Anyone else drive an old car with children?

[Mum8929]

Anyone else drive an old car with a toddler? My car is a 2009 works fine but feels like a banger and don’t have isofix. Anyone else drive around an old car? Should I get a new car just for the isofix?

One of our cars is 2008 and works fine. We have a seat in the back that i think fits from 9 months plus. It’s not isofix. You don’t need it.

Personally if I could afford it I would prioritise isofix as these are significantly safer in the event of a crash. If it’s not within your budget then that is a different matter. We do the best with what we have.

Would agree with this. Isofix makes it easier but my father to managed to fit a car seat in our car in the 1960s.

The most important things about car seats is they fit your car, are attached to you car properly and they are properly adjusted for your child. You can have the safest seat in the safest car... but if its not properly fitted it won't do its job.

It’s not actually safer if you read up on it. It’s just easier is all

we drive a 2010 Audi A6, its still a good car and mechanically sound. Ideally we will upgrade in the next few years but thats money dependent. It does have isofix but neither of our car seats use it as they are ERF belt fitted seats (both Swedish plus tested). I wouldn't upgrade just for isofix if you are otherwise happy with the car.

Actually I echo was OP has just said. Isofix is not safer if the other seats are fitted correctly. Isofix is just easier to fit and therefore increases the chance of it being fitted correctly. This was confirmed to me by Halfords.

Our 2008 car is a 3 door though and when we upgrade, what I would feel more comfortable with is a 5 door so the kids have a better chance of getting out or the car in the event of an accident.

I've got a 2010 Nissan juke - it does have Isofix but with my first child I had a VW polo that didn't have Isofix and she was perfectly safe as I was making sure to put the seat it correctly each time.

I did then buy a base which was seatbelted in and acted like an Isofix base for the car seat as carrying the seat and all the bending getting it done up was killing my back lol

Isofix isn't any safer either - it's just for quickness

The safest rear facing seats don't need isofix. As long as the car is roadworthy, it's fine! Non-isofix seats will be around for a long time yet.

There are even some bases which can be belt fitted, if you look.

As an aside, have you checked for isofix? As of 2006, roughly 75% of new cars had it, so it's worth a look as it might be hidden away in there.

If you do have a belt fitted forward facing seat, it's worth shelling out a bit more for a better brand, and paying attention to the fitting of it. Most people don't tension the seatbelt enough. This is a good tip: https://www.derby.gov.uk/transport-and-streets/road-safety/road-safety-films/fit-tips-belt-front/

You can also look for seats with a seatbelt tensioner, like Maxi Cosi Tobi, this is a good feature to ensure correct tension.