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Have a 2 door car, do I really need to upgrade to a 4 door?

We are due our baby in july and last year before falling preg, I bought a brand new 2 door car, it is not very family friendly at all and the boot is tiny. I have already tried one buggy in it (quinny) and it wouldnt fit!

I am having a bit of a dilemy as I am unsure whether we should upgrade to a 4 door with a bigger boot or just stick with what we have got.

Anyone who has a small 2 door car and a baby, is it that much of a pain to get baby in and out etc? also do you find the car is big enough for all the baby stuff that is needed?

We could afford to buy a bigger car but it would mean having to go back to work slightly earlier than originally planned after maternity leave.

I am not sure whether to just stick and struggle with my car or trade it in.

thanks any advice/comments would be much appreciated.

Replies

  • It depends how much you'll be going out with baby in the car really. We had a mini (the old original ones) when we had our first baby and I worked as a nanny. I used to put a double buggy folded up on the floor in the back, or stand it in the floorwell in the passenger side. If I went shopping I took DD1 in a sling and if I walked to the shops I had her big pram. We did upgrade to a metro which was hatchback so we could take the back shelf out and fit her big pram in. It was 2 door tho and never a problem.
    Having said that we now have a people carrier and wouldn't be wothout it as if we take the very back seats out we can get a double buggy/big pram in without folding it down image
  • Like the others have said it depends how much you'll use it. A friend of mine had a Ford Ka when she had her lo, and kept it until he moved from and infant carrier to a Group 1 seat. She put the baby in the front though, which you cannot do if you have a passenger airbag, so that's something to check. She then used to put the buggy behind the drivers seat - it was ok, but no good if she wanted to give anyone a lift. Plus her hubby had a huge estate car so they had use of that obviously for days out/overnight stays etc - do you have access to another bigger car? Another friend of mine has two lo's and a 2 door Toyota Yaris, which is tiny, and she seems to manage (again hubby has a bigger car for holidays etc, but day to day they use her car) - I wouldn't be able to though, I love my 5 door!
  • if your boot is a good size then maybe not!

    Oh and if you are having the baby in the front - with airbag turned off - then you might get away with two door. And yr hubby can always sit in the back. Mine does!

    Personally if you were putting baby in the back seat then no way wld i want to be leaning over the seats everyday to strap carseat in!!

    xx
  • Hiya

    I have a 3 door Peugeot 307 which I bought new 2.5 years ago. Daisy-Mae is 11 months now, so it wasn't the best timing!!! I REALLY wanted to change my car all the way through my pregnancy and still really would like to.. but can't find anything I like enough to part with our hard earned money!

    If you decide to keep it, my tip would be to make sure you get an Isofix base for your infant carrier - this was soooooo much easier than it would have been trying to secure the belt around the seat in a 3 door car..

    TBH, now Daisy-Mae is in her forward facing seat, I often think it's easier getting her in and out of the 3 door car (my Mum has an Audi Q5 and the same car seat as me and it is more tricky doing the belt up from the side!) as I actually get into the back of the car to tighten the belt up - we play a little game too, which you couldn't do from the side image

    I'm 6 foot tall, as is my hubby but we haven't had too much of a problem with where the seat sits. We can fit a huge pram (Britax Vigour) in the boot and my bag sits on the backseat next to Doodle.

    If I was doing it again, I don't think I'd change my car for these reasons, I'd rather spend more money on a smaller pram and the isofix base - that would be much cheaper for me than changing the car..

    Now Daisy is older, I've ordered the Cath Kidston Maclaren stroller which will fit much more comfortably in the boot and I think I might start to think of changing the 307 for a Mini! It's only a few months that it's awkward for and I'm not sure it's worth going back to work earlier than necessary for the inconvenience, but each to their own!

    Also, the other thing to say is that Daisy will be my only child - if I was planning more, I would probably have changed the car...

    Hope this helps!
    C xxxx
  • i had a 2 door car for first year and half of my daughters life and u managed fine as i would just sit on the back seat next to her seat to strap her in.it is easier with 4 doors but 2 is managable imo x
  • thanks for all your replies ladies. My boot is really really small and the quinny wouldnt fit in it and I was told that this is one of the smaller more compact buggies. The car does have an isofix so I would def buy the base. We are planning on having 2 kids, although not planning the 2nd one for another couple of years yet!

    we dont have access to another car and there is no way my current car will be big enough for 2 kids. I am thinking I should really trade it in, but I guess it is just a case of deciding when to do it...now or later once it becomes a real struggle.

    thanks again for your comments. image
  • I had a KA when I was a nanny for 3 children all in carseats and I coped fine, the youngest was 4 months when I started and had a Maclaren stroller which fit in fine. You can get Maclarens suitable from newborn perhaps one of them would fit. The Loola frame folds small too but I thought it was quite heavy and I have seen some reviews of people who are not a fan of theirs.
    We have a 3 door golf, a really old shape one, the boot is small but not tiny, we have got a iCandy Peach and it fits really well.
    Perhaps you could also consider getting one that folds flat and stand it up behind a seat rather than in the boot.
  • I have a Punto and it's been fine as I can turn the airbag off so lo can be in front. I have the Quinny and it does fit in the boot but only with the parcel shelf removed. I will be getting a 5-door by the time we have another baby though! x
  • Well 21 months on I have not got rid of my 2 door Fiesta yet. I've found it fine. I think it's a pain with an infant carrier but we got round that by having an Isofix base so it was easier to get carseat in.

    Once Lo went into a Group 1 seat at 9 months old, it's been a lot easier - in a way I find it easier than a 4 door, as at least you can climb into the car and strap them in facing forwards rather than doing it side wards.

  • I have a 2 door car and my daughter is almost 2 1/2. I am not even thinking about changing it either. I have had no bother with a 2 door car. My boot is big enough and I find it easy to to get Kara into the car as I get into the back seat with her when strapping her in. This is handy if it is raining. When we are out in my husbands car which is 4 door I find it more awkward putting Kara in sideways. Therefore to me the pro of having a 2 door car is being able to strap them in easier. Also as they get older there is no worries of them opening the back door. It is just a matter getting used it it. I suppose it will also depend on how much you use it and how small it really is. Mine is a Toyota Corolla.
  • This is a subject close to my heart as only yesterday I changed my beloved beetle convertsble fir a mummy wagon image my advice would be try and see. I gave the beetle a go, and although my pram 'did' fit in boot it was s bit of an arse having to take the wheels of each time, putting the top big in the back seat and only being able to ever have one passenger who had to sit in back as a logistical nightmare getting car seat in the back without putting the roof down!!

    But I would def try first because until you have lonyou don't really know how much you'll use the car or whether you can cope with the hassles of squeazing in the pram!! Xx
  • My advice would be to wait and see.
    We have a Peugeot 307 and it is fine. When its just me and lo I turn off passenger air bag, when OH is with us she goes in back. Both oh and I can physically climb into the back very easily. Also the 307 has a massive boot, fits my Spin easily, plus loads of shopping. The thing is we didn't know how it would go until lo arrived and had to find out.
    I guess it really depends, but I didn't see the point in changing a perfectly good car unless we absolutely had to, especially as we were struggling to be able to afford maximum maternity leave for me.
    So wait and see

    that being said we will more than likely upgrade within the next 2 years as we plan to have a second baby.

    MJx
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