Big saloon cars - any good at all for 2 adults and 3 children?

NIMAN

I was wondering if any of the bigger saloon cars like Avensis, Octavia, Superb, Passat etc are suitable for 3 children in the back, if all require some sort of child seat?

From what I can see on most of the pictures, there appears to be only 2 real distinct rear seats, although there is a 3rd seatbelt but is there any child seat that would fit this gap?

road_high

Growing in the 80s I dunno how the 3 of us survived with a Fiesta (3 door) and then a Kadett with no rear safety belts (even if they were there, unlikely to be worn!!) going allover the country...
Seriously, I think cars like the Superb would have more than adequate space. Also better value than a Quashqui or something "family".

NIMAN

Thanks for that.

I have never actually been in a Superb but I wonder if a child seat would physically sit in that middle area? Some cars seem to be a little convex in that area, almost to accentuate the two concave seats either site (hope you understand what I am trying to illustrate here).

mickdw

The larger ones should be fine but im told it can be a bit of an effort to reach in with kid/strap kid in to middle seat.

dgt

I thought this was going to be a thread on S class, 7 series and XJ's. Thread title disappoint

miller50841

Probably best go for a Ford Galaxy or VW Sharon or similar plenty of room and fold rear seats when not needed.

darragh_haven

dgt wrote: »

I thought this was going to be a thread on S class, 7 series and XJ's. Thread title disappoint

It's not the Willie waving thread you had hoped...........

Matt Simis

dgt wrote: »

I thought this was going to be a thread on S class, 7 series and XJ's. Thread title disappoint

I thought that too, then remembered and this is Boards.ie and downgraded accordingly = no disappoint.
Avensis.. pah!

Superb on the otherhand looks decently big in the rear, though that middle seat looks uncomfortable:

NIMAN

dgt wrote: »

I thought this was going to be a thread on S class, 7 series and XJ's. Thread title disappoint

Believe me, I'm more disappointed than you.:D

I can only dream of driving a car like that now.

R.O.R

I checked the rear shoulder space in a few cars for a customer last year, and the Superb Estate is a couple of inches narrower than the Volvo XC70.

We have a V70 and that does have 3 proper width seats in the back, no armrest in the centre at the rear (which I do find a bit strange) makes it in to a proper seat. I had a look in an S80 we have here in the garage and that does have the armrest, so the centre seat isn't as usuable. In the V70 it's more or less flat across the back, in the S80 it's more contoured for rear passenger comfort.

Have 2 bulky child seats in the V70 at the moment, and I'd say there is room for a booster in between. Have 2 bulky child seats in my 5 series at the moment, and I doubt you get anything other than a very skinny arse in between.

sean1141

My friend has a b5.5 passat with 2 baby seats and a booster seat fitted. Sister has a corolla verso with 3baby seats in it

Turbulent Bill

Whatever about the size of the rear seat, I'd be inclined to look at a hatchback rather than a saloon. It's usually much easier to load/unload the mountains of gear than kids use in these compared to a saloon, though I think the Superb has a split tailgate thing.

NIMAN

Any Golf Plus owners on here?

Can that accommodate 3 child seats?

NIMAN

Since I started this thread I have seen a couple of people, one who visited my own home, load 3 children into cars you wouldn't think as suitable.

One was an A4, the other a Peugeot 306 !!:eek:

yop

NIMAN wrote: »

Since I started this thread I have seen a couple of people, one who visited my own home, load 3 children into cars you wouldn't think as suitable.

One was an A4, the other a Peugeot 306 !!:eek:

You'd be surprised what the butt of the heel will do when getting kids into seats. They are awful compact them kids!

munchkin_utd

NIMAN wrote: »

Since I started this thread I have seen a couple of people, one who visited my own home, load 3 children into cars you wouldn't think as suitable.

One was an A4, the other a Peugeot 306 !!:eek:

aigh, but if you have 2 baby isofix seats anchored bang in the centre of the 2 outside seats theres very little space then left in the middle between the seats.
And because its isofix you have zero flexibility in shoving the buggers towards the doors where theres tons of wasted space that you'd prefer to have in the middle.

if you are talking about booster seats or bigger seats attached with the seatbelt then you can be creative about getting in more than 2 humans in the back seat.
Now that I think of it, I once had the newborn in the maxi-cosi infant seat attached by straps our then 2 year old in the reasonably large maxi-cosi priori in the middle and to one side leaving just about enough space on the other side for the mother in law (who'd be a size 16 or 18 so not the most svelte of ladies).
We have a ford focus estate so its a normal back seat, not an smax or hummer or the likes.