XP: Pls Help!! Does ANY car fit 3 baby carseats in the back seat?

Eimhin

OK, here's what the scenario is.
We have 2 kids (3yo and 1yo) and one on the way. I have an Opel Corsa and it fits out Bebe Confort Axiss and our Brevi Grand Prix car seat with about 10 inches spare between them. My hubbie has a Fiat Sceicento and when the carseats are in that, theres about 1 inch between the seats. So we have no room for a third seat. Inless we put the 3rd car seat on the front seat and disable the airbags or take 2 cars everywhere.

As like most of the country, we're skint, so buying a big people carrier is a no no (unless someone wants to swap 2 cars for one?)

So can you suggest a car that will fit 3 seats in the back thats cheapish? I don't really care how old it is as long as its working and safe.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Oh and anything but a Multipla!!!

shrapnel222

a second hand corolla verso? opel meriva or zafira? they have 2 additional seats in the back. very few cars would be a wide enough to accomodate 3 in the back to be honest, bar the multipla!!!:P

barbiegirl

I've done some research on this one a Citroen C4 and Honda FRV, Seat Altea XL and the Peugeot 307 SW all proport on the net anyway to be able to handle 3 seats.

noby

We have two booster seats with backs on them, and a baby seat. The booster seats were the slimmest we could get, and all three in the back of an Opel Zafira is a tight squeeze.

This is the booster seat we have:


The base is a bit narrower than regular ones.
I couldn't see us fitting three baby seats in the back, or even two and a booster.
If your budget could stretch to it a seven seater is ideal, as one child can sit 'in the boot'.


Edit: Whatever the manufacturer says on the website, I wouldn't be happy without at least going to a dealer with measurements, or ultimately going with the car seats to fit them in yourself.

bazwaldo

Before we had 4 and needed to the get an MPV, we managed with a Skoda Octavia (01). It was a bit of a pain in the arse to close the belt on the booster seat but the other 2 seats (for baby and 2 year old) had their own belts. Once those 2 seats we in place, there was no more opening and closing of the actual car belts.

Its important how you position the seats. The largest base on one side, the booster on the other side and other seat in the middle. Btw, when I say booster, I mean its a full seat with a back etc, it just uses the car seat belt.

And the boot is massive on the Octavia so it held 2 buggies at once, plus shopping, nappy bags.... They should be reasonable 2nd hand, as they are reasonable new.

mossieh

Bought a Volvo V70 estate last year for this reason. It's a tight fit but it works. the V70 also has an option for two small seats in the rear compartment so you could put two older kids in there if necessary.You can get a 7/8 year old V70 for handy money, which is what we did. Much better to drive than an mpv.

Moonbeam

Any car with 3 back seats and 3 full seat belts should do you.
Most of them will have 2 isofix points and then the middle seat just has a seat belt.
The problem I for see is the size of the boot.
I drive a Nissan Primera,it has room for 3 car seats but good luck getting stuff for a weekend away for 3 children in the boot.

littlebitdull

I have an opel vectra and we have on rare occasions fit two booster seats and a baby seat across the back. Its a very tight fit, but we have done it.

If your going to have to change the car anyway - and it does look likely - your probably better advised to try for an mpv - second hand cars are shooting down in price.

I'm with you on the mulipa - yuck!

littlebitdull

BTW ... its only been rare occasions as my two of my own three kids are well out of car seats now. So it's been on the times when I have been minding other kids...

mymo

Nissan Tino (was replaced by the Note). Friend has one, it can easily fit 3 adults in back. She had 3 car seats, one booster with back, one booster no back and a baby seat. also has a big boot and as it's higher and roomier than normal hatchback loads of leg room. I think they're pretty cheap, Almera engine so reliable, but don't see lots of them around.
Whatever you look at try the seats in it first, before you buy as the seats can vary in width from one brand to the other.

John Mason

i had a 94 Seat Ibiza and was able to get 2 baby seats and booster seat in no problem

i actually managed to get the dog in there as well

Ddad

I had to do loads of research on this a while back. Same position with the three year old the one year old and one on the way. I ended up with a peugeot 307 SW for a few reasons. Zafiras are horrible cars to look at and drive, I wasn't gone on most ordinary saloon cars as most of them have a two seat plus a small middle bench configuration in the back. Most of these cars will take the seats i.e. two baby and one booster but it's hard to get the seats fitted properly. A badly fitted seat is a dangerous thing.

Anyway the 307 has three individual seats in the middle row. The middle one is narrower so best for a booster and they all come with aircon and a big glass roof that is great for keeping kids from being car sick. They have a great boot, an option for two more seats in the boot (I have one) and integrated roof bars so puuting on a box for the holidays is a cinch.If your on a budget go for the petrol 1.6 and if you have a few quid seek out the 1.5 Hdi only available on newer (more expensive models). If you go up north or to the UK you'll pick a good one up and cover all of the remaining expenses for uner 5k.

They also drive like a car not a van with seats. Big plus for the supermarkets and country roads.

loyatemu

Renault Scenic will do this, as will most mini-MPVs with 3 seperate seats in the back (Mazda 5, C-Max etc) - the main catch is that some child-seats are wider than others, you may have to try a few different seats to get one which fit. Fiat multipla is another option - it is wider than most cars and has 3 fronts seats and 3 back seats.

Lockster

It maybe a little too new and expensive for you at the moment, but the Ford S-Max can do it no problem. It has three individual full size seats across the back and then another two seats in the boot if required.

parsi

+1 for the 307SW.

The 3 middle seats can move forward indepdently so you get more wiggle room for fitting seats. AT one stage we had two Britax Freeways and a booster.

The 1.6 diesel is sweet and it drives like a car unlike the Scenic which drives like an elephant.

crosstownk

parsi wrote: »

+1 for the 307SW.

The 3 middle seats can move forward indepdently so you get more wiggle room for fitting seats. AT one stage we had two Britax Freeways and a booster.

The 1.6 diesel is sweet and it drives like a car

As does the Citroën C4 Picasso. All rear seats (middle row in the 7 seat version) are independent and can move forward independent of each other. The 1.6 HDi in the C4 Picasso is identical to that in the Peugeot 307 as both cars are built by PSA Peugeot Citroën. The 307SW is more estate car than the MPV design of the C4 Picasso. The Citroën offers more boot space and in the case of the 7 seat Picasso the third row of seats fold flat to the floor when not in use unlike the 307SW.

I've driven both and of the two I'd go for the Citroën. The only problem is, if you looking for a used vehicle, the Peugeot has been around for longer whereas the C4 Picasso came out in 2007. So if you're on a tight budget the 307SW may be the one.

I also had an Opel Zafira for 18 months and while the quick-folding of the seats was excellent it was a lot less versatile than the C4 Picasso 5 seat that I had. I found the Citroën a nicer car to drive and it much more extras than the Opel. The third row of seats in the Opel have a very shallow footwell and as such are not really suitable for adults.

bored and tired

i was reading up on this inside world of wonder shop near me,

Ireland has an exemption for just your problem. Where a family has 3 young children the eldest child can sit with seat belt on in the middle with no booster or child seat.

Obviously dont take me word on it, but look it up and make sure my info is correct, It would then depend on how big your 3 year old is when number 3 arrives as to if you would leave him or her travel in car with no booster seat,

loyatemu

bored and tired wrote: »

i was reading up on this inside world of wonder shop near me,

Ireland has an exemption for just your problem. Where a family has 3 young children the eldest child can sit with seat belt on in the middle with no booster or child seat.

Obviously dont take me word on it, but look it up and make sure my info is correct, It would then depend on how big your 3 year old is when number 3 arrives as to if you would leave him or her travel in car with no booster seat,

thats not a great solution. Whether its legal or not, a 3 year old is going to be much safer in a proper booster seat.

Tipsygypsy

Ireland has an exemption for just your problem. Where a family has 3 young children the eldest child can sit with seat belt on in the middle with no booster or child seat.

This is true - its what we have had to do.

loyatemu wrote: »

thats not a great solution. Whether its legal or not, a 3 year old is going to be much safer in a proper booster seat.

Its not ideal, but for those of us who cant afford to change cars it can be the only option.

IsThatSo?

You could always get the child seat belts fitted. The only reason to use a booster seat is to ensure that the seat belt is in the correct position on the childs body so if you get the special child seat belts fitted it would work nicely with a previous posters suggestion of not using a booster seat

Not sure how much it costs to get them fitted, but its got to be cheaper than getting a new car!!!

Smylee

WE had a Zafira and it was to squishy with 3, and the back seats are useless. So now we have a VW Sharan and it is superb! Seats can be completely removed individually and there is more than enough room with 3 seat in middle row that they are not killing each other.
Good Luck