Opinions please, buy a 3 or a 5 door car?...

Fritha_2

We had the same desicion to make a while ago, we needed a new car and figured we'd probably have children at some point in the not too distant future so got a five door. I'm so glad we did as I practically have to dislocate bits of me anyway to get the car seat in easily! (But I think that's partly the bump hampering me tbh!)

You do get used to the different looks as well pretty quickly, well that's what I found!

Gingham_Ribbon

5 door. What things look like is likely to become much less of a concern to you when you've got spit up on your shoulder and the baby's just got poo all up its back. LOL

Most cars have child locks on the back doors and all it takes is a quick turn of a key once and the doors won't open from the inside until you change it back again. And I can't imagine how difficult it would be to lug a child in and out of a car through the front door.

onlyroz

5 door with child locks (absolutely essential, as I found when my boy succeeded in opening the door whilst going 70mph down the M3). Also consider how much boot space you're going to need for the buggy. We had a Corsa when my boy was born, and we soon changed it for a Picasso because the buggy virtually filled the whole boot of the Corsa. Will a Golf be big enough?

BillScarab

Go the whole hog and get an Octavia isntead of a Golf, it's the same chassis, engines and gearboxes anyway and it's much roomier than a Golf. Importantly the boot is vast and once you have children that becomes a very important factor. You won't believe how much crap you will have to cart about. They also do better int eh customer satisfaction surveys.

e.g. http://www.whatcar.com/NonCar/7588125111.jpg

skylight

Go for the 5 door. Once you have more than 2 kids you'll be changing the car again anyway!!

Poppy9

Another vote for a 5 door if planning a family, although I now drive a 3 door.

You will crease yourself trying to strap a child into a rear car seat (can't go in the front unless you disable air bag) via the front door.

I've had a 3 door Fiesta now for a year as DD is 13. I love the fact I can get into the drivers side easier as I have a dodgy hip. I never climb in the back, but DD and her friends do and it's no problem but when I have a car full I borrow OH bigger 5 door car!

Also if planning a family, check out boot space. You will need room for pushchair and you don't want too high a boot to lift into etc.

Most important of all though is NCAP rating. I think I watched an old Top Gear that showed the impact a same speed crash had on various rating cars; scary!

pamelab21

skylight wrote: »

Go for the 5 door. Once you have more than 2 kids you'll be changing the car again anyway!!

Good god, we were hoping to only have two, I wasn't planning on three!!

pamelab21

BillScarab wrote: »

Go the whole hog and get an Octavia isntead of a Golf, it's the same chassis, engines and gearboxes anyway and it's much roomier than a Golf. Importantly the boot is vast and once you have children that becomes a very important factor. You won't believe how much crap you will have to cart about. They also do better int eh customer satisfaction surveys.

e.g. http://www.whatcar.com/NonCar/7588125111.jpg

thanks but I think I want to stick to the Golf....no offence to Skoda owners and I know they are all part of the same group but I like the Golf shape etc and other half has had quite a few Vw's now and swears by them..

starbump

Another vote for 5-door cars. For me, it is the car seat issue - as mentioned above by various other people.

I also agree that you should check the size of the boot - prams/travel systems can be a real space hog; strollers are much smaller.

Gingham_Ribbon

pamelab21 wrote: »

thanks but I think I want to stick to the Golf....no offence to Skoda owners and I know they are all part of the same group but I like the Golf shape etc and other half has had quite a few Vw's now and swears by them..

I have a skoda and 2 children. I appreciate that how it looks is important to you now, and maybe it still will if you have children. But the VW and the skoda are as similar as Bill says with the advantage of the octavia being much roomier, which is going to be a massive benefit later. But I have the smaller fabia and find it plenty for us though so if you're not one for fancy prams etc a small car should be fine. I have a quinny zapp that folds up small enough to put at my son's feet when the boot is otherwise full (ie when going on holiday.)