Baby forces second car.
Discussion
I'm (well the missus) is expecting our 1st child in a few weeks and no matter how hard I think about I can't work out how to get her and the baby into the Tuscan (she doesn't think the boot is acceptable)... So she wants me to get rid of the TVR. 
I've come up with a money saving alternative of buying another car
Thinking along the lines of posh rep mobiles (BMW, AUDI, SAAB) with a budget of 15-30k. I want to do one of the finance jobbies, put down a deposit, pay a few hundred a month (400) for 2-3 years followed by a balloon payment at the end (with the car having a guaranteed value)
Any opinions.?
I've come up with a money saving alternative of buying another car
Thinking along the lines of posh rep mobiles (BMW, AUDI, SAAB) with a budget of 15-30k. I want to do one of the finance jobbies, put down a deposit, pay a few hundred a month (400) for 2-3 years followed by a balloon payment at the end (with the car having a guaranteed value)
Any opinions.?
In a similar position myself, but with the second baby due soon, I can't stand driving my wife's Mondeo, as it's so gutless and ideally we need two family cars.
Thinking along the lines of posh rep mobiles (BMW, AUDI, SAAB) with a budget of 15-30k. I want to do one of the finance jobbies, put down a deposit, pay a few hundred a month (400) for 2-3 years followed by a balloon payment at the end (with the car having a guaranteed value)
I'm looking at an Audi S4 Avant primarily, with a BMW 540 Touring as the second option, both go pretty damn fast for German uber-estates.
If you're looking at spending up to £30k, you could probably pick up a used Audi RS4 or BMW M5, both of which are bloody quick family transport
Unless you want the little one with the neck muscles of Mike Tyson (there little heads don't have much support when they are very young), you will driving like a saint anyway, so you will not be using the performance of your chosen steed, except when junior isn't there, when you might as well have taken the TVR anyway.
Also the 'mothering' instincts of your better half will constantly tell you to slow down at every opportunity (and quite rightly too). I suggest that its time to re-prioritise your life and remember that your child is far more important than any TVR or hooning about in a motor.
(Alternatively you could be one of those non-participating parents, in which case what are you having children for)
I would look very carefully into how much you are really going to use the 2 seater when the child is born and take it from there. Your other choice of car should involve the following decisions
Safety
Fitment of Childseats, rear and forward facing
In-built blinds (a godsend if you've go rearwards facing children, and in that respect big German cars have a significant advantage)
Leather - its easier to wipe up!
Nappy changing space (for those on route nappy changes, and I would recommend the Saab9-5 Estate for that with its solid parcel shelf!)
Acceleration and Fast Corning don't really come into it.
:lifelectureover:
davidy
Also the 'mothering' instincts of your better half will constantly tell you to slow down at every opportunity (and quite rightly too). I suggest that its time to re-prioritise your life and remember that your child is far more important than any TVR or hooning about in a motor.
(Alternatively you could be one of those non-participating parents, in which case what are you having children for)
I would look very carefully into how much you are really going to use the 2 seater when the child is born and take it from there. Your other choice of car should involve the following decisions
Safety
Fitment of Childseats, rear and forward facing
In-built blinds (a godsend if you've go rearwards facing children, and in that respect big German cars have a significant advantage)
Leather - its easier to wipe up!
Nappy changing space (for those on route nappy changes, and I would recommend the Saab9-5 Estate for that with its solid parcel shelf!)
Acceleration and Fast Corning don't really come into it.
:lifelectureover:
davidy
Keep the Tuscan and buy an older BMW/Saab whatever with a finance loan from Tesco/bank.
Otherwise you will end up kicking yourself and thrashing the nuts off whatever you buy.
Just checked on Autotrader - there's a 'S' reg BMW 540i Estate going for £10k. Why not? You know it makes sense.
Otherwise you will end up kicking yourself and thrashing the nuts off whatever you buy.
Just checked on Autotrader - there's a 'S' reg BMW 540i Estate going for £10k. Why not? You know it makes sense.
I've been through exactly this, sold a Chimeara last year and now I drive around in an E320 CDi. An E55 AMG or M5 would have been preferable but it comes down to cost - depreciation, initial purchase and economy.
The baby is not always in the car so a compromise of 4 seats/4 doors but with a bit of power too seems reasonable enough.
The baby is not always in the car so a compromise of 4 seats/4 doors but with a bit of power too seems reasonable enough.
davidy said: Also the 'mothering' instincts of your better half will constantly tell you to slow down at every opportunity (and quite rightly too). I suggest that its time to re-prioritise your life and remember that your child is far more important than any TVR or hooning about in a motor.
Agree wholeheartedly with David's second point.
This is why Junior gets ferried around in a Volvo, albeit a T5... Though I have to admit I don't find myself driving any more slowly with the baby in the car than I used to - I still "make progress" and drive up to the speed limits where appropriate, but I concentrate a lot more on the conditions and on other roadusers and what they're up to. But maybe that's just me - I have no intention of becoming a numpty mum, even if I do end up buying a 4x4 for the school runs!
We're planning on buying something with room for all 3 of us and enough power/handling to make track days fun. I really hated to see the Griff go, but 3 into 2 simply won't go.
BTW, don't worry about your "old life", you'll soon forget what it was like.
>> Edited by SGirl on Friday 4th April 11:57
re:Cerbera
Yeah and spend time explaining to your better half how she will have to sit in the back because rearward facing child seats will only fit in the front.
That'll be popular after childbirth
davidy
I suppose you'll be able to get a firsthand view of the little ones head flopping around under acceleration and cornering..might bring you to your senses
Yeah and spend time explaining to your better half how she will have to sit in the back because rearward facing child seats will only fit in the front.
That'll be popular after childbirth
davidy
I suppose you'll be able to get a firsthand view of the little ones head flopping around under acceleration and cornering..might bring you to your senses
have you thought about an Audi A8 sport?? lots of toys, supremely comfortable and if you get one of the larger engined models quite nippy, and they look far better than any of the other mentioned makes( IMO)
and dual climate to keep the odours on the right side of the car....
and if you feel like a little more oomph, go for the S8 seen a few knocking around for @£20k....thats what I'd go for anyway...good luck...
and dual climate to keep the odours on the right side of the car....
and if you feel like a little more oomph, go for the S8 seen a few knocking around for @£20k....thats what I'd go for anyway...good luck...
SGirl
If you thinking of taking the 'treasured one' to trackdays then heres a few more pointers.
As soon as they are mobile, it'll be a complete nightmare, but before they are mobile you need to consider the following:-
Noise - little ears can be damaged for life by 'too mich noise'
Shade - Most trackdays are in the summer months and little junior will do an impression of a lobster at the slightest bit of sun, make sure whereever you go there's plenty of shade.
Gear - initially as new parents do, you take the whole house with you whenever you go anywhere, if you have just one car the you'll have to unpack this and keep it somewhere at the circuit (remember the shade point above).
I would suggest that a better option would be a trailer and a low cost trackday car, then you have the support vehicle available to the parent and child at all times (you also know that whatever happens, junior is not going home in an Breakdown Recovery Truck). You already have an ideal towcar so you're 50% of the way there
My daughter went to here first trackday at 9 weeks, we took too cars Volvo and TVR (should have trailered it as wheel came off the TVR on the motorway
, thereafter we always used a trailer as we could travel as a family, but since realised that I want to spend more time with my family (especially after no.2 was born) and sold all of our 2 seater sports cars (we had 3 when my daughter was born)
Best of luck
davidy
edited to say it was 9 week not months!!!
>> Edited by davidy on Friday 4th April 12:25
If you thinking of taking the 'treasured one' to trackdays then heres a few more pointers.
As soon as they are mobile, it'll be a complete nightmare, but before they are mobile you need to consider the following:-
Noise - little ears can be damaged for life by 'too mich noise'
Shade - Most trackdays are in the summer months and little junior will do an impression of a lobster at the slightest bit of sun, make sure whereever you go there's plenty of shade.
Gear - initially as new parents do, you take the whole house with you whenever you go anywhere, if you have just one car the you'll have to unpack this and keep it somewhere at the circuit (remember the shade point above).
I would suggest that a better option would be a trailer and a low cost trackday car, then you have the support vehicle available to the parent and child at all times (you also know that whatever happens, junior is not going home in an Breakdown Recovery Truck). You already have an ideal towcar so you're 50% of the way there
My daughter went to here first trackday at 9 weeks, we took too cars Volvo and TVR (should have trailered it as wheel came off the TVR on the motorway
, thereafter we always used a trailer as we could travel as a family, but since realised that I want to spend more time with my family (especially after no.2 was born) and sold all of our 2 seater sports cars (we had 3 when my daughter was born) Best of luck
davidy
edited to say it was 9 week not months!!!
>> Edited by davidy on Friday 4th April 12:25
Bellerophon
Yes I did just that and got an Audi A8 3.7 Sport, absoultely brilliant for children, loads of room, built in rear blinds, electric rear window blind, double glazing to stay nice and cool and the boot the size of a small African country but Audi dealers and running costs
See my profile and search in old posts for more info.
A great car if nothing goes wrong
davidy
Yes I did just that and got an Audi A8 3.7 Sport, absoultely brilliant for children, loads of room, built in rear blinds, electric rear window blind, double glazing to stay nice and cool and the boot the size of a small African country but Audi dealers and running costs
See my profile and search in old posts for more info.
A great car if nothing goes wrong
davidy
Thanks for the advice, David, much appreciated! To address the shade and gear issues, I've bought one of those pop-up tenty things you see on beaches - they offer UV protection and we can throw all our stuff in them at the track, and the baby and mum or dad can sit in there too. Don't know whether this solution works yet, but it's a good theory IMHO! 
It'll be handy for touring too, I hope...
The trailer idea is well worth looking into - thanks for that. You're absolutely right - don't want the baby travelling around in the RAC's finest!
It'll be handy for touring too, I hope... The trailer idea is well worth looking into - thanks for that. You're absolutely right - don't want the baby travelling around in the RAC's finest!
As a new Father who attends track days and race meetings regularly, my only comment would be that I have no intention of taking my daughter to a circuit AT ALL.
If for some reason there's no-one to look after her at home then I just won't go.
Its difficult to imagine a worse place to be stuck with a small child for a whole day, its bad enough just trying to entertain the wife. And she's 36.
If for some reason there's no-one to look after her at home then I just won't go.
Its difficult to imagine a worse place to be stuck with a small child for a whole day, its bad enough just trying to entertain the wife. And she's 36.
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