Recommend me a car without lap belts!

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So it's time for my poor old car to move on as it's over 200,000kms now and I want to get some money out of it while I still can (surprisingly, people are actually interested in buying a car with such high k's!)
I'm looking for something like a hatchback or a station wagon or somewhere in between... Or a people mover type. I'm not too picky on the shape just not a sedan.

The issue is I hate lap belts! I would never put DD in one and think they are a real hazard so I'm finding it really hard to find anything without a lap belt in the centre. 

Can anyone recommend any models they know of which have no lap belts? (Preferably something that'd cost less than 10k for an early-mid 2000s, less than 100,000ks model)

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Mrs L

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Friday, 13 July 2012 12:48 p.m.

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• Monday, 16 July 2012 9:39 a.m.

  I have a MazdaMPV and just love it. It has a lap belt in the middle at the back but like someone else said I used a booster seat with harness that had good weight limits in that position. It is a 7 sweater and has very deep boot so can still fit lots in it. I love the fact it has a centre isle from the front so you can get out of drivers seat and get to back seats without getting out of the car - great on rainy days.
  Also have just got a Subaru legacy station wagon which has 3 proper seatbelts.

  cottontail

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• Sunday, 15 July 2012 9:45 a.m.

  Well the last two cars I've only had them three years each so I guess that's reasonably quick. We only want two children so a big five-seater would be enough for now but I wouldn't overlook a seven seater by any means... I'm going to look at a Mazda Premacy tomorrow. Anyone have any experiences with these?

  Mrs L

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• Sunday, 15 July 2012 6:51 a.m.

  do you keep cars long or turn them over quickly? Think ahead a few years, how many kids will you have? How many carseats or boosters does it need to take? Can you fit extras? I only have three kids but regularly carry 5 or 6, only one of mine is still using a carseat but I keep a spare booster in the boot for when I carry his mates around. So the 7 seater works well for us. Plus I love all the bells and whistles, the calendar has saved my ass so many times.

  ekubo

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• Sunday, 15 July 2012 3:21 a.m.

  I hassled the heck out of my MIL when she got her Focus coz its such a 'nana-car' (before we gave her grand-babies) but man i have eaten my words, i love it, really want to buy it but just gotta sell my caldina first.
  I can get the double buggy (p&t) in the boot aswell as the groceries, we have a radian and a safe 'n' sound carseat, and both rear facing with heaps of room in the front still... cant raves enough about it, love it!

  Sprocket01

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• Sunday, 15 July 2012 2:57 a.m.

  We just sold our Subaru Legacy Lancaster which fitted 3 car seats across the back and wasn't a lap belt, its a station wagon with a huge boot.  We have now got a Nissan Bassara 7 seater with 3 seats in the back row and isn't a lap belt. I am really loving the bigger car, and needed it with our little DD3 arriving 2 weeks ago.  Kids love it as well.

  paigesmummy

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• Saturday, 14 July 2012 11:20 p.m.

  I do like the Ipsum, and the Mazda Premacy. I think they're both on our upper limit of affordability but would certainly last us longer with the extra seats...
  
  Ohhh Sprocket01 I dream of a Mazda6 but they are about 2x what we can spend this time around :(
  
  I will look at the Ford Focus, saw a Fiesta that was v. nice but I think a bit too small...

  Mrs L

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• Saturday, 14 July 2012 8:26 p.m.

  Ipsum fan here too.  You can get a diono/radian carseat to use in the lapbelt seat which will last with a harness until the kids are really old because the weight restriction is really high.  Most people movers have lap belts and the problem with a station wagon is that once you get two carseats in the back there is usually no room for a middle seat anyway (unless you plan the purchase of your carseats).

  scratchy2

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• Saturday, 14 July 2012 11:46 a.m.

  I've got a Holden Commodore station wagon (2005 i think). I love it. No lap belt in middle, in the back I have a capsule with a base, booster seat and car seat. I lay the kids in the boot to change their nappy and fit a mountain buggy in the boot as well.

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• Saturday, 14 July 2012 9:45 a.m.

  We have a Toyota Caldina (1998) which doesnt have a lap belt, also a Mazda 6 (2009) station wagon... once again doesnt have a lap belt.
  I've been using my MIL Ford Focus (2009) its a hatchback, amazing on the room, can fit two massive cars seats in it and still fit have room. It's lapbelt free aswell... just some ideas :)

  Sprocket01

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• Saturday, 14 July 2012 5:36 a.m.

  Hey Mrs L
  
  I've got a Toyota Ipsum, love it. It's a 7 seater so although the middle seat in the middle row is a lap belt it just doen't need to be used, we drop down the storage/armrest thing over it. Also some Ipsums are 6 seaters and just don't have the middle seat, two rows of two bucket seats and a 2 seater bench at the back all with proper belts.
  
  Mine's a 2006 (I think) and cost 12000 after a wee bit of haggling and a trade in.

  ekubo

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