Should we have any concerns about buying hatchback with 2 kids?

[punjama]

Hi all
Were thinking of getting our first family car. DD is 3.5...DD #2 will arrive end of May...are we totally ok with looking at cars like BMW series 1 / Volvo V40 (CC)?

We want it to last ~4-5 years and then when baby #3 arrives we will buy a 2nd car. By then expected ages will be 8/9, 5/6..so both still in seats but a bit bigger. For reference DD#1 is very petite. Goes after DW. DH average height too.

We keep jumping between budgets and types of cars.

As mentioned above can prob get a nice 2018 automatic

Tbh I was shocked at how inconvenient it was to get the buggy in and out of all three of our hatchbacks... Golf, 1 series, Audi S1. The tetris drove me bonkers. And really didn't leave for much else. Maybe take your buggy with you to look at some and see how well it fits. The S1 also had the added problem that it had bucket seats, and a passenger couldn't actually sit in front of where the car seat was, so not a problem you'd expect.

Be weary though, some of the crossover SUVs aren't actually much bigger.

Don’t get a 1 series. Biggest mistake I made. I had one child and it was fine, DS2 came along within a year of me buying it and there’s just insufficient space in the back, particularly for a rear facing car seat. Boot not great for pushchair and shopping.

I have no experience of a Volvo, but reputationionally (not a word…), they’re supposed to be roomier.

Thanks for the replies all. Would you say a roof rack would have sold the boot size issues? Or would it be too inconvenient to always get down then put back up? I'd imagine it would be only thing in the car as the shopping would be done on foot or put in front seat.

I think my greater concern is about room in back seats but partner says we can always put protective layer on front seats so they won't get dirty / messy from legs...but that's assuming there's enough room for kids to stretch their legs that far when they're 8....

Thing is a Sportage for example isn't even that much bigger than a Niro. Just bigger trunk and higher

Surely not everyone with kids has an estate or MPV?

We did absolutely fine in a polo until dd’s were 5 and 8. Could have done a bit longer but felt we outgrew it and got a small suv.

Personally I found it fine having one rear facing seat and one baby seat in the back. Also no problems with carrying one buggy around. We weren’t spoilt for space but it wasn’t a problem day to day.

Dh has a big car which we’d use for the airport etc. For U.K. holidays you would definitely need a roof rack. There was only space for the buggy and a weekly shop, definitely not luggage. The weekly shop would sometimes have to take up space in the front seat and footwells too but online shopping or shopping without dc solves that.

No, a 1 Series/A3/A-Class/V40 won’t be big enough. Neither would a Toyota CHR — it’s a nice car but it’s effectively a coupe with SUV styling and rear doors.

Several friends of mine have Sportages, the mpg is fine. It depends on the engine.

Also you can get a folded buggy into the boot of a Sportage longways, which is apparently a Big Deal.

You could also look at Skoda Octavia (hatch or estate) or Peugeot 308 SW (which is the estate version — very roomy and a huge boot).

Roof rack — I wouldn’t. It would be inconvenient and restrictive, plus the extra wind resistance creates wind noise and reduces mpg.