What car is suitable for having a kid?

blue note

I'm not talking about for conception or delivery here! But we're expecting our first in March and wondering should we change the car. We've a 3 door Audi a3 at the moment. And thinking of my parent friends, they all have large cars. Is it really al that much of an advantage?

I'm thinking the three door could be a nuisance. Although if we weren't use to anything else would we even think about it? And I'm thinking of we upgrade how much bigger than say a 5 door golf would we actually benefit from?

We can afford to change the car so that's not the issue. Not that money is no concern! But if it's money well spent we would happily spend it.

ec18

5 doors and a good sized boot is a necessity Golf would probably be ok we have a honda civic and it's been fine 10 months in, everything else is personal choice.

PhoenixParker

Get your hands on a buggy suitable for a newborn (ie, not a tiny light stroller)

Bring it with you and stick it in the boot when you go car shopping. Make sure it fits and there's space left over.

Make sure there are 4+ doors. Car seats, especially rear facing and 3 door cars dont go together.

You're good.

unhappys10

We have a 162 5 series and 14 month old.
Just not enough space for everything and you'd imagine it's a big car.
We're currently in the process of trading for a Volvo XC60 SUV, partly as we need the extra space but mostly because we will have number 2 in the next 18 months or so.

A 3 door A3 won't cut it at all. Between buggy and all baby stuff and toys and changing bag not to mention your own crap, I'd consider at the very least a 5 door hatchback, if not an estate. Something like a Golf or Skoda Octavia estate maybe. Possibly even something in a lift back would be suitable.

But if you plan on another baby relatively soon after the first, I'd definitely think bigger. Estate or SUV.

Car99

blue note wrote: »

I'm not talking about for conception or delivery here! But we're expecting our first in March and wondering should we change the car. We've a 3 door Audi a3 at the moment. And thinking of my parent friends, they all have large cars. Is it really al that much of an advantage?

I'm thinking the three door could be a nuisance. Although if we weren't use to anything else would we even think about it? And I'm thinking of we upgrade how much bigger than say a 5 door golf would we actually benefit from?

We can afford to change the car so that's not the issue. Not that money is no concern! But if it's money well spent we would happily spend it.

A 4 door is not necessary but does make life a whole lot easier especially when they are babies and rear facing . I'd buy a 4dr if I was in your position. We have has A4 estates for the last 8 years and it does make life easier.

colm_mcm

Child seats are certainly a pain with a 3 door.

Another factor is boot space, now we did just fine with a Civic and a Yaris, but we didn’t have one of those massive buggys going around with us.
Something like an Octavia would give you big boot space without necessarily having a huge car.

People often go for crossovers because they find it easier to get a kid into a child seat if the roof isn’t in the way of their head.
Note that boot space in the likes of a Tucson/Qashqai etc isn’t really any bigger than a Golf.

seamus

As above, 3 door is a nuisance. 5-door with a hatchback is the easiest. It's not just getting kids in and out, it's all their paraphenalia.

If you go for a bigger one, then do that - a Golf instead of a Polo, for example. One of our cars is a Nissan note, which is perfectly fine for fitting the kids in, but it absolutely cannot take the pram with the full pramtop. When we switch to the buggy top, it'll take it, but you'll get nothing else in the boot.

Saloons are going out of favour which means there's good value to be had, but the trade off is that getting things in and out of the boot is trickier, and there's less head clearance for putting kids in.

Colm is right that in many crossovers, there's a surprising lack of boot space. So don't assume that because it's a big car it has a big boot. We just went through this in January as the third came along. We had a Toyota Rav4 for years with two kids and it was great.

colm_c

It's not so much the doors, it's access.

Small babies will be in car seats so you have to lift them in, 3 door is possible but very awkward especially with one hand!

What kind of trips will you be going on? Short or long or overnight? If overnight what baby equipment will you be bringing? Pram, cot, clothes, bottles etc etc. Will that all fit into the car?

Also think about will you be having more kids soon? Might want more space in the car for them and their stuff.

It's surprising how much space little people take up.

Is it possible to use an a3/golf size car? Absolutely. But the next size up will give you better room/bigger boot.

Octavia/passat/mondeo etc would all be decent options. Some of the larger cross overs would be ok too, but most have very small boots.

Del2005

A buggy will fill the boot of most cars like a Golf or Civic. If you are changing the car for the baby then buy an estate or bigger saloon like a Mondeo or Octavia. A lot of people use 3 door cars with babies as they find the big doors make loading easier.

But all cars will be an ergonomic nightmare for loading the baby which is why so many people buy mid sized SUVs as they have a decent sized boot and more ergonomic loading height.

SusanC10

4 Doors min but preferably an Estate for decent boot space. Kids esp babies have a lot of paraphernalia!

Kintarō Hattori

When my little one arrived I initially had a 3 door and it was a pain in the behind lifting her in and out. I changed to a 5 door and it was a much better experience. A 3 door might be fine with older kids but not a newborn.

ShaShaBear

Agreed that 5 doors and a large boot are definitely the priority. Newborn travel systems are quite bulky and then (depending on where you are going and for how long), babies need all sorts of random things that you're definitely going to want boot space for. As for the door situation, no new mum wants to try and wrangle with a car seat while stretched over the front of a car

If you haven't bought a travel system/buggy for baby yet then go have a look at some and ask the sales rep to fold them down for you as if they were going into the car. It will give you a good idea of the sort of space you'll need.

We have 2 bigger girls (6 and 4.5) and a third due in 6 weeks and we're in an older model Honda CR-V. Definitely love all the space and absolutely need it!

listermint

get rid of the 3 door, you will get sick of it after the first week, guaranteed.

An estate would be ideal if not a decent hatchback .

e.g of each Volvo V60 Ford Mondeo

Ger Roe

Four of us kids grew up in a Chrysler Avenger (1970's). Not sure if it even had rear seat belts and at least one of us had to sit on the drive shaft hump between the two front seats.

This was obviously back in the days before hard hats, luminous yellow vests and the invention of health and safety.

An Avenger might be difficult to come by these days though

BOB2017

It's certainly possible to manage with the 3 door - you can have the newborn car seat on the passenger seat in the front if you wanted to (once airbag is off) and there are several options for car seats which spin which would make it much easier to have the seat in the back of a 3 door. The main issue is likely to be boot space to be honest. If you know what buggy you will have try it out in the boot or borrow one to try out to see can you fit anything else in - I have a 5 door focus and depending on the buggy it can be a struggle to fit anything else in the boot.

Lurching

A lot depends on your height and your partners height.
I'm tall and have to drive any time my daughter is in the car, as I can't fit in the passenger seat in front of the baby seat.
Also worth remembering that they change seats as they get older, so it's not just the initial newborn capsule you need to think about.

We have a 2012 BMW 320D.

shesty

To save your back, get a 5 door.Absolutely.

As regards what make/model/ size, that is entirely up to you, your budget and your baby plans.A golf sized car at a mininum to fit a buggy if you plan on a travel system.

I had a Golf for our first 2 ....its boot just about fitted a 2015 Uppababy Vista buggy, which is pretty much one of the widest single buggies on the market.That should give you an idea.

After that, as I said it depends on your budget and baby plans.We got a Ford SMax 7 seater when no.3 arrived, nothing else would fit 3 car seats side by side.If you are happy to go with a hatchback or saloon for now, work away.It is very much personal choice.

Montage of Feck

Fiat Uno, well that's what my mother had, lol. Basically a box on wheels with a surprising amount of interior space, more than most current crossover Jeep things.

Wildly Boaring

Estate or a crossover are best

5 doors is a must.
My saloon 3 series couldn't take some buggies.

Estate best for boot space.
Crossover best for putting kids into seats.
Also good for getting heavier items into the boot.
(My wife will drive crossover only, for her back)

Choose carefully. A flat bottom boot is a great.
Some crossovers have surprisingly small boots.

We now have a previous gen Honda CR-V. Great flat boot and plenty rear legroom. Out-and-about double buggy shoots straight into the boot no messing.

If you plan on extended rear facing seats and one of you is over 6 foot choose very carefully.
I couldn't fit in front of toddler in extended rear facing in a standard Golf/Leon.

Digs

shesty wrote: »

To save your back, get a 5 door.Absolutely.

As regards what make/model/ size, that is entirely up to you, your budget and your baby plans.A golf sized car at a mininum to fit a buggy if you plan on a travel system.

I had a Golf for our first 2 ....its boot just about fitted a 2015 Uppababy Vista buggy, which is pretty much one of the widest single buggies on the market.That should give you an idea.

After that, as I said it depends on your budget and baby plans.We got a Ford SMax 7 seater when no.3 arrived, nothing else would fit 3 car seats side by side.If you are happy to go with a hatchback or saloon for now, work away.It is very much personal choice.

Ha! Same trajectory here. Had a golf (5 door) with my first - fit a bugaboo chameleon in the boot fine. Hyundai Tucson when #2 came along and have the SMax now with #3, went with it for the ability to get 3 car seats in the middle row. Husband drives a Sante Fe 7 seater and the one non negotiable for us now that we both agree on (space aside) is the crossover/SUV purely for height. I find it much easier accessing car seats and putting stuff into boots.

Brian?

unhappys10 wrote: »

We have a 162 5 series and 14 month old.
Just not enough space for everything and you'd imagine it's a big car.
We're currently in the process of trading for a Volvo XC60 SUV, partly as we need the extra space but mostly because we will have number 2 in the next 18 months or so.

A 3 door A3 won't cut it at all. Between buggy and all baby stuff and toys and changing bag not to mention your own crap, I'd consider at the very least a 5 door hatchback, if not an estate. Something like a Golf or Skoda Octavia estate maybe. Possibly even something in a lift back would be suitable.

But if you plan on another baby relatively soon after the first, I'd definitely think bigger. Estate or SUV.

When my 2nd was born I regularly had a 2 year old, a baby, myself and my wife in a 5 door golf GTi.

What are you bringing with you?

ELM327

The only issue would be the 3 door vs 5 door IMO.

Golfs are perfect size for 1-2 kids. I had 2 5 door golfs for years and we put 2 kids in car seats in the back, with all the stuff in the boot.

You don't need an X7 size car just with one or even two young children.

unhappys10

Brian? wrote: »

When my 2nd was born I regularly had a 2 year old, a baby, myself and my wife in a 5 door golf GTi.

What are you bringing with you?

You might have got them in but it was tight. Why make life hard on yourself?

Millem

Had a golf when we had 2 kids. Shortly after baby 2 we got a vw touran 7 seater. Love it! Recently had baby number 3.
Regardless of baby number 3 it’s so handy for play dates, sharing lifts etc.
A golf holds it’s value the touran doesn’t tbh even though it is a more expensive car. We bought secondhand. I will keep it for years and years as my kids wreck it tbh.

We also have an Audi a3 5 door sportsback. The boot is bigger than a golf.
It also came with isofix in the front passenger seat.

AMKC

Get yourself a good safe car. A Renault Megane SW or Grand Coupe are both lovely cars and will be way more practical than the 3 door you currently have. If you want something a little higher for ease of access putting the buggy in and out a Scenic is a great car.

Cameoette

We’ve been using a 14 year old Nissan note for the last few years with two kids and i have to remove the wheels of my buggy each time I lift it in to the boot to make it fit

Baby no 3 due next month and we just got a ford galaxy. I am excited to have space, at long last!

I think I would struggle with a 3 door car with car seats, hard on the back and awkward as hell. If you can afford it, a car with a decent boot and a bit of height is great when you have kids imo.

theteal

MrsTeal had a 5 door Yaris. Great car but her back was in bits getting the little one in and out. Also the boot was tight for the buggy. No.2 is on the way so we've joined the crossover club and picked up an old (2010) CRV a few weeks ago. It's a big yoke with acres of space in the back - I transported a 1.3m long TV unit in it last night with no issues.

kylith

Managed to get 2 adults, baby, 20kg dog, travel system, folding cot, nappy bin (cloth nappies), and clothes into a 5 door Lacetti but it was not easy. Upgraded to a Mazda 5 MPV shortly after and haven’t looked back. #2 is on the way now and will still be able to fit everything in for visits to grandparents.

jlm29

With only one child, I wouldn’t see a need to buy a big car. Plenty people manage with 3 door cars too, but it would be a bit annoying. You might manage for a while with an infant carrier on a base, since you’d just be clicking it in and out, but definitely it would be a Bit of a nuisance. You can, as someone else said, travel with the baby in the front so long as you turn off the airbag. I had a Ford Focus until just before I had my third child, I never felt too deprived of space!

Neyite

Think long term. They recommend car seats up to 150cm height/36kg, and there's talk of future recommendations that children up to 12yo will be required to use a car seat.

If you plan to hold onto the new car for a few years, bear in mind that they are rear facing as long as possible and you'll probably be changing the car seat at 18mo, then when they are 3/4 depending on height/weight. If you or your partner have any sort of back issues, I'd highly recommend the swivel seats.

By that stage you might have #2, so now that's two car seats, and maybe a double buggy to put in the boot. When you get to the point of three car seats, very few cars will fit three seats in the back, many instead will put one in the front and two in the back.

You'll be cursing your 3 door within a week. We ended up selling mine and going for a small 4 door, lifting a baby into a rear facing meant climbing with baby in the car seat part in to the back altogether and while that was fine for me as I'm short, it's bulky and heavy and you are bent over all while trying not to wake them! Not good at all on the back.

If you are a one car family, it may need to be a bit bigger boot-wise in the first few years. Visiting grandparents we were bringing buggy, travel cot, high-chair, potty, bags of clothes/nappies. The car easily got filled for a weekend. By the time the youngest is 4 your car load lessens substantially, but then you might have sports equipment or do car-pooling with other parents to sports or hobbies so your boot could potentially fill up again.

Effects

jlm29 wrote: »

You can, as someone else said, travel with the baby in the front so long as you turn off the airbag.

But isn't the risk in a crash slightly higher if they are in the front compared to the back? People go over the top in terms of safety these days, with only tiny gains to be made in cars or seating position.