For the Dads – “Bootspace”

Chris Berry
Bootspace is important but even more so is the number of people you intend to take along.Few cars can handle twins plus parents plus help-godmother/grandmother included. Fewer still can take mum and girlfriend plus 3 kids all safetly strapped in with 3 point belts. After much shopping around we've gone for a sharan and a passat.
I'm a vw/audi fan and have tested almost all of them.

Nothing beats the 1.9 or 2l tdi engines for economy and you'll be twice as busy with twins. Cheapest to buy second hand with plenty of bootspace is the passat. I've just paid R85000 for a 2004 with 920000 on te clock and it's a tdi. I get about 1200km pet tank. Boot is big enough for any stroller plus shopping. Can disable front airbag.
Golf 4/audi a3 won't fit a mclaren twin.
Golf 4 station wagon is ideal though. You can change nappies in the boot under rain cover. Polo does fit the stroler but limited shopping space. Great for run-around.
Jetta can handle most day to day chores but isn't as versatile as a 7 seater.
Sharan is amazing in terms of space. 2-7 full size seats plus a big level loading boot for nappy changes. We usually take 6 seats of which 5 are 3 point belted. This means that two mums, 4 twins or two friends and two parents can go somewhere. Very useful if you want a social life. Better still is the 5 seat configuration where Leah can jump over from the front and we can hurl cots, feeding chairs, suitcases, motorbikes and all in the back. I've taken kids,wife and parents on long trips with ease.
Caravelle - now we're talking a luxury bus.
Touran also comes in 7 seats but you lose the bootspace and 3 point belts.
Audi a4 - same as jetta - a6 and a8 - big sedans similar to passat but more expensive.
Two seaters - forget them.
Also of note: renault scenic - 5 seater designed by a woman. Excellent space but expensive on services. Great mum's taxi.

Sam McCalgan
I drive an Opel Meriva. We tried out all sorts of cars but ended up getting a Meriva as it was the cheapest/smallest car that we could fit 3 car seats into. (My little boy was 18 months when the 2 girls arrived). The double pram fits into the boot and the nice part is that it is a flat boot so you can just slide the pram in. The car seats are all wedged in at the moment though and not sure how well they are going to work when I turn the girls around (they are still rear facing at the moment).

Brenda Bell (Mom to Dylan and Gareth Born on 02/12/07)
As you will all know, one of the hardest things when going out with "Multiples" is carting along all the paraphanalia with you! When we found out we where having Twins, we where seriously worried about even fitting the pram into my car! I have a little Getz, which I LOVE, and refused to part with. So when we brought our pram (a Gracco.) the first thing we did was check that it fitted in my car, and luckily for me, it did... my Getz was staying! She has since done me brilliantly. When people see me driving to my Mom for the night sometimes, I can see them smiling in my rearview mirror! The most I have ever fitted in is: The Twin Pram, 2 Safeway Indy Car seats with babys in, 2 very full bags of clothes, a pack of nappies, the steriliser and 8 bottles, tin of formula, play Donut for them to sit in, a bag of toys, a snug and safe between the car seats, and one on my maids lap who was sitting in the front with me! (I was taking the snug and safes to my mom for her to use.) Even I was flabagasted at how much we squeezed into my Getzie! So, sometimes, Size can be decieving! I am not sure how many "litres" my boot holds, or the technical term for the size of it, but I can assure you, if you own a Getz, you wont have a problem fitting your Twins in. (and all their extras!)

Lynette Girdhari (Expecting triplets - Ex Durban - Due date 20 Nov 2008)
Just this weekend we went to Baby Company to look at the Peg Twin Pram, and to see how much of bootspace we would have to also include a single pram.
To my disappointment our car ("VW Polo") ,bootspace is toooooo small, it can only accommodate a single pram and we are expecting triplets.
Why don't they manufacture twin/triplet prams to accommodate all car bootspace (vice versa) ?

Karlene Schwegmann
Having two girls already and then the twins arriving, we decided to buy a Chrysler Voyager as it has seven seats (one spare for Granny) and a nice big boot which fits the twin pram and bags aswell if we are going away (we have even fitted Dave's golf clubs in aswell for a weekend away). I do feel like an air hostess though, delivering drinks and food to the bigger kids in the back seat as they are forbidden to take their seat belts off. The nice thing about the car is that all the seats fold into the floor in the event of having to transport any-thing obviously without the kids in the car. It is very comfortable as well for long trips!

Anita van Wyk
Ons het 'n 2003 Toyota Condor. Sy spasie is baie klein omrede ons nie die agterste bank kan opslaan nie. Ons het 4 kinders en gebruik beide banke. Wel dit het ons gedwing om die maclaren 2 ling stroller te koop omrede hy opvou soos die sambreel strollers. Verder kom net die nodige vir een dag se uitgaan daarin. As ons vir 'n naweek wil weggaan hak ons maar die waentjie vir gerieflikheidshalwe.

Tash Winterton
My boot space is 620 litres – I drive a BMW X5. We also have a trailer for those long journeys because our dogs go on holiday with us too.

Lesley Williams
Size of your boot – We own a Mitsubishi Colt, so the size of our ‘boot’ is quite extensive, however never wasted ! As both sets of grandparents live 2 hours away, we make relatively frequent weekend trips to see them, and therefore need lots of boot space. We never have to think twice about whether or not we can fit in those little extras, such as our OWN luggage!

Anita Campbell
Our 'Golden Retriever' Peugeot 307 Stationwagon has served us well. The boot cover detatches easily and we found having the twin pram standing was easier. The grip on the floor meant we had to lift rather than slide the pram in and out which was a bore but a plastic bag under the wheels avoided that problem (if you had them handy).
The best feature of the car, though, was the width, which gives enough room between the seats for an adult to sit and keeps the seats far enough away from each other that siblings can't reach each other!
We also have a Peugeot 307 (non-stationwagon) that has average boot space. I've never attempted to fit a pram in it. I think it would fit if the boot cover was removed.
My previous car was an Opel Monza that had the best boot space in any sedan I've known, but the lack of safety features makes this an undesirable car. Good for someone on a tiny budget - you can only get them second hand.

Edie Bosman
We are still in the process of buying a vehicle. Through all the shopping of 6/7 seaters in our price range, we found the Mazda 5 to have a marginally bigger space, but all these mamma-mobiles have restricted boot space!

Jenny Gilson
We have a Prado, which would have ample space for the twins (8 months), but we have 2 older kids as well (4 & 2.5). We also live in the sticks with great travelling distances, so our nanny travels everywhere with us.
Space is therefore a problem !
With the older kids car seats in the "6th & 7th" seat, there is almost no boot (+-25 - 30cms) - we have had to buy 2 Maclaren day prams, because the double pram doesn't fit in.
Getting the 2 older kids into their seats is also a problem.
Needless to say we have had to buy a trailer, which is quite a problem in town !
A VW Caravelle or Merc Viano is on my wish list !

In the next article I would like to focus on “Dads and their multiples” – tell me about the special activities you share with your multiples (like preparing breakfast together) and the special tasks you perform (like bathing the kids) ……..liesl@icon.co.za / 088 011 793-1986 (fax).