Family car - 3 in the back inc 2 car seats.

[Storm82]

Afternoon all,

We currently have a 3 series touring and it's been a great car, with the arrival of our 2nd kid we are finding it a bit small. Primarily down to my oldest being bad with car sick, meaning my wife has to sit inbetween 2 car seats. It's really tight in the back so we're looking to move up into something bigger cabin wise.

Looking for suggestions of used mid range SUVs around the £20-22k mark. We do high miles so I'd prefer something with less than 15k miles on it already. Don't need 7 seats and need a reasonable boot for the pram etc.

Want something reasonable to drive. List so far -

Ford Kuga
Land Rover Freelander 2
Nissan X-Trail
Volvo XC60

[Hugo a Gogo]

SUVs are generally smaller inside, and in the load area, than equivalently priced estate cars - Mondeo, Passat, A6, E class, 5 series etc

[snotrag]

What he said - for the biggest interior space, a 'standard' saloon or Estate is the best best.

E-class, 5 series etc. Current and last shape Mondeo is not far off the size of these too.

[anonymous-user]

We have an XC60 that can get three high backed booster seats in the back, or two seats and a person in the middle. It has noticeably more room for doing this than our 2004 V70 did too, to the point that it's reasonably comfortable for my well upholstered ex-wife to sit in the middle.

[nunpuncher]

The problem is being misunderstood by some here. The OP needs something with 3 full width seats across the back. Despite having large boots its surprising how many estate cars are rubbish in this regard (pretty much all of them). I know as its a problem we had to overcome a few years back.

[anonymous-user]

Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5 ought to be added to that list

[Storm82]

Don't get me wrong I'm a fan of estates, previous car was a mk7 Passat.

Should have explained the preference for an SUV to make it easier to load the kids in their seats and from what I've seen provide more space, including headroom in the back.

[Storm82]

nunpuncher said:

The problem is being misunderstood by some here. The OP needs something with 3 full width seats across the back. Despite having large boots its surprising how many estate cars are rubbish in this regard (pretty much all of them). I know as its a problem we had to overcome a few years back.

Spot on, I am the first to push the estates are better load luggers than SUVs but it's mainly about moving people about, not a chest of drawers. I'd love a T5 Kombi Van but that idea has been shelved by the wife.

[Hugo a Gogo]

nunpuncher said:

The problem is being misunderstood by some here. The OP needs something with 3 full width seats across the back. Despite having large boots its surprising how many estate cars are rubbish in this regard (pretty much all of them). I know as its a problem we had to overcome a few years back.

same applies to most SUVs though

certainly a Kuga interior is narrower than a Mondeo, for example

an SUV with 3 proper seats, you are looking at an XC90 or similar

high-up, headroom, 3 separate seats, the obvious answer is Scenic/Picasso type MPV things, as unsexy as they are

[Storm82]

I'm not looking at transporting a 5 a side team.

To highlight my issue, the gap between the two sets of isofix in the rear seats of my 3 series is 13", in my friends Renault Kadjar they are 16" apart. If anyone has ever flown EasyJet they will know that 3" in a seat is a world of differene.

[nunpuncher]

Yeah, the reason we ended up in the position is because I wanted to change our old Picasso for something a bit better. The newer versions had dodgy engines so we looked at absolutely everything. MPVs were definitely more suitable but even then you were looking at the bigger ones to fit three across properly, the smaller picasso and Ford B max etc still have a small mid seat.

In the end I went with something a bit unusual, an import Honda stepwagon that had been imported with a whole load of Type R mods on it. Seats the whole family plus luggage, has lost nothing in 2 years and drives more like a hatchback than an MPV or van. Probably aided by the fact it's not a dirty diesel.

[Hugo a Gogo]

3 series is pretty narrow compared to anything with 5 seatbelts

[S10GTA]

Storm82 said:

I'm not looking at transporting a 5 a side team.

To highlight my issue, the gap between the two sets of isofix in the rear seats of my 3 series is 13", in my friends Renault Kadjar they are 16" apart. If anyone has ever flown EasyJet they will know that 3" in a seat is a world of differene.

Stupid comment time, but why can't one of the kids go in the front?

[Storm82]

S10GTA said:

Stupid comment time, but why can't one of the kids go in the front?

We do that for small journeys within the town but no isofix in the front seat and I understand having young kids in the front is more dangerous in a crash.

[anonymous-user]

Storm82 said:

S10GTA said:

Stupid comment time, but why can't one of the kids go in the front?

We do that for small journeys within the town but no isofix in the front seat and I understand having young kids in the front is more dangerous in a crash.

I think the extra risk in the front is marginal, at best. You're down to where any poles/cars/trees intrude into the cabin at that point. I know the advice is to put them in the back but we really are splitting hairs at this point, and I'm sure the person stuck in the middle where it's tricky to get the seatbelt buckle undone might have something to say about the balance of risk. It seems madness to me to force three people into the back of any car while having a passenger seat free, much less buying a new car so you can inflict this upon them

If I have all three of mine in the car with just me then I always put one in the front with me rather than squash the three seats across the back. Mind you I also have my kids in ancient cars, convertibles, I take them in the car when it's dark/cold/wet/ice/snow, and I go 85 with them in the car when it would be safer to go 55. All of these things are probably higher risk factors than using the front seat rather than the rear.

[zedx19]

My wife sits in the back of my estate between 2 car seats, no issues although it really depends on how large your wife is :S I have a Mondeo Estate btw, bit bigger then a 3 series. If you want true 3 abreast seating, you're looking into large people carrier terrotory, S Max sorta types. Personally I couldn't bring myself to buy a people carrier, especially as there's very little with any performance in my budget, so plucked for the quickest everymans estate, 240PS Mondeo Estate.

[dave_s13]

Go and look at a lightly used, new model skoda superb SEL.... They are huge in the rear and will fit 3 a breast no problem.

They are also a bloody lovely car. The latest revisions make it very smart indeed, and the rear seat width is 2" wider than the old model.

http://www.dmkeith.com/used-car-details/used-skoda...

Edited by dave_s13 on Monday 5th December 15:28

[ZX10R NIN]

As most have said here you need to look at a Mondeo/Skoda Superb car as your first requirement was space which means the above, if you want an SUV then you need to look at the X5/Ford Edge/Cayenne etc the problem is finding one with less than 15k on the clock.

You'll struggle to find one with less than 40k on the clock

2009 X5 3.0d M Sport
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

2012 Touareg SE 33k
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

2007 Cayenne Turbo 34k
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

Estate options

2016 Mazda 6 Sport 175bhp
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

2015 Mondeo Titanium (X Pack) 240bhp
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

[zedx19]

Beware of the Mazda 6 Estate, had a 2014 2.2D before buying my Mondeo, the Mazda is a fair bit smaller inside and the boot isn't as big. Mazda is somewhere between Mondeo/Superb and 3 series sort of size. Having said that, it was a superb car, lovely to drive with one of the best diesel engines I've experienced, still slow though even in 175bhp guise.

[NickCW]

What about a Skoda Kodiac?
Big SUV, and new from 21.5k in Jan 2017.. not looked around one myself as they aren't out yet but I can't imagine it will be small inside - it has 7 seats and is meant to be large from what I have read.

Edited by NickCW on Monday 5th December 22:07