Note that most cars only have 2.6 seats in a classic three seat second row—at least in european models—where the middle seat is not a full seat, but only two thirds as wide.
If you’re seating three children, don’t forget that you’re not only seating them but (usually) also their car seats¹ - which have gotten so wide through their side shock absorbation zones, that you can’t fit three beside each other in a standard three seat second row of a car.
Even when you remove some of the extra-padding some seats offer as removables, it’s a snug fit even with a full width three seat second row. So it might make sense to think about a bigger car all along, since most bigger cars with a full second row also have a collapsible third row anyway (at least as a premium option). A cheap model in europe is the SEAT Alhambra, which is essentially a Volkswagen Sharan but with a different chassis.
When factoring in the resale value, take a look at the second hand market specifically for your model, because these family vehicles tend to keep their value a lot better than other cards (since most families drive them until their kids are grown-up).
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¹ in this case I mean not only a booster seat, but the full seats for ages 3-12. At least in most parts of europe, they are widely accepted if not mandatory.
Note that most cars only have 2.6 seats in a classic three seat second row—at least in european models—where the middle seat is not a full seat, but only two thirds as wide.
If you’re seating three children, don’t forget that you’re not only seating them but (usually) also their car seats¹ - which have gotten so wide through their side shock absorbation zones, that you can’t fit three beside each other in a standard three seat second row of a car.
Even when you remove some of the extra-padding some seats offer as removables, it’s a snug fit even with a full width three seat second row. So it might make sense to think about a bigger car all along, since most bigger cars with a full second row also have a collapsible third row anyway (at least as a premium option). A cheap model in europe is the SEAT Alhambra, which is essentially a Volkswagen Sharan but with a different chassis.
When factoring in the resale value, take a look at the second hand market specifically for your model, because these family vehicles tend to keep their value a lot better than other cards (since most families drive them until their kids are grown-up).
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¹ in this case I mean not only a booster seat, but the full seats for ages 3-12. At least in most parts of europe, they are widely accepted if not mandatory.
Not in the US; here that’s mostly only fancy European imports.