Need To Make Up My Mind In The Next 9Months

[inflames]

Hello all.

You maybe able to tell from the title that iam going to be a dad soon. I have a few questions for you guys and gals. I have been trying to sell my IS200 for the last 2months and been looking at getting a sports coupe (integra or 200sx) untill my girlfriend told me that there is going to be a mini me. So a coupe is realy out of the question now. I have a few different ideas what to do with my car:

1) keep the IS200, what leads me to my next question can i fit a pram and all the baby stuff in the boot?

2) Still sell and buy a cheaper salon? Use the money that is left to buy the baby bits and put some in the bank as time will be hard for the 1st few years.

3) Sell it, buy a estate due to the big boot for all the baby stuff. All my friends who have had kids in the last year or 2 have done this. Hopefuly a cheaper one and use the money for the baby stuff.

I have been considering a Galant salon or estate and have been realy shocked by how cheap they are for a car that is less than 10 years old. I have always liked them and after driving my friends today Iam liking them even more. You can buy a decent 1 from 1.2k - 2K with around 90K - 100K+ miles on the clock. Have been also looking at the BMW 3series touring and A4 estate.

What you think?

[deckie77]

The boot on the IS is crap, It holds lots of little things, the tail lights position restrict the size of what can be put in there, so i doubt a pram will go in, but trust me the pram will only be required for a short time (I never really took it anywhere when my kids were that age), Car seats & that are ok in the IS, no prob there.

Cant tell you what to do tho mate it's all your decision, But if lugging a pram is going to be a prob then big hatchback or estate or jeep it will have to be i would say.

[Garthy]

RS4 Avant? :P

[inflames]

RS4 Avant? :P

If i had the money i think i would.

[inflames]

[quote name='deckie77' date='04 October 2010 - 11:49 AM' timestamp='1286189342' post='734007'

Cant tell you what to do tho mate it's all your decision, But if lugging a pram is going to be a prob then big hatchback or estate or jeep it will have to be i would say.

Its true it is mine decision but some advice is always good from those who have been there before.

I have considered a 4X4 jeep of some kind, my other half realy likes them but the majority of them drink even more fuel then any of the cars i have been looking at. To honest there all chelsea tractors if live in a city to me, but they are a good opition. Talking to my friend today and he said i should go for something like Galant VR4 estate or a scooby wagon. That way i get the power of the sort cars i have been looking at and i love for the times when iam on my own.

[true blue]

Hi I appreciate your dilema ,I have a son and daughter in a similar positions but they are not car enthusiast,s so make do with a Honda CRV and a Volvo estate; an answer but :winky: I run a sport cross which would be an great replacement it has plenty of room and I can cope with the grandchildrens kit; With regard to the Galant I ran one of these for a few years they are a great car very underrated especially the V6 . One downside is a lot are grey imports which adversly effects insurance and spares prices

[fjcfarrar]

Hello all.

You maybe able to tell from the title that iam going to be a dad soon. I have a few questions for you guys and gals. I have been trying to sell my IS200 for the last 2months and been looking at getting a sports coupe (integra or 200sx) untill my girlfriend told me that there is going to be a mini me. So a coupe is realy out of the question now. I have a few different ideas what to do with my car:

1) keep the IS200, what leads me to my next question can i fit a pram and all the baby stuff in the boot?

2) Still sell and buy a cheaper salon? Use the money that is left to buy the baby bits and put some in the bank as time will be hard for the 1st few years.

3) Sell it, buy a estate due to the big boot for all the baby stuff. All my friends who have had kids in the last year or 2 have done this. Hopefuly a cheaper one and use the money for the baby stuff.

I have been considering a Galant salon or estate and have been realy shocked by how cheap they are for a car that is less than 10 years old. I have always liked them and after driving my friends today Iam liking them even more. You can buy a decent 1 from 1.2k - 2K with around 90K - 100K+ miles on the clock. Have been also looking at the BMW 3series touring and A4 estate.

What you think?

Have a couple of friends with babies & IS200s. No, big-wheeled traditional prams won't fit in the boot - they only fit in lorries. Push-chairs do fit, manufacturers take into account that most cars don't have big boots. No problem with the rest of the stuff you need to lug around. The ISO-fix mountings for baby seats are very good. The main useful factors are that the IS200 is safe and reliable with a ride babies find soothing, plus selling and then buying a car always costs more than keeping the one you have - unless it is about to fall to bits.

[kev dood]

I had no real problems putting all the stuff in the boot when my lad was a baby. Had a bugaboo where the wheels can be removed and all packed in ok. Yes it is a small boot and a bit tight and the rear seats are a pain to get a car seat for unless you have isofix. But its doable for a single child.

My problem is when you have another, for me being 6ft3, I cannot fit my lads seat behind my seat and the other would be taken up by the new baby seat!!

Ho hum.

Just be careful when getting car seats fitted as there are very few that fit properly without buckle crunch etc.

[inflames]

Thanks for all the advice guys, iam going round my friends this weekend and going to have a go to see if i can fit there pram in the boot? That way i can have a educated look and make up my mind.

[Rory]

sport cross??

[Enright]

My little boy was 1 this week, and my IS200 has been fine. Not quite as versatile as my old Peugeot 306 hatchback, but no problem as long as you use a bit of lateral thinking sometimes.

Firstly, you don't need a pram. We bought a Mamas & Papas Pliko P3 pushchair - you can find specs on Mamas & Papas website. This pushchair starts out as a chassis to which you can fit a M&P cot (effectively turning it into a pram). We also bought a Primo Viaggio IP car seat, which clips onto the chassis too. Later on you fit a cushioned cover to the chassis which turns it into a proper pushchair.

The chassis easily folds small enough to fit in the boot. The biggest problem is that in the early months you need a rear facing car seat, but you can't turn off the passenger side airbag. So your partner might have to ride in the back with the baby, otherwise the baby might scream on every car journey because they can't see either of you.

[inflames]

My little boy was 1 this week, and my IS200 has been fine. Not quite as versatile as my old Peugeot 306 hatchback, but no problem as long as you use a bit of lateral thinking sometimes.

Firstly, you don't need a pram. We bought a Mamas & Papas Pliko P3 pushchair - you can find specs on Mamas & Papas website. This pushchair starts out as a chassis to which you can fit a M&P cot (effectively turning it into a pram). We also bought a Primo Viaggio IP car seat, which clips onto the chassis too. Later on you fit a cushioned cover to the chassis which turns it into a proper pushchair.

The chassis easily folds small enough to fit in the boot. The biggest problem is that in the early months you need a rear facing car seat, but you can't turn off the passenger side airbag. So your partner might have to ride in the back with the baby, otherwise the baby might scream on every car journey because they can't see either of you.

We had a good look around at alot of the travel systems today and found a few we realy like. We realy liked the Graco Quattro Tour Sport Travel System and Graco Mosaic orbit Travel System. They both fitted in the boot nicely, came with the car seats and bases. Like you said the only thing i dont like is that the baby will be facing away from us. So all good news, keeping the car as i know its a nice big safe car and it will be the cheaper opition.