How to get 4 kids in a citroen xsara picasso

pukkamum

Exactly it is absolutely shocking they are shafting us left right and centre with food and fuel bills going up so much as well.

MonkeySaving?

pukkamum wrote: »

Exactly it is absolutely shocking they are shafting us left right and centre with food and fuel bills going up so much as well.

Keep your legs together and you won't need a bigger car

Smashing

2 in the back, 2 in the front, 2 in the roof rack, although you will need to bear in mind the extra fuel consumption as a result of the drag.

lindos90

The picaso is great for acommodating a seat and two boosters in the back as it has three separate seats rather than one long one, but you need more than that! as others have said, looks like you are looking at another car, or planning so you dont need to all travel together, at least until you can sort something else out.

Maybe the dealer you got your car from would consider a trade up? you would perhaps loose out a bit, but they may be more flexible than going elsewhere, especially if you are wanting something bigger?

I would recommend looking at a fiat multipa (3 seat in the front, three in the back) will accomodate three child seats in the back, (depending on model of car seat)....my friend had triplets and they all got in the back, right from newborn-but they are ugly (the car, not my friends kids!!)

Or try a vauxhall Zafira, which has two extra seats in the boot area, so should be made stronger at the back I assume..best wishes to you and your growing family!

pinkpig08

We've just bought a Peugeot 307 SW. There's fixings for an extra 2 seats in the boot, making it a 7 seater, although it looks just like an estate. It's a 2litre turbo diesel and the tax is only £115 for the year.

The only think is you have to buy the extra seats, they don't come with the car.

peachespeaches

c_l_a_i_r_e wrote: »

OP- are you seriously asking for justification for putting a newborn baby on your knee while driving? I am absolutely dumfounded by your post, and can't believe you seem to value your love of your car over the safety of your four children. I don't doubt that four children for you will entail a lot of sacrifice and compromise, not least when it comes to transport, but as a mother what would possess you to consider driving with an infant on your knee? Road safety legislation is there for a purpose, thank god!

I would not drive with a child on my knee in the front, and it is years since I had one on my lap in the back with someone else driving. BUT prior to legislation, it was commonplace for a mother to SIT IN THE BACK SEAT with a baby on her knee. Infant seats from 0-9 months only became available around 1986

peachespeaches

pinkpig08 wrote: »

We've just bought a Peugeot 307 SW. There's fixings for an extra 2 seats in the boot, making it a 7 seater, although it looks just like an estate. It's a 2litre turbo diesel and the tax is only £115 for the year.

The only think is you have to buy the extra seats, they don't come with the car.

Thanks. We looked at one of these before we got the Xsara. When we bought it we only had two children to consider ...

peachespeaches

If anyone else is in this position, I found the complete regulations online. This is an excerpt:

What about rear facing seats in the back of estate cars, or small seats with forward facing seats in sports cars? Some estate cars have rear facing seats in the luggage compartment for use by children, and some 2 + 2 sports cars have small rear seats. Child seats/boosters to the required UN ECE Regulation 44.03 type approval must be used on these seats. However, it may be that such seats are certified to UN ECE 44.04 type approval standards which means that they effectively approved child seats/booster sets themselves and therefore a separate child seat/booster would not be needed. If a seat complies with the type-approval standard, it will have an "E" label, with "44.03" or ".03" and the weight range of the child for which it is designed. You may need to check with the car handbook, or the vehicle manufacturer, whether the seat is so approved.

c_l_a_i_r_e

peachespeaches wrote: »

I would not drive with a child on my knee in the front, and it is years since I had one on my lap in the back with someone else driving. BUT prior to legislation, it was commonplace for a mother to SIT IN THE BACK SEAT with a baby on her knee. Infant seats from 0-9 months only became available around 1986

I apologise for misreading your post, but still cannot understand why would you would chose to put your child at risk by not having them properly restrained? And since you seem to be familiar with the relevant legislation, why in your original post do you ask if the child sitting on your knee would be illegal? Surely you already know the answer! Anyway, unfortunately I cannot add to previous posters with regards to your original question but i wish you luck in finding a solution that works well for your family.

peachespeaches

OK claire youve made your point. Although I havent travelled with a baby on my knee in the rear of a car, well not for decades, it is still entirely legal to do this in a taxi. But thats not the point, I admit. Also I would only have considered it for emergencies. I wouldnt put my children at risk because I am trying to find a solution, I have also just found the recent legislation. The two children I have are well protected with new Britax restraints fitted by mothercare.

Has anyone got any useful suggestions please?