Last year when I started my new job we had 2 little ones (now 2 & 4) so I chose the relatively sensible option of a new BMW 320d touring on the company lease scheme. We’re now about to welcome no.3 child into the world and with all the paraphernalia associated with 3 kids, not to mention the seating arrangements we’re going to need something bigger.

The lease plan has all sorts on it, I want something with a big boot, ability to get 4 child seats next to each other on the back seat and to transport bikes, inside or out.

People carriers are out as I just don’t like the look of them, so I was thinking BMW X5, Volvo XC90, Jag F-Pace, VW Toureg or the totally left field choice of a VW California as they’re available.

It has to be new as it’s on the company lease scheme and due to the mileage I do I’m not allowed to take the cash equivalent.

WWSTWDW?

California beach out of that list.

Some great deals on the outgoing 520d tourer. A nicer drive than any of the psuedo 4 x 4s you mention.

4 car seats? Well there is a “bench” of car seats on a row you can buy that can have 4 seats (as normally cars only have space for three).

4 child seats – not possible in a row – 3 max ? 4 child seats in 2 rows – yes. I am not familiar with the iso-fix system but is that setup max 2 per row ?

OP of your list I would get the xc90 as first choice or look at the x5. I imagine if alternatives include Toureg that you’d be looking at smaller engines so that would be worth checking power wise. A friend just ordered a new 7 which is lighter than older models as he wants a 7 seater. i ran lwb Shoguns as our 7 seat family cars as xc type vehicle didn’t exist at the time. As 7 seat family cars go they offer a bit of fun / styling vs say Galaxy/Saharan which tbh are more practicle and a lot cheaper

It was meant to be 3 in a row, not 4, slight typo there.

Loads of threads on here for 7 seater/over productive loins.

We have gone the Golf estate and Mazda 5 route here. Gonna ditch the 7 seater soon and go back to 2x 5 seat cars with 6/3/1 year old. Just getting a bit bored of “having to have” a 7 seater for the 2 times a year we actually need it, when a perfectly good decent estate/hatch will do.

Plus, pram space in most 7 seaters is rubbish when back row is used.

Honda CRV. A lot of boot space. Just spent a week driving a focus Cmax and liked that too. Both will take bikes inside. What car seats do you need now?

vw van thing or transit tourneo

We’ve got one of the multistage booster thingies with the back & sides. An iso fix solid one for the 2yr old and the new arrival will be in a normal bucket style baby seats, also iso fix.

The one thing that may stop the california us the emissions as it’s a company car, the lowest CO2 is the best.

Some great deals on the outgoing 520d tourer. A nicer drive than any of the psuedo 4 x 4s you mention.

Depends what you’re after.
I’d rather sit up nice and high in my squishily suspended Korean SUV while ferrying my family around the cratered roads around here. The full length glass roof makes the cabin a lovely airy place to be in comparison to the dark cave that is a 520 cabin.
It’s clearly RUBBISH if you’re looking to ‘make progress’ though 🙂

Back to the OP though, the VW Cali would be my choice in a heartbeat.

If you do a lot of miles – Volvo or German.

Take your 3 car seats to dealers to see if they fit (and be thinking ahead as yours will be changing sizes soon I would have thought?).

Also Ovlovs among others have those built in booster seats on the outside of the rear bench. Never had one personally but might be worth looking into.

Does the California even work for 5? I thought it had a narrower (2 seat) rear bench to accommodate the cupboards, and two captains chairs up front. And I think they still have the sliding door on the “wrong” side as they don’t make a mirror-image interior for RHD versions.

There’s a reason why bigger families buy MPVs, they work very well for it and few vehicles outside that sector have a really useable middle seat, certainly not with another set of isofix points. Whether you use the two seats in the back is irrelevant.

The California as a family car probably has a lot of camping stuff that gets in the way, how about a shuttle or Kombi instead?

Shuttle has al the nicer touches and better aircon, sliding bench seat for three and loads of space for kiddy stuff…

But if you must have a gauche SUV, the new Q7 is the only one I know of with 3 proper rear seats including isofix.

Discovery Sport? Don’t know anything about them, although guys at work consider it the best for 3 kids

If a VW California is on the list, is a Caravelle? Better equipment, 7 seats, Isofix, seats can come out if needed for load transport. We are only a family of four, but we do use at least 6 seats frequently.

Don’t need 3 iso fix points as one is already in the belted booster thingy, the other one will be soon. Just a wider rear than a 3 series touring really.

If you want more info on the Cali get hold of last years Top Gear mag as they ran one as a long termer. Probably be online too.

We have two in high backed booster seats plus a 12 year old. Only cars that gave the 12 year old any shoulder space were MPVs which have separate seats. Tried Mondeo, superb and no dice. Got a S-Max which is so boring and but does the job.

Spud has it, I meant Caravelle, not Shuttle…

Cali beach, seats 7, pop top, bed if you like. Big old bike rack on the back, sorted.
https://www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk/range/camper-vans/california-beach?gclid=CLzY_pKvjM4CFWsW0wodEcUPrw

Some great deals on the outgoing 520d tourer. A nicer drive than any of the psuedo 4 x 4s you mention.

I’m not entirely sure the XC90 is a faux 4×4, and they’re ginormous!

Steve is only ickle he would need a step ladder to get into an XC90, X5 or Q7

I would say more like Skoda Superb estate, Mondeo estate, 5 Series tourer, XC60, Mazda6 estate etc.
Any of those would be a big step up in load space/passenger accommodation over a 3 Series tourer

Depends on if your high mileage is ‘business’ miles or personal.

So… whichever gets you the lowest mpg for the engine size so you stand a chance of hitting the HMRC rates

Unless you have a fuel card.

But to chuck in a ‘what I have’ – Nissan X-Trail (I have the baby QQ)

MrOvershoot – Member
Steve is only ickle he would need a step ladder to get into an XC90, X5 or Q7

Oi, I’m 5’11”

I’ve got a fuel card so it’s the CO2 that matters, that and the P11D value

I have a mondeo, there’s a fair bit of space in the back, however, my boss with 3 kids (8, 11 & 13 now) changed his model for an SMax a few years back, same chassis but so much larger in the rear seats.

steve_b77 – Member
Oi, I’m 5’11”

You must have been far away every time we have met 😉

We had a massive Citroen XM estate but when little db #3 turned up we went for a 7 Seater with 3 rows of proper seats. No one wants to be stuck in the middle and being able to seperate kids out of striking distance made for better long journeys! (might just be my kids) 🙂

Vw t5

With three kids, most estate cars are not big enough to fit child seats across them. When the kids grow up, there isn’t enough space on long long journeys. Vw t5 or similar van is the answer. Vw kombi works for us, kids won’t go in the e-class anymore

As they all sound horribly expensive, what about the new probably also expensive Volvo V70, not sure it’s out yet, but it looks wonderful.

I followed an X5 home tonight, an X5M50M or something, it was offensively ugly, but very fast.

Well I’ve looked at the options, mainly based on BIK and how much it’d cost me on the lease over my allowance and the sensible option is either an F-Pace or a Discovery Sport, both big enough for 3 seats across the back and both pretty low on the BIK compared to some of the grander options.

VW vans / caravelles / californias are so expensive on BIK it rules them out totally.

F-Pace or a Discovery Sport, both big enough for 3 seats across the back

Have you actually tried this? Take your 3 seats to the dealer ship and give it a go. Including buckling 3 kids into them.

I predict disappointment.

I have a 520 Tourer which goes back end of the year. Had a look at the Disco Sport the other week – it is a LOT smaller in the back than the 5.

Had a ride in a friends Disco Sport the other day, a very impressive vehicle indeed, I’d definitely have had one (if I could afford it) until I read the long term test in AutoExpress 30mpg! Really?

Tesla Model X or Model S configured with the additional seating?

you can definitely not get 3 child seats in the back of a 5 series touring. Nice car though. I prefer mine over a brand new Q5 i was in and still on par with a spanky new XF-S V6 i had fun in the other day (you wont get 3 seats in that either).

X5’s are nice and big, you might get 3 in the back of them..

Three child seats + not a people carrier = XC90.

My BIL bought one when their third arrived about 4yrs ago and has just bought another (XC90).

We’ve tried the seats in the back of the disco sport and it’s fine.

The F-Pace seems big enough with some quick measurements, still to be tried.

XC90’S are too pricey I’m afraid.

“If you’d have wanted a fancy car then you should’ve kept the snake in the trousers”, as my eldest said once…

I’ve 3 sons, luckily now grown up.

tbh I’d just live with it an get something like an S-Max – or get something far smaller for you (I nearly got a 135i coupe for the same reason, but then took the cash instead) and an S-Max for the wife 🙂