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

[Bold Seagull]

Thanks all, this has been really helpful.

It'll be all systems go once we've negotiated the 12 week scan without incident and I reckon the Superb Estate will be the most likely - the plug-in hybrid if there's a decent nearly new one available at the time and in budget. Maybe I'll get a chance to head to Crawley or Portslade for a poke around in the meantime.

I think one of the people-carrier jobbies will come into its own in 5 years when there's more ferrying round of their mates for sports clubs etc, so I'll hold onto driving something less... people carrier... until then. However, I do like the idea of sliding doors - kids opening doors onto another car (or onto a lamp post or tree) really is a thing isn't it ?!

The sliding door comes into it's own with car seats and strapping the little ones in and out where it is invariably your arse that will push a hinged door onto another car! That or they've puked on themselves and you pull over and need to deal with that. 2 similar attribute cars and I'm going sliding door every day of the week. The Ford Grande CMax estate must be worth a look as something comparable to a Superb Estate.

 

[FatSuperman]

[MENTION=14054]MJsGhost[/MENTION]

On the 7th July 2014 we had a baby girl to add to our 9-year old. On the 9th of July 2015 we had a baby boy to add to our 1-year old and 10-year old. We also had (still have) a Labrador.

Now, your situation is slightly different as you didn't need to fit three kids in the car, but if you ever want to make use of the middle seat, you need to bear in mind that your little ones will be in bulky car seats for many years, and they are huge. For us it was really important that the rear bench was wide enough - it needed three full size seats. We looked at near enough everything, and by far the best car for us was the S-Max. I still miss it and preferred it to the fancy SUV we have today, it was massively practical.

If you want your car to just be good at transporting your kids, dog, pram and paraphernalia, then you should really consider an MPV or the newer type of SUV/MPV crossover (ie Peugeot 5008). Like everything, this comes down to how much you're willing to spend. And frankly how particular you are about how your car looks. Best to let that bit go anyway, since it's going to get knocked about a bit, by dog claws, prams bumping into it, kids washing it with gravelly sponges etc.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Land Rover Discovery is the obvious choice . 7 seater . Comfortable drive , well made , safe . Estate cars are a pain to park and look not great .

Fair enough if you're incapable of parking a car, but really ?

 

[FatSuperman]

Superb Estate will be the most likely - the plug-in hybrid if there's a decent nearly new one available at the time and in budget.
Kids opening doors onto another car (or onto a lamp post or tree) really is a thing isn't it ?!

It's not the trees and lamp posts that get you. My son opened the door of my 3-month old car into a bin full of sand at a petrol station forecourt. The handle was some piece of bent iron that just put a deep dent into the door. I love kids.

Nearly new cars are crazy expensive at the moment, especially any kind of EV/PHEV. I'm looking myself and brand new is actually a lot cheaper per month if you are trying to finance this. If you buy it outright, probably a different story.

 

[WATFORD zero]

It's not the trees and lamp posts that get you. My son opened the door of my 3-month old car into a bin full of sand at a petrol station forecourt. The handle was some piece of bent iron that just put a deep dent into the door. I love kids.

I thought that was why they invented child locks

 

[Hugo Rune]

I know it is an SUV but I have a Seat Ateca - same platform as the VW Tiguan, Skoda Kodiac and Audi Q5 but generally much cheaper and a bit sportier in the look.

Although I wouldn't buy from there, might be worth a trip up to Unbeatable Car in Crawley. Great chance to sit in lots of cars in one place to compare and then plenty of dealers nearby if you then want to go to a main dealer to look at options.

If you don't want to go to Crawley, Victoria Road area in Portslade is worth a stroll along.

Another vote for a Seat Ateca.

A really cheap way to get your hands on a high spec VW platform SUV.

The great thing about SUVs for me is the brilliant driving position and the fact you get ‘into’ them without having to crouch down like you do in a normal car. There is a pay-off with the MPG though. I should have got the 1.0TSI as I very rarely need the oomph of the 1.5TSI I had. Plenty of room in the boot.

One thing to check, with two car seats in the back, it’s a very tight squeeze for a third person. If you are having two seats in the back plus someone else, I’d check the back seat width space in whatever car you purchase.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

"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.

Did she turn you off, then turn you back on again?

No idea about buying minibuses though - sorry.

 

[Rambo]

I have 2 kids, 6 and 3.

I had and Audi Q7 which I needed a second mortgage on to fuel up.

Traded it in for a BMW 520d touring.

Without doubt the best car I have ever had for many reasons inc great to drive, looks fab and does over 50 mpg.

Loads of space for the kids and all their crap.

 

[Lenny Rider]

Here's a man who ought to know all about cars, with plenty of space in the back...

Very good old son

 

[ac gull]

hyundai i40 estate is quite good - had two of them can fit in a whole load
in laws with 3 small kids have an S-Max which I suspect they will have for a long time

 

[Iggle Piggle]

I'd advise a Dacia Duster. It's a shit car and won't meet your needs at all. However, having 2 kids under 2 is so hellish (but incredibly rewarding at times), you might as well have a shit car that you don't mind being covered in sick, piss, baby food and bogies. When they grow up, you can get something decent.

Best of British!

 

[maltaseagull]

I suggested a roof top box for the grand kids but was out voted.

 

[METALMICKY]

Are twins are now 8 and our vehicle of choice from birth was a Vauxhall Zafira. Has done a great job for us and been a reliable work horse. The only drawback are the notorious clunky gear boxes whereby you really have to shove it into gear. Huge boot and the option of the two little seats in the boot space which turns it into a fairly basic 7 seater.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

A bloke I work with has a daughter, she had twins, and a little over 9 months after they were born she gave birth again…to triplets. 5 kids under 1. **** that.

Onto the car, we have a C-Max, it’s a Titanium so has massive spec, the boot is absolutely massive (I recently collected a new washing machine which went straight in). I’m 6’3 and you can still get a child’s seat or an adult sat behind me. It’s a 1.6td, does 53mpg, costs £30 a year to tax and hasn’t missed a beat in 5 years.

There are 2 models available, the C-Max and Grand C-Max, the latter is a 7 seater with sliding doors. We have the regular C-Max and I’d highly recommend it to anyone who needs a spacious family car.

 

[RandyWanger]

DiscoSport does our family well. Room for all our things, nice quiet and comfortable too.

 

[zefarelly]

Mk1 cortina

Worked then, works now.

 

[Horses Arse]

"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. [emoji38]

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

Most cars carry 4 and have a boot.

Sent from my SM-S901B using Tapatalk

 

[Berty23]

2 under 2? Piece of piss mate.

I've got 53 weeks between my middle two and then another 18 months to my youngest, so less than 2.5 years between the 3. When you throw the oldest into the mix at I have 4 kids and not quite 5.5 years covering them all. A lot easier now the youngest is 9 but it was hard work.

Anyway back to cars, you'll want something with a decent amount of boot space if you need a double buggy, or two buggys, plus everything else they need. Also something that is easy access into the baby seats. I think the Skoda estate is a good shout, i very nearly went for one when I was looking recently because of the amount of sports equipment I have to now lug around for the kids.

I'd also recommend looking at the Citroen C4 Grand Picasso, although it's a 7 seater, the seat combinations and their flexibility if you don't need all 7 seats means you've got a lot of space for everything else too.

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).

This is going somewhere useful.
1. When I got told it was twins my first words were “we need a bigger car”
2. We needed three car seats across the back seat. I can’t recommend enough taking car seats with you to check cars. We had two baby seats and one toddler and they would not fit across the back of some seven seaters - zafira being one. We ended up with a seat Alhambra which was brilliant. Massive boot and three proper seats in the back.

Now the kids are 12 12 and 14 we have a Peugeot 3008 which is great.

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!

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

My girls are grown up now back back in the day I chose a Vauxhall Zafira as my company car one year.
So impressed a bought a top of the range diesel model a few years later [mid 1990s].

For me, the easy to convert to 7 seats was great. Meant we could take Nana & Grampa with us or a couple of the girls friends if going out for the day.
Spacious and easily serviced / maintained + reliable - both served me well.

 

[zefarelly]

Apparently this was not deemed practical family transport when I was born.