2 child seats plus tweenager
Discussion
Hi - been scouring the archives for an answer to this but not really finding anything which is fully hitting the spot.
We have the unique situation (well, not totally unique - I'm sure loads have gone before me) whereby we have a very tall nearly 11yr old, a 3yr old and a very strong desire from Mrs Spuff for number 3. I'm struggling with how to accomodate the foregoing into a car which will not drive me loopy either having on the drive or having to drive over the not inconsiderable journeys we have planned around Europe and on a regular basis across to the Emerald Isle to see family.
Whilst the answer is very easy in terms of finding virtually any car to plug two car ISOFIX seats into, I'm more concerned about the safety and comfort of my 11yr old who will be squeezed between two enormous child seat units.
Classic MPV's are off the list entirely. Can't bring myself to buy one; they may be good at what they do but just no for me.
We also live in a fairly rural area where AWD, some wading capacity & M&S tyres are a must during winter. I'd love to have all three kids in the second row of a vehicle, but it's looking increasingly like it may end up with the eldest in the back of a 7-seater. Does anyone have any real world experience of the following?
- Audi Q7 - seems to have 3 ISOFIX across the back row? Should therefore be enough room to seat the tween in relative comfort?
- BMW X5 (G05) - had one recently in 5-seat format. Think it'd be tight in the middle there, but anyone with any direct experience? Otherwise the 7-seater might work with tween in back?
- BMW X7 - 6-person configuration looks good? Challenging on the eye and long (Missus might not like driving it) but depreciate like a stone so good VFM
- JLR Discovery 5 - the middle seat looks a bit tight, but guess they could get in the back?
- Volvo XC90 - can you get a tween/adult comfortably in the middle or again, is it the rear seats?
Anything I've missed?
Budget is up to around £70k although less the better as I'll also need to think about "my" car and toying with a >MY20 Macan GTS to balance things out.
We have the unique situation (well, not totally unique - I'm sure loads have gone before me) whereby we have a very tall nearly 11yr old, a 3yr old and a very strong desire from Mrs Spuff for number 3. I'm struggling with how to accomodate the foregoing into a car which will not drive me loopy either having on the drive or having to drive over the not inconsiderable journeys we have planned around Europe and on a regular basis across to the Emerald Isle to see family.
Whilst the answer is very easy in terms of finding virtually any car to plug two car ISOFIX seats into, I'm more concerned about the safety and comfort of my 11yr old who will be squeezed between two enormous child seat units.
Classic MPV's are off the list entirely. Can't bring myself to buy one; they may be good at what they do but just no for me.
We also live in a fairly rural area where AWD, some wading capacity & M&S tyres are a must during winter. I'd love to have all three kids in the second row of a vehicle, but it's looking increasingly like it may end up with the eldest in the back of a 7-seater. Does anyone have any real world experience of the following?
- Audi Q7 - seems to have 3 ISOFIX across the back row? Should therefore be enough room to seat the tween in relative comfort?
- BMW X5 (G05) - had one recently in 5-seat format. Think it'd be tight in the middle there, but anyone with any direct experience? Otherwise the 7-seater might work with tween in back?
- BMW X7 - 6-person configuration looks good? Challenging on the eye and long (Missus might not like driving it) but depreciate like a stone so good VFM
- JLR Discovery 5 - the middle seat looks a bit tight, but guess they could get in the back?
- Volvo XC90 - can you get a tween/adult comfortably in the middle or again, is it the rear seats?
Anything I've missed?
Budget is up to around £70k although less the better as I'll also need to think about "my" car and toying with a >MY20 Macan GTS to balance things out.
Discovery 5 won’t work in row 2, it’s too tight
Row 3 is also not a great place to be permanently and getting in and out of there with car seats in row 2 would be a nightmare
Defender can accommodate two seats and an adult in row 2 as it’s has significantly more space and would be my choice
Row 3 is also not a great place to be permanently and getting in and out of there with car seats in row 2 would be a nightmare
Defender can accommodate two seats and an adult in row 2 as it’s has significantly more space and would be my choice
Having been here, though did have slightly younger eldest child for middle row, you need a car with dedicated three seats in the second row or else you will struggle, all BMW platforms were out (apart from god awful looking 2-series) - and would not recommend a tall teenager using third rows, foot space is rubbish - so if SUVs are out then you are really looking at the Q7, XC90 or a Tesla X which are I think are the ones with dedicated 3 seats.
(I went for fastest, most specced S-Max in the end as less SUV driving feel, had the space and not bad 0-60 time)
(I went for fastest, most specced S-Max in the end as less SUV driving feel, had the space and not bad 0-60 time)
Thanks for the feedback guys.
It’s that kind of real world feedback which is invaluable to save either wasted trips to the dealers or heart running away and convincing myself something might work when in fact someone else has already tried it and failed.
So it sounds like it’s the New Defender, XC90 and Q7.
On the subject of my second car. Fully accept the comments around why another SUV? I think primarily driven by a mixture of still needing that element of being able to do a bit of wading given where we live and the fact I would like another Porsche (and still need 4 seats).
Considered a 911 but it fails on the wading. Don’t really like the Panamera enough, Cayenne is too big for second car and I really loved the early MacanS I had 3yrs ago.
Thought about M cars, maybe an Alpina but not really hugely fussed, which seems a bit of a waste then.
It’s that kind of real world feedback which is invaluable to save either wasted trips to the dealers or heart running away and convincing myself something might work when in fact someone else has already tried it and failed.
So it sounds like it’s the New Defender, XC90 and Q7.
On the subject of my second car. Fully accept the comments around why another SUV? I think primarily driven by a mixture of still needing that element of being able to do a bit of wading given where we live and the fact I would like another Porsche (and still need 4 seats).
Considered a 911 but it fails on the wading. Don’t really like the Panamera enough, Cayenne is too big for second car and I really loved the early MacanS I had 3yrs ago.
Thought about M cars, maybe an Alpina but not really hugely fussed, which seems a bit of a waste then.
Spuffington said:
Hi - been scouring the archives for an answer to this but not really finding anything which is fully hitting the spot.
We have the unique situation (well, not totally unique - I'm sure loads have gone before me) whereby we have a very tall nearly 11yr old, a 3yr old and a very strong desire from Mrs Spuff for number 3. I'm struggling with how to accomodate the foregoing into a car which will not drive me loopy either having on the drive or having to drive over the not inconsiderable journeys we have planned around Europe and on a regular basis across to the Emerald Isle to see family.
Whilst the answer is very easy in terms of finding virtually any car to plug two car ISOFIX seats into, I'm more concerned about the safety and comfort of my 11yr old who will be squeezed between two enormous child seat units.
Classic MPV's are off the list entirely. Can't bring myself to buy one; they may be good at what they do but just no for me.
We also live in a fairly rural area where AWD, some wading capacity & M&S tyres are a must during winter. I'd love to have all three kids in the second row of a vehicle, but it's looking increasingly like it may end up with the eldest in the back of a 7-seater. Does anyone have any real world experience of the following?
- Audi Q7 - seems to have 3 ISOFIX across the back row? Should therefore be enough room to seat the tween in relative comfort?
- BMW X5 (G05) - had one recently in 5-seat format. Think it'd be tight in the middle there, but anyone with any direct experience? Otherwise the 7-seater might work with tween in back?
- BMW X7 - 6-person configuration looks good? Challenging on the eye and long (Missus might not like driving it) but depreciate like a stone so good VFM
- JLR Discovery 5 - the middle seat looks a bit tight, but guess they could get in the back?
- Volvo XC90 - can you get a tween/adult comfortably in the middle or again, is it the rear seats?
Anything I've missed?
Budget is up to around £70k although less the better as I'll also need to think about "my" car and toying with a >MY20 Macan GTS to balance things out.
GLS 400d is where you need to be looking:We have the unique situation (well, not totally unique - I'm sure loads have gone before me) whereby we have a very tall nearly 11yr old, a 3yr old and a very strong desire from Mrs Spuff for number 3. I'm struggling with how to accomodate the foregoing into a car which will not drive me loopy either having on the drive or having to drive over the not inconsiderable journeys we have planned around Europe and on a regular basis across to the Emerald Isle to see family.
Whilst the answer is very easy in terms of finding virtually any car to plug two car ISOFIX seats into, I'm more concerned about the safety and comfort of my 11yr old who will be squeezed between two enormous child seat units.
Classic MPV's are off the list entirely. Can't bring myself to buy one; they may be good at what they do but just no for me.
We also live in a fairly rural area where AWD, some wading capacity & M&S tyres are a must during winter. I'd love to have all three kids in the second row of a vehicle, but it's looking increasingly like it may end up with the eldest in the back of a 7-seater. Does anyone have any real world experience of the following?
- Audi Q7 - seems to have 3 ISOFIX across the back row? Should therefore be enough room to seat the tween in relative comfort?
- BMW X5 (G05) - had one recently in 5-seat format. Think it'd be tight in the middle there, but anyone with any direct experience? Otherwise the 7-seater might work with tween in back?
- BMW X7 - 6-person configuration looks good? Challenging on the eye and long (Missus might not like driving it) but depreciate like a stone so good VFM
- JLR Discovery 5 - the middle seat looks a bit tight, but guess they could get in the back?
- Volvo XC90 - can you get a tween/adult comfortably in the middle or again, is it the rear seats?
Anything I've missed?
Budget is up to around £70k although less the better as I'll also need to think about "my" car and toying with a >MY20 Macan GTS to balance things out.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202308241...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202308160...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202308010...
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