3 Door Car with a baby?

[PickleSarnie]

I'm 37 weeks and have just started to think about how potentially isolated I might be without a car but with a small baby in an area that's quite spread out with not brilliant public transport.

Probably should have thought about it a bit sooner but I'm having a bit of a dilemma as to what car to get. I only passed my test a few months ago and haven't driven much since. I've driven my OH's car which is huge and I really don't enjoy it so I'd like something small and easy to park (sorry to reinforce the stereotypical woman driver!). I'd really only need it for nipping around town/to the shops etc because at weekends we would use OH's bigger car.

3 door cars, in addition to being smaller, also seem to be cheaper than 5 doors. Would it be a total nightmare though getting a baby seat in and out of a 3 door?

Thanks in advance!

[InTheZenGarden]

We had a 3 door Fiesta when DD was born, went on to change it to a 5 door Focus Estate when she was 4 months old!
I did struggle getting the car seat in and out, but then I have a bit of a bad back anyway, so that didn't help.

My advice, if you do go for a 3 door would be:

Make sure the car seat you have is one of the more lightweight ones. We have a Graco one which is good, but seems pretty heavy compared to others. Bear in mind your baby may be in it til they are a year or so, by which time they will weight quite a bit!

Get one of those car seats that "clicks" into the back of the car, rather than being belted in - much easier on the back. There are Isofix ones, that should fit into most newish cars, or you can get bases that stay strapped into the car, and the carseat clicks into this. Ours is one of these and is fab. even though we have a 5 door now, It still makes life a lot easier.

Consider boot space. I know you say you will use OH's bigger car at weekends, but make sure you can get buggy and shopping into the boot easily. FWIW, the Fiesta was fine for this, but we only have one car, so went for the Estate so that we could cope with holidays etc. Godsend :)

[mousymouse]

we had a micra until ds was well over 2 years old. no problem.

[Bumperlicious]

It's a bit of a PITA, I would love to exchange my 3 door for a 5 door, but I can't afford to so have to put up with it, which is fine. Due DC2 any day and am whinging about it but can't do anything about it! It's not a nightmare though.

But if you have a choice I would try and go for a 5 door.

[Diamondback]

I'm facing the same - I have a three-door Fiesta and I can't afford to upgrade before the Spud gets here. I would say, a lot of the 'small' cars are quite big and heavy now, so get a decent sized engine. My 2004 Fiesta only has a 1.2 engine and it's a nightmare to get speed up (and you do need a burst of speed at junctions or when overtaking, to be safe!) and just burns through tons of petrol, because the cars' body is too heavy for the engine size.

Do you have to take the car seat in and out? Can't you just leave it in and lift baby in and out to buggy or sling?

[freelancescientist]

No problem - Ive had a 'new' mini with both my 2. You sometimes need to be a bit of a contortionist if someone parks a bit close, however.

[PickleSarnie]

Thanks all!

Guess that since I don't actually have a car at the moment that it would probably be best for me to spend that bit extra now on a 5 door instead of potentially regretting it and having to upgrade down the line.

I was thinking about a Honda Jazz since they are really dull so any second hand one would never have been driven by a boy racer before hand because no teenage boy would be seen dead in one! But was getting much more excited about the Toyota Aygo/Citroen C1/Peugot 107 because they look nicer (terrible reason for buying a car obviously!) but they are mainly 3 doors although do come in 5 door versions. But they only have 1.0 litre engines and have a feeling will be incapable of pulling a skin off a custard?!

Quite embarassed that I've got to the age of 34 and know so ridiculously little about cars!

[angels1]

we looked at cars and were going to get a honda jazz - not sure about second hand but the new ones have a big gap under rear seats so you can fit a push chair etc under there when it's usually wasted space :) Sadly couldn't afford it so stuck with 3 door yaris - I have a bad back so no idea how I'll cope bending my way into the back all the time.

[huffpuff75]

I have a C1 with 950 engine and it is really nippy. Beats most people at light and roundabouts (am not boy racer tho, am sensible pregnant 35 year old). Economical and quite green too (£35/year tax because low emissions).

Only issue with them is the size of the boot. I have been working out buggy/boot ratio and it does narrow down your options somewhat. The five dooors are the same size as the three doors for parking etc.

[pissovski]

A friend of mine has a 3 door fiat and has said it has been a bit of a PITA but is managable. her little one is over a year now, so it can't be too bad.

Alternatively it might be worth looking at something like the Micra, but at 1.3 engines. I have a Suzuki Swift which comes in 3 and 5 dr. I love it and would highly recommend it. Boot is a decent size, 1.3 and 1.5L engines (it can shift, believe me!!)and a great size. I am 'typical woman driver' too, like small cars (drove a Ka and old Mini before this!)

Good luck xx

[nicm]

i have used my mums car which was 3 door when ds was younger. it's much easier if you can switch the airbag off so you can keep the baby seat in beside you.

a 5 door car is easier though, so if you can afford it i woudl get it now!

good luck and happy safe driving!

:)

[PickleSarnie]

angels1, Think the Honda Jazz (can't say it without saying 'Jizz' which is unfortunate) holds its value quite well so I've not been able to find a second hand one quite as cheap as I'd like either.

huffpuff, that's really interesting about the C1. I had read that they have more 'ooomph' than the engine size suggested but not actually test driven one to see for myself. OH getting a new car and it looks like a hearse because it's a huge estate so we could fit several buggies in that one. Not really considered up until now about any car I might get but thankfully have ended up with quite a compact buggy but I guess it's probably still worth me taking it with me on any test drive

pissovski, I learnt to drive in micra so at least I can reverse park it!! (since have memorised where handles and mirrors etc need to be before turning!) so might consider that.

Thanks all!

[pissovski]

Pickle I learnt in a micra too - a Mark one - it was fab! My dad has a new shape one now and it is really nice. I was going to buy one but once i test drove the Swift that was the one for me!

[onepieceoflollipop]

I have a Ford Ka which is obviously smaller than many of the models mentioned here. Our family car is a Focus. (despite having 2 dcs we have always tried to run the smallest possible cars for our needs)

Anyway, the seats on the Ka really tilt right forwards. tbh I find I have more room to sort the car seats out in the Ka than in the Focus (as long as I remember to duck my head initially)

Might be worth looking at which 3 door models have the most space once the seats are tilted forwards. I expect it varies a lot. :)

[Horton]

We also have a Ford Ka - as lollipop says it's about as small a car as it can be and not be a go-kart but it is exceptionally easy to get car seats in and out of. And we've only ever had seatbelt car seats rather than Isofix.

[mamasunshine]

I had a mini for about 8/9 months with 1st baby. Was fine really, had an isofix so nice and easy. But then fell pregnant so got a 5 door (which in comparison is a dream to get them in and out!)

[onepieceoflollipop]

The only potential problem for me with the Ka was fitting a buggy it. We can just squeeze a basic Mothercare Jive buggy in the boot - sideways.

However I love it in tight car parks, parking on narrow roads etc. Oh and the low fuel consumption. I am nifty at reversing and can get into some really little gaps which is an asset in a busy city. :)

[Horton]

Agree about the buggy thing. With two children it would be a problem I think. I usually put ours vertically folded up behind one of the seats (it's a Maclaren so folds up pretty neatly) rather than struggling to wedge it into the boot.

You would definitely struggle to get a Bugaboo or similar in there, I think. And if you had two children in car seats, a Maclaren or similar umbrella fold would be the only option. It is possible to get one in the boot with a bit of swearing perseverance.

[onepieceoflollipop]

Horton I agree. Of course there is the option to remove the back shelf and create a tiny bit more room. I think that my Mothercare Jive is a touch smaller than a Maclaren so gets in relatively easily. Dh experimented a bit for a while so one has to know the knack of doing it. I also have developed the knack of squeezing half a week's worth of shopping round it!

[Horton]

Yes, with a bit of practice you can get a lot in there! We drove down to the south of France recently with what felt like all our worldly goods in the back of the car (plus DD obviously!) and it was a squeeze but we could get to everything and even achieved a mobile picnic which I constructed while on the motorway.

[Horton]

Must look at Mothercare Jive for next time, too!

[roulade]

No way you could fit a buggy in the boot of an Auris. They are tiny. I have a 3 door corsa and it is fine, lots of space in the back and a decent boot.