I know this has been covered a bit in the past but we are struggling with what to do about our car situation when baby no. 3 arrives in Feb.  We currently have a Volvo V70 Estate, which I love, but it is going to be a struggle to fit 3 car seats in the back and I'm not really keen on putting a baby in between my warring 5 and 3 years olds!!!  Baby can't go in the front as there is an airbag.
Options to us so far are, ask Volvo to switch off airbag in front seat, but then if we go out as a family I will have to sit between two warring children, a bit squished, or get extra seats fitted into the boot, but then we can't have those up when we want to put our three dogs in!
I know some of you have large human and canine families, so can you please tell me how you get round this, (begging)  would an MPV help?  Though the only ones we have seen we think are big enough are the Grand Voyager and Grand Espace and they are mega pennies!
HELP!!!!!!

Thank you, Hayley

Can you not switch your airbag off yourself when you have the baby in the front seat?  Most cars have this option.  I can turn mine off and on as the need arises.

Have you thought of a Renault Kangoo, Citroen Berlingo or Peugeot Partner Combi?  You can at 2-0 litre HDI Peugeot/Citroen with AC/front fogs, CD player etc etc for under £10k new, a kangoo is more expensive.

Hi Tohme, I'm fairly certain we can't.  Not sure about the Berlingo etc, not sure they would be any wider in the back, though will check one out when I see one next...

JOin the club Hayley Im looking for a similar car but not an MPV or the 4 wheel drive with chrome wheels and bars beloved by my little girls. Im looking for a Polo estate and they are hard to get.

I should think you could get 3 car seats in the Berlingo as it uses the maximum width of the car in the seats.  When not taking the kids seats fold forward and you have a proper van with lots of height.  Also there is no hump in the middle of rear seat floor are as it is level with tool compartments in the floor left and right.

I'm looking up the Berlingo now.........  but I was hoping for a few more stylish suggestions (no offence Brainless) if I have to lose my beloved Volvo......
Oh, and other half has just reminded me, we may be towing next year, not sure what yet, maybe a folding caravan...

Berlingo etc don't look too bad, though would like a larger engine for towing
Does anyone drive an MPV with dogs, I can't cage the two oldest (and biggest) dogs, so would they - and us - be safe with them loose where a back seat could be removed?

I think you can use the dog guard for it both ways as with seats up it still has to reach the floor.

I think a 1.9 diesel will be fine for towing as that is the size of my dads Peugeot estates engine.

how about the volvo jeep not sure what it is called or is that out of your price range or another jeep with seats in the back that can fold down when dogs are with you like a pajero (mitsubishi)

georgina

Got a Ford Galaxy 1.9 TD...loads of room for kids and dogs.....and does loads of MPG!
Archer

Thanks for the suggestions, Archer, how do you seperate the kids and dogs?  We are hoping - if we get an MPV - to keep one of the seats in the third row, but I don't want to build anything too permanent as we will need 7 seats occasionally

I use a crate .I fold both 3rd row seats up and the crate goes in and out as required.Depending on the size and number of dogs you have you could do the same with one seat.Was warned by a apprentise served ford  mechanic to avoid the petrol models.The TD models have a VW engine which should easily go round the clock.
Archer

Thanks for that Archer, I have 2 Lab sized dogs and an Australian Cattle Dog, but unfortunately the 2 bigger dogs cannot be crated.  We don't often go anywhere with all kids and dogs so dogs could have all of rear space on most occasions, but I think we would need to rig something up that compartmentalised (is that a word?!) the rear space a bit as I don't feel the space at the back of an MPV is as secure as an Estate, am I right in saying that?
Hayley
(PS, Georgina, we would love an XC90 Volvo, we did consider it last year, but they are very expensive at the moment, maybe in a few years, I do love my Volvo's :) )

What about a Fiat Multipla, 3 seats in the front and 3 in the back.  The middle front seat doesn't have an air bag so should be ok for a baby seat.  What kind of dogs do you have?  We have an Old English Sheepdog which has loads of room in the boot.

We looked at the Multipla but we thought the boot looked small, are there different sizes?  We have 2 Lab sized crossbreeds and an Australian Cattle Dog

You definitely wouldn't fit all 3 dogs in, we only have the one

Thanks anyway Rose, looking like an MPV so far then......maybe when the kids go back to school/Pre-School we can have a look around, until then will have to stick to being nosy in Sainsbury's car park!!!

Hi

We have a Renualt Scenic which has 3 individual seats at the back so no problem with car seats and the seats can be moved forward individually as well so baby can be moved forward in the middle seat to avoid 3 and 5 year old fighting, you can get fitted dog gaurds at the back but you cant turn the air bag off in the front. The Picasso has all the above and you can turn the air bag off so they might be worth a look. Good luck finding the right car I know how hard it is.

Nikki

I've a Renault Scenic - but have only got 2 Aussie size dogs and that is plenty in the boot without the seats down. The only way to put a cage for more than one dog in the car is to put the seats down :( Fine for me as I seldom have more than 1 passenger now that the kids are grown up and we have OH's larger estate if we go any distance. I wouldn't recommend it for a young family and 3 dogs :D

Daisy

I think we're going to have to look at the next size up from the Scenic/Picasso, at least a Galaxy/Sharan or maybe even a GrandVoyager or Espace, we have changed cars about 4 times in the last 3 years and we really need to settle into 2 sensible cars. I was just hoping there may be a type of car etc we had missed :)

Hayley

This is the car I often travel to shows with with a freind.  I don't think your 3 dogs would fit very comfortably, as 4 very sociable Elkhound bitches are very snug in it, like sardines.  It is high, but the bot area itself re floor space is not that big.

Another freind that takes us to shows has a Hilux and that has loads of room in the boot and wide rear seat.  It is basically 4 x 4 a truck.

hI,

Well with 4 children and one on the way and 4 golden Retrievers which we show thr right car is ultimately important and spent a whole year researching and testing .we found the Vauxhall Zafira.

This  seats 7 very comftably which still allowas alittle boot space when all seats are used.
This has flex 7 seating plan which means many possible combinations of the seats depending what the car is being used for.When the back seats are nor required they fold flat into base of boot making it boot still seating 5 with plenty of room and gets 4 goldens in comftably ,when just 2 of us travelling the middle row saets can be pushed right up or also folded flat to allow dog the whole car apart from front seats.

The beauty of this car there is no messing about taking seats in and out just by a some lever the seats flip over quickly and easily.Fuel consumption is excellent very important us because of school runs and showing very easy to park.

It also comes with an excellent price tag for what you get making it more affoerable for most families with 4 or more children where budgets have to be carefully planned.
Ous comes with airconditioning as standard as well c/d player but I wasnt bothered about that I can also have extra fans in back for dogs which run of car battery up t 3-4 hrs when engine is off.

The only other car I would look at which would close to what we want is the CHYSLER however have not seen it up close but will look at it when we change this otherwisw its another Zafira all the way.

Luckily we can get all the children in but when we go to shows some children satay with Grandparents depends on how many dogs are going to show if one only one child stays behind as that seat will fip into base and the dog will have an area that is long and flat and is next to the child right at back The rear seats also have digagonal seat belts.

Happy choosing :-)

we have a voltswagon sharan for our 4 dogs and us three kids including mum and dad.dad says its a nice drive we all find it comfortable.it has 7 seats and 5 are removeable.its great.kirsty