[Closed] Help. Find me a car!

If you want lots of space then go for the Octavia. My 330D has a lot less boot space than my old Octavia, which is fine as we don't have kids.

It is better in every other way though....

The A4 isn't that big either.

For one child, anything with 4 doors and a boot big enough to take a folded buggy will be fine.

You don’t need to dabble in specialist mama-wagons until you’re expecting the third child.

....and, congratulations.

Having witnessed the miracle of childbirth three times, I’ll offer this nugget of advice.

Stay up the dry end.

Octavia seems Almost impossible to find with heated seats unless getting 2 or 3 year old versions.

I only find heated seats useful on leather but insisting on it will probably eliminate the majority of otherwise fine cars.

The is an Astra 1.6t Elite at under £190 amortised on a lease at the moment. That would be my choice. Great looking car actually.

Yes I realise the heated seats is a big problem! Thing is she has them In her car and I have them in my van, so we're really used to them. Admitally I would still have them In my van!

….and, congratulations

Thanks, I've had years of practice but into motion!

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201812053012598?atmobcid=soc3

Granted it's not a German car but what's not to like. Low miles. Heat seats. Cooled seats. Performance. Bags of room. Handles well. Well reviewed.

We kept my A3 3 door (old one, with the Quattro so tiny in the back seats) for a good few years. Not ideal but worked ok.

My mate kept his fiat 500 arbArth as a family car as well. Was impressive watching them get everything in/out.

Finally succumbed to a big car now (Subaru outback) and it’s loads easier but not essential.

Slightly flexible with your requirements but this is mine. I have two kids, one and three, and a doubling of annual mileage has forced my hand.
Open to offers and can get the car to Bristol if that helps??

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F183655111130

Granted it’s not a German car but what’s not to like. Low miles. Heat seats. Cooled seats. Performance. Bags of room. Handles well. Well reviewed.

Never considered, but looks good and has all the ticks. Will look into it thanks.

Slightly flexible with your requirements but this is mine. I have two kids, one and three, and a doubling of annual mileage has forced my hand.
Open to offers and can get the car to Bristol if that helps??

That looks pretty nice, but we can't go that much really atm. Plus I think it would be too juicy in reality. Thanks.

Worth considering the B-Max, Grand S-Max and Galaxy. The Zafira is surprisingly zippy in the 1.4 Turbo version, and has loads of room, lots around ‘cos they’re popular with Motability clients, as are the Ford models mentioned.
There’s another thread asking about the Citroen C4 Grand Picasso, that is also worth looking at.

Have you looked or considered outside of the VAG/German box?

Mazda? Hyundai? I’m fairly certain that we’ll within your budget and requirements you’d find one to suit, especially the former.

Honda Civic, dependant on mileage / trim you’ll get a 2012 / 2015 car in budget.
4-6 trim levels come with heated seats depending on year.
And there’s also the sport back if you need more luggage space.

https://www.parkers.co.uk/honda/civic/hatchback-2012/review/features-safety-and-equipment/

Toyota Avensis Estate. Bombproof and large boot.
For something a bit more left field...Jag estate.
Volvo XC70.

Nothing against non German stuff just that all I really know, I'm not a big car freak, I prefer motorbikes. But there even less practical with a baby!

My wife loved her TT with our first born, isofix on the front seat and disable the passenger airbag. Boot is fantastic for fitting a pram, when kid moved into a bigger seat she had to get rid as it blocked the view out of the wing mirror. She’d get dirty looks parking in parent and child spaces until she lifted the car seat out. She got a golf and has constantly bemoaned the lack of boot space and lack of poke...

Obvs doesn’t work for 3 of you going out though so I suppose I’ve just rambled pointlessly for a paragraph...

Hey that's good to know Mat, I'm a bit sad about having to trade her tt in for a boring baby wagon tbh.
I think my van has isofix and 3 seats...

Just checked and no it doesn't. Bummer.

I think my van has isofix

does it matter if it doesn't? Can't you strap seats in using belts?

Yes but moving it from a car that does to a car that doesn't I imagine is a pain.
Plus taking advice from friend who has had a kid they all said get a car with isofix

Well. We had our first kid with one isofix car and one non isofix car.

We bought a britax car seat and bought the isofix base for it to fit to (baby seats never fit directly to the mounting, they sit on a base) we then had a belted base which dose exactly the same thing. In fact we have both the belted base and isofix base for britax babysafe seats in the garage if you want them for free.

But a van is a no go if you can't switch off the passenger airbag. You have to have that off for a baby seat to be upfront.

https://www.simpsonsskoda.co.uk/pch-offers/se-tech-offer/

Order the estate version and spec heated seats as an extra

When our twins were born I had a TT which was great as it was wholly impossible to use it as a family car and (as it was leased) it meant I had 2.5 years of baby-sick free motoring. When it went back I got a 'family' A6 Avant. The week after I got it one of the girls was sick in the back and I could never get rid of the smell.

But FWIW, we had a Mazda 3 with a roofbox (to take the behemoth double buggy) for the entire of those 2.5 years which worked fine.

More kids on the horizon, ever?

Just buy an smax now and save yourself a few quid down the line

More kids on the horizon, ever?

Just buy an smax Zafira now and save yourself a few quid down the line

+1
Don't fight the pull of the family wagon...