SAFE car for a new baby

B

bagoftricks

Registered User
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Ok guys. Well i have been married for six months and we decided to try and have a baby about a month ago. What do you
know, she is know four weeks gone.

So this raises the question of lots of things but I would like to ask you for advice on a car for my preganat wife that will keep her safe during her pregnancy and then keep my child safe when he is born.

She currently drives a 03 3 dr 206 LX but i would not mind forking out another 10k on top to get her something really safe.

Can you recommend anything in the 20k range, top end 25k that is a mini van or have a lot of interior space and children friendly?

Thanks for the help.

Bag
 
How do Rav 4s and Tourans shape up in the safety ratings? Do you know a site where i could check out safety ratings?

Thanks for the advice, i will start looking these up.
 
cbg.ie click on its review section

i do recommend VW Touran..as u know VW/German car is strong and safe
reliabble..well most of the time
 
Toyota Corolla Verso is 5 Star Euro NCAP Rating. You should be able to pick up a '04 Luna next year for your €20k.

Then again, you'll only have 1 kid so you probably don't need to get something that big. You sure you'll get €10k for the 206?
 
You know you are probably right, i will probably only pick up about 8k for the 206.

Thanks so much for the safety rating sites and the recommendation of the verso. I am really looking for a 5 star rating. There is nothing more important than my wifes and kids safety. I will be looking further into these for sure.

Thanks again
Bag
 
as well as safety which you will find on ncap website, think comfort.
little people need a nice air conditioning system ( we don't want them getting sick! ) Also as child will be rearward facing some cars have a sunshade that pulls up on the back window . my laguna has them on three windows but I'm not sure about other makes. look out for good boot size too.
 
i think the Verso is a long wheel based vehicle.not a easy car to drive with ur have kids in back seat!
if u want safety..stick with German cars!
 
bagoftricks,

Congratulations on your forthcoming arrival. Here's my bit of advice as a father of 2.
  • Get something with a huge boot ( 500 litres should do it) - you'll have loads of baby related gear when child arrives. Prior to having a baby you have no idea just how much - ridiculous really.
  • Do not consider anything with less that a EuroNCAP 4 star safety rating. The EuroNCAP crash results are very interesting reading if you're interested in safety.
  • Look out for cars with ISOfix fittings in the back - the best crash results are for baby seats that have an ISOfix anchor.
  • Look to the future - if your family expands you might have to change the car a few times to get more space. Each trade costs €€€€s. If I had my time again I would have bought an MPV to start out with. Instead I did the following: Ford Focus (1 child) - > Mondeo (2 kids - big boot) -> S-MAX (kids + friends). I could have saved thousands by buying a bit smarter.
Anyhow there are loads of options out there - enjoy shopping.
 
I've had a few (3) Focus C-Max's.

For 2 adults and 2 kids they are pretty good.

Well built and the best drive in the class. Safe too.
 
get a jeep, a toyota Rav4.
or a mpv like VW Touran?
Click to expand...

I didn't think that these bigger cars were any safer than standard saloon cars ? I'm nearly sure that I read an article in the Times a few months back with this info.... I'll see if I can dig it out...
 
Be careful with SUVs. Heard a startling story some time ago to the effect that as official "off-road" vehicles, they're not subject to the same stringent standards as road vehicles. In other words, their safety is more reklated to their ability to go up hills rather than withstand a high speed impact.

May be a shaggy dog story but there may be some validity to it.
 
gianni said:
I didn't think that these bigger cars were any safer than standard saloon cars ? I'm nearly sure that I read an article in the Times a few months back with this info.... I'll see if I can dig it out...
Click to expand...

In all the crash tests they only compare cars from the same class. In a head on collision the biggest factor at play is momentum (mass x velocity) so a bigger car always wins. I saw an interesting thing a few years ago when a Renault Espace was crashed into a Rover Discovery head on. The Espace sustained less damage which is not what you would have expected - think the video might be up on YouTube.
 
I was watching top gear last week a repeat and they were showing the result of car crash with different cars and one of them was the land rover discovery which as the presenter told is bought a lot by family and he could not understand why since the car is only 3 star rating on safety. The renault espace is a 5 star rating and will always end up better than the discovery in a car crash
 
Staples said:
Be careful with SUVs. Heard a startling story some time ago to the effect that as official "off-road" vehicles, they're not subject to the same stringent standards as road vehicles. In other words, their safety is more reklated to their ability to go up hills rather than withstand a high speed impact.

May be a shaggy dog story but there may be some validity to it.
Click to expand...

That was from the US where some SUV's are so big they are classed as trucks.

Small SUV's , like RAV, CRV are great for Moms and kids. No bending to lift junior into and out fo the car and great visibility for both Driver and passenger. Kids get very bored lookng at ditches, they love to see over the usual obstacles.

Be aware that the NCAP star rating includes the damage to others as well as occupants and, as is as obvious as one's nose on your face, bigger cars will do more damage to whatever you hit.


Whatever happens, get your wife out of the small car into something safer. Small cars are very dangerous for occupants, regardless of their NCAP star rating.
 
Guys and Girls

You have been so kind to take time out of your days to lend me your advice from past experiences. I am totally gobsmacked by the number of people adding valuable advice and information.

I would like to thank for being so kind.

I will let you know what way i decide to go.

All the best
Bag
 
I recommend the Scenic and if you intend to keep going go for the grand scenic. I have three little ones and the grand scenic is brilliant loads of room, very safe and reasonable on petrol. With one the grand scenic might be a bit big, but the smaller scenic is v.g for boot room driver position baby position and v.safe etc. stay away from saloons her back will be wrecked after the pregnancy so some sort of people carrier makes loading and unloading much easier.

Congratulations you are now entering the best phase of your life so far it certainly has been for me exhausting but great.
 
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