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Green-friendly used car w 3 separate seats

Home page 2023 Forums Buying a Car Green-friendly used car w 3 separate seats

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    • #100180
      Rebecca
      Guest

      We’re expecting our third child in March (our son will be 9, our daughter 7), and I would like to find a used green-friendly (hybrid?) car that has three separate seats in back or is exceptionally wide as an adult often has to sit there. I would prefer a normal/ estate car rather than SUV or etc.

      It seems impossible! (I know no cars are really green-friendly, but need one for various reasons). Looking up to c £11k.

      This is what I’ve considered:

      Hybrids (Toyota Prius+, Auris estate) – back seats look cramped (ie middle one not separate/ large enough). Volvo V90/ XC90 – can’t work out whether these are really hybrids, and prob too expensive anyway?

      Petrol – Honda FR-V – great space (6 seats in 2 rows), Ford Galaxy, Citroen C4 Picasso – not green at all (ie emissions are double that of Toyota Auris)

      My ideal would be the Honda FR-V with hybrid engine. Can anyone advise? Thanks.

    • #100367
      stuart 2022Stuart Masson
      Participant

      Getting anything with enough space for three child seats across the back – or two seats with enough room for an adult in between – is really difficult. Even large-ish cars will end up with minimal space between two car seats.

      The Volvo and Honda are not hybrids are are not available as such, as far as I am aware.

      • #100423
        Rebecca
        Guest

        Hi Stuart – thanks for the reply.
        Apparently the Volvo cars are available as ‘hybrid’ – but the electricity has to be added by plug (not generated by the action of the car), which is why I wouldn’t count them as hybrid for environmental reasons as the electricity is still generated by ?big power station? nuclear power stations? Also, they may be too new to be available on second hand market:

        http://www.volvocars.com/uk/cars/new-models/xc90-twin-engine
        http://www.volvocars.com/uk/cars/new-models/v90

        Do you have any recommendations for a green-friendly wide car? Thanks

      • #100433
        stuart 2022Stuart Masson
        Participant

        Sorry, yes I meant within your price range. Those models are both new vehicles launched in the last year or so, and definitely far more expensive.

        Plug-in hybrids are definitely more environmentally-friendly than normal hybrids, as the electric power generated from the power station is more economical than using petrol or diesel to drive your car, so every mile the car can do electrically will always be better than burning petrol or diesel. They also ‘regenerate’ electricity while driving, like a normal hybrid.

        However, within your indicated budget, there’s nothing really ‘green’ that will also comfortably take three car seats. Most buyers in this segment have traditionally bought diesels, often on the premise of them being greener than petrol cars, but that is now in dispute.

    • #100445
      Rebecca Fox
      Guest

      That’s very interesting, thanks for explaining. I wasn’t aware they regenerated the electricity too.
      If budget was no object, which second-hand hybrid would you suggest?

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