Car for baby duties

[WindsorXR]

But then you have to be one of "those people" Hahaha. All Holden jokes aside (They do a good job of that themselves) those wagons look alright.

[tranquilized]

Originally Posted by arronm

I agree, but depends how much you want to spend. May as well get SSV-R

Or the Calais, just for the heated seats

Originally Posted by vztrt

The pram will pretty much show how rubbish cargo space is in a car. These mid and small suvs are ordinary when you need space....same goes for the commodore hatch.

Commodore wagon, or hatch if you prefer, is definitely not the last word in space efficiency, but they're good enough. Pram fits length ways on one side leaving plenty of space for whatever else beside it.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by tranquilized

Commodore wagon, or hatch if you prefer, is definitely not the last word in space efficiency, but they're good enough. Pram fits length ways on one side leaving plenty of space for whatever else beside it.

The old FG was good enough as well. The terri for a family car does the job extreemly well. Just wish it came with a clutch pedal.

[sgt_doofey]

As I tried to convince my wife when we got a new family car a couple of years ago, a dual cab ute is the most versatile car you can ever get.
Massive boot for storing all the baby crap women decide to drag around with them everywhere, 5 seats to fit the whole family, and 3.5t towing when you want to go out and play! Unfortunately, we ended up with a Mazda CX-9. Plenty of room and does all that we need, but I just don't like it. It lacks soul. When the lease is up on that, I plan on convincing the minister of war and finance that we should get the Ford Everest as a replacement.

The big deal breaker with cars is rearward facing baby seats. Those things take up a massive amount of space, so you need a large car which has plenty of leg room in the rear to fit that sucker in. We bought our Pegueot 307 wagon back in '06 thinking it would be a great family car. It's a wagon, how can we go wrong?
Fast forward to 2012 when our first son was born, the wife ended up sitting in the back seat for the first 6 months of his life as we had to push the passenger seat all the way forward to fit that damn rear facing baby seat in!
Once a kid is old enough to be forward facing, then any old car will do.

If you're looking for a car, don't be afraid to take the pram and baby seat(s) with you. Make sure they fit before you buy the car!

[Crazy Dazz]

I just look back and laugh now...

Yes, a baby does need to change your life in many ways, but cars isn't one of them.

Have a look at baby capsules and the good baby seats. Now find a car they will fit into. That's it really, plenty of choice.
You don't need a Van or an SUV for one baby.

Really the basic requirement is adequate room between the back and front seats. So sure, a 2-seater roadster is out, but there's still plenty of choice.

[bernbo]

The skoda superb wagon is also a great buy. Supposedly huge amount of room, more than an suv, every gadget you can think of, engine out of golf r and all wheel drive. Good for 0-100 in 5.8s at a list price of 53 grand. Does have a dsg though.

[sr71]

Originally Posted by sr71

My suggestion is to go for 5 Star NCAP ( EuroNCAP,NHTSA,etc) Crash Safety Rating.
Precious Cargo!

Originally Posted by XB GS 351 Coupe

I think people are too precious these days, seriously, I survived just fine without 5 star NCAP, my kids survived just fine without and we are still doing great without it.

With all due respect to the OP's requirements, I'm going to call you out, on this one. You can make those decisions for your family, and continue to be Great. But it doesn't seem to be the best advice you've given.
Safe was mentioned. And it's as affordable as an FG Falcon.

[falconhell74]

Toyota aurion ZR6 heaps of room leather interior plenty of power 200kw 3.5l v6 , power everything , handles like its on rails but not a bumpy ride , the best braking I've yet to come across , its a very safe vehicle , with reverse camera as factory, sat nav factory , flappy paddle gear box 6 speed, great on fuel , im getting 9.2lL per 100km around town and when I drove from QLD to WA I was getting 8.8 fully loaded and I wasn't taking it easy either 70 L tank at about $85 to fill , I have one and I love it ! I bought it over a G6E and very glad I did.

[.:4:.]

From personal experience I found a wagon (in my case the wife had to go out and by a suv,but anyways) was great, because you you can put the shopping on top of the pram. Once my son was out of a stroller we off'd the cx9 as it was rediculous on fuel and bought a second sedan as the boot wasn't already the best part of full because the pram that used to be a necessity wasn't required. Its always a case of different horses for different courses, but we needed the big car at the time because it wasn't a case of throw it in the work van when we did the shopping. Now if we buy anything big I can do that, and everything else fits in the boot because there isn't a stroller in there. My 2c

[LyleXR8]

What about a blue BF turbo ute, disconnect the passenger airbag and baby seat up front with you, pram in the back!! I kept my XR8 ute when my boy was born cos we only needed one family car, the wife carted him around most of the time, any family stuff we took the one car anyway, now he's 3 ive got a car seat in the ute and he loves riding in the ute with me more than the ranger, can see all the goings on and outs the window up and down 100 times a day

[raised by monkeys]

200 killawasps wont cut it
Sell my BF Tornado for a BF turbo ute?

I don't like SUVs but considered a forester. Although as I say if we go away and need all the space we have the dual cab SR5. Leaning towards g6et or ST

[sgt_doofey]

Just noticed that noone has pick up on the leather. Leather is a must for when they are toddlers. Can just wipe it clean.
Being winter, our back seat and the backs of the front seats are smeared with mud. A wet cloth will clean them up nicely.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

[STEALTHY]

Originally Posted by sgt_doofey

Just noticed that noone has pick up on the leather. Leather is a must for when they are toddlers. Can just wipe it clean.
Being winter, our back seat and the backs of the front seats are smeared with mud. A wet cloth will clean them up nicely.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

Noooo, no-one at all

Originally Posted by STEALTHY

F6X. Leather, comfort, looks, and smokes Territory Ghia turbo's ;)

[sgt_doofey]

Yeah, but you haven't mentioned the benefits of leather over cloth seats 😉

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[arronm]

Its pretty obvious. S_hit and spew...

The white wont hide it to well though..

[STEALTHY]

Originally Posted by sgt_doofey

Yeah, but you haven't mentioned the benefits of leather over cloth seats 😉

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

Thats because they're obvious in this regard (do people with kids ever consider not buying a car with leather?)

Originally Posted by arronm

Its pretty obvious. S_hit and spew...

The white wont hide it to well though..

image

You've made it clear you hate the F6X, good for you, the interior is just one part of the package that is the reason i bought the car

[arronm]

Sorry dude, didn't realise you owned one. Great car, I dont hate them, just dont like the interior and the dodgy front end suspension.

That said turbo territory is a great car. Wish I had bought one years ago.

[falconhell74]

I mentioned the aurion ZR6 has leather too

[xisled]

Originally Posted by STEALTHY

Thats because they're obvious in this regard (do people with kids ever consider not buying a car with leather?)


You've made it clear you hate the F6X, good for you, the interior is just one part of the package that is the reason i bought the car

IMO leather is better to have as it is easier to clean. My old VX Berlina had leather and had a young child, not an issue.

Currently got a VE wagon with cloth and there is more stains and it is harder to clean.

[raised by monkeys]

Originally Posted by raised by monkeys

I want a car with some street credibility but reliable, safe and baby appropriate. My partner has a 2011 SR5 so I guess if we go away and need the space we have that. Guessing leather is a good option because it's easier to keep clean?

Keen to hear opinions from members using baby seats.

Yup, was already on to leather ha.

[STEALTHY]

Originally Posted by raised by monkeys

Yup, was already on to leather ha.

I missed the street cred part in your earlier post. Obviously the F6X is the perfect choice. It the same engine as your Tornado, and wouldn't be that much slower generally (add half a mm of rain, and it'll eat RWD FPVs).

[raised by monkeys]

Originally Posted by STEALTHY

I missed the street cred part in your earlier post. Obviously the F6X is the perfect choice. It the same engine as your Tornado, and wouldn't be that much slower generally (add half a mm of rain, and it'll eat RWD FPVs).

That was my original choice. A few and far between finding though.

[STEALTHY]

Whats your budget? Low K versions are still worth above 25k. But if you're happy for one with more than 100k, you could get into one for around the 20 mark.

[raised by monkeys]

I want to keep it at around the same sale price as the ute, hence why considering G6Et and ST's

[bernbo]

Will be putting a second baby seat in the g6et later this year as the backup car to the wife's territory. It's such a terrible car, I have to drive it everyday to make sure he he. So my vote after a territory is the g6et.

[Mowdit]

Ranger is good (Wildtrak)

The leather seats, just get a suitable set of seat covers for the first few years

I will put it out there

BUY a Mk 3 RS

You get a quick car, 5 star ancap, street cred too
(yes, the financial difference, you will save a fortune if you cant afford to have another child )



(our XR5s have bought up 3 kids. They learnt to walk earlier as I wouldn't take the pram everywhere, even though there was room, we have always been FIRM about keeping the car clean and respecting it, and it is still very close to new ! -helps to keep a spew bag handy when going on the odd spirited drive)

[Crazy Dazz]

Look, I know when you first have kids there's this compunction to completely re-invent your lives. Been there, done that.
Lass I worked with, had her first baby, went out and bought a 8 seater van (and they stopped at 2 kids.)

Reality is that you can use just about anything as a family car.

At one point our carport contained a Nissan Pulsar Sedan, and a Mazda 121 3-door Hatch. BOTH did duties as the family car. We'd actually used the Mazda for Holidays because we could cram more stuff in it.
We "upgraded" to a Nimbus, because we needed the extra seat. It was a rubbish car, but it did the job.

At one point, After my AU was off the road and before we got the Territory, my XR4 did service as the "family car." Not a lot of legroom in the back, but it has side-curtain aribags.

Ok, so I now understand that you drive a Ute. Not ideal, but what does your missus drive?
Once our family got beyond a certain size, we gave up on the idea of TWO "family cars." I stuck to Falcon sedans, whilst my wife had a series of buses. An EF wagon with a dicky seat, a Star wagon when we needed more legroom, then a Honda Odyssey.
Point is you don't BOTH need to have "family cars" (whatever that means for you.)

Reality is that your "average family car" today is something like an i30.
Buy whatever you want, stick baby seat in, done. If your pram don't fit, buy a NORMAL pram. You do NOT need 13 inch wheels and coil-springs suspension on a pram.

As for kids dirtying the seats, pfft, we put an old blanket over the back seat so the kids could stomp all-over it. Pull it out and wash it every so often. Darn sight better than letting them ruin your leather.

[Romulus]

Hers - SZ MkII RWD Titanium
His - Landcruiser 200 series GX diesel with barn doors and vinyl floors.
- G6ET.

The 200 series craps all over the Titanium for room - it's got acres of real estate. Goes heaps better too.

The 16 month old boy loves both - mum's car has the DVD player, dad's car is bee kaka (big car)

The G6ET is useless - can barely fit the damn pram in the boot, let alone any shopping or other stuff.

[snopony]

so much choice... I was one of the kids with a burnt bum from back vinyl and branded with the lapsash buckle in summer.
I cant remember a booster seat at all....

[graham_h]

I'll just leave this here