A car to fit 3 child seats in a row?

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Thu 17 May 2012 14:04
A car to fit 3 child seats in a row? - VickiA

Hi, I have seen quite a few useful posts on this forum when searching for a car so thought Id see if anyone here had any advice.

I am expecting my 3rd child and currently have a Zafira which wont take all 3 car seats accross the middle, allowing enough room to acces the seatbelts, and also the middle belt is a lap belt.

I have been looking for weeks for a suitable car, firstly I wanted a small 7 seater with the intention to never use the boot seats but handy if I ever return to Childminding. I wanted one that was lower insurance and tax too - looked at renault grand scenics but heard horror stories about electrical problems so not sure now. Then Toyota Corolla Verso but read many stories of the mtt problems with the gear box's and was really put off as I don't want to be stranded and not be able to change gear!

I don't need a big people carrier right now, if we have a 4th child in the future it would be in about 4/5 years time and I would get a van style 7 seater.

So I need an in between car for the next few years that will accomodate a high backed booster seat for my 4 year old, a toddler seat for my 18 month old and a baby seat for the newborn. Preferably a 7 seater but cheap to run, but am now considering a 5 seater as I could always use the front seat if I childmind as would only take on 1 other child anyway. But can't really find a 5 seater to accomodate all 3 seats apart from the Picasso which I really dislike!

Am I expecting too much? Budget around £4k and something reliable, cheap to run and tax/insurance, good safety record..........

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Thu 17 May 2012 15:03
A car to fit 3 child seats in a row? - redthemusiclover

I've got 3 girls under the age of 5, and use a 2003 Nissan Almera Tino which comfortably fits three Mothercare Motion seats along the back seat. Also, the two outer seats are Isofix which was great when my twin girls were in rear-facing infant carriers. Last year we bought a 2008 Ford Galaxy, mainly because we needed extra legroom, but the Tino is still a great car if I just need to transport 1 or 2 girls anywhere. Oh and it's never broken down and averages 35mpg from a 1.8 litre petrol motor. I love it...

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Thu 17 May 2012 15:23
A car to fit 3 child seats in a row? - VickiA

Thanks for your reply, Ill have a look into that.

I do worry about loosing the space, but its only for a few years and my OH has a 6 seater van we use at the weekends.

Im off to see a Ford Focus C Max 5 seater this pm and taking the car seats to see if they fit in.

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Thu 17 May 2012 15:27
A car to fit 3 child seats in a row? - Oli rag

Another vote for the Nissan tino, had mine 4 years and it seems bullet proof. I admit it's not good to look at from some angles, but then again neither am I!

If you do buy one make sure it has a full service history, keep this up and you won't have any problems. Any bad reviews you may find are I suspect relating to timing chain trouble, which can occur if the oil isn't changed on time.

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Thu 17 May 2012 16:02
A car to fit 3 child seats in a row? - Sam49

Had that 1.8 engine in an Almera Sport hatch. Great workhorse - I took it from 50,000 to 120,000 before the car was written off in a shunt. No major problems, no timing chain issues but, as above, it was serviced regularly.

Tinos go up to about 2005 and are well within the 4k budget I would have thought.

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Thu 17 May 2012 17:03
A car to fit 3 child seats in a row? - Bromptonaut

A berlingo or Partner has three proper adult seats in rear and ought to be able to take three kids but would depend on seat type. I think you may need to take seats to a dealer and experiment.

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Thu 17 May 2012 17:23
A car to fit 3 child seats in a row? - VickiA

Thanks for all the replies, so I went to see the c max and tried in my car seats, I could get them all in with the baby car seat on the outer edge, then the high backed booster in the middle and the 9 month plus one on the outher outer egde which meant I could get to all the seat buckles. But if I had to use 2 9 month plus seats and a high backed booster then I wouldnt be able to acces all the buckles easily. But I think I would find this in all 5 seaters unless the high backed booster went in the middle but then the eldest has to squeeze through to get in it. So I think for that set up I would need a big 7 seater like a Galaxy, or possible one of the ones with a sliding middle seat to stagger the seats, like a Renault Grand Scenic.......

Very hard, my partner always goes on about the reliability of Fords etc. but if I got a c max Id loose the extra seats and space, but I would save on insurance and tax.

The nissans look good value for money for our budget so will talk to my partner about that tonight.

Thanks

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Thu 17 May 2012 17:35
A car to fit 3 child seats in a row? - Happy Blue!

You need a smaller Galaxy (shorted but no narrower). So look at the Ford S-Max. I am very happy with mine and no reliability issues.

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Thu 17 May 2012 19:34
A car to fit 3 child seats in a row? - VickiA

Does anyone know if the 5 seater Renault Megane 2005 reg has the same electrical problems as the Renault Grand Scenic? I like the look of the Renault and safety rating etc. but am wondering if the 5 seater version gets me away from the bad reviews of the handbrake and dashboard problems?

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Thu 17 May 2012 23:59
A car to fit 3 child seats in a row? - GavoTheSane

how about citroen xara picasso or c4 picasso? peugeot 307 sw has 3 full size rear seats too by the look of it.

my wife and i are having a similar debate on which car to get.

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Fri 18 May 2012 00:22
A car to fit 3 child seats in a row? - Avant

An S-Max is ideal but I don't think you'll get one for £4k.

The Almera Tino sounds like a good suggestion but there may not be many to choose from. If you're happy with a manual gearbox the Toyota Verso is well worth a look: semi-automatic gearboxes like the MMT are the invention of the devil and most Verso buyers will have sensibly plumped for the manual. There's also the Mazda 5: I can't remember how long these have been in production and therefore whether they are around for £4k.

Any used car purchase is something of a gamble, but choosing a Japanese car with a petrol engine gives you a better chance of getting a good one than buying anything French. That said, Citroens seem to have a better reputation than Peugeots or Renaults, and a Picasso is another possibility. In this case the diesel engine id s good long-lasting one without DPF.

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Fri 18 May 2012 12:09
A car to fit 3 child seats in a row? - Jase

My sister has a C4 Grand Picasso and that can take her 3 full size car seats across. Looking on Autotrader they seem to be starting at the £4k mark now.

Our C-Max can just about fit 3 across but getting to the seat belt buckle is a real pain.

How about a 6 seater like a Honda FR-V? These are very clever cars and start at under £4k. Petrol Japanese car is a good bet for reliability - much better than French. FR-V will drive better than a C4, which is like boating rather than driving.

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Fri 18 May 2012 14:39
A car to fit 3 child seats in a row? - Happy Blue!

That si a good suggestion, the FRV.

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Fri 18 May 2012 15:55
A car to fit 3 child seats in a row? - NARU

What about a multi mac seat (3 child seats in one unit, just goes across the entire width of the rear seat in the car. Would allow you to keep the zafira.

They even do a 4-seater version for larger cars

Edited by Marlot on 18/05/2012 at 15:57

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Fri 18 May 2012 21:02
A car to fit 3 child seats in a row? - daveyjp
Don't dismiss the Multipla. Multimac looks seriously lacking to me when compared to a proper child seat.
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