New baby = New car
Discussion
Jonnas said:
I did twins with a 3 series and a Polo. I am now an expert in tessellation but it's doable and the stuff you need to cart around gets much smaller over time. The only time you really need room is if you are going anywhere overnight. I just hire a people carrier as and when.
We did twins with a Fabia Vrs and a 3 door Focus ST. Went on a self catering holiday in the Focus and there was enough room for everything, when the kids are smaller you can put bags etc in the footwells should you need to.Now the kids are 3 1/2 we still have the Fabia but swapped the Focus for a current shape Mondeo, one of the reasons was a bit more room in the back for the kids to stretch their legs as they were kicking the back of the fronts seats a lot in the Focus.
There is an excess of room in the mondeo for stuff so can't see us changing.
tangerine_sedge said:
I don't understand why an M3 & Auris are considered impractical? The only problem I can see is getting access to the baby seat in the rear of the M3, but this is inconveniance, rather than a deal breaker. I say this with experience of getting my own babies/toddlers into the back of a saxo VTS some years ago.
I suggest you keep both cars, then make an informed decision once you've spent time carting the baby around.
This. I suggest you keep both cars, then make an informed decision once you've spent time carting the baby around.
I do not understand the need people seem to have to go and buy a new/different car when they have a baby.
We've just had our first and the wife's Fiesta is perfectly suitable. My classic Mini and the Coupe are definitely not going anywhere and the wife looks at people funny when they suggest we should.
Very odd.
The majority of the time you do not need a massive car for a child. For holidays, visiting families you need to extra space. We just use a large roofbox.
When our first was born we had a 156 SW 2.4JTD and a mk1 mx5.
Now we have another child, so one six months old and one four years old.
So now we have a Mini Clubman S with roofbox when necessary. And a Nissan Note.
Easy.
When our first was born we had a 156 SW 2.4JTD and a mk1 mx5.
Now we have another child, so one six months old and one four years old.
So now we have a Mini Clubman S with roofbox when necessary. And a Nissan Note.
Easy.
A new 3 series?
http://www.gogreenleasing.co.uk/personal-lease-car...
Practical, within budget, in the right colours subtle, 313 bhp and decent economy.
http://www.gogreenleasing.co.uk/personal-lease-car...
Practical, within budget, in the right colours subtle, 313 bhp and decent economy.
Edited by ChrisNic on Saturday 16th November 21:23
We did a two year old and a new born with a 106 and a Yamaha Thundercat 
It was a bit of a PITA but very do-able. An Auris is a ready made baby chariot! An A Class is just a badge upgrade, not a practicality upgrade.
If you're going to go to all the hassle of a car change get a proper estate - C Class, A4, Passat, all if which come with reasonably frugal yet pokey power plants, ticking both boxes.
It was a bit of a PITA but very do-able. An Auris is a ready made baby chariot! An A Class is just a badge upgrade, not a practicality upgrade.
If you're going to go to all the hassle of a car change get a proper estate - C Class, A4, Passat, all if which come with reasonably frugal yet pokey power plants, ticking both boxes.
You'd probably be better off to carry on running two cars. Time is going to be at a premium once baby comes and it's not as if either if you is going to be able to drop everything and pick the other up at the drop of a hat anymore. If once baby is here and settled and you do think you can manage on a single car strategy then go for it. But if you enter a PCP agreement now then your stuck. That extra £400 will probably buy you 2 days a week at a nursery.
If you do go down the M135i route the boot is just about big enough for a buggy but don't expect to get anything else in there too. Good deals to be had on the 5 series at the moment though, I'm told.
If you do go down the M135i route the boot is just about big enough for a buggy but don't expect to get anything else in there too. Good deals to be had on the 5 series at the moment though, I'm told.
jock mcsporran said:
996 turbo here also when the lad was born. Sold it after a couple of years and now use the Exige with the child seat.
Missus has her own car but I done all the nursery runs when I'm not offshore and the pork was fine for week long holidays away.
Just got rid of mine as well, it was fine as long as we didn't all (2+2) want to use it at the same time.Missus has her own car but I done all the nursery runs when I'm not offshore and the pork was fine for week long holidays away.
You shouldn't underestimate the amount of space kids take up, especially once you have more than one, double buggies, rear facing seats etc...
Definitely worth waiting to see how you get on with one.
Read this, some made me chuckle. Oh and just to clarify bit of a fat finger from me in the original post, the Mrs has a 1.0 Yaris, not an Auris.
Have just spent the majority of today trawling the dealerships of Surrey.
We ruled out BMW135i, VW Golf (various tedious diesels). Scirocco (if my car is impractical, then a squashed two door golf, most certainly is), ironically an Auris (left me cold like test driving a fridge - also the single most unpleasant dealer experience, not rude, just odd).
Which led us to Audi, where we test drove some diesel variant of the A3. I had given up caring at this point and was focused on something my wife had mentioned on the drive down. On the way home she commented that although she loved the A class It was the Audi that she preferred, however she thought the seats of the A3 the showroom were nicer. That particular model was an S3. Not quite the ultimate driving machine, but getting warmer.
Oh, the point my wife had made before the Audi garage. On the way down we passed a stunning dark blue four door saloon, baby seat in rear. She commented that she"liked that Mercedes, more than the one we borrowed". That car was in fact a Maserati Quattroporte
Hmm S3, or potential major borkage with a 5 year old Maserati....
Have just spent the majority of today trawling the dealerships of Surrey.
We ruled out BMW135i, VW Golf (various tedious diesels). Scirocco (if my car is impractical, then a squashed two door golf, most certainly is), ironically an Auris (left me cold like test driving a fridge - also the single most unpleasant dealer experience, not rude, just odd).
Which led us to Audi, where we test drove some diesel variant of the A3. I had given up caring at this point and was focused on something my wife had mentioned on the drive down. On the way home she commented that although she loved the A class It was the Audi that she preferred, however she thought the seats of the A3 the showroom were nicer. That particular model was an S3. Not quite the ultimate driving machine, but getting warmer.
Oh, the point my wife had made before the Audi garage. On the way down we passed a stunning dark blue four door saloon, baby seat in rear. She commented that she"liked that Mercedes, more than the one we borrowed". That car was in fact a Maserati Quattroporte
Hmm S3, or potential major borkage with a 5 year old Maserati....
Roberto,
I don't understand why you want/need to "Consolidate".
I can understand the need to have a car for days out / weekends away / holidays and carrying all the Baby stuff. - But surely you need a car as well for day to day stuff? (code for having a toy?)
Many have posted that you don't need loads of stuff and can get away with much less than you need - and this is true - but having an estate car that's easy to chuck stuff into makes things simple. Roof box also is a good option. Back doors are essential for loading a rear facing car seat.
But if you've got 2 cars now, surely you need 2 cars?
When my GF moved in with her 5 yo I chopped in my Corrado for an S4. She still kept her little Peugeot.
If you really only want to have one car then pretty much anything with back doors will suit.
I don't understand why you want/need to "Consolidate".
I can understand the need to have a car for days out / weekends away / holidays and carrying all the Baby stuff. - But surely you need a car as well for day to day stuff? (code for having a toy?)
Many have posted that you don't need loads of stuff and can get away with much less than you need - and this is true - but having an estate car that's easy to chuck stuff into makes things simple. Roof box also is a good option. Back doors are essential for loading a rear facing car seat.
But if you've got 2 cars now, surely you need 2 cars?
When my GF moved in with her 5 yo I chopped in my Corrado for an S4. She still kept her little Peugeot.
If you really only want to have one car then pretty much anything with back doors will suit.
Sea rider, that's a good point. I should clarify. I commute everyday by train to work, which means that the only time I ever need to drive are on long journeys. Either to Wales to visit my parents, or Liverpool to visit hers, or the occasional day/ weekend away.
At the moment my car is sitting around for long periods at a time, since my wife can't comfortably drive it. Just to give you an idea I was away for a large chunk at the start of the year and for a big chunk in May, which means that this year I've only driven the car about 2k miles, whilst she's covered about 14k in hers.
At the moment my car is sitting around for long periods at a time, since my wife can't comfortably drive it. Just to give you an idea I was away for a large chunk at the start of the year and for a big chunk in May, which means that this year I've only driven the car about 2k miles, whilst she's covered about 14k in hers.
Robertos88 said:
.
The problem we're facing is that our taste is hugely different, she is extremely practical and decided that the best form of transport is the new A class. The A180 CDI to be precise. The reason for this is that as she's quite short 5 foot, she needs an automatic and she wants something that is "subtle" she has to visit clients and "isn't too big".
I was in this position exactly 18 months ago right after our lil' one was born. Believe me, in the next couple of months, between the sleepless nights, diaper duty, trying to juggle the grocery shopping, job, laundry and all the other joys of parenthood, you and your wife NEED to really think practical. And no, the new A-Klass does not qualify as a practical car. It has door openings of a matchbox, the seating is low, the trunk space is a joke to say the least.The problem we're facing is that our taste is hugely different, she is extremely practical and decided that the best form of transport is the new A class. The A180 CDI to be precise. The reason for this is that as she's quite short 5 foot, she needs an automatic and she wants something that is "subtle" she has to visit clients and "isn't too big".
What you need is a car that makes your life easier, the right tool for the job, not some trendy, cramped up hatch with the suspension refinement of a romanian horse buggy.
Think sliding rear doors so you don't scratch your car and the neighbours car every day. higher roof line so you don't need to buck down and nail the kids head everytime you try to get it in/out, large boot so you can chuck the pram in without having to dismantle it everytime, automatic transmission, larger windows so that the kid can also see something outside. You also need to think that the car will be a mess in a short time, inside and out (tired sleep deprived parents are known to scratch and ding up cars faster than usual). Shortly put look at a used Mazda 5, or a Citroen Berlingo or a Ford C-Max.
Buying the new A-Klass or any hatch for this matter for the duties that are coming your way is like buying a Camaro to go off roading...wrong tool for the job. Buy something that will make your life easier not harder.
Based on that just buy a 5 door Audi S3.
I would strongly recommend that you look at the various car seat systems available, we had a Peg Perego which was featherweight compared to the others and comprised the baby seat, latch system to fit it in, the buggy / pushchair which accepted the seat until the boy graduated to the proper car seat.
I would strongly recommend that you look at the various car seat systems available, we had a Peg Perego which was featherweight compared to the others and comprised the baby seat, latch system to fit it in, the buggy / pushchair which accepted the seat until the boy graduated to the proper car seat.
Robertos88 said:
With the arrival of our new bundle of joy in December, we are on the lookout for a new car.
Why, mainly due to the fact that my E46 M3 convertible and my wife's aris are unpractical, therefore we're going to consolidate.
The problem we're facing is that our taste is hugely different, she is extremely practical and decided that the best form of transport is the new A class. The A180 CDI to be precise. The reason for this is that as she's quite short 5 foot, she needs an automatic and she wants something that is "subtle" she has to visit clients and "isn't too big".
Now having driven the car, it is really nice, but it has all the get up and go of a tortoise with an anchor. The problem is, if this will be our sole form of transport, I may die of boredom.
When my wife goes back to work she will be commuting 46 miles daily to work. She lists MPG is a priority, for me I barely look at that figure. Now, I have tried suggesting that we look at the A250, but she's against that, not only on the mpg level, But also because of the "red stitching on the seats and the red air vents, make it look Chavy" (btw she hates my car thinking it is chav incarnate). Now I'm completely lost in terms of what else to suggest. Any help for other car suggestions would be hugely appreciated, our budget is something like <380 pounds per month.
Why, mainly due to the fact that my E46 M3 convertible and my wife's aris are unpractical, therefore we're going to consolidate.
The problem we're facing is that our taste is hugely different, she is extremely practical and decided that the best form of transport is the new A class. The A180 CDI to be precise. The reason for this is that as she's quite short 5 foot, she needs an automatic and she wants something that is "subtle" she has to visit clients and "isn't too big".
Now having driven the car, it is really nice, but it has all the get up and go of a tortoise with an anchor. The problem is, if this will be our sole form of transport, I may die of boredom.
When my wife goes back to work she will be commuting 46 miles daily to work. She lists MPG is a priority, for me I barely look at that figure. Now, I have tried suggesting that we look at the A250, but she's against that, not only on the mpg level, But also because of the "red stitching on the seats and the red air vents, make it look Chavy" (btw she hates my car thinking it is chav incarnate). Now I'm completely lost in terms of what else to suggest. Any help for other car suggestions would be hugely appreciated, our budget is something like <380 pounds per month.
First of all buy the pram/buggy then once that has been chosen/bought - think about what car's boot it will fit into. take it along for the test drive - if it doesn't fit easily in the boot, when it's pissing down - look for something else!!!! Audi A4 Quattro has a nice deep boot and comfortably fits a Graco Quattro tour buggy which has a "from birth" baby seat which also acts as the car seat too.
tangerine_sedge said:
I don't understand why an M3 & Auris are considered impractical? The only problem I can see is getting access to the baby seat in the rear of the M3, but this is inconveniance, rather than a deal breaker. I say this with experience of getting my own babies/toddlers into the back of a saxo VTS some years ago.
I suggest you keep both cars, then make an informed decision once you've spent time carting the baby around.
It might be easy enough for you, yourself to lug car seat in and out of the back of a two door car....however I don't think the missus will be over-enamoured with your choice when it's pissing it down and she's struggling with the baby in the car seat...... I speak from experience, there's nothing like a tongue lashing from a pissed off and wet other half to make you think of something with 4 doors.I suggest you keep both cars, then make an informed decision once you've spent time carting the baby around.
We've just downsized ours to free up some funds.
Originally we had a VE Commodore, so with twins on the way we downsized to a 2007 Legacy wagon and a 96 starlet and got $2k in the bank.
A Legacy could be a good call, not too big (tiny compared to the Commie) and with the right engine speedy enough and not too bad on gas.
Originally we had a VE Commodore, so with twins on the way we downsized to a 2007 Legacy wagon and a 96 starlet and got $2k in the bank.
A Legacy could be a good call, not too big (tiny compared to the Commie) and with the right engine speedy enough and not too bad on gas.
tangerine_sedge said:
I don't understand why an M3 & Auris are considered impractical? The only problem I can see is getting access to the baby seat in the rear of the M3, but this is inconveniance, rather than a deal breaker. I say this with experience of getting my own babies/toddlers into the back of a saxo VTS some years ago.
I suggest you keep both cars, then make an informed decision once you've spent time carting the baby around.
Very sensible. Our Clio was adequate for when HalfPints mk1 made her appearance - which is the same size as an Auris.I suggest you keep both cars, then make an informed decision once you've spent time carting the baby around.
Speaking from experience here OP - don't rush into thinking everything needs to change just because of the baby, wait a while and see how you manage with the auris. Impress her by saying you think we should hold off before committing financially just to see if the baby needs anything else before getting into debt.
Plus babies can be dealbreakers and you could split up and have no car. Not cool
Plus babies can be dealbreakers and you could split up and have no car. Not cool
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