Living with a 2 door car & children
Living with a 2 door car & children
Author
Discussion

jomcvelia

Original Poster:

314 posts

195 months

Sunday 5th June 2011
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How do owners of 2 door cars and children with baby seats in the rear get on with day to day living. Im changing my car soon and there's a couple of cars i desire but only with 2 door. My partner would not be happy if i buy a car she has to use with only 2 door.

How can i convince her.... BTW child is 20 months old

Deluded

4,968 posts

220 months

Sunday 5th June 2011
quotequote all
It's not that much of a hassle. Most 3 doors have huge front doors so it's easy enough to get kids in the back when the front seat is slid forwards. I'm running around in a 3 door at the moment and getting my 9 1/2 month old daughter in the seat in the back is simple.

Obviously, access is easier with 5 doors but not to the point that I would rule out a 3 door.


MikeyBe

123 posts

184 months

Sunday 5th June 2011
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Make the missus sit in the back and put the baby seat in the front?

AndyKH

1,456 posts

225 months

Sunday 5th June 2011
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I always found access to the baby seat much much easier in my partners 2 door than my 5 door. I found the reaching in then twisting a real pig.

jomcvelia

Original Poster:

314 posts

195 months

Sunday 5th June 2011
quotequote all
MikeyBe said:
Make the missus sit in the back and put the baby seat in the front?
That's a good idea. At what age can you put them in the front seat...any age is it.

Fun Bus

17,911 posts

247 months

Sunday 5th June 2011
quotequote all
Any age with the appropriate class seat for the age of the child. Don't forget the airbag bit too - my lad is 6 and in a booster but still has to sit in the back as neither of our cars can have the passenger airbag switched off.

bigdods

7,175 posts

256 months

Sunday 5th June 2011
quotequote all
I always found it easier with the 2 door than the 5 door, with the seat pushed forward there is loads of room making strapping the seat and baby in a doddle.

My Mrs would put the roof down (saab convertible) to make it even easier.

RosscoPCole

3,626 posts

203 months

Sunday 5th June 2011
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I have a 3 door Toyota Yaris and have had no problems with child seats in it since my daughter was born. The useful things are a passenger seat that skidded forward when you want to get into the back and the ability to slide the back seat forward and back. Great for tightening the seatbelt on the child seat. Now she is 3 I can fasten and unfasten her belts from the driver seat. Wish I could have her sitting in the front but I cannot turn off the passenger airbag.

007 VXR

64,187 posts

216 months

Sunday 5th June 2011
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Had my Monaro since my boy was born(now 3) no worrys smile
But front seast move abit to slow frown

jeevescat

880 posts

240 months

Sunday 5th June 2011
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I had always planned to swap my focus RS in for a 5 door car after my daughter was born, and thankfully never did.

Bit awkward every now and again, but not bad enough to justify not getting "that" car.

nottyash

4,671 posts

224 months

Sunday 5th June 2011
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I had a 1989 Honda CRX when my son was born, and had it with his baby seat in the back till he was 2 years old, even then we bought a Clio 16v.
Cant understand people these days.

Fleckers

2,880 posts

230 months

Sunday 5th June 2011
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jomcvelia said:
.... BTW child is 20 months old
child is not a baby at 20 months
so is capable of doing most things regarding climbing and walking so with a bit of help they can get in and out of seat on their own

job done

lees for them to play with in back of a 3 door, like window switch or winder, feet at that age operate like hands so...........

doof locks and handles again feet like hands

Ben106

72 posts

185 months

Sunday 5th June 2011
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I've got a 2 door car the OH sits in the back so it's easier for her to deal with the boy

zx10ben

1,074 posts

197 months

Sunday 5th June 2011
quotequote all
nottyash said:
I had a 1989 Honda CRX when my son was born, and had it with his baby seat in the back till he was 2 years old, even then we bought a Clio 16v.
Cant understand people these days.
Yeah.....Tsk......these people that want to make life easier for themselves, what muppets eh! Tsk, people these days!

Lionsden

189 posts

194 months

Sunday 5th June 2011
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When my son was born I was driving a 3 door Saxo and found getting him in and secure much easier than putting him into a 4 or 5 door.

I used to perch on the rear of the front seat as it was folded forward allowing me to secure my son face to face.

In my parents 406 I found I was having to lift him in and secure him at a right angle from outside the back door.

Kentish

15,169 posts

263 months

Sunday 5th June 2011
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I bought my new car one wek before we knew we were expecting smile

I'm just chopping in my 9 month old 90bhp 1.4l 2 door coupe hatch for a sensible 5 door hatch.

Oh, and 250bhp V6 turbo 2.8 engine wink

IanMorewood

4,309 posts

277 months

Sunday 5th June 2011
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The 4 of us can all fit in the Puma (3 months, 4 years and two adults), once your kids in front facing car seats it all becomes much easier.

Jayho

2,413 posts

199 months

Sunday 5th June 2011
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My nephews been in and out of my cars on a regular basis since my sister trusted me to drive with him in it. Its always been a front facing seat and its never been any bother. As said before the front seat slides forward and there's plenty enough room to strap him in.

Even at 5-6 yrs old now and able to do his own seatbelt I find myself still going through the routine of strapping him in myself, just for a peace of mind.

In my sisters 5dr car he's actually more of a nussance, as he's a big fidgetter with winding down the window. And its quite annoying as a driver to walk all the way round just to open the door for him (Child lock). With 2 door you just need to unfasten him and slide any of the seats forward to get him out.

r129sl

9,518 posts

232 months

Monday 6th June 2011
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It's not that difficult. You just have to bend and stoop a bit. It's not like you are constantly putting the child in and taking it out of the car: you will find you do fewer trips once child arrives, anyway.

We are using our 1986 500 SEC as our family car at the moment. As you'll know, this is a two-door, four-seat coupe. Our boy is three months. The child seat system we use has a base and a seat. The base is left in the car all the time, the child seat snaps in and out, with the child already strapped in. This makes it a lot easier than bending in with baby in arms and strapping him into a seat which is left it situ. A bigger problem is the boot. On our SEC it is truly massive (as big as the boot on our 320 TE estate car) but many cars have a small boot and baby stuff is massive these days.

It is important for you and your child that you do not arrange your life with the child at the centre. If cars are important to you and if you want a two door, then make sure you look after yourself and get one. Everyone will be happier that way and you child may even grow up sharing your hobby. For goodness sakes, when my brother and I were born our parents managed with a mini!

Vytalis

1,744 posts

193 months

Monday 6th June 2011
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I'm going to disagree here. We have an xc90 and an alfa mito cloverleaf. A 2 yr old and a 5 month old. The alfa won't fit both kids in unless one adult is in the back (due to rear facing baby seat) and I have all sorts of difficulty getting the 2 year old in as it is lower and a tight gap between the chair. Xc90 otoh is a breeze, especially because it is high enough that you don't have to bend. I guess what I'm saying is be careful WHICH 3 door you have.