2 door cars and baby seats - difficult?

[Sonners]

I would be grateful for any views people have on whether 2 door cars are a massive pain with a baby and a car seat. I'm looking to buy a new car and would prefer a small 2 door (as I've not driven for 10 years!) but the liklihood is that I might need to fit a baby seat in the next year or so, in which case would I be better off getting a four door?

Grateful for any replies. If 2 doors are not a pain then I'd also be really grateful for car make suggestions as I have no preference really (although I have always had a thing for Minis...)

Thanks!

[pk]

in my experience two doors can be a pain (in the back, for me)

[millie42]

I have a 2 door golf and have two boys in car seats at the back. I am determined not to get a larger car as love my golf and have never really experienced a problem in clipping them in.

It seems car seat are tricky to use what ever the car so I just decided to have what I liked rather than being disctated by something that I sepnd about two minutes a day doing.

Good luck!

[new mother]

Definitely get a 4 door. Once the baby is heavy, you will curse every time you strain your back heaving him/her in, even if you eave the seat in.

You also increase the risk of banging the baby's head, which I've done myself twice and hated myself for it.

[Rhubarb&Custard]

I used to have a Mini - and have to say it was a pain trying to get one of those baby seats in and out (had to tip the baby seat up slightly sideways to get it in). Even when my child was old enough to have a fixed seat, it was a struggle lifting / strapping them in.

However, weirdly, a friend with a small child has a 2 door Fiat 500 and it seems much easier as the front seat comes forward / folds further forward. A small design difference which makes life with a 2 door bearable.

Anyway - they grow up fast, and before you know it they can jump in themselves. So it's only for a short time to grin and bear if you did plump for a Mini.

[Pickle]

Depends on whether you have any back problems... we have a 4 door car and it's great - when I visit my parents I have to use a 2 door and even though my kids are old enough to climb in themselves I find it a real strain on my back to have to lean in and do up their straps.

Personally I would never have managed with a 2 door car when the kids were babies, but everyone is different (and not everyone has a back like a 90 year old aged 35!).

P x

[mockney piers]

While they're ickle a rockentot and seat base combo (we had a graco, very reasonable) makes things pretty easy even in a two-door but a proper seat will be a bit of a pain frankly.

To be honest we upgraded to four door and it's still a bit of a pain, just one of those things.

[ClareC]

2 door is a pain, they get really heavy and it's awkward! Plus, places like Sainsburys carpark become pretty much an impossibility (unless by some freak occurrence you manage to get a parent space), since the spaces are not particularly wide and you do need the door open a reasonable amount with a two door car ( that's awkward with a four door car too, you just need the door open a bit less wide). If your actually buying a car def get 4 doors!! It's only worth making do with 2 if your trying to avoid changing cars. There are lots of 4 door versions of small cars :-)

[Sonners]

Many thanks for all of your comments ladies and gents. I think it sounds best to be investing in a 4 door!

[Sanne Panne]

Also, bit fear focused maybe and something you don't want to think about - it's much harder to get someone out of the back seat of a 2 door car after an accident.

[Mook]

I would opt for a four door, once your child is in a stage 1 car seat and can actually climb into it, a two door may be more manageable but until then four door all the way.

[Sonners]

Sanne Panne Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Also, bit fear focused maybe and something you

> don't want to think about - it's much harder to

> get someone out of the back seat of a 2 door car

> after an accident.

That's not something that had even crossed my mind! But very important so thanks for flagging.

Now, if anyone has any suggestions of a good small 4 door car, do say...!

[cazbee]

Hi there. We went for a Citroen C3 diesel (1.3l engine I think) a couple of years back and it has been great. Cheap as chips to run, really good fuel economy and low emissions. Citroen had very good financing options at the time although don't know if these are still around. It has 4 doors and room enough for a reasonable size fold up buggy in the back (not that we're quite there yet - baby due to arrive soon though!). The newer model has a lovely glass roof which I'm very envious of. Hope that helps.