What car for 3 child seats?
Discussion
I have two daughters aged 5 and 1 with another baby on the way due next April. We currently have an old shape saab 9-3 TiD but it is getting on a bit with 145000 on the clock and the electrics are slowly giving up the ghost one at a time!
Plus I am due to receive some money in a couple of months time so we were looking at changing it then anyway but I am running out of ideas!
We need. Large hatch or estate that is diesel, preferably less than 100000 miles and most importantly capable of having threes child seats in the rear seats. I have a defender 110 sw that although easily houses everyone, it is not reliable enough, plus it is too heavy for my wife to drive to be promoted to main car.
I believe that mpv's are to people who have given up and I detest vauxhall a so they are out but am open to other ideas. I suggested a discovery td5 but my wife doesn't want something that big.
My budget is between £3000-3500.
The other option I have is to sell the defender and the saab and add that to the money to give a budget of around £6000-7000. I would then replace my defender with another puma as I still miss mine!
Plus I am due to receive some money in a couple of months time so we were looking at changing it then anyway but I am running out of ideas!
We need. Large hatch or estate that is diesel, preferably less than 100000 miles and most importantly capable of having threes child seats in the rear seats. I have a defender 110 sw that although easily houses everyone, it is not reliable enough, plus it is too heavy for my wife to drive to be promoted to main car.
I believe that mpv's are to people who have given up and I detest vauxhall a so they are out but am open to other ideas. I suggested a discovery td5 but my wife doesn't want something that big.
My budget is between £3000-3500.
The other option I have is to sell the defender and the saab and add that to the money to give a budget of around £6000-7000. I would then replace my defender with another puma as I still miss mine!
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2013...
The company I work for use these for client visits etc. They're huge, economical, powerful enough and extremely comfortable.
The boot is a dual feature, it opens as a standard notchback and also a hatch. Really nice car to be in.
Just noticed this one is the 105, we use the 130bhp cars.
The company I work for use these for client visits etc. They're huge, economical, powerful enough and extremely comfortable.
The boot is a dual feature, it opens as a standard notchback and also a hatch. Really nice car to be in.
Just noticed this one is the 105, we use the 130bhp cars.
Yeah clutch is heavy, steering is heavy, doors are heavy, it's a long way up! I'm a squaddie used to driving various chiseled from stone vehicles, my wife is a 5ft 2 nurse who has never owned a car without power steering!
I have considered the other 4x4 option, but I am a dyed in the wool land rover fan and the freelander, which we have owned before, is too small and brings a whole host of other problems!
I have considered the other 4x4 option, but I am a dyed in the wool land rover fan and the freelander, which we have owned before, is too small and brings a whole host of other problems!
We struggled to get 2 baby seats and a booster in the rear of an e39 BMW. They'll fit (just), but trying to get seatbelts into buckles is a back breaking/finger snapping pain!
Mrs TT then got a Mk2 Galaxy. Yes, a Galaxy might make you think you've given up on being a car enthusiast, but they're really not that bad to drive and the practicality is worth it in terms of the 3 individual rear seats..........plus 2 more in the back. Only real problem is when you need to take the seats out, as they are heavy and you'll need to store them.
Our Galaxy has just been replaced by an XC90. Same 7 seat practicality (the rear seats fold flat in the boot and it even has a built in booster seat in the middle)...........plus it's a darn sight more refined than the Galaxy was.
Mrs TT then got a Mk2 Galaxy. Yes, a Galaxy might make you think you've given up on being a car enthusiast, but they're really not that bad to drive and the practicality is worth it in terms of the 3 individual rear seats..........plus 2 more in the back. Only real problem is when you need to take the seats out, as they are heavy and you'll need to store them.
Our Galaxy has just been replaced by an XC90. Same 7 seat practicality (the rear seats fold flat in the boot and it even has a built in booster seat in the middle)...........plus it's a darn sight more refined than the Galaxy was.
Chevrolet Suburban is 79.1 inches wide (2,009 mm)
Ford Expedition is 78.8 inches wide (2,002 mm)
Volvo XC90 is 76.2 inches wide (1,935 mm)
Chrysler 300C is 75.1 inches wide (1,908 mm)
Land Rover Discovery (TD5) is 74.4 inches wide (1,890 mm)
Ford Mondeo is 74.3 inches wide (1,887 mm)
Ford Galaxy is 74.2 inches wide (1,885 mm)
BMW 5 Series is 73.2 inches wide (1,860 mm)
Skoda Octavia is 71.4 inches wide (1,814 mm)
Land Rover Defender is 70 inches wide (1,778 mm)
BMW 1 Series is 69.5 inches wide (1,765 mm)
Saab 9-3 is 69 inches wide (1,753 mm)
To give you a rough idea of vehicle width.
This is exterior width (excluding door mirrors), and does not take into account door thickness which impedes on interior space, as we both know defenders have very skinny doors.
Ford Expedition is 78.8 inches wide (2,002 mm)
Volvo XC90 is 76.2 inches wide (1,935 mm)
Chrysler 300C is 75.1 inches wide (1,908 mm)
Land Rover Discovery (TD5) is 74.4 inches wide (1,890 mm)
Ford Mondeo is 74.3 inches wide (1,887 mm)
Ford Galaxy is 74.2 inches wide (1,885 mm)
BMW 5 Series is 73.2 inches wide (1,860 mm)
Skoda Octavia is 71.4 inches wide (1,814 mm)
Land Rover Defender is 70 inches wide (1,778 mm)
BMW 1 Series is 69.5 inches wide (1,765 mm)
Saab 9-3 is 69 inches wide (1,753 mm)
To give you a rough idea of vehicle width.
This is exterior width (excluding door mirrors), and does not take into account door thickness which impedes on interior space, as we both know defenders have very skinny doors.
Edited by skyrover on Monday 30th September 08:15
If you want wide then this will give you 3 proper seats in the back:
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2013...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2013...
skyrover said:
Chevrolet Suburban is 79.1 inches wide (2,009 mm)
Ford Expedition is 78.8 inches wide (2,002 mm)
Volvo XC90 is 76.2 inches wide (1,935 mm)
Chrysler 300C is 75.1 inches wide (1,908 mm)
[b]Land Rover etc. etc.
To give you a rough idea of vehicle width.
This is exterior width (excluding door mirrors), and does not take into account door thickness which impedes on interior space, as we both know defenders have very skinny doors.
It's not just the width (fnarr, fnarr), it's the shape the rear seats.Ford Expedition is 78.8 inches wide (2,002 mm)
Volvo XC90 is 76.2 inches wide (1,935 mm)
Chrysler 300C is 75.1 inches wide (1,908 mm)
[b]Land Rover etc. etc.
To give you a rough idea of vehicle width.
This is exterior width (excluding door mirrors), and does not take into account door thickness which impedes on interior space, as we both know defenders have very skinny doors.
Edited by skyrover on Monday 30th September 08:15
My wife's DS3 can, at a squeeze, get 3 booster seats in the back - not child seats, booster seats. My 3 series can't due to the sculpting of the seat sides that push the booster and children into the centre of the car.
The Superb mentioned earlier will be a good shout.
Steve
I would buy an S-Max and enjoy the practicality, rather than buy into the myth that people carriers represent giving up on life. They are easy to drive, park and get out of.
There again, i see you've bought into the myth that land Rovers are in some way desirable.
We have a Mondeo and guessing where the rear end is and seeing out of it is a real chore. Is there some sort of huge differeence between it and the previous Mazda 5? Of course not.
There again, i see you've bought into the myth that land Rovers are in some way desirable.
We have a Mondeo and guessing where the rear end is and seeing out of it is a real chore. Is there some sort of huge differeence between it and the previous Mazda 5? Of course not.
Steve vRS said:
It's not just the width (fnarr, fnarr), it's the shape the rear seats.
My wife's DS3 can, at a squeeze, get 3 booster seats in the back - not child seats, booster seats. My 3 series can't due to the sculpting of the seat sides that push the booster and children into the centre of the car.
The Superb mentioned earlier will be a good shout.
Steve
This is true... bucket seats in the back are a no go.My wife's DS3 can, at a squeeze, get 3 booster seats in the back - not child seats, booster seats. My 3 series can't due to the sculpting of the seat sides that push the booster and children into the centre of the car.
The Superb mentioned earlier will be a good shout.
Steve
Large 4x4's and MPV's usually have flat rear seats. (They aren't generally built for high speed cornering)
here is the back seat of the superb...
and here's a discovery
The disco looks like a far better bet.
Much easier to load and unload as well as everything is at waist height.
Edited by skyrover on Monday 30th September 09:25
I've asked this same question before and was advised the superb is more about length than width ie you can't get 2x child seats plus a booster to fit.
Standard ph reply to this question s SMax but at the ops lower budget it might be a struggle, also do you really do enough miles to warrant a potentially complex diesel?
At your budget there is the Toyota Corolla Verso. They are s
t but do exactly what you need, and cheaply. I have one and find you need another car to mitigate the suicidal tendacies it invokes. On paper they are ideal, 7 seats, reliable chain driven petrol engine, hard wearing etc. it's also quite nice to not care in the slightest about it.
Another good one is the Honda FRV...not sure on budget for these though.
Fiat multipla also fits the brief.
Standard ph reply to this question s SMax but at the ops lower budget it might be a struggle, also do you really do enough miles to warrant a potentially complex diesel?
At your budget there is the Toyota Corolla Verso. They are s
t but do exactly what you need, and cheaply. I have one and find you need another car to mitigate the suicidal tendacies it invokes. On paper they are ideal, 7 seats, reliable chain driven petrol engine, hard wearing etc. it's also quite nice to not care in the slightest about it.Another good one is the Honda FRV...not sure on budget for these though.
Fiat multipla also fits the brief.
Engineer1 said:
.... S max...
This.There is plenty of space for 3 seats, plus 2 more in the rear space if you need them. The whole thing is really well thought out for hauling the family as well.
More to the point, the notion of people who drive mpv's have given up on life is laughable. The SMAX is by some distance the best driving mpv and quite a lot more fun to drive than a lot of other supposed drivers cars. I have the 2.0T Ecoboost and it is much more enjoyable to drive than my previous "premium sports saloon" Audi A4 Sline.
I think if I had to strap three kids in the back I'd want a Disco or an S-Max as I couldn't be doing with all that bending trying to shoehorn the little wrigglers into a normal height car....
We've got two rear facing kids & an occasional Granny to transport, at 6'4" I'm considering a large estate (Superb/A6/5 series/V70) that's long enough & either wide enough to get two kid seats side by side or has a passenger airbag cut-off so I can put one of the kids in the front when required to transport three adults as well.
As well as all the other considerations, economy, weight, wife-parkability, running costs, reliability it's a bloomin minefield!
We've got two rear facing kids & an occasional Granny to transport, at 6'4" I'm considering a large estate (Superb/A6/5 series/V70) that's long enough & either wide enough to get two kid seats side by side or has a passenger airbag cut-off so I can put one of the kids in the front when required to transport three adults as well.
As well as all the other considerations, economy, weight, wife-parkability, running costs, reliability it's a bloomin minefield!
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