3 car seats- group 1 and a group 0

L

lozza

Registered User
Messages
47
Hi All
bought a mazda 5 last year and really like it however we are now thinking about expanding our brood to 3 which means we will hopefully have 3 under 3. Currently I have a britax evolva and a regular britax stage 1 and plan to keep both of these, when new baba comes he/she will be in maxi cosi. I couldn't believe it when I tried to get the 3 car seats into the 2nd row of my mazda there wasn't a hope in hell of them fitting. i also tried the 3 in my sister Citroen grand picasso and there was no go there either.
Does anyone have 3 small children and what car/mpv solutions did you come up with (I don't want to put any children in 3rd row).

thanks!
 
Put new baba in the front (passenger !!) seat facing backwards, I don't know the name of the baby-seat. Have the dealer disable the air-bag(s) on that side if there is no visible disarming switch. Mr Lozza takes the bus or travels by rail - roof-rail that is.
 
We had the same dilemma and the only solution we could find was the Ford S-max or Galaxy. We settled on the S-max and are v happy with it.
 
Can't disable air bag and there was a case in paper 2 weeks ago where a disabled air bag went off and passenger (not a baby) was injured, that could possibly kill a baby.. But still what happens when baby grows out of maxi cosi still no room in back?!
 
I had the same problem and bought a Hyundai Santa Fe 7 seater - best buy ever, brilliant car.
 
Interesting that the Santa Fe worked for you, we also tried that but 3 Group 0/1 seats would not fit across the second row without intruding on the seat belt buckle mechanism which makes the installation unsafe.

The Hyundai has a bench seat for second row where the S-Max has 3 separate seats which can all be adjusted forward and back independantly so car seats dont push against each other.

Besides, the S-max is available in 1.8 Diesel versus the 2.2 Diesel Santa Fe. A saving of €170 on car tax and better fuel economy.

Also, in terms of driving/visibility/spec a mid level version of the S-max is better package than the entry level Hyundai. Its €3K cheaper

From a 7 seat perspective, I guess the only "appeal" to the Hyundai is that it could be perceived to be a rugged SUV but most are 2wd and the entry level 4wd version costs an additional €2K. Paying a lot in my opinion for the SUV bodystyle!
 
Marble said:
From a 7 seat perspective, I guess the only "appeal" to the Hyundai is that it could be perceived to be a rugged SUV but most are 2wd and the entry level 4wd version costs an additional €2K. Paying a lot in my opinion for the SUV bodystyle!
Click to expand...

Yup!....and I wouldn't be seen dead in one of those Ford SMax vans ...each to their own I guess.
 
Let face it neither yoke is a looker. The S-Max is rated as a decent drive though. Both are out of my price range, I've been looking at the older Galaxy alternatives.
 
efm said:
Yup!....and I wouldn't be seen dead in one of those Ford SMax vans ...each to their own I guess.
Click to expand...

Yes each to their own and not everyone is as vain as you

Plus one on what Marple said and with the 1.8l it is cheaper to insure than a 2.2l. For 2+3 families IMO it is a fantastic car/van (call it what you like). Three individual seats in the middle row and the boot space is huge. It's a good drive, delivers good economy for its size and will pull a 1200kg boat up a slipway with no problem.

Personally, I like its looks but I'm not vain enough to give a toss about how other people perceive how I look in it.
 
Let me fly the flag (again) for the Honda FR-V. 3 independent back seats, large boot and a 6th seat when needed. I like the styling - different to the typical MPV, and Hondas are very reliable. We have an 05 model with 70,000 kilometres on it and no probs so far.
 
Setanta I test frove the FRV last year when we were looking initially and it was defo my choice based on looks alone but when I was inside it I thought it was very basic inside and felt a bit rattly, how long have you had yours and are all your experiences positive?
 
The alternative is to buy 'slimline' car seats. Is there any such thing??? Most car seats I see are like thrones!
 
Well we can fit 3 full size seats into a 02 Citroen Picasso without any problem, all Britax models, maybe easier to replace the child seats, certainly cheaper.
 
I have all Britax models and tbh I am loathe to change them as they get the highest safety rating from Which magazine! Will definetly try all your suggestions though thanks to everyone!
 
Just don't ever have a puncture in the S-Max. No spare tyre and nowhere to put one. Instead you get can of foam tube filler. It's really useful!!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register