The Touran looks to be the cheapest to run, but as we will only cover about 5k miles a year the running costs wont be so much of an issue.
I think the VW certainly has a better quality feel to it, the Ford did seem to have too much silver plastic and gimmicks for my liking.
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I've had an S-Max since April 07 and done 52,000 miles since. Nothing gone wrong (except arm rest wasn't fully tightened up when leaving factory - 5 minute fix under warranty). Averaged over 45MPG on mostly motorway driving. No squeaks or rattles in the cabin.
It is MUCH bigger inside than people think and I would recommend one. Mine is the 1.8 diesel and it's fine but if you are a sporty driver, get the 2.0.
If you want any more info, PM me.
PS - It is a bit heavy on tyres if you get the 18" wheels and also the 18" wheels make the turning circle carp!!!
Good luck.
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How about a VW Sharan or a SEAT Alhambra? That way you get three proper rear seats that can fit any restraint and a huge boot (with the 2 rearmost seats removed) This works for us (we have an 05 Ford Galaxy)
This model must be due for replacement soon so there may be some bargains.
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It is MUCH bigger inside than people think and I would recommend one. Mine is the 1.8 diesel and it's fine but if you are a sporty driver get the 2.0.
I would certainly agree with this, I was surprised at how spacious it was inside, the headroom seemed to be especially good - something you think about when lifting the young-uns in and out of the car.
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What the op needs is a Honda FRV, as recomended by my little brother. Three kids, all in child seats, fit fine in the back and there is (just) room for three grown ups in the front, When they are travelling five up the centre front seat is also a good way to split the kids up.
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I did look at the FRV, but wifey didnt like the 3-3-0 layout. I thought 3 seats in the front was rather neat, but then I'm not the boss....
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Honda FRV is nice, but expensive and there will be fights over who gets the third front seat and you'll have buttons pushed on every journey
I've had a Touran for 4 years since new and it's an excellent car for 3 kids. I just bought a C8, which is a tad larger, but I needed the flexibility, so the Touran has been relegated for short journeys now, but it is still used and loved for it's excellent pull and economy.
I looked at the Grand Picasso, and it is a lovely car. I'm very impressed with the Citroen and I would certainly say if I had the choice again of a mid-MPV, the 2 going head to head would be the Picasso and the Touran.
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