The Mrs is pregnant - does a 3 door hatch work?
Discussion
TheInternet said:
Welshbeef said:
Shot over the bow please don't be so naive / and you put the baby first no onwards not your own personal desires for material things. Obvious really but overlooked strangely.
No, that way angry Zafira man lies.
3dr mk5 golf here with a 6 week old baby.
It's more practical than my missus 5dr mazda 2. The boot is also massive compared to hers.
It's going nowhere yet. And it's ab l all about the technique to getting the seat in and out. Isofix is a MUST, i cam pretty much drop him in the bar and it just seems to click in without back breaking shuffling
It's more practical than my missus 5dr mazda 2. The boot is also massive compared to hers.
It's going nowhere yet. And it's ab l all about the technique to getting the seat in and out. Isofix is a MUST, i cam pretty much drop him in the bar and it just seems to click in without back breaking shuffling
Goodsteed said:
Got the news last week. Naturally the first thing that comes to mind is I may have to sell my beloved Clio 197 in favour of something dull with 5 doors and a boot capable of swallowing prams et al.
The better part of me thinks it's rather silly buying a bigger car for the sake of a 9lb person. Be good to hear from those of you who have kept the 3rd hot hatch as a family wagon and those who didn't...
When my son was born we immediately upgraded from a Rover Metro 1.1 to a Peugeot 106 1.4D!The better part of me thinks it's rather silly buying a bigger car for the sake of a 9lb person. Be good to hear from those of you who have kept the 3rd hot hatch as a family wagon and those who didn't...
Had no issues, bung everything in, and learn to pack light.
This "i have to stop living and buy a 7 seater" nonsense is just balls.
Our first spent a fair amount of time being ferried about in a mk2 Clio, ok it was a pain to get him in and out in a tight car park space but we managed. You need to pick car seat and pram carefully so they fit, although our second child spent more time in a baby sling than a pram. We had the advantage that we had a Honda Accord for any long family journeys as the Clio with a baby seat behind the passenger doesn't always give your passenger a lot of leg/head room if you are 6ft+.
k our own parents managed to transport US around as babies without killing us all...IanMorewood said:
They didn't have rear facing car seats when I was a lad. Mum and dad strapped me in the back of a Mini in a Moses basket as a baby, job sorted.
My baby seat was tucked in the space behind the seats in my Dad's TR6, he only got rid of it when my little brother came along. It was replaced by a Mini, which didn't seem to do any harm to my parents, my brother or myself.FreeLitres said:
Good luck with that.
To give you a visualisation, here is a pram in the back of a 1-series;
You now have your supermarket trolley at the back of the car loaded with boxes of nappies, wipes, weekly groceries, bog rolls, etc. Where do you put it?
The next day, you are going on holiday or visiting your family/friends for a few days and you have a couple of small suitcases to take.
See where this is going?
You've bought the wrong pram.To give you a visualisation, here is a pram in the back of a 1-series;
You now have your supermarket trolley at the back of the car loaded with boxes of nappies, wipes, weekly groceries, bog rolls, etc. Where do you put it?
The next day, you are going on holiday or visiting your family/friends for a few days and you have a couple of small suitcases to take.
See where this is going?
Our city mini jogger (bought because it folds flat with one hand) takes up half the space of the pram you have.
Only problem we have in our 3dr 1 Series, is the bloody isofix base + seat is so massive. It's behind the passenger seat as it couldn't fit behind me, even though an adult passenger could.
When the seat's in place the passenger seat has to go forward.
At the moment my wife travels in the back (behind me) so she can keep an eye on 4wk old jnr.
When this car goes back (it's a lease) in April 2016 I'll get a 4/5 dr but that's as much because of what I want my next car to be (RS Audi or AMG Merc) than anything else.
We don't want or need two cars so 3 drs is fine for the moment.
Edited by Hackney on Sunday 15th March 22:47
Edited by Hackney on Monday 16th March 12:48
FreeLitres said:
To visit our family in Scotland over Christmas we need to take;
Travel cot (folds down to approx 1ft x 1ft x 4ft)
Bag of bedding, sheets, etc
Travel system frame
Travel system seat
Car seat
3 days of Baby clothes/nappies/food
Small suitcase for 3 days clothes for Wife and I
Pile of gifts for inlaws/nephews
Pile of gifts for my family
Winter coats
If I had a small hatchback, I'm trying to figure out which of these frivolous items I would be able to leave behind. I would have to leave almost half of them to fit in a Ka.
For 3 days why did you need to take a "travel system"? Just take the car seat.Travel cot (folds down to approx 1ft x 1ft x 4ft)
Bag of bedding, sheets, etc
Travel system frame
Travel system seat
Car seat
3 days of Baby clothes/nappies/food
Small suitcase for 3 days clothes for Wife and I
Pile of gifts for inlaws/nephews
Pile of gifts for my family
Winter coats
If I had a small hatchback, I'm trying to figure out which of these frivolous items I would be able to leave behind. I would have to leave almost half of them to fit in a Ka.
OR if it's a travel system just take the frame and fit the car seat to it.
We purchased a new Fiesta 3 door. Resplendant in red. Its was a lovely machine. At the time we didn't really think to the future.
However my wife became pregnant , after Lewis was born , all the usual shenanigans with squeezing into the rear seats , bolting in the wee man...in turn causing hernia's.
So last week we purchased a shiney black Range Rover Evoque Dynamic with a few nice touches.
Would never look back , obviously you don't have to go as extreme as we did , but i am lucky enough now to do so.
And because it's such a lovely smooth car he nod's off even after a complete tantrum before the journey begin's.
However my wife became pregnant , after Lewis was born , all the usual shenanigans with squeezing into the rear seats , bolting in the wee man...in turn causing hernia's.
So last week we purchased a shiney black Range Rover Evoque Dynamic with a few nice touches.
Would never look back , obviously you don't have to go as extreme as we did , but i am lucky enough now to do so.
And because it's such a lovely smooth car he nod's off even after a complete tantrum before the journey begin's.
Hackney said:
FreeLitres said:
To visit our family in Scotland over Christmas we need to take;
Travel cot (folds down to approx 1ft x 1ft x 4ft)
Bag of bedding, sheets, etc
Travel system frame
Travel system seat
Car seat
3 days of Baby clothes/nappies/food
Small suitcase for 3 days clothes for Wife and I
Pile of gifts for inlaws/nephews
Pile of gifts for my family
Winter coats
If I had a small hatchback, I'm trying to figure out which of these frivolous items I would be able to leave behind. I would have to leave almost half of them to fit in a Ka.
For 3 days why did you need to take a "travel system"? Just take the car seat.Travel cot (folds down to approx 1ft x 1ft x 4ft)
Bag of bedding, sheets, etc
Travel system frame
Travel system seat
Car seat
3 days of Baby clothes/nappies/food
Small suitcase for 3 days clothes for Wife and I
Pile of gifts for inlaws/nephews
Pile of gifts for my family
Winter coats
If I had a small hatchback, I'm trying to figure out which of these frivolous items I would be able to leave behind. I would have to leave almost half of them to fit in a Ka.
OR if it's a travel system just take the frame and fit the car seat to it.
We managed ok for 3 years with the 172. Recently changed it for a Laguna 3 estate. Yes, it's much easier to simply throw stuff in it than the 172 but I don't think you need a big car when a baby turns up. I learnt how to efficiently pack the 172 for monthly trips across the country to see family.
Pack the boot like this:
Yes, travel cot and buggy go in the boot. Tight but it fits. The clothes and stuff goes on the back seat behind the driver.
It was annoying getting a isofix rear facing seat in and out, but once she was in a forward facing seat it was much easier.
I have a mate who has 2 kids. They go away for the weekend in their Zafira with a boot full of stuff and a roof box. I have no idea how they manage to take so much stuff. The first time we did the usual trek down south in the Laguna I filled the boot, so nothing on the back seats, but had to pack it out so all the stuff we took didn't roll about.
Hackney said:
For 3 days why did you need to take a "travel system"? Just take the car seat.
OR if it's a travel system just take the frame and fit the car seat to it.
It's not really a good idea to have junior sat in their car seat for a long drive, and then continue to be sat in it whilst you're shopping / gone for a walk / and then sat in it again for the drive home.OR if it's a travel system just take the frame and fit the car seat to it.
What you buy depends on what you think is essential when traveling with kids. My brother 'needs' a large estate plus roof box for his two. We managed without problem (with twins) with my old W124 Merc coupe including going on hols with a double buggy and travel cots.
We did try a large MPV but I hated having to drive it as a daily and we didn't use the space.
They're 4 now and a BMW Saloon plus Audi A1 are fine. In fact I found a 2 door with decent access (ie the old Merc) easier to get them in and out of than a four door.
As I say, depends on what you think you need to carry.
We did try a large MPV but I hated having to drive it as a daily and we didn't use the space.
They're 4 now and a BMW Saloon plus Audi A1 are fine. In fact I found a 2 door with decent access (ie the old Merc) easier to get them in and out of than a four door.
As I say, depends on what you think you need to carry.
Hackney said:
FreeLitres said:
To visit our family in Scotland over Christmas we need to take;
Travel cot (folds down to approx 1ft x 1ft x 4ft)
Bag of bedding, sheets, etc
Travel system frame
Travel system seat
Car seat
3 days of Baby clothes/nappies/food
Small suitcase for 3 days clothes for Wife and I
Pile of gifts for inlaws/nephews
Pile of gifts for my family
Winter coats
If I had a small hatchback, I'm trying to figure out which of these frivolous items I would be able to leave behind. I would have to leave almost half of them to fit in a Ka.
For 3 days why did you need to take a "travel system"? Just take the car seat.Travel cot (folds down to approx 1ft x 1ft x 4ft)
Bag of bedding, sheets, etc
Travel system frame
Travel system seat
Car seat
3 days of Baby clothes/nappies/food
Small suitcase for 3 days clothes for Wife and I
Pile of gifts for inlaws/nephews
Pile of gifts for my family
Winter coats
If I had a small hatchback, I'm trying to figure out which of these frivolous items I would be able to leave behind. I would have to leave almost half of them to fit in a Ka.
OR if it's a travel system just take the frame and fit the car seat to it.
Clearly you can choose to ignore such advice but would really struggle why anyone would?
Also remember babies need to have a flat back (hence the cot attachment for the pram) with this you can take them out for a walk - you need to get them fresh air not cooped up in the house and then you can use that as a daytime place for baby to snooze. And no dumping baby on the floor to go to sleep isn't viable as you need to rock then to sleep.
Do you actually have kids as the medical knowledge on this is patently clear
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