3 Child seats in the middle row of a Touran?

[SeamusH]

Hi

We've just had daughter number three and have found that we can't fit our three child seats in the back of our scenic and still have enough room to 'click' the seat belts.

We currently have two high backed boosters - maxi cosi rodi XPs - and a baby seat (which will be swapped for a forward facing car seat - Maxi Cosi Priori XP - a few months down the line).

We'd heard that the Touran could fit three child seats across the middle row but when we went to the VW showroom we had exactly the same problem. The salesman hadn't experienced this request before so couldn't offer any advice.

We don't want to go up to a Sharan as we want the flexibility of the back row staying flush in the boot while we transport the usual buggies and shopping (and it was the size of the boot space that first attracted us, especially for camping). But we still need easy access to the extra seats for regularly ferrying the kids' friends around.

If possible we want to keep all three kids in the middle row as it seems safer, it's easier to get them into the car (without the wife struggling to lift up the seat for one to get into the back - surprised this was as complicated as it was or maybe it was just the way it was shown to us) and we keep the 'luggage' separate from roaming hands.

Has anyone managed to get three child seats in the middle row and if so what make do you use?

Many thanks

[WillPassat]

Yes, we have three child seats in a Touran. We too just had child number three and have just traded our Passat for a Touran, purely because we couldn't get two boosters and a baby seat in the Passat. We looked at dozens of cars trying our seats in all of them. Like you we didnt want a Sharan class of vehicle. After ruling out every decent estate car (A6, V70, Saab, Merc E-class etc) due to the 3seat issue, the Touran and Corolla Verso were about all that was left from the non-British/French offerings.
After 3 weeks living with the Touran it's proving to be a great car for our needs although as you say the belts are a little bit of a fiddle with all three child seats in place, but not enough to regret buying the car. Our 5 and 6 year old are managing to get themselves plugged in unaided and without too much swearing :-). Might be different with other makes of boosters - we have Graco ones.
If the seat belt stalks were 3inches longer it would be so much easier.
I think the likes of VW need to work closer with Graco etc to sort this - I'll bet the designers at VW dont have young kids!!!
I intend to write to VW and Graco to encourage them to sort this out for poor sods like us. Maybe this Forum community should gang up on them? After all the Touran is marketed as a very versatile family car.
If you go for a 7 seater it's also worth considering taking one middle row seat out (middle one?) and putting one child in the back so long as you can cope with losing almost half the boot.
Good luck,
Will

[SeamusH]

Thanks Will. I was surprised that no car maker appears to have considered the three car seats in a row problem (other than the full size people carriers such as the Sharan). As you say, just having longer seat belt stalks would really help but maybe that compromises the safety of the belt?

Well our Scenic gave up last weekend so we've had to make a quick final decision and we're going for the Touran. We'll take it down to Mothercare and see if we can juggle some different make seats about but if we get no joy it will have to be two in the middle row and one in the back.

Cheers

[TSP]

We have 3 across the middle row also. I have no issues, one is also a rear facing seat which clicks into the base. Double pram fits in the boot no problems.

.... down side.. I had to trade my beloved Lexus for it !

[tofinobay]

Hi,
We bought a Touran in 2004 when we had number 3. To start with we had youngest one in rear facing the side where only one belt "clunks in". In the middle we had middle child, with seat fixed in permanently so we did her up in her seat (a Britax Eclipse I think). Oldest child (age 5 at the time) was in forward facing maxi cosi rodi xp. We can still get 2 maxi cosi and a "cheaper narrow booster" in the back for the older one if we need to, even though she is technically tall enough to go without a car seat.

Mostly, the oldest goes in the front with the airbag switched off, still in her maxi cosi, and the other two have a bit more room in the back.
It was the best for us at the time, and still, nearly 5 years on, has proved flexible for taking friends for picnics, going to the dump, and taking 5 of us on holiday with all the packing that involves!

[twvw]

Hi

I have a Passat Estate and am having a third child in May. I asked on the Passat forum for advice about fitting a third seat but it seems a non starter.

I love Isofix. It feels so much more secure and is so simple in comparison with the seatbelt anchored seats. Does the Touran have Isofix for three seats?

[tofinobay]

Hi twvw,
As far as I know, there are only 2 Isofix points for child seats in the Touran, on the outer seats of the second row. I don't know of any cars with three.
Hope this helps,
Tofinobay.

[twvw]

I'll keep looking!