Three young kids...is an MPV with roof rack and roof box my destiny?!?

Hugh JboobsHugh Jboobs Posts: 15,316
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I have two kids, one aged three and one aged 18 months. We're expecting a third in three months time. I need to start thinking about a new car for my wife.

She currently drives a five-seater 4x4. Both my kids are in normal toddler seats - the size up from a rear facing baby seat. My little girl (three) is quite small and dainty for her age, so she's going to be in this size seat for a while yet. When the new baby arrives, there is obviously no way we will be able to fit these seats plus a base and baby seat in the back.

I'm thinking that our next car has to be a seven seater MPV. I've had a look at What Car and similar websites and have drawn up a short list of cars we'd like to test drive. But it seems to me that when you have all seven seats out you have hardly any boot space left. Experience tells me that with young kids (and especially a new baby) whenever you go anywhere for a night or more, the amount of crap that has to go with you is immense. That means I'm also thinking that with an MPV I'd have to get a roof rack and roof box as well!

So....is an MPV with roof box and roof rack my best bet, or is there another solution? If I do get a roof box, how easy are they to put on and take off? (I'm wondering whether my wife would struggle if she has to put it on when I'm not around. Also that we'd have to tae it off when not using it, since I hear they cause you to consume extra fuel). Are roof boxes pretty sizeable inside and can they hold a lot of stuff, or are they not worth it?!

General thoughts and advice on these issues most welcome, especially from those who have/have had MPVs/roof boxes! Thanks in advance. :)
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  • InkblotInkblot Posts: 26,889
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    I can't offer any advice but it does seem weird that my generation (born in the 50s) tended to have at least two siblings and our parents never had anything larger than a family saloon. I suppose it was possible because baby/child seats didn't exist, so you just sat on the seat or a parent's lap.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,864
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    Try looking at a Ford Mondeo estate instead - plenty of room and loads of boot space. Measure up your car seats, but I think they should fit!
  • butterworthbutterworth Posts: 17,872
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    I've got 3 kids (13, 11 and 8 now) but have run around in a Peugeot 807 for the last 7 years, including regular camping trips down in the South of France for a fortnight, and never needed a roof box.

    Even with 'full' back row seats (i.e. not ones that fold into the floor like a Zafira), they can often be manipulated and folded so that you still have a lot of luggage space. You'll be fine....
  • WizsisterWizsister Posts: 481
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    One of our neighbours has 3 young children. Dad sits in the back, new baby rides shotgun.
  • elliecatelliecat Posts: 9,890
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    Inkblot wrote: »
    I can't offer any advice but it does seem weird that my generation (born in the 50s) tended to have at least two siblings and our parents never had anything larger than a family saloon. I suppose it was possible because baby/child seats didn't exist, so you just sat on the seat or a parent's lap.

    And to me, even when my younger brother was born in the 80's my Dad drove an estate even with 4 children. Some of the things people did then to fit all the children in, people nowadays wouldn't dream of doing.
  • MaxatoriaMaxatoria Posts: 17,980
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    ex army troop carrier? bullet proof,chemical attack proof and should be able to handle anything and at least you don't pigeon holed, or an old battle tank and queues won't be a problem for the school run as you'll just drive over them :D and if traffic warden appear point the barrel at him and see him run ;)
  • highwayman_nehighwayman_ne Posts: 486
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    We bought a Zafira when our 2nd child came along. We have the 2 rear seats flat to the floor so plenty space for buggies etc. You can get a person between 2 car seats in the middle row of seats but it is a very tight squeeze. Don't think you would get 3 car seats in the middle row.

    You could have one rear seat in use and other one in the floor (this way at lease you get a bit of boot space) but the rear seat does not have isofix. Also, access to the rear seats is difficult when the middle row has child seats as you lift the sitting part of the middle row to meet the backrest of the middle row then slide it all forward. This would involve taking out any child seats from the middle row. Alternatively if you only have one rear seat in use, you could access via the boot ;-)

    We also have a Thule roof bag rather than a roof box. It's easy enough to fit but it's only used if going away for a week or more. Manufacturer states you can't drive with an empty roof bag unlike a roof box but the bag folds away for easy storage. I wouldn't fancy having to take a roof box on and off several times as it would be a bit of a chore. If you do go down this route i would recommend theroofboxcompany.com - you put in the make/model of car and tell you everything you need as you need to get the correct fixings / correct length bars etc.
  • zelanazelana Posts: 4,618
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    My son has 3 children aged 7, 5 & almost 3 & the family all fit in the VW Passat estate they've had since before the youngest was born.
  • Mumof3Mumof3 Posts: 4,529
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    We had a Zafira in the early days, but the turbo version, as my husband was in denial. When the kids hit their teens, an Audi Q7. You almost need an HGV licence for that one. Never had a roof box. Best advice I had was to buy a cheap stroller for granny's house, so you're not endlessly filling the car with prams. Going for a Skoda Estate next.
  • highwayman_nehighwayman_ne Posts: 486
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    All of you who never had a roof box obviously pack a lot lighter than my wife:) It's like car boot tetris when we go away but as the kids get older we need less paraphernalia.
  • grumpyscotgrumpyscot Posts: 11,343
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    So....is an MPV with roof box and roof rack my best bet, or is there another solution? :)

    Word of advice - if you fit a roof box, make sure you have a reminder on your windscreen!

    Many car parks are not quite tall enough for tall MPVs AND a roof box. It makes quite a mess of the car if it gets torn off!

    Why not buy a trailer - if your license allows, of course - for when you need to carry loads.
  • c4rvc4rv Posts: 29,538
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    I've had an s-max since they first came out. Aside from not looking like a typical people carrier, it drives like a normal car. Very comfortable, just did 7 hour drive back from Cornwall this weekend no problem (obviously with baby seat, the recommendation is to take a break every 2 hours). From '08 plate onwards they have been very reliable.

    In terms of practicality, 2nd row slides backward or forward giving you more or less boot space, 2nd and 3rd row folds into the floor in about 5 secs. Even with 7 seats up you can fit a pram and some storage (its higher then an estate so most prams can go upright). Also as a massive plus, compared to an estate, the seats are higher so it was much easier for my mrs to get baby seats in and out instead of having to stoup down.

    With 5 seats, there is a HUGE amount of space. The galaxy and some larger MPV do offer more boot space with 7 seats up by making the 3 row more upright and back does not slope away so much.

    For roof box, we did a 2 week road trip last year with 6 people in 2 + 2 + 2 configuration with 2nd row middle seat down which made it much nicer for people in back. Used a roof box and never felt the need to remove it during the trip even though we had somewhere to store it. And it fitted in normal space on euro train, ferry and most car parks (the only problem I've ever had was at Heathrow T4 short stay).

    The Ford (I think they are rebranded Thule ones) roof bars have a slot running the length of them which the fixings on the roof box slide into, literally takes 2 minutes to put on, even less to remove. The box itself only weights around 15KG and easy enough for me to put on and remove by myself.

    Any questions, ask away.
  • David (2)David (2) Posts: 20,632
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    would one of those giant grand voyagers b any better?
  • Mumof3Mumof3 Posts: 4,529
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    David (2) wrote: »
    would one of those giant grand voyagers b any better?

    I remember they had a spate of poor safety reviews, at the time we were in the market for a new car. Admittedly, the sliding doors could have saved a huge amount of carpark hassle.
  • Hugh JboobsHugh Jboobs Posts: 15,316
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    c4rv wrote: »
    I've had an s-max since they first came out.

    I've been having a look on Auto Trader at various MPVs. One thing that struck me about them was that they seem to have three "separate" seats on the first row - as opposed to one long seat. This made me wonder whether in fact you could fit three child seats all side by side, as opposed to two on the first row and one in the back (or vice versa). Does the S-Max have this three "separate" seat arrangement, or is it just one long seat? And if so, do you reckon you could get three child seats side by side? If I could get an MPV where three seats could indeed fit side by side, that would be a great result as I wouldn't have to bother with roof box. I know a couple of people earlier in the thread have suggested you could get three seats side by side in certain bigger estate cars - but I drive a big estate and my wife drives a 4x4. There's no way you could get three in next to each other.

    Also what exactly is the difference between an S-Max and a C-Max?
    Mumof3 wrote: »
    Admittedly, the sliding doors could have saved a huge amount of carpark hassle.

    Yes, apparently the Mazda MPV (Mazda 5?) and Seat Alhambra have sliding doors which I thought would be a massive advantage. These are on my short list, together with the Ford Galaxy/S-Max/C-Max and Vauxhall Zafira. All these mentioned get pretty good reviews on What Car.
  • fainéantfainéant Posts: 2,654
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    So....is an MPV with roof box and roof rack my best bet, or is there another solution? If I do get a roof box, how easy are they to put on and take off? (I'm wondering whether my wife would struggle if she has to put it on when I'm not around. Also that we'd have to tae it off when not using it, since I hear they cause you to consume extra fuel). Are roof boxes pretty sizeable inside and can they hold a lot of stuff, or are they not worth it?!

    A roof box fixes to roof rails rather than attaching it to a roof rack. They can be quite cumbersome to fit, especially on an MPV which tends to be higher. They can also be awkward to fit some things inside because although they can have a good capacity they tend to be quite shallow. Good for vacations but a bit of a pain for more regular use if you plan to take it off and on frequently.

    Something worth considering as an alternative to a roof box (or trailer for that matter) is the Thule Easybase flexible four-in-one transport solution which fits onto a towbar and can be used with accessories for (1) bike transport (EasyBike), (2) a hard-shell box (BackUp), (3) a soft and waterproof bag (EasyBag) or (4) a metal basket (EasyBasket).

    More information here;

    http://www.thule.com/en/gb/products/carriers-and-racks/bike-carriers/towbar-mounted-bike-carriers/thule-easybase-949-_-949000
  • PatchbunclePatchbuncle Posts: 2,392
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    We've had a couple of S-Max's and yes they are wider than average, three proper seats but the only way to know for sure is to try it. It might be a pain getting to the middle child though and therefore create problems in carparks.

    Before the S-Max's we had a Mazda 5 which is a similar idea but with sliding doors. They were brilliant for getting little 'uns in and out. I have no idea if they still make them but that was a nice car with bonus sliding doors. Some MPVs Grand Voyager included come with remote opening sliding doors which are dead swanky looking.

    Even if you've no intention of buying new head to the showrooms for a good nose at what's on offer. A word of warning though having a car with plenty of seats often leads to plenty of people blagging lifts, sometimes it felt like we may of well of bought a mini-bus.

    It doesn't last forever though, I drive a nippy Fiesta now my child seat days are done.
  • Mumof3Mumof3 Posts: 4,529
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    Even if you've no intention of buying new head to the showrooms for a good nose at what's on offer. A word of warning though having a car with plenty of seats often leads to plenty of people blagging lifts, sometimes it felt like we may of well of bought a mini-bus.

    ^This. 7-seaters definitely need stealth technology as an optional extra.
  • c4rvc4rv Posts: 29,538
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    I've been having a look on Auto Trader at various MPVs. One thing that struck me about them was that they seem to have three "separate" seats on the first row - as opposed to one long seat. This made me wonder whether in fact you could fit three child seats all side by side, as opposed to two on the first row and one in the back (or vice versa). Does the S-Max have this three "separate" seat arrangement, or is it just one long seat? And if so, do you reckon you could get three child seats side by side? If I could get an MPV where three seats could indeed fit side by side, that would be a great result as I wouldn't have to bother with roof box. I know a couple of people earlier in the thread have suggested you could get three seats side by side in certain bigger estate cars - but I drive a big estate and my wife drives a 4x4. There's no way you could get three in next to each other.

    Also what exactly is the difference between an S-Max and a C-Max?



    Yes, apparently the Mazda MPV (Mazda 5?) and Seat Alhambra have sliding doors which I thought would be a massive advantage. These are on my short list, together with the Ford Galaxy/S-Max/C-Max and Vauxhall Zafira. All these mentioned get pretty good reviews on What Car.

    There are 2 version of c-max both based on Focus platform. Standard C-Max is a 5 seater, I believe about same size as Zafira or C4. Might be tight to get 3 x stage 0 or 1 seats across the middle on any of them. C-Max Grand is a 5+2 seater with sliding doors. With 3rd row up there is virtually no boot space on any of them but plenty without 3rd row.

    Will mention one other thing, my 6 year old couldn't open sliding doors on the C-Max Grand or B-Max we saw in the show room or on my friends Mazda. Admittedly she is pretty small for her age but its something you might to check if you don't want to continuously have to open the doors for your kids when they are older.

    S-Max has 3 separate seats, each one can fold or slide separately from the others and all three are wide enough for any car seat though only the outer 2 have ISOFIX (should be fine for you). Seats in the middle row also recline a long way which is ideal for my kids as we often do our long drives late at night and the kids find it more comfortable sleeping. There is also a decent amount of space between front and middle row so even if somebody is sitting in the outer seat then you can easily access the middle seat.

    As mentioned, quite often when we have 6 in the car, we fold the middle seat which then makes a nice table for 2nd and 3rd rows and gives a much airy space inside plus kids also scramble over middle seat when its down to access 3rd row saving folding forward the outer seat.

    The car really does hide its size very well from inside and out. From outside it doesn't look like a typical MPV and inside it doesn't drive like one. But when you come to width restrictions you will notice the size, it fits through a 6' 6" width but it is actually over 7' from tip of huge mirror to tip of huge mirror.

    Will mentioned if you can get one without the 18" low profile alloys will be quieter, more comfortable and better steering lock which means you don't turn a 3 point turn into a 7 point turn. Dual sunroof is worth paying a bit extra for if you can find one. Aside from that, there were some build quality issues with the early ones and they did a facelift around 2008 so its worth getting a face lifted one if you can. 2L diesel is the most popular choice, gives around 38mpg on the motorway and still has plenty of power to carry 7 people + luggage + roof box without any problems.

    There is a review here,
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pNu1NgkKHo

    I had a mondeo estate before and MPV its different class to estate cars for somebody with a young family, even though its virtually the same platform. You best bet is go look at one.

    Finally thing and so true that as somebody mentioned when you have a 7 seater, you do end up giving lifts to so many people. Useful sometimes as it saves taking 2 cars but find that we have been 'volunteered' for doing school runs a few times, lol
  • patsylimerickpatsylimerick Posts: 22,124
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    :D I feel your pain. We've a Corolla Verso (as does practically everyone else who gets on the ferry out of Cork for France every Summer!). It's a bit tight, but it does fine. Ours are 12, 9 and 6; so we're past the baby seats/buggy stage. We're actually thinking of going back to a saloon as my hubby doesn't like the people carrier thing. The seven seaters have good boot space if you only use the first two rows of seats and we've never needed a roof rack. It's the bicycles that I struggle with; we can only safely carry three with us and hire out the other two.
  • gasheadgashead Posts: 13,807
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    So....is an MPV with roof box and roof rack my best bet,
    Not necessarily. I too had the same exact thought about a year ago when we were (unexpectedly) expecting a third. We had - and still have - a '99 Kia Ceed and had no desire to trade it in for a family-mobile unless absolutely necessary. Although it's a squeeze, we're able to fit a 6 y/o on a booster seat, plus a 3 and 1 y/o in their respective seats in the back. We used a roof box the first time we went away, more out of instinct than any real need for it, and of course we filled it, but nowadays we just take as much as we can fit in (using all available space, whilst still ensuring good visibility for the driver). Travel cot, pushchair, travel high-chair, suitcase etc are all essential, so go in first, then it's a case of what else will reasonably fit? Bikes are out, but foldable scooters are ok. Toys and books are limited to what will fit in a small crate and this goes beneath the 1 y/o feet. Takes a bit of trial and error, but you soon get the hang of what you can take without anyone feeling like they've had to leave something crucial behind.
  • Miss C. DeVilleMiss C. DeVille Posts: 6,025
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    My son had an Espace. 7 full sized seats and plenty of leg room. Rear 2 seats could be taken out giving you loads of boot space.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,232
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    I don't think it's a good idea to put children in a roof-box, even though I can see how tempting it might be.
  • c4rvc4rv Posts: 29,538
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    My son had an Espace. 7 full sized seats and plenty of leg room. Rear 2 seats could be taken out giving you loads of boot space.

    looked at the espace but having to remove seats would be a real pain.
  • Mumof3Mumof3 Posts: 4,529
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    Personally, I don't think travel cots or travel high chairs are essentials. Families have managed for decades/centuries without these. Rethink your basic assumptions, rather than your boot space.
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