Discovery 4 - Room for 3 car seats?

[MadProfessor]

So we’ve just found out that we’ve got child number 3 on the way. Unfortunately we can’t fit their 3 car seats across the back of our 2009 RR Autobiography 5.0.

We need the car to be Euro 6 complaint so our choices appear to be an Audi Q7 or a LR Discovery 4.

Has anybody had 3 car seats across the second row of the Disco? My main concern is access to the seat belt in the middle seat as our eldest child (7-8) uses the regular three point seat belt on a booster seat.

I was genuinely surprised at how few cars can fit three car seats.

[athomp04]

What age are your children? - I can fit three car seats in the back of an L322 albeit one is a booster. I have two family-fix maxi cosi bases, one with a pebble and the other with a pearl and the trunki booster in the middle.

[dandam]

MadProfessor said:

So we’ve just found out that we’ve got child number 3 on the way. Unfortunately we can’t fit their 3 car seats across the back of our 2009 RR Autobiography 5.0.

We need the car to be Euro 6 complaint so our choices appear to be an Audi Q7 or a LR Discovery 4.

Has anybody had 3 car seats across the second row of the Disco? My main concern is access to the seat belt in the middle seat as our eldest child (7-8) uses the regular three point seat belt on a booster seat.

I was genuinely surprised at how few cars can fit three car seats.

I’ve a D3 and three children all in seats, fit absolutely fine.

[Leithen]

Yes, there is.

You will come to curse the spring loaded retracting seat belt buckles however.

[hilly10]

Ford G Max can fit three across so I am told.

[Big_Dan]

Yes, 3 will fit.

But ...

It's easier when at least 2 of them are non ISOFIX so you can move them to get your hand down to the buckle

There's only ISOFIX in the 2 outer seats of the middle row, none in the boot or the front seat

S-MAX, Galaxy, Alhambra, Sharan, Touran all have individual seats in row 2 with ISOFIX in all positions

Q7 is the same and about the only 4X4 with 6 x ISOFIX and 2 row that splits 33/33/33 rather than all the other which are 40/20/40

Don't get me started on lack of hybrids with 7 seats :-)

[RSVR101]

Even better, room for 3 car seats AND 5 working cockers..... brilliant faultless all rounder despite any negative web based comments! (3 in the family all without any issues, bar Landrover service can’t handle the volume of vehicles they sell)

[MadProfessor]

So I went along to our local main dealer to try before we buy.

We cannot get all 3 seats to fit. Obviously, the two outer isofix (Pearl and Pebble) were fine. But for our 7 year old the booster seat would not fit. We have a Britax with a back which is the narrowest on the market. Having one with a back is now mandatory until they are 12 or 135cm. We can just get it to fix with the Trunki booster backpack but it doesn't have a back and so isn't technically allowed.

Am I missing something here?

Our children are 0, 2, and 7.

Thanks!!!

(Note, no problem getting them in the Q7 but it's a fairly antiseptic experience)

[JatHanspal]

I purchased a D4 specifically since our 3 seats would fit across the first row. We have seatbelt fittings on all of them, and maybe that helps, but I could not get them to fit in a Q7, and also found the Q7 not to spacious internally for the presence it has on the road.

Still use 3 across today, all Maxi Cosy. Two are Toby seats, one is a Rodi XP (if I recall). Age of kids is 4, 5 and 7 respectively.

[Leithen]

Isofix and early stage seat widths will be the issue.

8, 6 and 4 in standard child seats with backs and using the three point belts and buckles works fine.

[Worzel]

We currently have 2 x Maxi-cosi pearls with isofix bases and then a Kiddy Guardian Fix Pro 2, as per the link below, in the middle which is quite a wide seat.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/KIDDY-Guardian-Seat-Black...

When you fit the isofix base, the key is to slide the fixings to the outer most position on the fixing rod in the seat, gives maximum space for the centre seat. Our son is 7 so similar situation.

[RSVR101]

As another option you could put one of the 3rd row seats up for the older child and put the centre seat down flat, this still leaves a fair bit of room to use as boot space and leaves a little space between each child thus reducing arguments (not by much but every little helps!)

I always thought the Disco seems much more roomy than a Q7, it definitely has a lot more headroom so maybe that just makes it feel bigger all round?

[chasingracecars]

Why not two in the back and one on the front passenger seat. Ok wife has to travel in the back but would save changing cars.