4 kids - what car??

[kathmac]

I currently have a ford focus which I absolutely love, but an expecting my fourth so have been considering a people carrier, I like the look of the galaxy and had a look at the zafira but wasnt sure about the rear seats as they were fold up and looked rather small (my eldest is 12)

do any of you guys have a people carrier with 6 or 7 seats and what are the pros and cons/recommendations greatfully received, cheers

 

[Sarah&Braydon]

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[MummyJess]

I've got a zafira and am due my 4th baby in a couple of weeks.

It's true that when the back seats are up there is hardly any boot space, and it is also annoying that to put the back seats up you have to unclip all the car seats on the middle seat to move it forward. But I usually just keep one seat up permanently. So I hardly ever have to change the configuration and there is room for an extra child and also a buggy, and/or shopping.

I found the transition from my small car to the bigger car much easier than expected because the zafira drives more like a small car than any other people carriers I've seen. It's not too high off the ground or long and wide which I was quite worried about manouvering around, particularly on the narrow country lanes near my daughters' school.

My zafira has been a great car for 3 kids and I see no reason to change it for 4 kids. We intend to get a roof box so we have room to put our luggage when we go away as a family. It is reasonable to run and we've not had any major problems with it (touch wood!)

Good luck with your decision!

 

[lisa&alex]

we have a nissan serena.. i love it.. its 7 seater 6 full seats and 1 fold down.. but it is sturdier than the zafira seat.. and the middle row (2seats) swivels around to face the back.. so the kids are rearfacing which is brilliant.. the 2 back seats can be taken appart and moved onto the wall and you get a massive boot to..with all 7 seats down the boot is quite small.. we have a stroller in there at the moment.. fits perfectly.. but you cant get much shopping in there to

 

[mummysarah+co]

Hiya
we have a zafira, i can fit in the back albeit a bit cramped but i think children will be ok in the back although as MummyJess said the boot space is quite small with both seats up.

if we use the back we tend to put one seat up so we can fit in shopping/buggies/general rubbish we lug around with us

one of my friends has an amazing 7 seater....cant think for the life of me what it is but there are people carriers out there with 7 full seats.

 

[Julie84]

Kids will be fine in the back of a Zafira. My mum has one (well she has had several now as well as a few other people carriers as I am the eldest of 6 children). She has put Jack (the youngest at 11 months) in his baby seat in one of the back seats as it is easier when doing the school run for the older kids to get out and the access is still good. The boot is tiny though so you have to be careful what pushchair you get - my mum could only get certain ones to fit and they had to be umbrella style.

She had a Chrysler Grand Voyager as a courtesy car once which was a very nice people carrier but rather expensive. The Zafira is th best of all the others she has had.

 

[purplepants]

I've had a zafira and a mazda 5, i much prefered the mazda 5 the back seats were so much easier to put up and down plus it has the added bonus that the rear doors are sliding, so its so much easier getting kids in and out and you dont have to worry about your older kids damaging the doors or other peoples cars etc when they open them.