Ten of the best seven-seater family cars

When your family expands, one of the biggest problems is finding a car big enough to accommodate the whole brood, especially if more than two of your children are in baby car seats.

Fitting three child seats side-by-side in the back of a car can be mission impossible, as many of us know. The child restraints fit perfectly in the outer rear seats but the middle one is often just too narrow for a third.

Problems also arise if you need to take any other members of the family – gran and granddad – or friends with you on outings. Suddenly, there’s just not enough room in the car.

The only option for bigger families is to buy a new, seven-seater car.

Could one of the following seven-seaters be your next family car? Our friends at Parkers have pulled together a list of the best seven-seater cars to suit your growing family.

Audi Q7

The Audi Q7 has a lot going for it – it’s got a spacious, high-quality interior, a great image and it drives well for such a large car.

It’s not as expensive to run as you might think – thanks to a range of strong diesel engines, you could reach fuel economy upwards of 40 miles to the gallon.

The important bit comes inside, though. The Q7 boasts an impressive six ISOFIX points – one on each passenger seat.

That means all of your children will be safe throughout the car – you could even spread them out to avoid arguments on long journeys.

>> READ: YOUR FAMILY CAR CHECKLIST

Citroen Grand C4 Picasso

We’re big fans of the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso. It looks great, has a modern interior with lots of space and flexibility.

It’s reasonably priced and comes with a range of efficient petrol and diesel engines – so it won’t cost families too much to buy and run.

All three seats in the middle row have ISOFIX fittings, while the two rearmost seats have just about enough room for adults on short journeys.

>> READ: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ISOFIX

Ford S-MAX

The Ford S-MAX was refreshed in 2015, and is now more comfortable than ever and comes packed with high-tech safety equipment and family-friendly options.

There’s enough room in the rearmost seats for a pair of adults. They may not want to be there too long though, due to the sloping roofline.

The S-MAX’s middle row of seats can slide individually to make more room in the back, while there are ISOFIX fittings on each of the middle row of seats.

>> CAN’T AFFORD A NEW CAR? CHECK OUT THE MULTIMAC CAR SEATS

Ford Galaxy

If you like the looks and interior of the S-MAX but need more space in the back, the Galaxy is your answer.

It was also updated in 2015, so it’s got Ford’s latest look and high-quality, comfortable interior. Thanks to the squarer rear end, the two back seats are better suited to adults than in the S-MAX.

It’s the same set-up as the S-MAX in terms of ISOFIX points too, with three located across the middle row of seats.

Mercedes-Benz GLS

If you’ve got money burning a hole in your pocket and you’re not quite ready to commit to a full-blown MPV, there’s always the Mercedes-Benz GLS.

It’s big, luxurious and pretty impressive off-road.

That also means it won’t be cheap to run.

There’s a choice of 3.0-litre V6 diesel or the ludicrous 5.5-litre V8 petrol in the Mercedes-AMG GLS 63, the former of which will be most appealing to family buyers.

It claims to reach 37mpg, but it’ll still be costly to run in terms of tax and maintenance.

Inside, there’s loads of leather and high-quality materials. There’s space for four child seats thanks to ISOFIX points in the two outer seats in the middle row and the two rearmost seats.

>> READ: DO YOU KNOW THE LATEST CAR SEAT LAWS?

Peugeot 5008

The Peugeot 5008 is one of the older cars on this list, but it’s got a flexible interior with three ISOFIX points across the middle row of seats.

It’s not quite as spacious as the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso, but it’s a safe option, scoring five stars when Euro NCAP tested it back in 2009.

It also boasts a competitive starting price.

Renault Grand Scenic

The Renault Grand Scenic remains a great choice for families looking for space and value for money.

The Grand Scenic will accommodate three child seats across the middle row, while the two rear seats are probably best left for smaller passengers.

The interior feels solid and there’s plenty of extra storage cubbies.

It won’t cost the earth to run if you go for one of the economical diesel engines, plus the French brand has a strong reputation for safety.

SEAT Alhambra

The SEAT Alhambra is powered by a choice of turbocharged petrol and diesel engines.

The Alhambra has sliding side doors – very handy for getting little ones in and out - and comfortable seats all round.

It features three ISOFIX points across the middle row and plenty of family-friendly extras.

Volkswagen Sharan

More expensive than the Alhambra, the VW Sharan offers a bit more prestige than the SEAT largely due to the badge on the front.

But the Sharan has the same dashboard, same engines and same driving experience as the cheaper SEAT.

Go for a diesel engine, unless you won’t be doing many miles, in which case there’s a 1.4-litre TSI petrol to go for.

Volkswagen Touran

The smaller Touran features two more ISOFIX points than the Sharan.

Boasting five anchoring points in the second and third rows, the Touran is one of very few cars that can accommodate more than three child seats.

It’s not as spacious as the Sharan for adults, but the interior is flexible and large enough for most families, while build quality is top notch and shares many parts with the VW Golf.

It handles like the Golf, and it’s got a wide range of efficient petrol and diesel engines to choose from.

Read more family car reviews at Parkers

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