Family Cars

[xs2man]

Unless you're buying a shed, that MultiMac car system will likely be much cheaper than the cost to change into an MPV. That said, I do know where you're coming from as spending the value of your current low value car on a custom child seat solution only for your car to go pop the day after... Well it's understandable you'd be wary.

...

Good luck mate, it'd be interesting to hear how you get on with solving it.

While it is true that the op could be wary for that reason, once the MultiMac is bought, it is bought, and can go with him to whatever the next car might be. Without limiting the choices of what that next car could be. But yes, having a child seating system worth 2-3x the value of the car it's going in might be a stretch.

I am also curious as to how the OP solves it. My wife is talking about a third soon. This problem doesn't really apply to us because we got an appropriate vehicle the last time round, otherwise we would have been in a very similar situation.

 

[Rainmaker]

While it is true that the op could be wary for that reason, once the MultiMac is bought, it is bought, and can go with him to whatever the next car might be. Without limiting the choices of what that next car could be. But yes, having a child seating system worth 2-3x the value of the car it's going in might be a stretch.

I am also curious as to how the OP solves it. My wife is talking about a third soon. This problem doesn't really apply to us because we got an appropriate vehicle the last time round, otherwise we would have been in a very similar situation.

My only reservation in my post about the MultiMac was that iirc they are custom to each particular car. I'm sure I read something like that when we were looking at them. So while he could take it with him, he'd have to buy another car of the same model and model year. I stand to be corrected however.

You're ok with planning your third mate. It rules out the nicer 2+2 cars but that's about it. My wife is making noises about wanting a fourth.... I refuse to drive an MP-SU-Crossover-V.

She must really want one though as she said if we have a fourth and buy an S-Max it means I don't need to get an XFR (5 seats) next and she would encourage me to buy a nice Porsche for the weekends and hooning instead..... She knows me too well.

 

[JustBen]

Sorry missed out the budget... it's not set in stone really.. looking at around 6-7k buying outright or possibly go down the finance route.
Ideally spending less is better as we will no doubt have other things we need to get.

like others have mentioned a while back having 3 in the back was not an issue, I'm one of three and we had no issues but IIRC we had car seats when very little then booster seat from a really young age and by 6/7 we were just in the normal seat however I believe booster seats are no longer allowed which is why my 6year old is in a car seat still.


my partner has a fiesta so if we haven't sorted a car by then we'll take two cars places. I'll have a read into ford S-Max and the other suggestions.

Cheers

 

[xs2man]

My only reservation in my post about the MultiMac was that iirc they are custom to each particular car. I'm sure I read something like that when we were looking at them. So while he could take it with him, he'd have to buy another car of the same model and model year. I stand to be corrected however.

Did not know that. I had a look at them, and it looked like they were more "generic" than that, and there was a list of what models fitted in what cars.

 

[JustBen]

Just an update...
at the beginning of July my Focus died on the motorway so i have gone up until this weekend with no car. I've been on the look out for something decent valued and big enough and noticed one of my local garages had taken a Nissan X-Trail.
Its a 2002 plate 2.2diesel SE+ edition, 97k on the clock with a single owner from new. Full Nissan service history up to 65k in the book. The garage have been told it has been serviced since but the book not stamped and the paperwork not with it. Only issues are:
Tiny bit of rust on one arch and the leather has some lines in it through wear but nothing to bad.

Took it for a test drive and was impressed, my first time driving a 4x4 and i love the road position. It's not to noisy and very comfy inside. We tried with 3 car seats we have and it fits ok.

I got a few hundred knocked off for the rust and he's going to lend me a car later this week and service the car.
Looks well looked after and all the electrics work.

Car comes with a 3 month warranty and 11 months mot, the advisories from the last mot have been resolved.

According to the service manual its due a P2 Service which is £319 at my local Nissan, i'll get it in there after xmas just to get the stamp in the book.