people carriers for grandparents

We have a Renault Grand Scenic - easily takes 3 x car seats + 2 x fold up seats in the back if the DDs are coming too. When we are not people carrying the boot is enormous - takes a full size drum kit, amp and speaker with ease. If one of the DDs is going on a family holiday we swap cars and we pooter about in their small one while they fill up our big one with luggage, bikes, camping stuff, food etc. and off they go.

Have a look at a Berlingo. We are on our third, must say something.

I have a Kia Sedona. It has 7 full seats which can be moved around to suit. We got it when our Oz family came to stay with the intention of selling it once they left, but I loved it so much we hung on to it! It's an automatic and a dream to drive. Since j died I now leave it at my DD's so she and her sister can use it when necessary and I use it when staying with them.. Highly recommend it.

I'm on my second Zafira, loads of room 7 seats and its really economical, we love it , nice high driving position and its no bigger than a saloon really. We always use it when we travel rather than hubbies Astra its just more comfortable and the space is a bonus. The back seats all fold forward so the boot is huge if you went to pick up stuff or run to the tip.
We get loads of luggage in for airport runs too.

We definitely need a 7-seater. The five year-old is a booster, and he can sit in the back row in my daughter's car - she has a Sharan. We don't need such a big car as her, though, since we only envisage using it to ferry them about when they come to stay with us.

Leslierika We have just ordered a new car and we looked at the Ford range too. The S-Max looked very nice but if you want something smaller have a look at the C-Max too. I agree with gilly that you need to be able to get 3 seats in (or is a 5 yr old a booster cushion?) so check this out before committing.

We don't buy cars very often so I found doing my research on the Internet very helpful. Also it seemed to us a good idea to buy one from a fairly local dealer, no point buying a car we couldn't get serviced locally.

Good luck, it took us ages to decide.

I have a Ford S-Max Leslierika . It is one of the very few cars that enable 3 full child seats to go side by side in the back and has two further (full adult sixed) fold down seats behind.

The S Max is a dream of a family car with the thoughtful little extras like cup holders right through (even in the third row) a second drivers mirror giving a full view of the seat behind. (its great when I say " I can see what you are up to in the back" they must think I have eyes in the back of my head) run flat tyres (so you will never get caught with a flat while you have the children) masses of room for the toys, bikes, buggies etc. Mind you it is not the smallest of people carriers but by far one of the roomiest.