Buggy/car combinations - what do you have?

[MrsMillions]

I'm 13 weeks pregnant with our first child, and at some point in the next 27 weeks we'll need to buy both a buggy(/travel system) and a second car. DH drives an A4 that will be our primary family car for weekend days out, visiting family etc, but I'll need something for day to day use that fits in our garage and can fit whichever buggy we buy in the boot. I don't mind if there isn't much space left after the buggy goes in, I figure I'll leave it at home when supermarket shopping for example as baby will be in the trolley, but I don't want to be faffing about removing wheels etc. Not started testing buggies yet but I am leaning towards a travel system type with carrycot.

It feels like it would be easier if we had a car already and were searching for a buggy that fits, or vice versa, but as neither is exactly going to be cheap I'm trying to research our options and not rule anything out.

So, which buggy do you have (have you had) and which car(s) do you drive? - as car specs change over time would be useful to know which year they were registered in too.

Thank-you.

[Ihateparties]

Hmmm I don't think you need to be this specific necessarily although obviously there are a good few cars that would struggle to get a proper pram type thing in - mini, fiat 500, ka, c1/aygo/106, IQ etc etc.

Most prams are 60cm wide or thereabouts, some are 3 or 4 cm more, less than 1m long when folded and varying depths. Thus a boot that has these dimensions will take most prams. I had a 2007 Yaris which was 50cm deep by 50cm high by 1m wide, nothing fitted that wasn't a stroller or a bugaboo bee. Now have a 2011 ibiza which is hardly any bigger on the outside but the boot is completely different and will take a 60cm pram easily. We have the estate version but I looked at the normal hatch and the boot looked good for a small car. Haven't got the dimensions for anything else, sorry. This is supermini class cars, any family car should do what you ask, fit the pram in without removing wheels.

[MrsMillions]

Thanks. Ideally we do want a supermini type car as it feels anything bigger will otherwise be too but for my needs. The trouble is whilst you can get cubic litre boot capacity online very easily, and basic dimensions in the spec brochures of brand new cars (though we will be buying second hand), no boot is square. It's all very well the dimensions of the base being ok, but if the slope of the back seat reduces the depth too quickly, we could be in trouble. We looked at a Polo yesterday and the boot was 660mm deep or thereabouts, it really wouldn't take much curve or slope for this to give us a problem.

[Ihateparties]

The wheels are almost always the widest part of the pushchair so the depth of the first hummm 20cm ave wheel size is still the most important. Boots aren't square but often neither are folded pushchairs :-)

My current pick of everything that is available right now is a baby jogger city versa, that would fit easily into the polo boot and indeed most as the fold is so flat. The polo and ibiza are the same chassis etc so it will be generally similar if not identical as the interiors will be somewhat different.

Are you likely to choose a really large pushchair, if not a polo size boot will be perfectly adequate. With 66cm even accounting for the slope of the rear seats will fit most things. I'll put something in my boot this afternoon and take a pic if you like, see how the pushchair and shape of boot interact?

[MrsMillions]

That would be fantastic, thank-you. Really difficult to picture in my mind and Google has not been very helpful!

[NaturalBaby]

I'd think longer term as well. I got a lightweight stroller to live in the car boot after a few months, and I had a 15 month age gap between dc's so ended up getting a double buggy as well!

Also, if you're looking at car seats you might prefer one that attaches to the travel system or extended rear facing so you don't have to buy a new car seat when baby is 9 months old.

I would get something like a Golf then go buggy shopping.

[Elkieb]

Someone squished my KA so I got a second hand focus- I love the boot space- it easily fits my bugaboo frog and a weeks worth of shopping in at the same time. I love not feeling squashed anymore!

[MrsMillions]

Not anticipating needing a double but clearly these things don't always go quite to plan.

Part of me suspects we might indeed need to go a size up in car (eg Golf/Focus), but it will get tighter in the garage (and due to single drive, lack of other suitable parking, the car will have to go in there when DH is not at work), plus bigger will be more expensive to buy, and potentially insure/fuel.

If others (sorry on phone so can't scroll to name check) have got on ok with Ibiza/Polo that is reassuring.

Was thinking of saving car seat research for a bit further down the line (unless beyond Isofix there's anything I need to consider in car choice?) but yes would like travel system compatibility and future proofing. Car will be biggest expense though and keen to avoid finding ourselves limited to a small selection of prams.

Thank-you all for your responses so far.

[lagoonhaze]

I would strongly recommend you look at extended rear facing car seat choices when buying a new car..... And make sure you can fit one in.

//Www.rearfacing.co.uk

[Ihateparties]

As far as i know you should be able to erf in a car of this size, i've had a britax maxway in my ibiza for example. If you choose a supermini just check the boot, a yaris is small as in restrictive, some others aren't. i think a clio is okay from memory, there will be others. If you think it will be more awkward and more expensive to get a family car then i would go for small but with the boot in mind. What about a supermini estate, so ibiza st, fabia estate, clio tourer, 207sw well 208 now. We have 3 children 5 and under and do appreciate the extra 15cm of ibiza although it sounded relatively little at the time :-)

[poocatcherchampion]

Watching my sister trying to load their newborn into a three door the other day makes me say make sure it is 5 door!

We had a Mazda 2 - and a baby style oyster, which is one of the smaller travel systems. We could only get the pram in one specific way with wheels on and it was a pain so mostly took the wheels off which was also a pain so we bought an estate car.

If I were you I would go into the focus/golf class. Also how about you go to a car supermarket and poke around in lots of makes' boots? Even better with a friend with a baby but it will give you a clue which are teeny tiny and which look more realistic.

[GoldPlatedNineDoors]

I have an old style Micra, and I have the Maclaren Techno XLR with compatable carrycot and carseat. DD is one now and I will never need to buy another buggy. I love it. I can fit it into the boot (buggy bit) and obviousoy car seat wpuld be on the seat, and I used the carrycot part for walks so never needed to fit that in too, but there is also.room forone shopping bag or change bag in the boot.too.

[havingastress]

We have the i-candy peach - it's AMAZING.

Expensive yes, but the only downside is that I wish the access/gap to the underneath shopping basket was bigger when the carrycot was on.

Other than that,it's brilliant. Dead easy to fold up/down, can do with one hand. Fits in car no bother (we have a picasso). Easy to push, smooth, not wobbly (like a lot of ££ brands we tried) and plus, LOOKS NICE! (oh and it's narrow too)

[GoldPlatedNineDoors]

Agree with three door talk too - mine is, and its not too bad buy a five door would be easoer.

[havingastress]

oh and we have the maxi cosi car seat to go with it.

[lagoonhaze]

Ihateparties..... Thats really good to know. Thanks

[MrsSpencerReid]

I fitted my pliko pramette (m&p) into my mums c1, she loves the car and the pramette converts from pram to pushchair, and car set will clip on if you get the matching one, pushchair shopping was my fave thing to do still is

[MrsSpencerReid]

It is a five door C1, def get a five door!

[nextphase]

Yaris here (and yes, get a 5 door).

Have had at various times in the past, a M&P Pilko Pramette, Maclaran or a Baby jogger city mini double in there. Apparently a Phil and Teds also goes in. Think we also tried a Petite star in there at one point (if thats the other one which folds like the baby jogger).

Think most singles would have gone in - it was the length of the folded pushchair that was the issue for us on the doubles.

Personally I wouldn't get too hung up on a travel system - I think we used it once! Better imo to get baby out of the car seat and lying flat.

[Ihateparties]

lagoonhaze - it doesn' t fit in the centre as you will probably know because of the leg and the um..hump bit. Also the ibiza has very short belts, that will effect what erf ers fit, which is reminding me i'm not sure we tried to belt the maxway in as it was primarily a 3 abreast question we were trying to solve. i haven't had one in but have always suspected a twe would be a good fit because of the belt routing. That's what i'd have if there was room for one with 3 abreast.

[lagoonhaze]

Yes its a bit of a problem with a raised floor and a leg isnt it? Im more keeping in mind for friends etc. We are sorted as we have a mobi and axkid.

[pettyprudence]

i have a 3 door peugot 107 (its the same as the c1 and aygo). i have managed to fit a beitax travel system with carrycot, quinny buzz and bugaboo bee in my boot without removing wheels my maclaren globetrotter fits in beautifully with room for shopping too (most umbrella strollers are too long for my boot). my car would be perfect if it had 5 doors
phil and teds double e3 is the only pram ive struggled with.
my mum has the yaris, the boot is bigger but doesnt hold the prams any better ifyswim?
my bil has a newish renault clio and the boot is HUGE!
(apologies for terrible typing, im on a new phone)

[Ihateparties]

I've just watched a video, see no issue with the belt routing (it's round the back of the seat shell where you'd be in serious trouble) should be fine in either outbound seat in an ibiza imo.

[MrsMillions]

Thanks all.

Yes we are absolutely looking for 5 doors only, don't want to be crawling about behind a folded over front seat!

Good to hear the 106 and equivalents are not as tiny as I'd expect, we're considering a 207/208 and assume they will be even better boot wise (and DH was very happy with the 206 he had when we first met). Our local Peugeot dealer does Seat too so think we'll try that and Ibiza one after another, found driving Polo and Fiesta in quick succession very helpful. Car supermarket is another good suggestion, thanks.

It being our first I have no idea how life with this baby will span out so I'm trying to keep options open on the pushchair, will def get a carrycot so they can stretch out but being able to put car seat on too would sometimes be handy I think.

[beckslovestimmy]

I have a seat altea, huge boot with extra depth if you take out false floor, also you can push rear seats forward by about 8-10 inches and still not have to move front seats forward. We have the babystyle oyster and the maxi cosi cabriofix seat with isofix base.

[StateofConfusion]

Fiat multipla, bugaboo frog, britax baby safe shrII and base

I love all three. I have a multipla though as I have. 5yo, 4yo, and 18 day old.