O No another 'what car' and a 535d in one thread?!

O No another 'what car' and a 535d in one thread?!

Author
Discussion

angusc43

11,436 posts

207 months

Tuesday 26th April 2011
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If the choice is between a 3 and a 5 I'd say you'd get away with a 3 (just) for one kid. As other have posted, modern baby buggies are humungous and if you're going away for more than a night or two you'll want to take it with you. Plus all the other clobber.

I managed fine with a C class Merc saloon (W210) when we had our first. When the second was on the way I swapped it for a C class estate. Now they are growing, we've taken up camping and, we sometimes want bikes with us and the kids are old enough for cross-Europe jaunts I swapped the C Class estate for an E Class estate.

When I was buying the C Estate I did look at the equivalant A4's and 3's. The Audi's boot was tiny, the 3's better but still a lot smaller than the C's.

What's just as important as space, of course, is making sure you've got plenty of grunt in the family bus. I personally find that large V8's keep me happy. I'm sure a 535D would make suitable swift progress too.


GHW

1,294 posts

220 months

Tuesday 26th April 2011
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Timbo_S2 said:
I have no idea how people cope with a small hatchback...
I have no idea how people manage to fill medium/large estate cars! My little sis manages with a 6ft5 other half, a 7-year old and a 2 year-old -- all in a Fiat Panda.

chuno

1,126 posts

234 months

Tuesday 26th April 2011
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You are in a very similar position to me!!

I currently already have the 'weekend toy' (VX220 - which is staying) and am soon going to be looking for a decent family car (under 10k also)

Currently have a Pug 106D as an everyday and a Ferrai 348 as the other 'weekend toy', although obviously this has got to go (is currently up on the classifieds)

I have been searching long and hard for something that is family friendly, fun and has road prescence. Would be good to hear everyones suggestions. Currently a 156 GTA or an E39 M5 are high on the list. Obviously two different animals, but it's the running costst that is putting me off the M5.

dave_s13

13,814 posts

268 months

Tuesday 26th April 2011
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156 GTA would be total dog sheet as a family car, seriously, they are hateful things.

E39 M5 would be perfect as long as you can handle 20ish (and prob less) MPG and higher than normal servicing costs.

I still maintain that a Volvo V70 is the perfect family car - if you are buying a car purely from a "head" point of view.

Edited by dave_s13 on Tuesday 26th April 14:23

alock

4,224 posts

210 months

Tuesday 26th April 2011
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Hark said:
Wife is expecting first child and therefore looking at replacing the Z.
Am I missing something? Does your wife not drive? If she drives and will be the stay-at-home parent then she needs the practical car, not you. I manage just fine with 2 young children and an S2000. The key is that my wife has the family car and we are both insured on both cars.

You only need a more practical car if you will both be doing nursery runs as part of your daily commutes and you cannot put a rear-facing seat in the front of your car.

Hark

Original Poster:

592 posts

179 months

Tuesday 26th April 2011
quotequote all
alock said:
Am I missing something? Does your wife not drive? If she drives and will be the stay-at-home parent then she needs the practical car, not you. I manage just fine with 2 young children and an S2000. The key is that my wife has the family car and we are both insured on both cars.

You only need a more practical car if you will both be doing nursery runs as part of your daily commutes and you cannot put a rear-facing seat in the front of your car.
You have a valid point.

My reasoning is simple if a possibly a little clouded.

M has no ISOFIX and no airbag swith and not even sure a seat would fit on the M Sport seats.
My wife drives a Rover 25, which hasn't cost us a penny in 20k miles since we got it. However I really want something nice to drive us around in on weekends, rather than the Rover. (bless it)

We could 'upgrade' her car, but she has no real interest in cars and so won't see the point. -_-

Anyway....I've just been and had a look around a BMW and Audi dealers today, while I had the day off. A4 Avant on 19s looked alright as did an S5 lol. Generally all very dull though an enjoyed getting in the M and hooning off to the next place.

BMW had some a nice alpina 3er which I hadn't even thought about. Looked at a 5 series, but I think it's too big tbh, coming from fairly small cars. 3 series was lovely inside, looks great from some angles, not as good from others.

Vladimir

6,917 posts

157 months

Tuesday 26th April 2011
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We have two kids of 2.5 and 12 weeks old and a biggish dog.

The 335d Touring is absolutely fine for all of them plus all the clobber.

Our recently acquired 110 Defender is our proper load lugger but the 335d does what we need to fine - space IS tight in the back and the boot isn't massive.

They are great allrounders. I hate i-drive and thought the 535d was too big so went for the 3er.

alfa pint

3,856 posts

210 months

Tuesday 26th April 2011
quotequote all
Keep the Z. Buy a barge for a grand that'll have room for all the baby crap, still do 30-40+ mpg depending on your engine and will have a couple of airbags to satisfy the 'safety' issue that my missus always brings up, despite the fact she's never had a bad crash in her life or drive badly enough to expect one.

If you sell the Z and get a baby, the chances are very very strong that you will never have a fun 2 seater soft top car again. Ever. Or you'll be in your 40s and having the mid-life crisis.

10-12 year old Volvo V40 / Saab 9-5 / old 5 series 525 / mondeo etc etc are all peanuts. Chuck it away after a year or two and get another.

alock

4,224 posts

210 months

Tuesday 26th April 2011
quotequote all
Hark said:
M has no ISOFIX and no airbag swith and not even sure a seat would fit on the M Sport seats.
My wife drives a Rover 25, which hasn't cost us a penny in 20k miles since we got it. However I really want something nice to drive us around in on weekends, rather than the Rover. (bless it)

We could 'upgrade' her car, but she has no real interest in cars and so won't see the point. -_-
I'm not criticising (honestly smile) but this way of think always seems backwards to me. Most people here seem to think like you though, so maybe I'm the backwards one?

You are going to compromise your daily car where the majority of miles are probably done by you on your own so that your wife can transport your child in an old and unsafe car during the week. Then, on a Saturday morning you are going to move all the baby clobber between the cars so you can drive your wife and baby in a sporty German barge and have the sports suspension wake the baby you've spent 40 minutes trying to get to sleep. The next day, you'll move all the baby stuff back to the other car ready for Monday morning.

r129sl

9,518 posts

202 months

Tuesday 26th April 2011
quotequote all
Something else I meant to add:

You've got to look after yourself. Fatherhood is great. Fantastic. Unadulterated joy. There is no downside. You'll wish you did it earlier. It just is not a drag and certainly is not a case of zero free time. In fact, for the first few months, you're going to have tons of free time because all mum and baby do is feed and sleep. But it is important to keep your sanity, keep up your hobby, have some time to yourself. And keep yourself busy while mum and baby are... feeding and sleeping... still. If you go all martyr-ish, you'll just ps off the missus and be miserable yourself!

And yes, you're driving style is going to change.

And get some life insurance: it's cheap.

Hark

Original Poster:

592 posts

179 months

Tuesday 26th April 2011
quotequote all
You are going to compromise your daily car where the majority of miles are probably done by you on your own so that your wife can transport your child in an old and unsafe car during the week. Then, on a Saturday morning you are going to move all the baby clobber between the cars so you can drive your wife and baby in a sporty German barge and have the sports suspension wake the baby you've spent 40 minutes trying to get to sleep. The next day, you'll move all the baby stuff back to the other car ready for Monday morning.

There is a song (Snowpatrol I think?) that says 'It's hard to argue when you won't stop talking sense.'

When you put it like that it does give food for thought...
To clarify the Rover has only just done 40k and is in good nick tbh.

r129sl said:
Something else I meant to add:

You've got to look after yourself. Fatherhood is great. Fantastic. Unadulterated joy. There is no downside. You'll wish you did it earlier. It just is not a drag and certainly is not a case of zero free time. In fact, for the first few months, you're going to have tons of free time because all mum and baby do is feed and sleep. But it is important to keep your sanity, keep up your hobby, have some time to yourself. And keep yourself busy while mum and baby are... feeding and sleeping... still. If you go all martyr-ish, you'll just ps off the missus and be miserable yourself!

And yes, you're driving style is going to change.

And get some life insurance: it's cheap.
^^^ Made me smile. lol Cheers

dave_s13

13,814 posts

268 months

Tuesday 26th April 2011
quotequote all
alock said:
Hark said:
M has no ISOFIX and no airbag swith and not even sure a seat would fit on the M Sport seats.
My wife drives a Rover 25, which hasn't cost us a penny in 20k miles since we got it. However I really want something nice to drive us around in on weekends, rather than the Rover. (bless it)

We could 'upgrade' her car, but she has no real interest in cars and so won't see the point. -_-
I'm not criticising (honestly smile) but this way of think always seems backwards to me. Most people here seem to think like you though, so maybe I'm the backwards one?

You are going to compromise your daily car where the majority of miles are probably done by you on your own so that your wife can transport your child in an old and unsafe car during the week. Then, on a Saturday morning you are going to move all the baby clobber between the cars so you can drive your wife and baby in a sporty German barge and have the sports suspension wake the baby you've spent 40 minutes trying to get to sleep. The next day, you'll move all the baby stuff back to the other car ready for Monday morning.
Some babies are born with teeth. Stick one in a Z4M and they will promptly fall out! They have a seriously hard ride and obviously not designed in any way shape or form with a baby in mind.


HundredthIdiot

4,414 posts

283 months

Wednesday 27th April 2011
quotequote all
r129sl said:
You've got to look after yourself. Fatherhood is great. Fantastic. Unadulterated joy. There is no downside. You'll wish you did it earlier. It just is not a drag and certainly is not a case of zero free time. In fact, for the first few months, you're going to have tons of free time because all mum and baby do is feed and sleep. But it is important to keep your sanity, keep up your hobby, have some time to yourself. And keep yourself busy while mum and baby are... feeding and sleeping... still. If you go all martyr-ish, you'll just ps off the missus and be miserable yourself!
I like the spirit of optimism, and I wouldn't want to scare anyone off, but the fact is that whilst I don't doubt your positive experiences there are many couples for whom the first few months are "extremely challenging" to say the least, and the father is totally maxed-out trying to balance job and baby/mother/household support duties.

The idea of spending Sunday mornings going off hooning is nice to keep in mind, but I wouldn't want to set unrealistic expectations. :-)

r129sl

9,518 posts

202 months

Wednesday 27th April 2011
quotequote all
HundredthIdiot said:
r129sl said:
You've got to look after yourself. Fatherhood is great. Fantastic. Unadulterated joy. There is no downside. You'll wish you did it earlier. It just is not a drag and certainly is not a case of zero free time. In fact, for the first few months, you're going to have tons of free time because all mum and baby do is feed and sleep. But it is important to keep your sanity, keep up your hobby, have some time to yourself. And keep yourself busy while mum and baby are... feeding and sleeping... still. If you go all martyr-ish, you'll just ps off the missus and be miserable yourself!
I like the spirit of optimism, and I wouldn't want to scare anyone off, but the fact is that whilst I don't doubt your positive experiences there are many couples for whom the first few months are "extremely challenging" to say the least, and the father is totally maxed-out trying to balance job and baby/mother/household support duties.

The idea of spending Sunday mornings going off hooning is nice to keep in mind, but I wouldn't want to set unrealistic expectations. :-)
All the more reason to maintain a hobby. An insane father is no use to anyone.

Mine is 9 weeks old. We have been very lucky. He sleeps all night and during the day is an inquisitive little thing. Last night we took him to the pub for supper then went for a drive in the countryside in our SEC. When we got home, mum fed him and I cleaned the wheels.

Life with a first baby certainly is a challenge but in a good way. I think the best thing we did was to send mum and baby to a maternity home for a fortnight after he was born. This was like going back in time to the 1950s. It was run by lots of experienced and kindly midwives who provided a great deal of support, especially with breast feeding and developing a routine and such like. It enabled mum to recover from her labour. I would visit each morning and evening. It was on the NHS! It was so good, you can guarantee they'll close it. If they have one near you, I really seriously recommend it.

Legend83

9,947 posts

221 months

Wednesday 27th April 2011
quotequote all
I am looking at a nice Legacy B Spec Touring to replace my MX5 for when the twins arrive.

Probably not the last word in handling, but a nice boxer 6 engine and bags of room.

dave_s13

13,814 posts

268 months

Wednesday 27th April 2011
quotequote all
r129sl said:
.....I think the best thing we did was to send mum and baby to a maternity home for a fortnight after he was born. This was like going back in time to the 1950s.....
WTF!!!! funded by the NHS! I want a refund

smile

Nowt like that up here in Leeds - you just get one with it.

We were also very, very fortunate. Our now 2yr old is powered by some weird internal atomic clock that switches her off at 7pm and back on at 7am - since birth.

Peice of pi$$ this having kids malarky.

Hark

Original Poster:

592 posts

179 months

Wednesday 27th April 2011
quotequote all
dave_s13 said:
Our now 2yr old is powered by some weird internal atomic clock that switches her off at 7pm and back on at 7am - since birth.
Please God let me have one like this.