Follow on from January thread: Two under 1yo need car
Discussion
Hi all,
Back again looking for some car‑buying advice, as our family situation has changed rather quickly and I need to get a move on following my daughter’s surgery and we have 8 weeks stuck at home as she cannot leave the home during this initial recovery period.
This follows on from my January thread: “Two under 1yo – need car recommendations – under £20k”.
We’ve got an 8‑month‑old and another due in July, so both will be in rear‑facing Isofix spin seats. I’m 6ft but short‑legged, so the driver’s seat sits fairly far forward; rear legroom doesn’t need to be huge, just enough to comfortably load two bulky seats. Boot space is also important as we have a large, slightly‑modified stroller for my daughter.
I’ve run a 2009 3‑door Fiesta from new and it’s been faultless, but squeezing two babies plus a bassinet in is a non‑starter, so it’s time to replace it. Budget is ideally under £20k and I’d prefer something fairly new with low miles that I can keep long‑term. One non‑negotiable from my wife is a panoramic roof (she’s convinced the kids will love it).
SUVs would be my last choice, estates and MPVs are vetoed by my wife for “childhood trauma” reasons (don’t ask!), and I’d much rather a hatch or something sensible but still decent to drive. So it feels like we may end up in an SUV anyway!
Manual preferred, and ideally quick enough not to feel like a total dad‑wagon, though I appreciate that may be optimistic.
For context, my wife has sent me details of a 2017 Ford Edge 2.0 diesel (non‑EcoBlue), 60k miles, £13k. No service booklet and it’s a 5‑hour round trip to view. It looks roughly XC90‑sized for about half the money, but they had a short run here and I’ve not seen much real‑world feedback, which makes me a bit nervous.
I did consider stretching my budget to £25k for a petrol xc90 but then with any repair bills etc I’d probably be in a huge car and not very happy - ha!
I also only do around 5–8k miles a year, although we manage a decent run at least twice a month, so not sure how well a diesel would suit. This may increase as we have less medical appointments and are approved to do more trips.
Any recommendations or real‑world experiences (especially with two rear‑facing seats) would be hugely appreciated.
Cheers!
Back again looking for some car‑buying advice, as our family situation has changed rather quickly and I need to get a move on following my daughter’s surgery and we have 8 weeks stuck at home as she cannot leave the home during this initial recovery period.
This follows on from my January thread: “Two under 1yo – need car recommendations – under £20k”.
We’ve got an 8‑month‑old and another due in July, so both will be in rear‑facing Isofix spin seats. I’m 6ft but short‑legged, so the driver’s seat sits fairly far forward; rear legroom doesn’t need to be huge, just enough to comfortably load two bulky seats. Boot space is also important as we have a large, slightly‑modified stroller for my daughter.
I’ve run a 2009 3‑door Fiesta from new and it’s been faultless, but squeezing two babies plus a bassinet in is a non‑starter, so it’s time to replace it. Budget is ideally under £20k and I’d prefer something fairly new with low miles that I can keep long‑term. One non‑negotiable from my wife is a panoramic roof (she’s convinced the kids will love it).
SUVs would be my last choice, estates and MPVs are vetoed by my wife for “childhood trauma” reasons (don’t ask!), and I’d much rather a hatch or something sensible but still decent to drive. So it feels like we may end up in an SUV anyway!
Manual preferred, and ideally quick enough not to feel like a total dad‑wagon, though I appreciate that may be optimistic.
For context, my wife has sent me details of a 2017 Ford Edge 2.0 diesel (non‑EcoBlue), 60k miles, £13k. No service booklet and it’s a 5‑hour round trip to view. It looks roughly XC90‑sized for about half the money, but they had a short run here and I’ve not seen much real‑world feedback, which makes me a bit nervous.
I did consider stretching my budget to £25k for a petrol xc90 but then with any repair bills etc I’d probably be in a huge car and not very happy - ha!
I also only do around 5–8k miles a year, although we manage a decent run at least twice a month, so not sure how well a diesel would suit. This may increase as we have less medical appointments and are approved to do more trips.
Any recommendations or real‑world experiences (especially with two rear‑facing seats) would be hugely appreciated.
Cheers!
this is my username said:
My kids never liked the panoramic roof as the extra light meant that they couldn't see their screens, so the blind was soon closed and remained that way! It may not be an issue for you until they are a bit older ...
Thanks, that makes sense! Ours are both under 1 at the moment (well one isn't even born yet), and screens aren’t likely to be a big thing for our oldest for various reasons, so she actually really enjoys the extra light coming through.Back in the US we have extensively used the Chrysler Pacifica/Honda Odyssey, and the kids (our daughter plus nieces and nephews) always loved the panoramic roof in those. Unfortunately, there’s not really an equivalent here in the UK (big engine, hoover installed etc), and my wife is firmly against getting another MPV, so trying to find a middle ground!
GV70 it's at the top of your budget but you'll still have 18 months of warranty left:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202511137...
Mazda CX 60 2.5e, nice cars & these will have another two years pf warranty left:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202601249...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202602069...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202602049...
3.3 eD:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202602129...
Sorento GT Line S with the balance of warranty & back on the 20k mark:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202510277...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202510207...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202510026...
For close to the Edge money I'd look at the Infiniti QX70:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202601058...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202602230...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202511137...
Mazda CX 60 2.5e, nice cars & these will have another two years pf warranty left:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202601249...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202602069...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202602049...
3.3 eD:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202602129...
Sorento GT Line S with the balance of warranty & back on the 20k mark:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202510277...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202510207...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202510026...
For close to the Edge money I'd look at the Infiniti QX70:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202601058...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202602230...
We had a GV70 in the US and to this day it’s still the best car we’ve ever been in for a family. It’s a big car!
When our time came we bought a used X3 that does everything perfectly. Takes 2 tall adults, toddler and baby, egg pram system as a tandem and everything else. Hasn’t let us down.
However all we use now is the Tesla Model 3. It actually has more cabin space than our X3 as it’s so long, fits the pram system, and the front truck can take silly bags. No transmission tunnel is great for the wife when she had to ride in the middle back seat. We miss the high up driving position so we will probably transition to a Model Y. If you can charge at home would highly recommend either.
Hyundai Tucson a great budget conscious choice.
When our time came we bought a used X3 that does everything perfectly. Takes 2 tall adults, toddler and baby, egg pram system as a tandem and everything else. Hasn’t let us down.
However all we use now is the Tesla Model 3. It actually has more cabin space than our X3 as it’s so long, fits the pram system, and the front truck can take silly bags. No transmission tunnel is great for the wife when she had to ride in the middle back seat. We miss the high up driving position so we will probably transition to a Model Y. If you can charge at home would highly recommend either.
Hyundai Tucson a great budget conscious choice.
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