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Post by racingteatray on Nov 14, 2018 15:58:07 GMT
Why do you need three individual seats in the back? I am one of three similarly-aged children and we coped just fine in the back (right through to adulthood) in the various Volvo estates and Range Rovers my parents had? Basically, because 3 individual seats these days means the car (and seats) is designed to more easily accommodate a mixture of 3 car and booster seats which actually take up more room than an adult. Times change and the rules are you now have to be is booster seats until some daft age. And then you throw in the added safety of ISO-Fix. As I said, three booster seats may just fit though. Ah well, spot the man without kids.
I thought all cars had isofix these days as standard?
Presumably most MPVs will fit the bill then without need to resort to an actual van with windows?
How about a Skoda Kodiak? One of our ever-breeding neighbours has recently acquired a grey one which looks smart and very capacious.
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Post by ChrisM on Nov 14, 2018 16:16:55 GMT
I thought all cars had isofix these days as standard? Possibly, but not necessarily 3 in the rear. Maybe just the 2 outer positions? You may have read elsewhere that I have just "upgraded" mum's old 2004 V70 by fitting ISOFIX brackets in the rear (a 10-minute job) in readiness for elder daughter taking the car over, but there was no option for the middle rear seat, only the 2 outer ones despite the seat looking like it's easily wide enough to fit a 3rd set in the middle |
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Nov 14, 2018 16:46:24 GMT
Don't some Volvos have that clever set up where the rear centre armrest doubles as a booster seat for toddlers?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2018 17:44:48 GMT
Don't some Volvos have that clever set up where the rear centre armrest doubles as a booster seat for toddlers? I think a few do that - I know my SEAT had built in booster seats as an option. |
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Post by ChrisM on Nov 14, 2018 18:34:55 GMT
Don't some Volvos have that clever set up where the rear centre armrest doubles as a booster seat for toddlers? My parents old 850 had that feature but the newer V70 just has a "plain" armrest in the rear |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2018 18:53:06 GMT
Basically, because 3 individual seats these days means the car (and seats) is designed to more easily accommodate a mixture of 3 car and booster seats which actually take up more room than an adult. Times change and the rules are you now have to be is booster seats until some daft age. And then you throw in the added safety of ISO-Fix. As I said, three booster seats may just fit though. Ah well, spot the man without kids.
I thought all cars had isofix these days as standard?
Presumably most MPVs will fit the bill then without need to resort to an actual van with windows?
How about a Skoda Kodiak? One of our ever-breeding neighbours has recently acquired a grey one which looks smart and very capacious.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2018 9:48:52 GMT
Yep, most MPV's will fit the bill, but i'm trying to keep the rental costs and personal tax liabilities down. I think when I first got the SEAT 3 yrs ago it was costing me about £800 a year in tax, its now pushing £2k.
With three kids we certainly need the boot space - three of everything. This is why converted vans are so good. Plus their footprint is sometimes no larger than an MPV. My T5 was not as wide as the SEAT and had a much better turning circle.
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Post by PG on Nov 15, 2018 12:34:22 GMT
Yep, most MPV's will fit the bill, but i'm trying to keep the rental costs and personal tax liabilities down. As has been confirmed time and again over the ages, sex is never "free". There is always a cost..... Why don't you just extend the lease on your Alhambra until the oldest of your kids can move to a booster rather than a car seat and then get a hybrid estate car which will take two seats and a booster cushion? |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2018 13:42:49 GMT
The oldest two are already in high backed booster seats! I don't think you can use purely a booster cushion until they are much older.
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Post by Big Blue on Nov 15, 2018 15:52:29 GMT
The oldest two are already in high backed booster seats! I don't think you can use purely a booster cushion until they are much older. It's age, weight, height that matters. You can have a 13 year old in a child seat if they're tiddlers and 7 year olds just sitting like normal if they're tall and weighty. T4 can't wait to ditch the booster. |
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Post by cbeaks1 on Nov 15, 2018 18:50:20 GMT
1m 35 or 11 years old I think (might be 12) My son is 4 1/2 and is nearly 1m 20cm so won’t be that long.
The advice is keep boosted till 1m 50cm.
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Post by racingteatray on Nov 19, 2018 18:23:27 GMT
1m 35 or 11 years old I think (might be 12) My son is 4 1/2 and is nearly 1m 20cm so won’t be that long. The advice is keep boosted till 1m 50cm. 1m 50??
That's daft. Means my wife is only 10cms off needing a booster seat!!
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Post by johnc on Nov 20, 2018 6:36:46 GMT
1m 50??
That's daft. Means my wife is only 10cms off needing a booster seat!!
And my Mother in Law should still have one! |
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Post by ChrisM on Nov 20, 2018 8:01:18 GMT
My mum used a soft cushion for the last few years that she was driving.......
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Post by Big Blue on Nov 20, 2018 10:22:07 GMT
My mum is quite content on her broomstick.
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Post by ChrisM on Nov 20, 2018 13:24:54 GMT
My mum is quite content on her broomstick. Ah yes, reminds me of the old joke when you come back late in the evening and mum/other half has the broomstick in hand... "Have you been cleaning, or flying?" |
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Post by Roadsterstu on Nov 25, 2018 23:40:37 GMT
1m 35 or 11 years old I think (might be 12) My son is 4 1/2 and is nearly 1m 20cm so won’t be that long. The advice is keep boosted till 1m 50cm. 1m 50??
That's daft. Means my wife is only 10cms off needing a booster seat!!
Yep, 135cms or 12 years, whichever is soonest. My 9 year old is 138cm so we have ditched the seat now. |
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Post by racingteatray on Nov 26, 2018 14:13:07 GMT
135 I can sort of see. 150 is really silly though.
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Post by Roadrunner on Nov 26, 2018 16:03:28 GMT
I always understood it to be 135 cms and that is the measurement we used for when W moved out of his seat, ready to enjoy the full effect of the heated rear seats in the Benz.
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Post by Roadsterstu on Nov 27, 2018 19:18:39 GMT
I always understood it to be 135 cms and that is the measurement we used for when W moved out of his seat, ready to enjoy the full effect of the heated rear seats in the Benz. My poor boy will have unheated leather in the back. I should probably buy him a fleece blanket to sit on! |
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Post by Martin on Nov 27, 2018 19:21:28 GMT
I always understood it to be 135 cms and that is the measurement we used for when W moved out of his seat, ready to enjoy the full effect of the heated rear seats in the Benz. My poor boy will have unheated leather in the back. I should probably buy him a fleece blanket to sit on! That’s just cruel! Mine are spoilt with heated, reclining, massage chairs and entertainment system....but I regularly take them back in the Golf to give them some balance! |
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Post by bryan on Nov 29, 2018 6:06:51 GMT
What about a Skoda karoq with the varioflex seating?
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Post by ChrisM on Nov 29, 2018 8:12:12 GMT
What about a Skoda karoq with the varioflex seating? The middle seat is much narrower than the outer 2, I don't think it will take an ISOFIX seat.... however you can pay extra if ordering new and have ISOFIX on the front passenger seat. (I've developed an unhealthy interest in the Karoq over the past 2 weeks...... it's a bit odd that the only 4x4 setup you can have is with the 2 litre TDI engine, and a shame that unlike the Yeti you can't get it with a contrasting roof colour) |
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Post by ChrisM on Nov 29, 2018 14:04:55 GMT
What about a Skoda karoq with the varioflex seating? ..... and a git plate  Go for the 1.5 engine - looks like all the "true gits" have taken the "ROC" and "ROK" plates ! |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2018 17:43:51 GMT
Looks like a Ford Transit Custom crew cab is the leading contender now. Prepared to take a risk on the benefit in kind van rules changing in the future. Have not driven one yet, but it looks a decent quality product up close. The dealer I spoke to was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and helpful. This compares to Toyota, Vauxhall and Citroen who despite multiple prompts to both the local dealers and HQ seem incapable of getting back to me. I think I may get a job as a dealership "business" salesman as they evidently don't have to sell vehicles.
Doing some sums it's either a case of get a lower spec T6 or a higher spec Ford with a more powerful engine. My only concern is some of these contract hire places popping up on my Face Book feed seem to offer a £100 less a month than the dealer on straight forward contract hire - there must be a catch somewhere. The other thing I have noticed is their monthly figures are cheaper for a fully maintained van but their excess mileage is higher.
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Post by racingteatray on Dec 11, 2018 17:59:16 GMT
You have my sympathy.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Dec 11, 2018 18:18:38 GMT
How have we gone from "New Car Musings" to Transit vans?? Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a bit of Transit driving to let the inner ape have his five minutes on the loose but surely not as an everyday vehicle? Do you have to take out a subscription to The Sun?
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Post by Martin on Dec 11, 2018 19:30:04 GMT
+1. Is there really no other solution? |
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Post by cbeaks1 on Dec 11, 2018 19:35:00 GMT
He needs no sympathy. Transit Customs are great and in the company car tax arena it is a no brainier cost wise. Space for children and stuff, and bikes can go inside.
Scamper - you might well find you are not allowed to go to the tip if you get one. I couldn’t take my Ranger.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2018 20:05:15 GMT
How have we gone from "New Car Musings" to Transit vans?? Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a bit of Transit driving to let the inner ape have his five minutes on the loose but surely not as an everyday vehicle? Do you have to take out a subscription to The Sun? Vans are what all the middle class families drive now. Especially down here. 😂 The dealership confirmed as much. Good point about the tip. They are quite strict down here at the best of times. |
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