[washout04]

Hi guys

So we're getting pretty close to hitting send on the 125i after deciding the golf and A3 were too boring and the V40 and A class were lacking that x factor that I think the rear wheel drive 125i has.

Only question is we are planning to start having kids in the next year, so would need to fit a baby capsule and pram in the boot. I mean plenty of people have babies in a hatch and seem to get by fine (friends have a golf with a 6 month old which has a slightly smaller boot than the F20).

Anyone else out there with a baby and a 1-series?

[elstoof]

Depends how far you'll be going and how much stuff you plan to take. We've had 1st gen A3 for 10 years and a baby for the past 3 months. Fancied a new car anyway, but figured a newer car would probably be more reliable/safer but in all honesty the size of the A3 was big enough. City living, occasional long trips to France and the size is fine. We'll be getting a 125i next month and its much bigger in the boot and the back, more room for the Bugaboo Bee (we checked on the test ride) and my wife went in the back with the Maxi-Cosi and apparently had much more legroom than our A3. I think the new A3 Sportback we tested had a touch more space, not enough to matter though. No Quattro available for Sportback yet either

So yeah, I'm expecting it to be just fine for the next few years.

[washout04]

Originally Posted by elstoof

Depends how far you'll be going and how much stuff you plan to take. We've had 1st gen A3 for 10 years and a baby for the past 3 months. Fancied a new car anyway, but figured a newer car would probably be more reliable/safer but in all honesty the size of the A3 was big enough. City living, occasional long trips to France and the size is fine. We'll be getting a 125i next month and its much bigger in the boot and the back, more room for the Bugaboo Bee (we checked on the test ride) and my wife went in the back with the Maxi-Cosi and apparently had much more legroom than our A3. I think the new A3 Sportback we tested had a touch more space, not enough to matter though. No Quattro available for Sportback yet either

So yeah, I'm expecting it to be just fine for the next few years.

Brilliant, thanks for the feedback mate.

That's pretty much what I though. I mean it will be snug, but fine for one baby and two parents.

I'm excited now.

[tawia]

Only one problem here... Should be 'd instead of 'i

[elstoof]

Heh, not on my mileage pal

[AusF20/F48]

I am very impressed with my 125i MSport. (sport auto)
It is a fantastic 'jekyll and hyde'.
A family car with get up and go in 'Comfort' and a real driver's car in 'Sport' manual mode with paddles.
Recently had four adults in the car on a fairly long trip and no complaints about leg room from the back seat passengers.

[dreamweaver]

Had my 1 m sport for 4 months now, also 3 weeks ago came our new bundle of joy, we have had our pram/buggy in the boot with baby bags, shopping trips and can say all fits in ok, in fact she nods off as soon as we get going so a big thumbs up from baby on comfort factor.

[ticamihai2003]

there are also those luggage boxes than can be fitted on the roof and then you can not say you need more room even with 2 babies

[mowflow]

We have a 2 year old and a 6 month old.

Boot space is fine for our Concord neo pram along with shopping and a few other bits and pieces. i'd say rear seat space is a slight issue, I'd actually be happier if they had sacrificed an inch of boot space to make the rear seat space better.

Our 2 year old is in a non isofix Maxi Cosi priory seat and his feet hit the back of the passenger seat even when it's quite far forward. It doesn't bother him but it's annoying if you are the passenger. The seat back was getting badly scuffed so I bought a seat back cover for a few quid. Also worth pointing out that my 2 year old son isn't exactly big for his age.

Our 6 month old daughter is still in the rear facing seat that clips in and out of the pram base. She fits behind my seat but it's a case of just and only. I'm 6ft with long legs. I can move the seat forward a bit but in my regular position the back of my seat is touching the back of hers slightly.

The car is usable as a family car but I'd say it's probably still got less rear seat space than similar cars. If you and/or your wife are tall and need the seats back really far then it just won't work. It's better than the old shape 1er that we had when my son was born but it's nowhere near as spacious as the 2008 a3 sportback I had nor is it as spacious as my friends mk6 golf in the rear. Both had slightly smaller boots but more rear leg room which makes much more sense to me.

[logiclee]

Originally Posted by mowflow

The car is usable as a family car but I'd say it's probably still got less rear seat space than similar cars. If you and/or your wife are tall and need the seats back really far then it just won't work. It's better than the old shape 1er that we had when my son was born but it's nowhere near as spacious as the 2008 a3 sportback I had nor is it as spacious as my friends mk6 golf in the rear. Both had slightly smaller boots but more rear leg room which makes much more sense to me.

Yep, we have the same issue, the boot is big but rear legroom is still poor and the entry/exit to the rear seats is tight.
I have a Passat for my commute and we've turned to using that if we have bigger teenagers or adults to ferry around.
My wife's previous car was a Skoda Fabia supermini and that was easier for adults to get in and out of the back seats.

Cheers
Lee

[elstoof]

I'd imagine rear space for teenagers and adults was kept to a minimum to encourage you to spend the extra on a 3 Touring. The 1er is fine for our needs now with a 3 month old but our next car won't be a hatchback - of any brand.

[elstoof]

Also the 2008 A3 was mentioned, I'm not sure it's any better than an F20. My mother in law has a 2nd gen Sportback so I've spent a fair amount of time in the back seats and its not particularly spacious. It's a Quattro too, so boot space is reduced quite noticeably. When she picks us up from the eurostar we can get 2 smallish cases and the buggy in there, the rest goes on my lap in the back.

[mowflow]

Do you have your car yet elstoof? It's just that I test drove the car twice and even took the wife and kids plus all the baby and toddler gubbins along for a test fit and both my wife and I felt the car was pretty big. Probably on a par with my e90.

It's only now that we have lived with it for a while that it seems a bit smaller or maybe even just awkwardly shaped in the rear without a shadow of a doubt it is smaller than my sportback. Don't get me wrong, I'm not unhappy with the car and I doubt had I realised earlier it would have stopped me from getting one. But then we are fortunate in that we also have a relatively large 4x4 as well.

[elstoof]

Don't have it yet but did the same as you, tested with all our kit. You've got me worried now its going to shrink before delivery though... Hope not. Perhaps it is just a bit awkward to get in an out of, but coming from my 1st gen A3 it shouldn't be any worse.

[mowflow]

Nah, don't worry about it. Like I say, it's still fine and if i was to go back i'd still order it. It will be an improvement over an 8L A3 in every way.

[washout04]

Originally Posted by mowflow

We have a 2 year old and a 6 month old.

Boot space is fine for our Concord neo pram along with shopping and a few other bits and pieces. i'd say rear seat space is a slight issue, I'd actually be happier if they had sacrificed an inch of boot space to make the rear seat space better.

Our 2 year old is in a non isofix Maxi Cosi priory seat and his feet hit the back of the passenger seat even when it's quite far forward. It doesn't bother him but it's annoying if you are the passenger. The seat back was getting badly scuffed so I bought a seat back cover for a few quid. Also worth pointing out that my 2 year old son isn't exactly big for his age.

Our 6 month old daughter is still in the rear facing seat that clips in and out of the pram base. She fits behind my seat but it's a case of just and only. I'm 6ft with long legs. I can move the seat forward a bit but in my regular position the back of my seat is touching the back of hers slightly.

The car is usable as a family car but I'd say it's probably still got less rear seat space than similar cars. If you and/or your wife are tall and need the seats back really far then it just won't work. It's better than the old shape 1er that we had when my son was born but it's nowhere near as spacious as the 2008 a3 sportback I had nor is it as spacious as my friends mk6 golf in the rear. Both had slightly smaller boots but more rear leg room which makes much more sense to me.

Hmmm. Well I am 6"3' but my wife is quite short so I guess the seat could go behind her but still this is a worry. I guess the only way to know is to test it out with a friends baby capsule. Otherwise I guess we stretch for an entry level 3 series wagon (320i) or look at the new A3/A class/V40. I'd rather stick with the BMWs though. Not a huge fan of the audi group styling and the new A class looks nice, but not much bigger than the 1 series.

Hmmmm

[elstoof]

Put the baby seat in the centre? It's apparently the safest place anyway.

[washout04]

Originally Posted by elstoof

Put the baby seat in the centre? It's apparently the safest place anyway.

Not a bad tip actually.

My wife is pretty tiny, so I don't think this will be an issue for one Kid. The 1er still is in the lead for our new car. Just have to test drive the new A3 which STILL isn't out in Australia.

[F20MAW73]

We have the 1 who is 4 years old now so not so much stuff to carry about. I had a mk6 gti previously which definetly had more room in the back. But we don't find it a problem. My car only really gets used weekends as my wife does most of the ferrying about in her newish corsa which is great.

[Racing Teatray]

I realise I speak as someone who is not a parent (as yet) but I think people over-exaggerate the size of car they need once a baby arrives. My GF's sister had a baby last year and she and her husband still gad about in a 3dr "shake that ass" Megane without apparently finding it overly awkward. They do have a roof-box but that's as far as it goes. And we have some good friends here in London who refused to be parted from their sole car, a 650i convertible, when their daughter arrived. She's now 20 months old and so far they seem to have been coping fine. They have recently started to talk about chopping it in for an X6 but don't seem to be in any hurry so the need is evidently not that pressing.

[pauloT]

Having the spent the last 3 years with an Alfa Romeo GT Coupe, I am looking forward to the extra room in our new F20 when she arrives soon!

for me, its not about the rear leg room as such, as without pointing the obvious, your new addition will have small enough legs for the back of any car! Even in a car seat.

I think the real issue is whether it has rear doors. Believe me when I say our 4y/o never moaned about the rear room in the GT and it was never apparent to us there was an issue BUT getting him in the back was the real issue. If you have 5 doors then I don't think you need to even worry. Putting your child seat and toddler in the rear is the problem and if you have the rear doors, then you will be fine.

As far as boot space, as long as you can get a pram in the boot, then the additional luggage e.g. bags, milk, nappies etc can fit in the boot or rear or front seats.

All hatchback will give you the same problems so if your not sure about a 1 series then for me an A Class, A3 will just be the same. If your still unsure, then you need to ask is it a saloon/estate I need or hatchback?

Paul

[washout04]

Originally Posted by dreamweaver

Had my 1 m sport for 4 months now, also 3 weeks ago came our new bundle of joy, we have had our pram/buggy in the boot with baby bags, shopping trips and can say all fits in ok, in fact she nods off as soon as we get going so a big thumbs up from baby on comfort factor.

Hi dreamweaver.

Just a quick question. What type of baby capsule do you have. Just want to make sure I can get one that fits in Aus. Thanks