Three in the back..!!

Caribs

Not as exciting as it sounds.

Three kids on the way and need to find a car that can take three baby/child seats across the back preferably with a three point restraint in the middle. Anyone know if the Megane Estate or Octavia Estate is wide enough..??

Thanks for any info or pointers

smash

sounds like you'll need an MPV.

Paul (MN)

I wouldnt.
You should be looking at a Passat/Mondeo or Mazda 6
Or a Superb will give more space too.

smash

would they fit 3 seats in the back? baby seats are pretty wide to squeeze them in.

gyppo

Fiat Multipla anyone?:D

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carid=255257
If you can come to terms with the looks, a very good car, especially in diesel.


Or how about the Honda F-RV?

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=462877

smash

jesus the multipla is hideous....

Carzone MPV list

Kashkai

I've recently gone from one child to three with the arrival of twins. I had a jeep that most people would think big enough but most people don't appreciate how wide baby seats are as they usually don't have to put three on the back seat at any one time.

We traded in the jeep for a Renault Grand Scenic. This is a 7 seater where the two seats in the boot fold completely flat when you're not using them leaving you with a massive boot (which we need with a double buggy).

There are three individual seats in lieu of the usual bench seat in the second row and all are set up to teke the "isofix" fittings for babyseats. The car has multiple airbags front and rear and all seven seats are 3 point inertial reel seatbelts. The car also got 5 stars on the NCAP crash tests.

My wife is very happy with this car as it doesn't feel as bulky as the jeep and has loads of little extras such as built in window blinds in the rear to keep the sun out of the babies faces. The 2 seats in the boot are also handy when my oldest daughter's friends want to visit. Finally, my wife likes being able to place the kids straight in to the back of the car without having to bend down as its higher than a traditional car. This point is important as a lot of women get sore backs after carrying babies for nine months.

The price range is 27,500 - 32,000 for a new one.

Best of luck:)

tribesman

The Grand Scenic is a very practical machine alright. The individual seats and built in sun screens are nice touches.

They are fairly pricey though so if you're looking for a cheaper secondhand alternative you could consider the Citroen Picasso. It has three individual seats in the back, each with a three point seatbelt. The outer two have isofix, as does the front passenger seat.

Its only a five seater so you'd think that its no better than an estate but he extra height makes it much easier to put the children in and out. I'm fairly sure it would be more difficult to put a child in the centre car seat of an estate. I'm not sure you can fit three child seats on a bench seat anyway.

Another handy feature is that the gear lever is dash mounted so you can climb back between the seats fairly easily. You still need to be fairly agile but its much easier than it would be in an estate.

Its a 4 star NCAP which isn't bad for a car introduced in 2000.

Only complaint is that the 1.6 is a bit underpowered.

Multipla sounds like a good option too. That has an extra seat up front which could be handy if you need to bring Granny along, or if 3 become 4.

TheBazman

It probably doesnt help but I know an Audi A4 isnt wide enough but an A6 is

Caribs

Not sure the boss could take the sniggers driving around in the Multipla but the Grand Scenic sounds good. Had been thinking along the lines of the mondeo but deffo need the big boot too for buggies and kitchen sink etc.

Whats the boot like in the Scenic when the back seats are up, just in case another one comes along in a moment of weakness. Might just buy a coach at that stage..!!!

Paul (MN)

It might be easier to change your 3 car seats to ones that are narrower (some of them have a large padded "wings") than spending 30k+ on a new car.

I have seen a Passat with 3 seats in the back. Not easy to fit them all but it can be done.

Also depends on the type of seat... if it's for 1-3 years olds they are usually wider than the ones that are just bosster seats with a backing.

samo

Would agree with Paul (MN) as it depends on how big the seats are - We have a new style Mondeo that fits a Britax 1st stage (eg Eclipse model from arppox 6 months) and 2 booster seats, befroe that the rock a tot and 2 booster seats. Car seat previously used didnt fit with the 2 boosters though (a bebe confort car seat)

The Mondeo estate is even more practical again as the boot is absolutely cavernous but even the hatch/saloon is fine for a large buggy and all the bits and pieces to accompany 3 kids!

One of our neighbours has the Octavia estate and just looking at it, it seems much smaller than the bac of our Mondeo seat wise.

colm_mcm

A Corolla Verso will do three child seats in the back, and it's not as scary looking as the Grand Scenic

(eek!)

franksm

Or if you want to live a little, put a bit of style in your life

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280019411870





Never mind the miles, those Mercs happily go on to twice that

Dilbert75

I'd second the Picasso - have the 1.6 petrol and, although underpowered, it must be close to being the perfect family car. Walk through cabin, high seating, 3 individual seats in the rear with full belts, even has Scotchguard on the seats - makes cleaning up the inevitable vom much easier, if not any more pleasant (the rear seats even lift out very easily and individually). I'd recommend the 1.6 diesel if its within your budget.

I would also go for the Multipla diesel or the FRV, depending again on your budget (FRV is much newer and will cost you more). Either way, a high-up MPV type will be much easier on your back than a car-type - remember how often you'll lift the little ones in and out.

BTW, wouldn't be a big fan of skimping on the child seats to make them fit into the car you already have. Many saloon cars have sculpted seat bases which mean that child seats don't sit well if they're not simply left and right - the middle one gets pushed up and doesn't sit nicely.

If you do go Octavia, though, we also have one of them - commuting car. Fine beast so far (touch wood).

Victor

Caribs wrote:

Three kids on the way and need to find a car that can take three baby/child seats across the back preferably with a three point restraint in the middle.

Don't some vehicles now have 4-point restraint of the back seat?

unkel

I don't like MPVs. I'd go out of my way to find a hatchback / stationwagon that fitted 3 seats.

franksm wrote:

Or if you want to live a little, put a bit of style in your life

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280019411870

Something like that. Bargain. Import that, pay the VRT, drive it for 2 years and sell it on for a profit

If I was tortured into buying an MPV, it'd be a Multipla. The 2*3 seats is really very clever

Kashkai

While the Picasso has a good rep amongst my friends and colleagues who have one, they are being replaced shortly and will lose value (you might pick up a good deal on this model before the new one arrives though).

The Grand Scenic's boot is huge with the rear two seats folded and is still fairly large with one of the rear seats up. When all seats are in use, the space left at the back between the rear seats and the hatch is big enough for the weekly shopping or a buggy or a couple of suitcases.

The Grand Scenic also has storage holds under the floor front and rear which are large enough to hold books, games, PSP (thats portable playstations), cameras etc.

The middle row of seats are wide enough to take the three child seats so I wouldn't compromise and try to squeeze three seats into a regular saloon. I know we might bitch about the kids from time to time but you want them to be totally protected if the worst happens and you are in a crash. I already mentioned that the Grand Scenic has curtain airbags to protect the rear seat passengers.

If you don't want the 7 seater, try the regular Scenic which is about €4,000 less that the Grand Scenic. The boot is large in this model as well but you miss out on the extra seats if you need them for family/friends.

Another poster mentioned the Corrolla Verso. I test drove this car and while nice to drive, it didn't have all the extra goodies as the Renault and it was more cramped. Try sitting in the middle row of seats in both cars and you'll notice the difference. I'm 5ft 11in and my knees were pressed against the drivers seat in the Corrolla whereas I can stretch my legs out in the Renault and only my feet and ankles touch the drivers seat. This extra space is useful if you have to get into the back seats to attend to one of the kids because while its a tight fit, you can get in in the Renault but this wouldn't be possible in the Corrolla. The rear seats in the Renault also slide back and forth to give you extra room in the second or third row depending on where you want it.

Finally, as the gear lever is on the dashboard in the Renault and as it has no handbrake (an automatic handbrake that I thought was gimmicky at first but now love it), this gives you a huge storage pocket between the front seats. Its amazing how much stuff you can store in there.

Look at Renault.ie to check out the Grand Scenic.

loyatemu

we have a regular Scenic, and even with the three individual seats in the back we have had a lot of trouble find 3 child seats that fit in together, and ended up having to replace one of our existing ones because it was too wide. Scenic is a very nice, practical car though (if a tad under-powered)

the problem with most saloons is that even though they may have 3 seatbelts in the back the seat itself is laid out as 2 seats, with a hump in the middle. This makes it very difficult to safely install a childseat in the middle.

we looked at 7 seaters but with the back row of seats in, none of them have very much boot space left, and the back row is also very close to the back of the car (a bit worrying if you're rear-ended). Of course if you have more than 3 kids then you have no choice (unless your one of those fools who just lets their kids travel loose in the car!)

tribesman

Prosperous Dave wrote:

While the Picasso has a good rep amongst my friends and colleagues who have one, they are being replaced shortly and will lose value

Absolutely. I wouldn't recommend a Picasso as a new car. The game has moved on a lot since 2000.

We bought a 2001 model last year. It is good if compared against the models available around that time. It is safer than the old model Zafira. It has a bigger middle seat than the old model Scenic. It looks better (according to my wife) than the Multipla.

If you're looking at new cars then the Mazda 5 could be worth a look. It has sliding doors in the rear which would be very handy when loading and unloading kids in a carpark.

Dilbert75

What the OP needs to consider, given that 3 babies are on the way, is boot space. In that context, how about a Galaxy/Alhambra/Sharan and removing the rear two seats? Presumably a double buggy and a single buggy will reside in the boot wherever you go?

colm_mcm

tribesman wrote:

If you're looking at new cars then the Mazda 5 could be worth a look. It has sliding doors in the rear which would be very handy when loading and unloading kids in a carpark.

unfortunately the Mazda5 is 1.8 only, with no 1.6 which means poor resale value. nice package though,

ninty9er

get a Previa. It'll leave room for 2 more moments of weakness, not multiples though,AND Shock Horror... It has a boot;)

colm_mcm

You won't have any money left for more babies after shelling out for a Previa!

Dilbert75

Mazda 5 only has 2.5 seats in the back - same problem as an ordinary saloon.

colm_mcm

Corolla Verso will do the job without looking like a complete Mammy bus!


(shameless plug)

Dilbert75

Final advice - whatever you get, make sure it has aircon. Three kids in a hot car which heats like a glasshouse does not make for a good game of happy families.

Caribs

Plenty of food for thought..!! Not sure I like the idea of going for narrower baby seats to squeeze them in as if there was a smash I'd rather have the best protection possible even if it means shelling out a few extra quid. We'll be spending like mad anyway with buggies etc so may just sell the other kidney and be done with it.

Had been toying with the idea of going down to the scenic rather than grand but thanks for the posts about that. In the end we may just compromise with a slightly older model to suit the budget. Wont be a '06 or '07 methinks.

Lex Luthor

Honda FR-V has 3 full size seats in the back and 3 across the front, so you can keep the baby in the front for the first few months in the middle if you want to

1.7 petrol or 2.2 diesel is available up North