[Help] 2 kids under 2 - car choice...

[MJsGhost]

2.5 years between 3 youngest? Piece of piss!
We had the joy of twins when our first was 21 months. Three kids under the age of 2 was a barrel of laughs, especially when my wife was diagnosed with cancer half way through the pregnancy (all good now).

All these posts are making me realise that my situation really could be A LOT worse. It's a bit like one of my daughter's favourite books:


Good to hear Mrs Berty got through it - that really must've been hell for you both

I can’t recommend enough taking car seats with you to check cars.

I repeat again. Take your car seats when you go to a garage. Try and adult sitting between two of them because you never know when you might want to give someone a lift!

These are a good tip.

Thank you!

 

[Commander]

"What were you thinking?" I hear you say...

Well, it took us a little while the first time round, so we thought we'd get back on the horse at the earliest time we'd like to conceive... OBVIOUSLY it happened first time.

I now have 7 and a bit months to get set for Babygeddon II (this time with a toddler for company), so my thoughts turn immediately to the need for a bigger car.

I've got quite long legs, so driver's leg room is quite important - not easy to achieve with a car seat behind. We have a dog too, so the boot will need to be large enough for a dog, a pram and whatever else (change bags, shopping etc).

I don't like SUVs as I think their bulk is wasteful for the actual amount of extra interior space, so I'm thinking an estate - something along the lines of a Volvo v60 (maybe v90), or Skoda Octavia (maybe the Superb).
I'm not going to let my dislike of SUVs get in the way of best choice for my family (and the wife likes them), so feel free to suggest one if I'd be missing out otherwise...

I can't go for fully electric as I have the unhelpful combination of a rural setting (no charge points anywhere near), and only on-street parking (the opposite side to my house at that).

NSC is the fount of all knowledge, so thanks in advance for your suggestions for something roomy (and hopefully nicer to look at & drive than a Berlingo ).

What can you lovely people recommend?*

THANK YOU!










* Not having another baby right now is not a valid answer

I've got a wife, 2 young kids and a dog. I have a Volvo XC60. It's absolutely perfect for what I need. Get one.

 

[Berty23]

All these posts are making me realise that my situation really could be A LOT worse. It's a bit like one of my daughter's favourite books:
View attachment 151793

Good to hear Mrs Berty got through it - that really must've been hell for you both



These are a good tip.

Thank you!

Thanks. It has a happy ending.

I named a zafira as not working because I took two of the baby car seats (maxi cosi isofix ones) and the bigger toddler seat to the Vauxhall garage and tried them in the car. You could not close the door properly with all three on the back seat but the helpful chap at the garage had a great tip when I said it wasn’t safe. “It will be fine as long as you don’t crash” I looked at him and his colleague said “I don’t think you can say that”

I ended up with an Alhambra because it was basically the same as the smax and the VW version but cheaper. I miss the huge boot now my lad has joined me playing golf!

Good luck with it all.

 

[AstroSloth]

Honda Civics tend to be pretty good for leg room and boot room. Also very reliable and lovely cars.

 

[zefarelly]

Despite my ridiculous outdated suggestions, if mileage isn't high and fuel economy not top of priorities, I've been driving these over 17 years, isofix for seats, big enough inside for everything, safe, superb handling, fun to drive, totally child/dog resistant, in fact after 170 000 miles my old one was in perfect working order without even a rip in a seat, and bloody hell did it get worked hard. Race tender, camper, child/dog family conveyance, work van, camper, gig van . . . Only thing I didn't do was race it! This photo was when I sold it. Still clean and respctable, better build quality than most german things, 100% reliability.View attachment 151819

A manual subaru wagon is a tough cookie. Irish/Aus farmers use them, because they're smarter than English ones.

Also drive upside down, thanks ti i tech!

 

[METALMICKY]

Thanks. It has a happy ending.

I named a zafira as not working because I took two of the baby car seats (maxi cosi isofix ones) and the bigger toddler seat to the Vauxhall garage and tried them in the car. You could not close the door properly with all three on the back seat but the helpful chap at the garage had a great tip when I said it wasn’t safe. “It will be fine as long as you don’t crash” I looked at him and his colleague said “I don’t think you can say that”

I ended up with an Alhambra because it was basically the same as the smax and the VW version but cheaper. I miss the huge boot now my lad has joined me playing golf!

Good luck with it all.

We have a Zafira and it's done us proud. However, in that low to middle range of cars there are surprisingly few with the full size middle back seat

 

[Berty23]

We have a Zafira and it's done us proud. However, in that low to middle range of cars there are surprisingly few with the full size middle back seat

Yep. I was shocked how few it was that would take three proper car seats. Our current Peugeot 3008 wouldn’t. It was basically the ones like a van that would. Plus oddly the Picasso but it he small boot.

 

[BrianB]

Peugeot Partner has sliding rear doors , large boot space , my old 1600cc diesel gets 47 mpg at 280,000 miles, mind you it is nicknamed ' Triggers Broom ' .

 

[Ⓩ-Ⓐ-Ⓜ-Ⓞ-Ⓡ-Ⓐ]

Another vote for the Skoda Superb, we have a Skoda Fabia estate at the moment and two kids, one aged to and one newborn. Have done plenty of research and the Skoda Superb seems the way to go, mostly due to the massive leg room in the back. I'm hoping as the boys grow we can then keep them comfortable in the back for years to come.

 

[seagully]

I'm a single Dad with twins and recently got a Seat Leon estate (FR Sport edition). It's really practical whilst still being sporty enough to make me feel like I'm still young (ish)

Would recommend

 

[Biscuit]

We got a Ford C-Max at a similar point in our lives. We have, 2 small dogs, a 2 year old and a 4 year old now, we've had the car for the last 3 years and don't have any complaints about the space. Ample boot space for dogs, prams etc, I'm not sure on the leg room as we're both quite short so it's not really a problem for us. The only thing I would say is I think the B-Max may have been a better choice, as the sliding doors would be good for getting little ones out of small parking spaces.

The in-laws do a lot of childcare for us, they have had a Skoda Octavia and recently bought a Volvo V60, they have both served them well if you prefer estates

Yeah we had a Ford C-Max for our two under two and dog!

We've now got a Peugeot 3008, a little bit more room - the middle seat is very usable even with two car seats in. Really helpful with all the stuff kids seem to need to take with them!

 

[levs]

Yeah we had a Ford C-Max for our two under two and dog!

We've now got a Peugeot 3008, a little bit more room - the middle seat is very usable even with two car seats in. Really helpful with all the stuff kids seem to need to take with them!

We had a lovely 3008 as a hire car while our C-Max was in the garage, safe to say I found it difficult to give it back

 

[Binney on acid]

Daihatsu Copen. Easy !

 

[RandyWanger]

Mk1 cortina

Worked then, works now.

I bet it doesn't

 

[zefarelly]

I bet it doesn't

Any half decent, car, properly maintained, starts first time and gets you to the finish line.

https://youtu.be/OUbjZjtl4jA

 

[DanRedman]

I've seen lots of people praise the C-Max which is the car my partner and I have with one baby. There is plenty of boot space, very comfortable to drive long distances. I watched lots of car review videos for the C-Max and all praised highly. Shame that Ford are in favour of SUVs because I think the C-Max is a great solution to needing a larger car.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

 

[zefarelly]

I've seen lots of people praise the C-Max which is the car my partner and I have with one baby. There is plenty of boot space, very comfortable to drive long distances. I watched lots of car review videos for the C-Max and all praised highly. Shame that Ford are in favour of SUVs because I think the C-Max is a great solution to needing a larger car.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

As much as I dislike 'max' type cars, aesthetically, they hit all the nails, on the head . . . Renault started it decades ago with the espace. Offer families van space with car civilisation.

What really makes me laugh is people still pay more for vans which have less!

 

[Triggaaar]

Due to covid related manufacturing shortages, there's a shortage of new cars available, and second hand prices are higher than ever. But we're about to go into recession and then get hit with expensive winter bills, as well as food prices rising, so I'd expect car prices to fall soon. If you don't need a new car now, I'd wait.