What Car? Q&A - Which car fits three child seats?

Do you have a list of cars that can safely accommodate three child seats in the back?
Samuel Dinsmore

Due to the variations in size between different car seats, and the shapes of cars, it’s impossible to say which cars will fit your requirements.

Whether or not your child seats fit is as much down to them as it is the car you're considering, so you're going to have to take your seats along on any test drive to make sure.

Bear in mind that cramming child seats in will compromise their effectiveness.

Don't assume that a car is suitable just because it has got three sets of three-point seatbelts. The centre seat on many cars is for occasional use and can be heavily bolstered, so a child seat may wobble around.

Even big family cars such as a Vauxhall Vectra or an executive BMW 5-Series aren't going to be suitable - you're going to have to turn your attention to far wider cars if you must carry three abreast.

MPVs such as the Ford S-Max, Citroen Picasso or Vauxhall Zafira are worth considering.

Some big off-roaders might do the trick as well, such as the Range Rover or Land Rover Discovery. Hyundai’ Santa Fe is available with seven seats, but is a more compact solution.

Britax offers a ‘Fit finder’ service on its website (www.britax.co.uk). It tells you which seats are compatible with which cars.