Buggies are huge these days especially when they are babies, they're not buggies anymore they are 'travel systems'! I have a very big boot, old car so bigger boot than any of the modern similar size cars and my grandson's buggy fits but not much room for anything else. You'd squeeze a few bags of shopping in around it but it's an awkward yoke and one of the most popular brands out there at the moment.
Family Car -Suv or others Recommended
- Thread starter IrishGunner
- Start date
I'd love to talk you out of an suv altogether.
A 30kg child is not a good reason to put a car on stilts and haul around another 500kg of steel.
You don't need the space: children aren't that big, but their stuff sprawls to occupy all available space, regardless of how big that space is.
They aren't safer.
Connecting a car seat into the mounts on a mark 6 golf is not beyond your physical powers. I believe in you.
If your heart is set on a bigger bus, the prius has got a huge back seat and boot. It would be cheaper to run, and either (a: faster or b: cheaper to tax).
A 30kg child is not a good reason to put a car on stilts and haul around another 500kg of steel.
You don't need the space: children aren't that big, but their stuff sprawls to occupy all available space, regardless of how big that space is.
They aren't safer.
Connecting a car seat into the mounts on a mark 6 golf is not beyond your physical powers. I believe in you.
If your heart is set on a bigger bus, the prius has got a huge back seat and boot. It would be cheaper to run, and either (a: faster or b: cheaper to tax).
Ceist Beag
Registered User
- Messages
- 1,426
We're talking about a family with one baby mathepac! I hardly think a car the size of a Superb is required which was the point I was making. TBH neither is a car the size of an Octavia and I'm in agreement with Bronte on this in that a small-medium family hatch would be plenty for the OP to consider. There is no need for a larger car and I certainly don't see any need for a car the size of a Kodiaq.
thedaddyman
Registered User
- Messages
- 1,058
Is there a middle ground here? The Peugot 2008 is a nice car, easy to drive and a decent boot. Key thing in all of this is to make sure the stroller/pram will fit easily into the boot.
There is absolutely no need for a buggy to be huge. My brother's wife bought everything from a famous brand name, Mamma's and Papa's. Never seen anything so complicated in my life. I couldn't figure out how to attach the baby seat in the car and it took us an hour to set up the foldable bed. Our own one took literally a minute. And when they were tiny I used a drawer. I was able to have three children in the back of the tiny Agila and two of them in baby seats at one time. The buggy fitted easily into the tiny boot and still have space for stuff, but I only had a nappy bag with me generally. And I didn't bring the buggy shopping in general. I could also collapse it using one hand which was brilliant. At some stage I was in Ireland and purchased a McLaren buggy, it was useless, as far as I was concerned. I gave it away immediately.
What is a travel system? And when would you need it?
And then child #2 comes along and you need 2 child seats or a child seat and a booster... Most, and perhaps all of the small-mid size SUVs can't accommodate two seats in the 60 split.
Would they ever want to go anywhere? I know friends who bought a Qashqai thinking it'd be great but they're getting rid of it now as they can't even visit parents overnight without trying to stuff two kids and all the luggage in the back seats.
And in my first post I have already suggested the Skoda Yeti!!!! Price-wise another poster compared the Kodiaq to the Octavia and said the the Kodiaq was poor value by comparison. My point was, and still is, that the cars are in different classes and the comparison is unfair and pointed out fairer comparisons between models from the same manufacturer. Maybe a read of the thread will calm your exclamation marks
Ah @Leo, give a lad a break, please. I have @ceistbeag firing exclamation marks at me because he thinks I'm suggesting cars that are too big for one child and now you're (figuratively) kicking lumps out of me for not allowing for more than one. Should I offer family planning advice to go along with my car suggestion which is the Shkoda Yeti (just to be clear, to be clear)
Ceist Beag
Registered User
- Messages
- 1,426
Have I hit a nerve with my use of a single exclamation mark mathepac? 
Ok so you feel my comparison of cars was unfair because of the two models I compared, while I feel I was pointing out that there was no need to be looking for such a big car. Point taken on your argument mathepac, you're right I wasn't comparing an SUV with a car from the same class, and hopefully you'll see the point I was trying to make as well.
Ok so you feel my comparison of cars was unfair because of the two models I compared, while I feel I was pointing out that there was no need to be looking for such a big car. Point taken on your argument mathepac, you're right I wasn't comparing an SUV with a car from the same class, and hopefully you'll see the point I was trying to make as well.IrishGunner
Registered User
- Messages
- 942
Thanks for all the suggestions and tips and I can see it has created a good discussion and it all depends on choice I suppose.
We are not fixed on SUV its an initial thought and open to others. Just the one child due and if the other comes along at some other stage I am sure I will post here for another suggestion
Some free weekend we will try out the Seat and the Skoda's suggested and see what dealer can give us what and any extras, warranty, spare tyres that come or not come with the car. Just need to find my nephews car seat so we can bring that along and get an ideas along with a buggy and maybe the weekly shop
Cheers for the tips and keep them coming and if we do decide I will possible post why here.
We are not fixed on SUV its an initial thought and open to others. Just the one child due and if the other comes along at some other stage I am sure I will post here for another suggestion
Some free weekend we will try out the Seat and the Skoda's suggested and see what dealer can give us what and any extras, warranty, spare tyres that come or not come with the car. Just need to find my nephews car seat so we can bring that along and get an ideas along with a buggy and maybe the weekly shop
Cheers for the tips and keep them coming and if we do decide I will possible post why here.
I don't agree. Lifting shopping etc out of the boot of a saloon car is hardly difficult. The same applies to getting a baby in and out of their seat. If you can't manage that then you need to see a physio and maybe get some exercise.
It's easier for women; they are usually shorter
SUV's are poxy to drive (if you want a van then buy a van), dangerous to pedestrians, uneconomical, no safer to the occupants than a saloon and smaller inside than an equivalent sized saloon.
I focus sized car can. The 60/40 split is when the back seats fold down in two sections, one 60% of the width of the seat, the other the other 40%.
I haven't had to do this, but what are the bringing with them that needs so much space? Like you did say 'overnight'???
As I said we use my husband's car for our summer holidays but we are driving hundreds of miles and we bring things like fans, beach towels, kitchen stuff, cooler, picnic, books, clothes etc.
(no idea what is good or bad about qashqai but are they the high up ones that don't seem to have a lot of space inside). I do know when we go on holidays to Ireland we have to make sure we get a car with a large boot for the suitcases (if we are not travelling light)
Ok, great. (more clueless now) And ?? My car I can fold down the entire back row flat. It's great for going to the dump.
And in my husband's scenic he can fold down the last two seats (of seven) flat.
No experience myself, but apparently moving two children including a baby in nappies to visit the parents for the weekend requires quite a lot of stuff to keep them clothed, fed and entertained. Who knows, maybe they visit places like the beach too where the ability to carry more stuff is a bonus. The OP stated they wouldn't have the luxury of two cars, so I was just pointing out that most of the current breed of SUVs really won't meed all their needs. Many of these, like the Qashqai are very spacious inside, but boot space is lacking. In terms of trying to get 2 seats, most will only have two Isofix points, and folding down a split rear seat will mean losing access to one of them.
Just making sure the OP is aware of some of the limitations of these cars prior to making a decision.
The point of the 60/40 split is you can hold sown one side of the other or both. If you fold the 40% side you still have the side and middle rear seats. If you fold down the 60% side you only have one rear seat left.
Black Sheep
Registered User
- Messages
- 2,372
Would you consider waiting until junior arrives. New babies (especially first babies) have a habit of taking up a lot space, what with buggy/travel system, car seat, baby bag, and lots more. It's a bit like moving house, you know exactly what you need and where you need it after you moved in. The kitchen layout is not correct as the table doesn't fit etc.
Although a very different animal from the cars you've looked at perhaps you should consider the [broken link removed]. It's the opposite of cool but at €20K new, with a 5 year warranty, low tax, 1.6 diesel, big boot and sliding rear doors for easy access, it might be worth a look. And no one will even want to steal it!