It looks like we won’t be able to fit three baby seats in our current car (which we love and don’t want to replace). And even if we can physically fit them in, the tether straps all go across the boot, so getting a pram into the car is going to be impossible.
So it looks like we’re in the market for a second hand people mover. Hopefully it will seat at least five, preferably more (in case we ever need to give someone a lift), have at least three anchor points for car seats, have a manual transmission, power steering, air conditioning, less than 100,000 on the clock, and not be brown. Oh, and it needs to be reliable, cheap to run, and cost almost nothing (which is what we currently have budgeted for a new car).
Yes, we’re depressed.
Disco Knitter 
Have been there. Understand the pain. I’m no help though; we spent what feels like a fortune on our VW.
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I was wondering when The Car Issue was going to crop up. I know you can fit three car seats across the back of a commodore, but not a camry.
They’re not people, movers, of course, and don’t meet your more-than-5-seats criterium, but I think a commodore would be cheaper to run than a people mover and you should be able to find one that’s not brown 🙂
If you do go the people mover, I have heard that the Kia is a surprisingly good/safe/well-equipped and cheap option – my boss traded in her audi for a kia (she’s got four kids)
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We dodged that bullet by, literally, half a centimeter. As somebody with three carseats in the back of the Camry, I can tell you they are a PITA (although cheaper than buying a new car). Pertinent example: A’s seat needs the slots adjusting and I’m going to have to take it to a professional because at least two seats need to come out, slots changed and re-installed and there’s no way I’ll be able to do it myself. I only just managed it myself on Glassy’s seat because it’s RF.
So… if you’re buying anyway, let me recommend the people mover as a more long-term investment over the sedan.
Sigh. That little lie about “the more kids you have the cheaper it is?”: our third has been our most expensive by far..
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Everyone loves a Tarago, expect to pay a premium that reflects the love or buy with huge Kms. Kias of a certain vintage have horrific engine problems. And then there’s the issue of rear impact for the third-row occupants.
We bought the Caravelle because it has twice as much space between the third row of seats and the back door. And I can get at all the seats without contortions. Cheap to run – diesel, plenty of power – turbo. About average to repair.
Unfortunately it does not handle like a Subaru, which does fit three restraints (Outback or Liberty).
I think the cheap option is a V8 Land Rover Discovery 7 seater, particularly if you’re not using the third row seats every day. Gas guzzlers don’t hold secondhand price, and it takes years and years to make up the extra you’ll spend on fuel.
But I doubt that’s going to happen.
It took us two years to get to the Caravelle, sounds like you’re going from whoa to go quite quickly.
Of course if you want an ear bashing about it…
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That’s shit. I normally get rides from my sister as I don’t have a car anymore. Now that she’s about to have baby no 2, the aunt is getting shunted.
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Hello?! Roofracks?! Occy straps?!
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