You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Well this was fun, with little ‘un less than a month away we hooked up the car seat into my 5dr A3 s-line (2014 model) to find that it wouldn’t fit behind my seat as I’m too tall and the seat fouls the baby seat.
Luckily my other half is 5ft 3 so the seat will go behind her, my problem here is……so the A3 is a family car (albeit not the biggest) however can’t comfortably put say a pair of car seats in if you’re a couple who are say 5’9 each….
What a shockingly bad design!
Most cars seem similar - smaller than a larger car IME.
That is a bit rubbish. I'm 6'5" so whatever car I have my seat is slammed back. Have 3 kids all well out of car seats now.
But I've never had the problem you describe in the following cars.
Skoda Octavia 1998 model
Honda Accord 1999 model
Honda Accord Estate 2006 model
Ford S-Max 2014 model
As you can see from the above kids lead to really exciting car choices 😂
Oh also make sure you look forward to front facing car seats and them kicking the back of your chair. Doesn't get annoying, at all!
Haha, I do think that’s the thing though. I’d say to have me and them comfortable I’d probably need the A4 avant. We do only have one and missus doesn’t plan on a growth spurt anytime soon so think I’m safe.
It may be as I do have my seat quite reclined but to me it just feels truly comfortable, but yes Audi A3 5 dr that can’t fit a child seat in the back behind in average size driver!
Wow at 6ft 5 your blindspot check will be out the rear passenger window 🤣
One of the downsides of modern rear facing child seats .
We have same issue with axkid minikid in the Berlingo .
It's why so many school run cars are stupendously big people carriers or SUVs.
In kids worldb an a3 and even Berlingos are considered small cars. The A3 is a sub compact small family car by Audi's own designation.
Much less of a problem the sooner you go forward facing but good luck convincing the wife on that.
Fairly normal and unsurprising. You can put kids seats in one behind another, and the other passenger behind the driver. Most cars are the same, and if you think your current seat is bad wait till you get a swivelling one the next size up.
If your seat can be just belted in you can put it in the middle of the rear to gain some space that way, we did this in rental cars (Hyundai i10 etc) when our smallest was young (I'm 6'2 my wife is 6')
As the kids grow they need less space. Both ours (6 and 3) fit in the back of my gt86 these days
We found our maxi cosi baby seat on the isofix base wouldn’t fit properly behind me in smaller cars, but when belted in would just about fit. The next size seat up was a pain so in my wife’s car I’d just never move the drivers seat back and suck up a bit of discomfort. We also moved into the next size up a bit early and got a joie spin so had the forward facing option from about 15 months - that solved the problem on shorter journeys.
Now eldest is in a high back booster problem is solved (age 3).
@chrisyork Have you tried putting a pram in the boot yet 🤔? I had a couple of A3s (Albeit 25 years ago) and moved over to a Golf to get more room for canoeing kit. It was Golf Estate time when we started a family. Your life is in for one big change 👍.
Ps. Congratulations
Haha binman…. Yes we did! So last time we went camping and also do plan on going as soon as it makes sense to, straight up I think I’ll need a new car by then as I dropped the Quinny buzz pushchair into the room and just about had room for a de-icer can……
Wouldn’t mind but the whole reason why I changed (apart from wanting one for ages) from an Astra J to Audi 8V was the fact apparently the boot size was identical when looking at the stats, we found out this definitely wasn’t the case the first time we went camping in it, foo fighters said it best “stacked to the rafters” to the point I had to pack the car because if she just threw things in it wasn’t Tetris enough to fit everything 🤣
Btw don't necessarily assume that a "bigger" car is any better at this stuff than yours. A mate had a 3 touring and I couldn't fit in front of a kids seat in it (fit, at all, the seat was fully forwards on its rails), however my sister in law has a late 00s civic and they can fit in with a big swivelly seat fine
Btw don’t necessarily assume that a “bigger” car is any better at this stuff than yours. A mate had a 3 touring and I couldn’t fit in front of a kids seat in it (fit, at all, the seat was fully forwards on its rails), however my sister in law has a late 00s civic and they can fit in with a big swivelly seat fine
True - I was impressed we managed with a mk1 Skoda Fabia with a rear-facing when #1 was born - I'm 6'2 and Mrs a11y's 5'10. I say 'managed' as I'm fairly sure it had to go on the passenger side and wouldn't fit behind the driver. Suprised at comment re 3-series though. I had a e90 330i (2007ish car) and no problems with rear-facing behind me. Not all rear-facing seats are equal obviously!
Fabia boot was a nightmare with the pram hence swapped for a Freelander 2 (doh) when #2 arrived.
It’s an absolute nightmare. Don’t for one second assume that an SUV or even an MPV will be better at all. Our Kodiaq wasn’t approved take any child seat in the third row, couldn’t take three seats on the middle row (somehow it was narrower than my Giulia) and failed utterly if you needed to actually take stuff with you.
We looked at several MPVs and all basically needed a roof box permanently attached if we wanted to transport the kids, the buggy and anything else along for the ride.
I-Size just compounded all these issues as the space required is simply vast. It’s probably why so many small cars now have isofix and I-size compatibility built into the front passenger seat.
It depends on the size of your car and then ratio of back seats to boot etc.
I had a Citroen DS5 - which must have prioritised rear legroom as the seat we had fitted beautifully in that. We had a Kiddy rear facing seat which had an extra support leg that went down into the footwell.
I got a company car which was a Jaguar XE - things were much tighter in that. When we swapped to front facing - Joie Bold - we found our daughters leg stuck straight out in front of her for a long time and that was even worse. My wife had to have her seat a long way forward so she was scrunched.
Jaguar XF fixed that - the back seat area is massive so everyone is happy. I think the Skoda Superb is meant to be even bigger - best swap your A3 for a bigger car! You wait until you go on holiday and need to take a pram / travel cot / all the baby crap that comes with it. If you’re sticking with the A3 you’ll almost certainly need a roof box.
When my twins arrived 15 years ago, I had to get rid of my beloved S3 and get an A4 - my daughter fitted behind my 5’ 4” wife, but all three wouldn’t! Three under threes definitely wouldn’t have fitted!
As they got older I had an A6, A4, Golf and (Forgive me!) a 5 series to fit now three later teenagers…
I had an A3 when our first one arrived, at 6'1" had the same problem as you. We moved to an A4 Avant when the second one was due which we had for a while but then needed to take a third adult on a regular basis so now drive a C4 grand picasso. Other people cope with smaller cars, there is no way we could for some reason.
I borrowed a colleagues Golf company car some years back (she needed to use my bigger car) and we couldn't get the babyseat in. It fitted my wife's Yaris fine.
Bit late for you now, but never get a baby carrying system without seeing what would fit in the car - much more difficult these days. We went to Toys-R-Us and tried a number of systems to see what would fit in a Yaris. Main issue was the boot as well !
The issue is when you need to use the seat's rear facing.
The issue is when you need to use the seat’s rear facing.
I think the recommendation now is that children sit rearward facing until 4 years of age.
I think the recommendation now is that children sit rearward facing until 4 years of age
Nope, that nearly physically impossible for most 2-4 year olds as they wont fit into a rear facing seat unless they are full on reclining and staring at the roof.
Law states they must be rear facing until 15 months old:
Its the click in seat bases and seats which take up so much room and make this problem even worse, ive done the rounds twice, two marriages, first marriage kids are now teenagers, but when they were little i got 2 belt in car seats into an MG ZR, I now have 2 more from m second marriage, 3 and 1 and due to the isofix base and i-size seats i struggle to get the seats into an A6 avant, my 1 yr olds rear facing seat touches the back of my drivers seat, im 6ft.
Nope, that nearly physically impossible for most 2-4 year olds as they wont fit into a rear facing seat unless they are full on reclining and staring at the roof.
nonsense. Its logistically easier to have them front-facing, sure, but they'll go in back-facing until 4 just fine. Our tall-for-his-age eldest was in his till 3-and-a-half when his younger brother needed it. The benefits are fairly marginal (in certain kinds of crashes theres a benefit, in others there's a negative), and they may not have their legs outstretched, but its completely possible.
I found that wheelbase makes much more of a difference than anything else when it comes to looking at what will fit in a car, as it mostly informs passenger compartment space. When our kids were young we had 2 cars with extended wheelbases and slidey rear seats to make room for both of us. Now both kids are the right way round, they can go in the back of a rental panda on a family trip without trouble.
Once they're in forward facing seats it will be less of a problem, I can't get close to fitting a rear facing baby seat behind my driver's seat.
Nope, that nearly physically impossible for most 2-4 year olds as they wont fit into a rear facing seat unless they are full on reclining and staring at the roof.
Recommendation - not UK legislation.
Nope, that nearly physically impossible for most 2-4 year olds as they wont fit into a rear facing seat unless they are full on reclining and staring at the roof.
thats not true
I can’t get close to fitting a rear facing baby seat behind my driver’s seat.
and that's a choice you've made but while the law is one thing - guidance for best outcome is another.
We have an axkid minikid behind the passenger seat- i cant travel in that seat
if your really struggling and cant get it in the back you turn the passengers air bag off and fit them to the front passenger seat. - wife travels in the back. I've done that in a borrowed car.
Legally kids must be rear-facing until 15 months but are <i>recommended </i>until age 4, subject to the weight limit of the seat (most rear-facing are 18kg or 25kg max):
R129/iSize seats are mostly designed for up to 105cm - the height of an average 4yr old. Both mini a11ys were significantly taller than 105cm at 4yrs and went forward-facing earlier. Photo below, mini a11y on the right is 4yrs and 1 week - can you imagine trying to fold someone that height into a rear-facing seat?
For reference, she's now 143cm at 7yrs (average height for a 7yr old is 121cm) and in 10-11yr old clothing, so I know we're all giants...
3.5yrs on they're both still using the same high-backed boosters as above despite exceeding the 135cm legal requirement. IMO still better to have the extra protection - the side 'wings' at head height in particular - as long as they don't poke out the top of the seat. Eldest is close to 36kg weight limit of the seat though.
little miss TR is coming in at 98 cm aged 3.
as i mentioned before we avoided the isize and isofix nonsense and bought an extended use rear facing seat in the family car. - good for up to 125cm as it was noted early on she was going to reach the 105 fast
My car uses a stages forward facing seat but she rarely goes more than 2-3 miles in that so ive managed to get a management of change in place with the wife on that 😉
But yes child seats are a minefield and there are limited places with people trained to know what the requirements and best practices are.
But yes child seats are a minefield and there are limited places with people trained to know what the requirements and best practices are.
Agree with that, it should be clearer. Mothercare used to be the go-to place with decently knowledgeable staff, but they're no more. I'm very glad that the end of kid seat use is in sight for us - at least until (distant future) grandkids arrive...
Legally kids must be rear-facing until 15 months but are <i>recommended </i>until age 4, subject to the weight limit of the seat (most rear-facing are 18kg or 25kg max):>
that's not quite true either. if you're using an older non-isize seat they can be front facing after 9kg (group 1 seat) which is ~9 months old for a boy on average. Ours was 9kg at 5 months old!
Photo below, mini a11y on the right is 4yrs and 1 week – can you imagine trying to fold someone that height into a rear-facing seat?
its the law in some countries to be rear-facing till 4, so I imagine some seats will be plenty big enough.
Oh you’re kidding me!
I even got a 5dr for when we started a family, finally managed to find a 185bhp one with low miles almost immaculate in blue and sounds like as soon as kiddo starts growing I’ll have to sell it 🤣
Wondering if Octavia VRS diesel estate might be a second option. At my size in the back there’s plenty of legroom to the seat as missus father has one. Then again he’s 5ft 5 and sits pretty far forward 🤣
I did look at the A4 Avant and found the black edition has the flat bottomed wheel too which I’ve sort of got used to now…
Anyone got a Leon estate as they’re such good value for money by the looks too and if I read right have a bigger boot compared to the A4!
Tbh we may only have the one kiddo, and the seat does fit so that’s the main thing. When she said “we’ll just have to take my Astra when we want to go out” i basically found a way to make it work so the Audi could still be used 🤣
I even got a 5dr for when we started a family, finally managed to find a 185bhp one with low miles almost immaculate in blue
Yeah it won't be immaculate with kids anyway so should probably trade it in while it's still worth something.
Observations from being out with other families are that it seems that sliding rear doors and boots that don't need the pram dismantling and folding up everytime you go out are a godsend (be it smax/Berlingo/T5/galaxy . They just make life easier. Far easier than 185bhp.
Well just to say, we successfully had Reuben in the back of my car, he just has to sit behind her seat with a mirror on the centre headrest pointed to him. I can see him and she can if she turns around 👍
I'm not sure what model/year of A4 you're looking at, but I don't know that rear legroom is much better than the A3 is it? I couldn't fit a rear-facing seat behind my driver's seat in my 2013 A4 Avant, anyway.
Luckily, my son seemed to get carsick and just cried from 18 months onwards when he was rear-facing. Forward facing he was absolutely fine so we went with that. I can't imagine a 4-year-old rear facing with their knees in their chest. Besides, it goes without saying that forward facing + secure seat + careful driving + avoiding unnecessary journeys is infinitely safer than simply rear-facing. On balance I'm sure car seats are a massive scam. Like MIPS.
We had a Recaro as one of the smaller swivel i-size. Plenty of space in the back of the Panda for it. Very practical shaped car, did weeks away with push chair,travel cot and all the other junk with parcel shelf still in and nothing on the back seats.
Don't need half of that now, but blink and the Vito is full 😂
Just got a Nissan Pathfinder. No probs for 6' me with two kids seats in the back 🤣