To ask for a suitable car for 2 kids?

[JollyBlue]

DP is about to begin driving lessons and we are looking for recs for a cheap-ish but reliable daily driver. I don’t drive so I have no clue about the things you’d typically look for in a car, insurance, whether to buy outright or finance etc so anything helps. We are 23, not married yet so expecting expensive insurance. 2 kids (5 and 4 months) so needs to be able to fit 2 car seats and a decent sized boot for pram and shopping. Also don’t know if this is asking for too much but ideally I would love a car which is higher suspension as putting carseats in and out of low cars is a pisstake, and both of our backs are not where they should be for our age to be honest.

I don’t know where to start so feel free to give any advice, thanks!

Buy second hand outright unless either of you get a car from a work salary sacrifice scheme
Anything Japanese is always reliable and not too bad to fix ie Honda Jazz would be a great option for you
Roomy and good boot space

Get on auto-trader see what is out there and have a 'dry run' for insurance quotes on compare the market. Choose based on what isn't too bad to insure. It can be surprising my Renault clio costs more than my SUV to insure.

Sometimes SUV crossovers don’t have that much space, so we had a Karoq as a courtesy car and with a rear facing car seat, my knees were on the dashboard as a passenger.

I’d probably look at a Ford focus. Whilst not high, the boot is flat which means you slide a pram in rather than have to lift in and out.

The second hand market has exploded though so it’ll be a case of working out your budget, looking on autotrader to see what is out there. Playing with some quotes on insurance and seeing what comes out cheapest. Then seeing if the car seats will fit to narrow it down to 2 or 3 models and then searching for the best history (no crashes, fewer owners), the best mileage and best age of those 2-3 models within your budget.

I'd look for ones you can learn to drive in.

I second the honda jazz suggestion.

You only put the car seats in to fit, and then remove when they need a different one, so its seems very silly to buy a car to make that one fitting a tiny bit easier.

for whatever car you are thinking of, look up car reviews on YouTube. There are often detailed videos showing boot space and how smooth it runs etc. saves a lot of travel to see cars.

My 22 year old dd has recently bought a Yaris (not the hybrid). It fits her 3 hulking siblings in easily.

My parents have the hybrid Yaris, which has a nice big boot, is higher, but the back seats aren’t generous. That said, adults can fit in reasonably easy, so it should be fine for your dc.

it goes without saying that you try out the car with car seats in before buying.

Absolutely great shouts by PPs for Yaris and Jazz. Both excellent cars.

I used to have a Yaris and a friend had a Jazz, agreed they are great cars.

Without an idea of budget its hard to say. A Nissan Qashqai would tick your boxes but are usually not that cheap

Honda CRV ticks all the boxes in my opinion. Reliable, spacious inside, large boot, high off the ground, and can get 2nd hand for a good price.

Nissan Note?

Also don’t know if this is asking for too much but ideally I would love a car which is higher suspension as putting carseats in and out of low cars is a pis stake, and both of our backs are not where they should be for our age to be honest.

you should spend the extra money it would cost to get a fashionable SUV, and spend it on a chiropractor for you both. You’re in your early 20s and your backs should be fine at this age.

It’s ok @JollyBlue to say you want a SUV for fashion reasons. You can say it here.

I don’t care what type of car it is as long as it fits what we need. Thank you for contributing absolutely nothing to the conversation, you may cast your wit elsewhere now.

I’d avoid a ford focus now, they used to be great cars - I drove one for many years. I’ve just replaced mine due to an engine problem that couldn’t be resolved despite multiple tries. I think the new generation engines are sketchy at best. I’ve gone back to Hyundai, which have been reliable for me in the past z

If you're in London or South east, can you go to somewhere like Car Giant which will have virtually every make and model and you can get the keys and sit in the cars?
Just be aware that they are quite pricey to buy from in my opinion.

100% recommend doing something like this! Other car supermarket places exist elsewhere too, I went to one and made it quite clear I wasn't going to be buying a car that day but wanted to scope out some options and see what things were like inside. It also opened my eyes to a couple of options I hadn't previously considered.
The key for the OP here is going to be budget and insurance group. I recommend you do some research on the later before setting your heart on anything!

And don't forget to factor in the lovely ulez type restrictions which occur in so many cities nowadays.

Ford Puma is one of the most popular cars in the UK. I have one and it’s great! Decent size boot, 5doors and great fuel economy either way being a mild hybrid.

this might be useful for you
Car Insurance Groups UK | Motor car insurance groups advice

We found the best car for money, reliability and boot space is the Skoda rapid space back. Doesn't look big on outside and easy to drive and park, but like an absolute tardis on the inside. We are still driving a 2014 model we bought when DD1 was a baby as only one which fitted her bulky buggy in it, never had to do anything to it apart from usual tire changes, brake pads etc. It also has really low car tax -£30 a year.
Skoda's are made by VW, but at much lower cost.

We had a QQ and hated it for a variety of reasons, but one of the main ones was lack of space. It was just a really odd shape - very little fitted in the boot, and two teens were really squashed in the back. A fifth passenger was only possible for very short trips.
Now have a Seat Ateca which is like a TARDIS. love it!

Personally I would decide if you wanted to buy outright, use a loan, PCP or lease your car first. Each option will mean different cars will be open to you.

I lease my car as 1) the requirements of my car have changed every few years - started with a SmartForFour up to a Velar and back down to a Renualt Symboiz with alot inbetween. 2) I'm not fussed about owning my own car 3) sometimes it works out cheaper if you need a bigger car short term than to have a loan etc.

Don't forget to look at what cars your car seats fit from the manuals (online sometimes). You'd be surprised that some car seats don't actually fit in some cars you think they would. Usually manufacturers have a guide so you can discount things quickly that way.

Go somewhere that has alot of cars to look at. Take the pram and kids and see how they feel. Sometimes something you have discounted on paper can actually be what you want.

SUV boot space is crap relative to the size of the car.

Getting car that is higher up is not as great as it sounds. Once a car seat is in then it can stay there. When your little one can walk they will be able to climb themself into a hatchback, saloon or estate. Whereas they will need you to lift them into an SUV.

My friend has just bought one a couple of years old for 15k. It’s a lovely car.