Hi Mary,

You're going to need to go and check this out for yourself because all kids are different and so are their car seats, but I'd have a good look at a last-gen Ford Mondeo Estate. It should have enough width across the back seat to fit everyone in (assuming your eight-year old is tall enough to use a booster cushion rather than a full-back car seat). Plus, they're reliable, good to drive and the boot is massive. Also well worth looking at a Mazda6 or a Toyota Avensis.