Best car for three car seats

[Bytor]

Ok you lot who have three kids in car seats - which is the best car to get all three (two cars eats and one booster seat) in the same row? At the moment we have a '98 Renault Scenic which is perfect but showing it's age - we want to upgrade to a more modern car. The Scenic has three seats as it's back row all with shoulder seatbelts not centre lap belt and a decent boot space for bikes/pushchair etc, plenty of legroom for the kiddies adn a hih up driving position. We don't want to go to a SUV or minivan (Oddessey etc) with the three rows and crap fuel economy. A newer Scenic would be ideal except that Renault NZ have a shite reputation and bloody expensive service/parts.

Ideally it would be a similar size to the Renault and be inexpensive to run.

I've started to do some searching but there doesn't seem to be much out there that doesn't resort to the three rows and bugger all luggage space. Best bet is for me to take the car seats into dealers and try them out.

Just wondering who has a good solution to save me the hassle of dragging three kids around the dealers. Oh yeah budget is up to $15k.

[SVboy]

You poor poor man!

[Mully]

IIRC, Frosty once told me that Commodores (and maybe Falcons) can take three carseats in the back.

My Commy had three proper seatbelts in the back too.

Maybe a recentish Commodore Wagon?? See if Frosty can hook you up with one. $15K will get you a reasonably late model one.

[MIXONE]

Sorry Mully didn't you see the inexpensive to run bit...

[Mully]

Sorry Mully didn't you see the inexpensive to run bit...

Driving it like a nana (which coincidentally is how I ride also) regularly saw me getting less than 8l/100kms around town. That's pretty good for a 3.8l V6. I understand the Alloytech (3.6) V6 in the VZ models is even better at economy (and moar power too).

I would dare to suggest that that is comparable economy to what a people mover would get.

[marty]

Valiant/HQ/XA,B,C,D,E,F Falcon

Fiat Multipla http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Cars/Fiat/auction-232358235.htm

[yungatart]

Driving it like a nana (which coincidentally is how I ride also) regularly saw me getting less than 8l/100kms around town. That's pretty good for a 3.8l V6. I understand the Alloytech (3.6) V6 in the VZ models is even better at economy (and moar power too).

I would dare to suggest that that is comparable economy to what a people mover would get.

Same here in my 3.8. Very economical on a trip too. Tons of room and very comfortable.

[Taz]

3 seats fit side by side in the falcon wagon. ther will soon be a 4 cylinder turbo falcon on the market too.

[allycatz]

Well I had a sportpac for my lot but a previa will fit three and better access to strap them (kids) in

[Finn]

Fiat Multipla http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Cars/Fiat/auction-232358235.htm

He's said for kids, not goldfish.

[keithbuckby]

best thing we ever did was get a 7 seater, ended up getting a honda, drives like a car, no higher but can move kids around easier and xtra room for their friends when they are bigger

[Bytor]

You poor poor man!

is that for having three kids or having to drag three kids around the dealers or having to spend money on a car which would buy me a nice new bike:crybaby:

[Trouser]

Fiat multipla. Six individual seats. Very wide car and a perfectly flat floor. You can remove the seats individually if needed. Get the diesel. And warranty.

[wysper]

The toyota camry station wagons will fit three carseats along the back row.
Parts are easy to come by, any mechanic can service them

I had a renault. Worst car I ever owned. I hate them with a passion!

[P38]

I raised Four Boys.

Bought a 1978 CL SE Crysler Regal when they was little and it was perfect.

It's a big car.

You had to pack a lunch just to get across the front seat

The boot was about a half an acre.

It had the 265 Hemi motor and being Aussi assembled it also had the 90Ltank fitted.

Awesome to drive too.

Kinda wish I hadn't sold it after they kids grew up.

They're worth a fooken fortune now too by the looks.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Cars/Chrysler/Regal/auction-230503330.htm

[Kiwi Graham]

Got a 2000 land cruiser...................heaps of fookin room and cheap to run..........once you've bought it of course.

[davebullet]

Friends bought a Kia Carnival. Dumb name, but a big vehicle. Odyssey would be my pic for a people mover that doesn't handle like a bucket of water

[roadracingoldfart]

The toyota camry station wagons will fit three carseats along the back row.
Parts are easy to come by, any mechanic can service them





I got a 2000 2.2 Camry S/W and i love it , big car with lots of room , air bags for cockups ABS , Immobiliser, CD , A/C, and a towbar for the racebike trailer.

Ohhh , and i am a Foreman / mechanic at a Ford dealership lol.

[ducatilover]

I know of a nice vx commodore wagon that could be had for less than $15k with 90k on the clock. Very nice wagon as far as sensible vehicles go and very tidy. Roomy and contrary to popular belief the good ole 3.8 is good on gas

[MaxB]

Since you don't want a people mover or SUV then might I suggest a Nissan Maxima? They are bigger than you think inside, have all the kiddy seat anchorages built in and have exceeded the power to weight of the equivalent Falcons and Commodores since the mid 90s.

The VQ30 and 35 motors are the ones to go for. The only thing against them for you would be the boot (no tailgate) but you can fit all three kids in there if they are naughty. The leather interior is good against the usual coke spills and vomit.

If you are stuck on the Scenic shape. What about a Toyota Ipsum? They are the same size as the Renault but won't break down.

[ducatilover]

Since you don't want a people mover or SUV then might I suggest a Nissan Maxima? They are bigger than you think inside, have all the kiddy seat anchorages built in and have exceeded the power to weight of the equivalent Falcons and Commodores since the mid 90s.

The VQ30 and 35 motors are the ones to go for. The only thing against them for you would be the boot (no tailgate) but you can fit all three kids in there if they are naughty. The leather interior is good against the usual coke spills and vomit.

If you are stuck on the Scenic shape. What about a Toyota Ipsum? They are the same size as the Renault but won't break down.

The vq motors are very nice, very flexible but so are all the other reasonable sized motors out there. The vq has a higher specific torque to cc output than both the holden and fords of the era, it actually makes more torque in the vq35de/ve form than the buick lc series motor [ecotec]

[Bytor]

Ok thanks for the suggestions, but the main need for this car is for the school/kindie runs, and shopping trips. However we do want to start going on holidays, hence a decent luggage space. The missus will be driving it and she loves the high up driving position of the Scenic and the compact dimensions compared to the Legnum VR4 SW we had before that she hated driving - so no Commodores or Falcons. She specifically detests 4WD and people carriers - they may be practical inside but the number of times she has seen kids nearly run over by them reversing out of school coz the driver can't see behind them. I have driven an Odyssey and hated it, felt like a bus. I noticed a Ford Focus C-Max at a trader in Penrose which was perfect but Ford Aus/NZ never thought a mini-people carrier would sell here! Doh I know so many three kid families who love the compact size of our Scenic and 1.6 engine size whilst hating that they have to drive a Odyssey/MPV/Previa coz the trade here only think that we want fricken huge 2.5, 3L cars! Sometimes bigger isn't better!

[Mully]

Send Frosty a PM - he may be able to source a Focus C-Max thing direct from Japan for you.

Failing that, he make have some ideas (Toyota Spacio, mebee?)

[slowpoke]

My vote is for a '65 Chevy Impala

[rebel]

Driving it like a nana (which coincidentally is how I ride also) regularly saw me getting less than 8l/100kms around town. That's pretty good for a 3.8l V6. I understand the Alloytech (3.6) V6 in the VZ models is even better at economy (and moar power too).

I would dare to suggest that that is comparable economy to what a people mover would get.

You'd never get 8l/100km in town in a V6 Commodore or similar. The best I got in my old AU Falcon was consistent 7.5-8l/100km on a trip... cruise control at 110kmh.
Yeah, the old myth of Falcons and Commodores are gas guzzlers are just that. Compare them to an Accord, Legacy or Galant 4 cyl and they will get just as good results, except the bigger cars can tow 2 tonne, seat 5 in decent comfort and have enough balls for over taking. Ohh, and its not a jappa.

I'd check out the Peugeot 406 HDi, 1995 onwards BMW 5 series (528i), Volvo 850/V70 wagon (7 seater option). We're pretty lucky in this country, we have such a huge range of used cars you can't go wrong.

[nallac]

The coolest car i've seen with three cars seats in the back was a 69 Dodge Challenger...

Not an economical car for the kindy run tho...

But man how cool would the kids be getting dropped of in one of them..

[JayRacer37]

My vote is for a '65 Chevy Impala

MMM, there is one of them parked just down the drive from us...I've no idea how he got the bloody thing down the gap and lined up with the garage...as Rache said, "It must have been like that bit on Austen Powers' where he gets the cart in the hallway..."

Beautiful car though!