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Original poster

Babies and small cars

33 replies

laurenlhthompson · 14/04/2015 16:12

Hello :)

Hope I'm posting in the right place!

I'm just looking for some advice as I'm expecting my first baby this year and I'm worried my car is too small.

I have a fiat 500 and it's quite important as me and OH are from opposite ends of the country and have settled in the middle of where both of our family live. We do a lot of driving.

Basically is this going to be doable with a baby?

Thanks!

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juniorcakeoff · 14/04/2015 16:17

Hell yeah I've got 3 in the back of a 3 door hatchback including a baby seat.
In fact 3 door cars are easier as you can stand facing them while you do up the straps etc. Only issue I can see is if you have a massive chelsea tractor pram you might have trouble getting in the boot, I have only done slings, maclaren, and mamas and papas pliko thing so have had no problems.

Sirzy · 14/04/2015 16:18

It may be difficult if you need to pack a pram plus stuff for a trip away.

I had a corsa which was just big enough when DS was little but only certain buggies would fit in the boot

timeforacheckup · 14/04/2015 16:21

I had a kia picanto when I had dd1 and it was fine. Pushchair just fitted in the boot - any shopping had to go on the spare seats! Loved being able to turn around in small places and park in tiny gaps! Have moved up to a astra now I have a second dc.

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Original poster
laurenlhthompson · 14/04/2015 16:29

Thank you for the replies!

It should be fine then which is a relief. Although I might have to give up the hand me down (massive) silver cross travel system I've been given and stop being so stingy and buy a new pram haha.

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NerrSnerr · 14/04/2015 16:33

I would also think about what you'd need to go away for a weekend. Pram, travel cot etc. I'd struggle with a small car.

SnotQueen · 14/04/2015 16:34

I got rid of my 500 - reluctantly - as it was too much of a squeeze for us.
But I gave it a few months of trying -so see how you get on and you can always review the situation after the baby comes.
I miss my old car -it had so much personality.

Trooperslane · 14/04/2015 16:34

We struggle with an A1, op.

Def check your pram can fit in the boot and put a seatbelt on any luggage that needs to go in the back.

SophyStantonLacy · 14/04/2015 16:40

juniorcakeoff three across the backseat? What seats do you have?!

juniorcakeoff · 14/04/2015 16:42

Trooper you are not the first person to say an audi doesn't fit much in. It always surprises me as my car takes quite a lot of stuff and seems much smaller. Is there just not much boot space/legroom then? I think the thing with a 3 door car is there tends to be quite a lot of space behind the 2 front seats so whatever can't go in the boot can go there, e.g. travel cot. Obv this only applies when you have 1 baby or short legged toddler!

juniorcakeoff · 14/04/2015 16:46

One is in a britax first class plus, one in a graco high backed booster (it does seem narrower than other friends seats) and one in the v small halfords booster cushion. Middle one is in the halfords. Obv routinely the oldest goes in the front but on long journeys or when there's a passenger in they all go miserably in the back and fall asleep in a little wedged heap.

IdaClair · 14/04/2015 16:46

Babies are very small. My tip is to use a car seat that stays in the car. And don't take lots of stuff or big items. Then it is easy.

Original poster
laurenlhthompson · 14/04/2015 16:47

SnotQueen what was the main problem you had with it? Or just generally a lack of space.

I don't want to have to drive everywhere with a seat down but I'm worried it might come to that.

Also did you find a suitable car seat for the 500?

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Snowflakepie · 14/04/2015 16:52

Think carefully about your pushchair and you should be ok. I have 2dc in a Mini. You get very good at packing light and using every inch of space. Lots of small bags often work better than larger ones for this. If you go to the same places regularly it might be worth having spare stuff there, so my parents have a travel cot, Highchair, small pushchair, bedding, toiletries etc for the kids as do my pils. You can get decent enough second hand items if they are used occasionally and you're not precious about that sort of thing.

Take your car to a pram shop and get them to see what fits with you. I think Mothercare do this, but also independent places will help. I have a quinny Zapp in the car which is very small but not ideal for all the time, so keep that for quick journeys out and about and have a nicer one for the daily school walk.

Give it a go and see. You might be surprised.

Artandco · 14/04/2015 16:55

It's fine

Look at the babyzen yoyo 0+ for a small pram. It folds small enough it can just go in footwell one side at the back.

Look at getting a 0-4 year rear facing car seat. The Cybex sirona you can twist to face you, strap baby in, then twist back facing safely. And it stays in car so no need to keep lifting in and out.

Also look at the babybjorn travel cot. Lasts newborn- 3/4 years if needed and although pricier folds fairly small into a square so will also fit in footwell at back. Leaving entire boot free

SnotQueen · 14/04/2015 19:34

I couldn't get my pram in it and didn't like the ones I could. But compromise wasn't a strong point of mine when pregnant (or ever!) so I know you can get really good prams and car seats that do fit. I had the BeSafe IziGo and it fitted in the rear.

I didn't like trying to get baby in and out in tight parking spaces cos the door felt huge (if that makes sense). And bringing the whole car seat out is cumbersome (but I suppose it is in any car) and I couldn't get baby in without taking the seat out.

Having said all that, now that baby is almost 2, I dare say we could get on fine with the 500 - they aren't in prams forever and I don't need to leave the house with everything but the kitchen sink now!

SnotQueen · 14/04/2015 19:37

Also, part of my decision to change car was based on the fact that we were quite isolated at the time, so days out required the car and a day's worth of stuff.
Now we aren't so isolated and can walk/use public transport if needed, so I'm not relying on the car as much.

knittingbee · 14/04/2015 19:58

Try it and see. My mum had three half-grown kids in the back of a Fiat Panda, but then we didn't do big trips. We've struggled with a Golf and one DC, mainly because DH comes from the other end of the country, and any trip to see his family involves taking a lot of kit plus bringing home the inevitable arms-full of presents from doting grandparents who rarely get to see our DC. We switched to a Land Rover before we had DC2...

Scattymere · 14/04/2015 20:48

Lauren, I drive a matiz... literally 1 up from a smart car! Its perfectly do-able, just takes a bit of careful re-jigging/stacking/packing from time to time. i have a bugaboo and can collapse and just stack on top of each other in back, next to his seat in the back. Sure you will be fine, everything is just adjusting your home/car/life once baby arrives anyway, you can always make most existing things with some thought.

slightlyinsane · 14/04/2015 21:17

If I can get twins and a double pushchair in a mini I'm sure you'll be fine. You'll just have to do some good research on pushchairs

Paddingtonsmarmaladesandwiches · 14/04/2015 21:30

I drive a 500. Have done since DS arrival. It's great but I don't think I'd cope with it as a family car. When we were choosing a car seat I went with the Peeble and the base, rear facing on the front seat pushed right back and airbag off. It is virtually impossible to find a seat to fit the back seat. I called fiat, maxi cosi and ENCAP (pfb!). They all recommended the set up! It's hard to find a pram to fit in the boot. My I candy did but there is barely room for a nappy bag and and my handbag otherwise.

LePetitPont · 14/04/2015 21:36

We have a Renault Clio so not blessed with a lot of space. As other pp have said, all about the creativity with packing. Thankfully my DH is great at organising and can get loads into small spaces!

And you can always ditch the pushchair / pram if you REALLY need space for a long trip and just use a sling / carrier.

YouMakeMyHeartSmile · 14/04/2015 21:39

We struggled with a Peugeot 206! Doable with a small car, just more awkward I found. Our parents were opposite ends of the country and trips to see them always involved very careful car packing.

shitebag · 14/04/2015 21:40

My friend has a Fiat 500 and an 8 month old.

She has a Quinny Zapp 2 pushchair, a Connecta sling, a rear facing car seat that spins (Cybex I think?). When travelling she uses a Koochi packaway travel cot (it was ours and is basically a pop up tent type thing that packs away completely flat) and a material highchair harness thing that goes on a normal chair.

I'm not clued up on cars at all but she's commented on her "little tardis" a few times :o

ragged · 14/04/2015 21:46

I think you can do it if you're flexible about where baby sleeps or high chair set up. If you think you must have a travel cot & must have a high chair & must have X or Y then you'll struggle (I have a 500 too, btw).

If you have another child you'll need bigger car, I'll wager.

ElleDubloo · 14/04/2015 21:46

We have a 3-door VW Polo, and I also posted this question while pregnant :) We decided to keep the car and see how it went. To be honest it's a little fiddly getting the car seat in and out, but certainly do-able. Also we had to get a small pram (Bugaboo Bee is very light and folds up quite small). Other than that, we've coped fine. We've taken a couple of week-long trips away, and packed lightly, e.g. we co-slept instead of packing the cot.

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