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With the recent new arrival and the inevitable 2nd within a few years i need a bigger car. The main issue i have at the moment is boot space. I need something that will comfortably fit quite a bulky buggy plus maybe shopping luggage etc.

What do you family types on there drive?

I have my eye on a few cars but there might be something i have missed. I really like the 1 Series but have a feeling the boot will be on the small side, i also like the 3 series but again being a saloon boot space will be limited. Anyone got a 3 series?

Plan ahead for numbers 3 and 4 and get a people carrier. Think hard, read all the reviews and then buy a Toyota.

Haha, just the 2 hopefully) I've already been looking at estates Audi RS4 would be nice :-)

Mitsubishi ASX4, and we love it. Plenty of space in the car with the kids and nice boot space too.

My skoda has a huge boot and I have two kids and a wife. When I'm dragged out shopping a big boot is needed!

If you are looking at beemers I'm guessing you have quite a good budget

If you're looking at BMW's do what Sippo did and buy a Skoda and save the rest of the money. Your car will get keyed less often too.

Depends how i decide fund it, but top end is about 18k/20k also depends if i PX/Sell the Golf and use as a deposit.
Want something no more that 2 or 3 years old.

You're more than welcome to look at mine at some point. Yes it's older, but will give you an idea on space.

This is a steal at £8k.

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/316202-octavia-vrs-le-petrol-for-sale/

Haha, Yeah, ive got no chance talking gthe wife round to get a skoda.
Plus its in Scotland.

If you've got that kind of budget, I'd be looking at brand new Kia's.

7 year warranty is not to be sniffed at.

Badge snob

Would agree but are quite plasticy inside. Isn't it 7 years or 100k miles?

what about a Volvo?

yes she is. :-)

Buy a BMW badge to stick on when she's looking.

I drive a peugoet 3008 which has plenty of room on the inside & it has a nice sized split boot & i can fit a quite large wheelchair in the bottom then it has a shelf for the shopping. I used to have a few years ago a Fiat Multipla which was huge on the inside & has loads of boot room, it is a bit wider than normal cars but that is because it has 2 rows of 3 seats. They are old but something like a doblo will give you plenty of boot room as it is like a van.

Take her out in one and she will be impressed.

I'm sure she would but it's purely the badge.

Get two cars. I've had a civic type r a focus st and now have a lowered Leon 2.0 turbo petrol,  because it's more economical  ;)

And that's exactly why you keep coming on this site for advice.... ;)

I've a 320 TD Estate - oldish but the best buy I've ever made re motors.

Surprisingly good economy - 35 around town and 50 on motorways if not booting it.

I'm sorted  :). Get a fun car and a sensible one.

funny you should say that a dan ST and a Leon Cupra R are on the list, :-)

The other is a tdci. £30 a year tax, as quick as my car on the day to day (thanks to our crap roads and sizeable traffic). You don't need an estate or people carrier.

I've got the new sportage, Plenty of room all round. My wife has a 1 series, I've found her car a nightmare whenever I've had to sit in the back due to lack of space although it has a surprisingly good sized boot. Definitely wouldn't recommended it as a family car though.

I've had BMWs for years.  Got rid of my X5 to get something more sensible for travelling to the match each week. Currently run a 318 touring, loads of boot space, £30 tax & I get 52 mpg although the book says 72?  Definitely recommend it!

I've got a CRV and would definitely look at a Sportage as a replacement

I'm really impressed with my Sportage, normally find a few niggles with cars I've had but can't with this one. Taken four adults in it to away games a couple of times and the 3 in the back do say how much room they seem to have. Think it has 10 air bags + extra safety features which are handy. I'm not really a car person but it has a few gadgets and everything I need.

I've been looking at leasing a Sportage. Prices seem quite reasonable.

I would not get a 1 series with a kid under any circumstances, I had one before the little lass arrived and we could not have got into the boot of that what we get in our Polo or tried to get her child seat in (we only use the car about once a fortnight so little point having a big motor - for isntance I took it out for a spin yesterday as it hadn't been started for nearly three weeks!)

However am considering something a bit bigger as sick of playing Tetris when packing for holidays, looking at another Scenic (cue torrent of abuse!)

Mercedes SLK and New Nissan QashQai

Get one of these:

(http://metho.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/untitled-11.jpg)

Nah, its cheaper to just fork out for a babysitter.

Might be messaging you ref this car....on my company car p11d value I can the fully loaded one....all this and it's a real 4x4.
Need a bigger car as the leon FR despite being a pocket rocket...fucks my back.

Have you thought about trading her in it might be cheaper :)

Our trigger for getting a first estate car was the arrival of Ardiles Jnr Mk II 4½ years ago.  Obviously not the kids themselves that take up all the space, but all of the paraphernalia that you need to cart around with them.  And we needed plenty of it for the long distance trips to the in laws in Argyll that we make several times a year.  Boot space, comfort and fuel economy were top of the list.

I made a spreadsheet back then, which the family still rib me about, to make the comparison.  And the spreadsheet told me to buy a VW Passat Estate, which I did.  We still have it, and it's still great.  Massive boot, and very comfortable to drive.  I'd get another one without question when the time comes.

Get a Ford Ranger like mine it has a massive boot and every one gets out of your way!

Or a transit

X3 or 5 series estate if you like your beemers. 1 series nowhere near practical enough to be a family car.

Mildew has one...cruises round Calne looking for salutes.

Haha, genuis. If I did the same (and I would), I'd get serious earache too.

Wasn't impressed with the Sportage when I looked at one recently - lets just say it didn't feel right to me. I've no idea what to get at the moment, just going to hold out until the new year. Mazda CX5 and Honda CRV are definite contenders.

So we popped into Allen ford at the weekend to have a look. Ended up buying a brand new focus st...... It's got 5 doors, so a practical family car, right?

5 doors is about as practical as it gets.

I wouldn't even start to contemplate the fuel bills, the tax, the insurance, the cost, the depreciation...

New job, new car. It was a present to myself. (And the wife)
Currently I work in Newbury meaning 300 miles a week just commuting. That works out at around 2300 quid on diesel a year. New jobs in swindon so I'll be lucky if I do 300 miles a month (after the first month or so) 
Tax, yes it's not the cheapest but being a ford Ecoboost engine I though 200 a years not bad compared to the 265 a year or my 12 year old golf.
Cheapest insurance quote so far is 215quid, can't complain about that.
It's on a PCP deal and yes it's not the cheapest monthly payments its affordable for me, and I'll just trade it in for a new one in a couple years.

I think that's justified enough. :-)

My FR is a five door....mrs flash likes the poke it has but moans it makes her sick when I drive...kids dislike it too...

I shat myself when the missus test drove the st.

Haha, fair enough, I wasn't fishing for or expecting a bite or justification :)

I'm sorely tempted to lease a new motor, but the sensible side of me just won't justify it.

Yours should be better on fuel than mine was, 2.0 four pot to my 2.5 five pot. What's tax like? Mine was £270. Fuel was 22.5 mpg

What's the boot like? I thought focus's had quite smallish boots?

It's not huge but big enough for a buggy and shopping which is more than I can say about my ds3

Yes your car is quick but it is your driving that makes her sick, there are rally drivers that drive safer than you. The fact we done Swindon to Doncaster last season in 1hour 45 minutes says all there is to know about your driving.

 :eek:

But is it big enough when baby no 2 comes along?

Yea, room for that one in the boot too.