Right then, the wife and I are expecting our third child, and we want to get a car that can fit the three kids in the back.

The largest is 5 and in a high backed booster. Middle one in a forward facing child seat at present.

To get 3 seats across the back you basically need an mpv. However, all the current mpv’s seem to not be able to take isofix seat bases due to the underfloor storage boxes in the back! This rules out isofix baby carriers and isofix rear facing seats, and smaller child seats!

Anyone out there in dadtrackworld got any pearls of wisdom?

Cheers, Keith

there is someone that does a single seat thing that goes right across the back of a normal rear car seat, giving seating for 3 kids. can’t remember its name though and sure it is costly.

There is a seat system that can allow 4 children in the back of a decent sized family car. Has various inserts for different ages. It’s not cheap though.

As far as the storage boxes go can you not open them and out the support leg onto the real floor?

Echo 🙂

Our C4 Grand Picasso has three

Think with the VW you can get something which fills the gap in the underfloor storage. The Sharan fits three child seats across the middle row and option for two more on the third.

http://www.carbuyer.co.uk/reviews/recommended/best-cars-with-three-isofix-points

suggests most mpvs have 3x isofix

Once the child is in a high back booster using 3 point belts the isofix is not longer part of the restraint system. It is then purely a convient way to secure the seat in the vehicle (without it you would need the belt up the unoccupied seat to prevent it floating around).

Similarly blessed/cursed with 3 kids here.

To get 3 seats across the back you basically need an mpv.

No, you don’t. We have a Mk6 Golf estate which fits 6 y/o in a booster, 4y/o in a high back booster, 2 y/o in a class 1. They also fit in a Skoda Octavia (current model).

I asked some questions about this a while ago and the answer was basically go see what fits. Isofix is not really important IMO once you go beyond a proper “baby” seat you can click in/out and onto a pram.

When we’re all in a car together, which is surprisingly rare when you actually think about it, generally I take the middle seat in the back and 6 y/o goes in front. It’s a squeeze but I can do about 1/2 hour before I start screaming too much.

So, measure the car, try the seats to fit, change brands if necessary. Our next car will probably be wider (Superb) but having tried a 7 seat MPV (Mazda 5 and Ford Smax) there really was no benefit to running one as they’re no wider and offer no more convenience than a car – as soon as you run the back row of seats and shove a pram in, the car is full. I’d rather run a more economical, faster car. Keep the boot empty and put up with a bit of inconvenience the one time a fortnight we all travel together.

Pretty sure the Toyota Verso we had, had 3 x Isofix in the middle row…
Now, they might not set the world alight but the one we had was pretty much faultless.

Thanks all.

The bench thing is a multimac. £1500 plus ancillaries and installation, and limited safety data.

C4 picasso (and thus peugeot on same chassis) cannot take a seat with support leg according to britax, maxi-cosi etc. Also Renault scenics.

Youngest isn’t born yet so at least 5 years until all high backed boosters.

It’s less about the isofix points, more about the ability to have a seat with a support leg resting on the floor of the car.

Looks like sharan/galaxy are next on the list to look into.

Thanks all! It’s a chuffing nightmare! We could always go for a belt fit rear facing seats in the car, but being able to drop a baby carrier into a base or not have to fight a toddler past a seatbelt would be so much more convenient. While also marshaling 2 other children.

Bet that mk6 golf is tight! We have a mk7 estate and with 1 baby in a cabriofix and the eldest in a high back booster there is very little room in the middle. Definitely not enough for another child seat.

Back in the day when I had three (pre isofix) we bought a 7 seater (Shogun) and eldest went in the very back / third row. We found three in a row was chaos as as per above one of fhe adults (me usually) sat in the middle at the rear of a 5 seat car.

Boosters are not an option. No longer legally sold in UK(since about last week)

I’d love an estate, but I can hardly take one for a test drive to mothercare and have them spend an hour trying different seat combinations. Apparently volvo can be good on this,with a wide central seat. But they’re expensive to buy and run.

T5 Kombi or similar..

Its the easiest vehicle to fit 3 child seats across the back, wheel several bikes and a buggy straight into the boot and still have room for a Labrador and all the other shit we cart around. Its great being able to throw it all in the boot and drive off.

Citroen c4 grand Picasso does the job. Has provided enough back seat space for 3 kids on journeys to the Alps etc.

2 of Mine are now out of ISOFIX so thankfully we can leave MPV world as they are not the most inspiring cars to drive.

I agree with you though. I would go ISOFIX too. The safety stats that I saw indicated a big difference.

We have 3, the eldest is five, in a high back booster, the other two still in ISO fix. Think it’s difficult to fit for space that arrangement in a normal car.

We’ve got an Alhambra. It’s basically a Sharan (even the seat belts are stamped vw) with more kit and in my opinion slightly better fit and finish. The middle rear floor tunnel is flat for the isofix bar (surely this isn’t an issue as the bar is height adjustable). Way bigger than a C4 Picasso, S Max and even a Galaxy. The rear 2 seats can accommodate adults easily with more leg room than the middlethree. We sometimes throw the booster in the back so grandma can sit in the middle. Worked out the boot with all 7 seats up is big enough to take 7 small weekend suitcases or a huge double biggie folded up. It’s great with 5 seats to just lift the double buggie in the boot without having to fold it down. The only downside is fuel economy not great, very low 40’s for the tdi, and a rubbish turning circle (a T5 is better). Sliding doors are great!

have you considered leasing a large mpv for a few years? As you’ll only really need a big mpv for a few years…. unless your planning to add to the family again!

Bet that mk6 golf is tight!

Yup! that’s why I generally sit there if/when we’re all out together.
That’s why I’d ask the op again – how many times will you actually all be in the car together?
Fwiw our golf (2l tdi) does 50+ mpg in mixed running. Our mazda (2l tdi) did 33 at best. And it was a bag of shit, but that’s another story.
I took 3 seats to various car showrooms and tried to fit them when I was looking for the Octavia. Strangely, they’d only easily fit in big cars, not necessarily newer ones. Superb was ok but not great. All other skodas not great. Only one I remember them easily fitting was a mazda cx-5. Anyway, I wasn’t trying isofix as we’re beyond that now so probably of little use to the op…

Also, there seems to be an assumption in the thread about plonking the littlest in the middle (few comments about transmission tunnels). You’ll need he/she on one side unless you want to screw your back up reaching in with a clip-in. Big two in first, little one in last.

BIL has three in a w210 e class. don’t know about newer E class

VW Touran has three individual seats in the middle row. The central one can be mounted a few inches forward of the outer seats to allow easy access to buckles etc, makes a difference as three abreast is awfy tight.

We got an smax for the same reason. Great car

surely for safety reasons you have to have the young ones in rear facing seats

Reason we have the baby in the middle most of the time was to keep the older two apart 😀

3 kids here. as they get bigger they just need more space and bikes get bigger etc. transit custom is our current solution though its not a small car and is overkill for small journeys but it works for us and the stuff we do.

When my three were small about the only MPV was the Espace, and that was way outta my company car league so had the standard Mondeo/Vectra type vehicles.

Given a choice now I’d look at a 3 seating row MPV and play around with the seats to get the best approach. Plus having the extra height can only be a good thing.

Just buy the car you want (so long as it’s not tidgy) and you’ll work something out. Reality is the infant seats are massive and getting bigger so you’ll need to choose wisely unless you’re reusing an older one. The 5 year old can probably graduate from the high-back to just a base and sit in the middle between the infant and forward facers but of course the biggest consideration is seat belt path. Plus the 5 year old can self load.

As others have said you could open the under floor storage or put a block of hardwood in to make it solid.

As such you’ll only need isofix at the sides and I’m pretty sure every car on the planet has that.

you can get rear facing seats that arent isofix

and im really surprised that many on here are okay with forward facing seats for kids less then 4 yrs old

and im really surprised that many on here are okay with forward facing seats for kids less then 4 yrs old [/I]

Probably because my kids are old enough that at 9 months you turned then around, but how do you get their legs in at 3-4 y/o – aren’t they all crunched up?

The 5 year old can probably graduate from the high-back to just a base

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/child-car-seat-regulations-law-9765507

Seems not a new one.

Save yourself some time and get a caravelle / transporter kombi style of vehicle.

We have 3 children (12,9 & 6) had an Espace for 6 or so years and its been brilliant, loads of boot space, proper size seats and isofix etc too.

BUT….

At 12 our daughter was getting cramped especially for trips to the alps etc and for years I’ve wanted a “van” but never really got around to it and the Espace was a great battle bus.

So we got a LWB Caravelle the other week and wow its superb, yes its big but for the children it is amazing, they are great children but it didn’t take much for the niggling to start on journeys. Thats all gone in 7 seat mode.

Whilst I appreciate they aren’t cheap if you’ve got the space to park one seriously consider it, has numerous benefits for me with trips with my bike and the perfect transport for us as a family.

Its makes journeys more of an adventure for the children, far easier to pack as really you don’t need to think you can take whatever you like!

and im really surprised that many on here are okay with forward facing seats for kids less then 4 yrs old

Me too. I’ve yet to see a argument that justifies not keeping them rear facing.

Probably because my kids are old enough that at 9 months you turned then around, but how do you get their legs in at 3-4 y/o – aren’t they all crunched up?

The risk of forward facing is the force of the head on the neck, I.e. one trying to detach from the other! At 9 months they are not strong enough to resist this force, hence recommendation for reward travel. Rear travel is proven ot be safer, and not just in child seats (its safer in planes as well but the passengers don’t tend to like it).

Our eldest was rear facing till just before 4, we did not have an issue with her being crunched up, and to be fair this is a minor inconvenience is relation to the risk!

it seem the only justification for forward facing seats is convenience for parents and maybe some cost savings

Is it not cheaper to seek out compact seats that fit car x, then buy a car to fit specific seats?

I’m amazed by the difference in seat size between brands and models, and the mounting complexity or simplicity.

it seem the only justification for forward facing seats is convenience for parents and maybe some cost savings

What about leg room for the child? I’ve a mkIII Octy so loads of space, and my daughter is currently rear facing in an isofix i-anchor Joie carseat. However at only 19 months she is already lacking leg room and can’t put her legs out straight, there just isn’t space on the set squab before the back rest. I will keep her rear facing for a while yet, but suspect simple fit and comfort will make me turn her seat forward foacing before she is 2. She does seem tall for her age , but she isn’t a giant.

i can barely get my 4 year old to sit still in a forward facing car seat, using jubilee clips, bungee cords and duct tape, he’d have a field day in a rear facing seat

Thanks all

How do those with mpv’s work around the floor storage bins? Do some seats not rest on them? Or did you fill them? My worry about using a non approved filler is that the load of the support leg in am accident could (in theory) either cause punch through of the base or even pop the whole storage bin out of its mounts and towards the road.

Dammit I wish people would explain why something is not suitable, rather than just saying “not here” with no justification.

Have you looked at the berlingo? Three full sized rear seats in that. Good for bikes too

What about leg room for the child?

They have legs that bend at the knees, they don’t need to stretch their legs out like a creaky middle-aged adult does. Most kids will happily sleep in that kneeling, bum in the air position so a couple of hours in the car with their legs bent is no drama at all.

Obviously reconsider if they seem genuinely uncomfortable but don’t rush to turn them forwards just because they look a little cramped.