Returning to the UK, car advice!

[helloitsme]

I have been living overseas and am a little out of touch with cars in the UK. Me, DD (she is 2) and DH are moving back to Britain in a couple of months, and have a couple of questions:

1. Can I put my DD's car seat in the front passenger seat when I am driving? It's a seatbelt attaching seat, so I think it's physically possible, but is it safe and is it legal?
2. What are you experiences with bigger/smaller cars? We are considering Honda Jazz or Renault Grand Modus or Citroen C4, but want to know if they are really bigger than we need. I would want to carry DD and pushchair, and shopping, and DH (obviously) and I guess sometimes some friends or family members, but it's hard to predict how important this would be.

Basically, any advice gratefully received! Thanks.

1. Yes it is legal. Not as safe as being in the back though, I don't know anyone who has it set like this permanently for this reason. I have only done it on the odd occasion like having my two boys and my nephew too.
2. I don't know a lot about cars but we have a VW Golf which is bloody marvellous small family car.

We have a Jazz, and can transport all 5 of us ( including teenagers) in it, the other cars you mention are bigger.
If it is a rear facing car seat you need to be able to switch off the airbags, to put a car seat in the front. It's much safer in the back.
If you are coming from the US, cars seem sturdier, but petrol is very expensive, so look for fuel economy.

We also have a Jazz that we bough recently to replace a KA. We've got a Corolla Verso which is bigger but 90% of the time we use the Jazz. It is surprisingly spacious but still pretty small and easy to park. DD is a teenager and it copes well transporting her and her friends.

We do long trips to Europe to visit relatives. I wouldn't want to do that in the Jazz as I don't feel it has the power to get me out of trouble o mtgs motorway and wouldn't like to use it on the Autobahn ! I guess it depends what you want it for. Fabulous round town and shorter trips. Bit under powered for longer ones is how I feel about it but I'm sure others would disagree with me.

Thanks for the feedback.
MrsJ, it's great to know the law about the car seat thing. I think we really want to have DD in the back in her car seat, but she is not really used to being alone in the backseat where we live now, which is why I thought it might be more relaxing to her in the front. But maybe I just need to train her that she sits in the back and she will get used to it.
Mummy and Wynken, thanks for your reports on the Jazz. It's really good to hear from people who actually have one. We would have only one car, so this would need to cater to all our needs, but we are looking to economise, so I guess we have to compromise somewhere. I have a question, do you think (should another DC come along), that the back seat could reasonably manage two car seats plus my DH in the back? He's not as slim as a rake, so would need some adult sized space!

Also, do you find it a very 'hard ride' like all the reviews say? And is it nice to drive?
Thanks, much appreciate all your comments :)

My kids find it a more comfortable ride than out old FRV, which is one of the few cars I've been able to sit in the back of and not feel sick.
You can get two care seats in, but would need to check that and fitting someone in the middle. We have a very small boaster seat in the middle, and it's still a bit tricky with where the seat buckles are, but we don't have the newest shape version.
It's fine to drive (I did prefer the FRV, but prefer the mpg for the Jazz).

My two prefer it to the Corrolla . We only use one booster seat so I'm not sure of the car so am not sure of the car seat situation.

It isn't exciting to drive but comes into it's own with town driving as it is easy to fit down tight roads and small spaces. Also it's very practical as you can stick the seats up like cinema seats to put something on the floor, and still have a child in the back seat.