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Child Item

Looking to buy spacious car with 3 isofix points

westsidestory

We'll shortly have 3 nippers under 16 months and need to buy a car that can fit 3 isofix points together in middle row of a 7 seater or equivalent. Going to need a spacious boot to fit buggies etc.

Budget €20-25k with no trade in, electric not an option. Expecting to hold onto car for 10 years or so.

Have only started looking but need to act quickly!!! All advice greatly appreciated.

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Oafley Jones

westsidestory wrote: »

We'll shortly have 3 nippers under 16 months and need to buy a car that can fit 3 isofix points together in middle row of a 7 seater or equivalent. Going to need a spacious boot to fit buggies etc.

Budget €20-25k with no trade in, electric not an option. Expecting to hold onto car for 10 years or so.

Have only started looking but need to act quickly!!! All advice greatly appreciated.

Sharan/Alhambra purely for the sliding doors. The advantage they alone give over other people carriers can’t be emphasised enough with your age group. Trust me, as some one who had three under three the ability to easily get travel systems locked in place/ kids strapped in when some one has parked right on top of you is a god send. I know people really like the smax and less so the galaxy but having had them on holidays they just don’t compare when you’ve very small kids that need help getting in.

It has 5 full size isofix seats in the back and the load capacity is excellent. Integrated boosters were also really useful as the kids got older. The only negative for our sharan was that it was prone to stupid reliability issues.

Jonesy101

Skoda Superbs have absolutely enormous boots and are wide and still look like a normal car. Maybe you dont need 7 seats if uve just got 3 kids.
You get a great spec for your money and low tax.

Oafley Jones

Jonesy101 wrote: »

Skoda Superbs have absolutely enormous boots and are wide and still look like a normal car. Maybe you dont need 7 seats if uve just got 3 kids.
You get a great spec for your money and low tax.

He needs three full independent seats in the middle with the age group. We’d a Superb and while it was a great car, it honestly they just don’t compare to an MPV. The Superb has a great boot and legroom but it just doesn’t have the width, which is where you need the space.

bazz26

Your problem is going to be with fitting 3 baby seats across the back row, you will struggle to find any standard car that will fit 3 baby seats side by side together irrespective of how many ISOFIX fittings they have. You really need something like a MPV with 3 individual rear seats that fit a baby seat in each. Ford S Max, current model Peugeot 5008, Renault Grand Scenic come to mind.

CharlieCroker

I'd go Seat Alhambra as well. We've a Grand Picasso and the back doors are massive. Does everything else well though.

Have a look at the Peugeot Partner, VW Caddy Life etc too. Van based but sliding doors and hugely practical.

seamus

For a start you're going to need to leave your ego at the door on this one, because none of the options in this category are sexy

I've a Grand Picasso and it's great. Tonnes of room everywhere, insane boot space. Tried out an S-Max too, not bad at all, but felt a little cramped in the cockpit.

I too would recommend the sliding doors. We get on OK because only one of ours kids is really small, but the hassle in a car park. Especially when you're really careful not to hit the car beside you, then one of the kids pushes the door getting out and smacks it anyway... :rolleyes:

Wossack

superb does have 3 isofix in the back, however may not have the width for 3x larger seats (may not be an issue now they're young, but may be when they're bigger)
I think practicality wise, getting a kid strapped into the middle seat, I'd want something tall roofed, so you're not killing yourself - so again be ruling out the superb (or any other saloon/estate style). I'd say you're firmly in the mpv camp here I think

C4 picasso / spacetourer
ford s-max/galaxy
alhambra/sharan
vw touran - I didnt see mentioned, and I believe well regarded
peug 5008

screamer

Have a vw sharan. All 5 rear seats have isofix. Sliding door is worth it’s weight in gold and I can only say go and try one out. If you’re doing long distances in it, look for the 2 litre diesel, I found the 1.6 diesels underpowered.
If you’re done at 3 kids, you could look at the slightly smaller boot in the 5 seater touran, which you’ll get in petrol also. Nothing compares to people passengers for hauling kids and their stuff. HTH.

westsidestory

Some very good advice there thanks everyone, as I see it my main issue is getting a car that can fit 3 isofix car seats across the 1 line of seats.

The recommendation on the sliding door sounds like something we need to heed.

Have looked at the Seat Alhambra and Ford Galaxy, they are both nicely spacious with the Galaxy a nice interior design but the Alhambra has the sliding doors. The Alhambra & Sharan are going to be discontinued shortly apparently.

Oafley Jones

westsidestory wrote: »

Some very good advice there thanks everyone, as I see it my main issue is getting a car that can fit 3 isofix car seats across the 1 line of seats.

The recommendation on the sliding door sounds like something we need to heed.

Have looked at the Seat Alhambra and Ford Galaxy, they are both nicely spacious with the Galaxy a nice interior design but the Alhambra has the sliding doors. The Alhambra & Sharan are going to be discontinued shortly apparently.

They’re already gone. They’re just selling through existing inventory now. When we bought ours in 2017 I was convinced it was soon to be discontinued. They’d been producing it for almost 7 years at that point and nearly every option came “free” with it. Sure sign of a close out model. But no, it’s persisted till last month.

It’s madness they haven’t a direct replacement. Sure they don’t have the cross market appeal of an suv and there’s some van tourer filling the gap, while they await the Buzz, but they were still selling them, there’s at least 4 newer ones at our school collection.

I’m going to bang the sliding door drum again. Take your travel system to whatever you’re looking at, and try to fit it in with the doors opened like in your regular multi-storey.

westsidestory

Oafley Jones wrote: »

They’re already gone. They’re just selling through existing inventory now. When we bought ours in 2017 I was convinced it was soon to be discontinued. They’d been producing it for almost 7 years at that point and nearly every option came “free” with it. Sure sign of a close out model. But no, it’s persisted till last month.

It’s madness they haven’t a direct replacement. Sure they don’t have the cross market appeal of an suv and there’s some van tourer filling the gap, while they await the Buzz, but they were still selling them, there’s at least 4 newer ones at our school collection.

I’m going to bang the sliding door drum again. Take your travel system to whatever you’re looking at, and try to fit it in with the doors opened like in your regular multi-storey.

Heard mention of the European family size angle causing them to leave market, the Covid/post-Covid baby boom will cause a spike in 7 seater demand maybe.

wingnut

westsidestory wrote: »

Heard mention of the European family size angle causing them to leave market, the Covid/post-Covid baby boom will cause a spike in 7 seater demand maybe.

Sad to say buyers are choosing SUV style crossover 7 seaters based on looks while these traditional SUVs are way more practical.

How are people with older sharans (2011/2012) finding them reliability wise. I've poured lots into my older galaxy kind of want rid.

[Deleted User]

German table of cars with space for 3 children's seats.
https://www.adac.de/rund-ums-fahrzeug/tests/kindersicherheit/drei-kindersitze-rueckbank/
Nobody is mentioning the Renault Scenic.

youcancallmeal

We bought a new Peugeot 5008 in January as we needed 3 isofix across the back. Very happy with it so far. Haven't used the 3rd row yet but might do as the kids get older. The extra boot space over a 3008(also has 3 isofix) is great right now though. We have a 2017 Skoda Superb as well and it definitely doesn't have 3 isofix, maybe the newer ones do?

We looked into getting a 2nd hand Alhambra, Picasso, 5008, Galaxy etc but simply couldn't find a petrol one which is a must have for us with primarily city driving.