Is a 2 door car practical for new baby?

"David" wrote in message
om...
My wife and I are expecting our first child next summer which will
mean changing our two seater car for something a bit more practical.

I was thinking along the lines of needing a 4 door family saloon since
it would be easier to lift the baby in and out than a three door car,
but then it got me thinking...

...with a 4 door car you open the back doors and access the baby +
baby seat from the side.

...where as with a 2 door you access from the front.

So my question is - which is more practical for new baby, 2 door or 4
door - are there any other 'must haves' when looking for a new car, ie
It obviously must have a reasonable sized boot, but since this is our
first child we dont really have much idea of exactly what we will need
to take with us!

I would appreciate it if you could let me know what kind of cars you
mums & dads are driving and if you think there are any baby specific
pluses or minuses about them!

Thanks

David Bevan


When DD was born, we had two two-door cars. We pretty quickly got rid of
one car for a four door wagon. But we have several friends who kept and
used their two-door cars. It really depends on two factors (at least for
us).
1) the rear-facing carseat can fit in the rear seat without sacrificing the
front passenger seat;
2) you can put the baby into the rear-facing carseat without wrenching your
back. This was feasible when we used the baby-carrier with the carseat base
but when we got a convertible carseat, we found it near impossible to put
the baby into the carseat;

Of course, I would recommend a four-door car, a little wagon. The baby
just demanded a LOT of stuff - stroller, diaper bag, change of clothes in
the car (just in case). For the parents' peace of mind, you may want to get
a mirror, so you can see the rear-facing baby while you're driving.

Jeanne

David wrote:


So my question is - which is more practical for new baby, 2 door or 4
door - are there any other 'must haves' when looking for a new car, ie
It obviously must have a reasonable sized boot, but since this is our
first child we dont really have much idea of exactly what we will need
to take with us!

Yes, a 4 door car is quite a bit more practical, but there
are certainly millions of folks out there with 2 door cars and babies
who somehow manage ;-) As for the boot (or trunk, as those of us on
the other side of the pond would have it), the main thing is to know
that whatever stroller you want will fit in it. If you have chosen
a small or medium sized stroller, it probably doesn't matter as those
will fit in just about any car. If you want a big stroller, then
you may want to bring the stroller with you while you're car shopping.
Other than that, anything you need to bring with you on a regular
basis shouldn't be taking up *that* much space.
Another thing to consider, though, is how you will fit in
a carseat. Ideally, you'd have the carseat in the center rear
seat (for safety reasons). Rear-facing carseats take up a *lot*
of room. A rear-facing carseat in the center rear seat can prevent
both front seats from moving back far enough, which can be inconvenient
for the front passenger and a real problem for the driver. You can
solve the problem by getting a smaller carseat (though in my experience,
they all take a lot of room rear-facing), getting a car with more
rear-seat legroom, or putting the carseat behind the passenger seat
(sacrificing a little safety and inconveniencing the passenger,
but leaving the driver free to be appropriately positioned behind
the wheel).

Best wishes,
Ericka

I missed the OP but we had a small 4 door Cavalier when DD was born. We
switched to a 2 door Geo but not until after she was a year old. I can't
imagine getting the infant bucket seat out of a two door. You would be amazed
what you can fit in a Geo though. I packed for a week long trip when DD was
three. It was tight though. I have also fit a kitchen table and four chair in
the back with the seat folded down. We are still driving the Geo but we also
have a small minivan now. It was much nicer for that same trip this summer.
Rose
Mamma to Caity Feb 13 1999 ( Daddy's best birthday present)

I agree... 4 door car for baby. We had a trans am..there was no way that
my hubby's car was going to do for baby. We actually ended up getting a
van.. it's 10 yrs old, we've owned it for 7 of those yrs. ..best vehicle we
have had. Now that the kids are older it's great to.. that extra seat in
the back comes in handy when they start to fight.
Karen

"David" wrote in message
om...
My wife and I are expecting our first child next summer which will
mean changing our two seater car for something a bit more practical.

I was thinking along the lines of needing a 4 door family saloon since
it would be easier to lift the baby in and out than a three door car,
but then it got me thinking...

...with a 4 door car you open the back doors and access the baby +
baby seat from the side.

...where as with a 2 door you access from the front.

So my question is - which is more practical for new baby, 2 door or 4
door - are there any other 'must haves' when looking for a new car, ie
It obviously must have a reasonable sized boot, but since this is our
first child we dont really have much idea of exactly what we will need
to take with us!

I would appreciate it if you could let me know what kind of cars you
mums & dads are driving and if you think there are any baby specific
pluses or minuses about them!

Thanks

David Bevan

http://www.davidbevan.co.uk

David wrote:

My wife and I are expecting our first child next summer which will
mean changing our two seater car for something a bit more practical.

I was thinking along the lines of needing a 4 door family saloon since
it would be easier to lift the baby in and out than a three door car,
but then it got me thinking...

...with a 4 door car you open the back doors and access the baby +
baby seat from the side.

...where as with a 2 door you access from the front.

So my question is - which is more practical for new baby, 2 door or 4
door - are there any other 'must haves' when looking for a new car, ie
It obviously must have a reasonable sized boot, but since this is our
first child we dont really have much idea of exactly what we will need
to take with us!

I would appreciate it if you could let me know what kind of cars you
mums & dads are driving and if you think there are any baby specific
pluses or minuses about them!

Thanks

David Bevan

http://www.davidbevan.co.uk
All I can think of is how bad it would be for your back - especially as
the baby got heavier. I forget the equation, but even your head gets x
times heavier on your spinal column the further you have it away from
your body. You'd be reaching into the back seat for a 3+ kg baby from
pretty far away from your body, which is really really bad for your
back. But then, upgrading a car is expensive too - depends what you'd
rather spend your money on!

Jo (RM)

(David) wrote in message . com...

So my question is - which is more practical for new baby, 2 door or 4
door - are there any other 'must haves' when looking for a new car, ie
It obviously must have a reasonable sized boot, but since this is our
first child we dont really have much idea of exactly what we will need
to take with us

If you're buying a new car anyway, get a 4 door. We spent the first
few months with a two door and can say the 4 door is much nicer.

We also got an automatic transmission. I know automatics are less
common outside the US, but I saw it as partly a safety thing. A kid
in the car (or even more, kids plural) will be an added source of
distraction, so the fewer things demanding your attention the better.

Kate
and the Bug, 17 months

I have three children, and we've always had a small 2 door car as our
second vehicle. It WAS a big pain to use when I had to use it to take
the kids somewhere as opposed to the main family car (formerly a
station wagon and now a van). When our kids were still small enough to
go into the "capsule" or "bucket" kind of carseat, it was really
difficult to deadlift lift 20 lbs worth of "kid in a seat" back into
position in the back seat (i.e. you have to lean way over over, its
awkward, hard on the arms and the back). When kiddos were big enough
to sit in a regular carseat, that was equally difficult, and I banged
my head AND banged kiddo's head various times trying to lean in with
them in my arms and get them strapped in. It was also hard to manage
if kiddo was struggling and fighting me, as older babies and toddlers
often do.

If you do have a choice, I'd get a four door.

Mary G.

We also got an automatic transmission. I know automatics are less
common outside the US, but I saw it as partly a safety thing. A kid
in the car (or even more, kids plural) will be an added source of
distraction, so the fewer things demanding your attention the better.

depends if changing gears demands your attention, it's second nature to me

Akuvikate wrote in :

(David) wrote in message
. com...

So my question is - which is more practical for new baby, 2 door or 4
door - are there any other 'must haves' when looking for a new car, ie
It obviously must have a reasonable sized boot, but since this is our
first child we dont really have much idea of exactly what we will need
to take with us

If you're buying a new car anyway, get a 4 door. We spent the first
few months with a two door and can say the 4 door is much nicer.

We also got an automatic transmission. I know automatics are less
common outside the US, but I saw it as partly a safety thing. A kid
in the car (or even more, kids plural) will be an added source of
distraction, so the fewer things demanding your attention the better.

I'd agree with Anne that if you can change gears without thinking about
it, stick to a manual. If you've been used to driving a manual, and then
start using an automatic, you have to remember to *not* change gear, which
is itself a distraction. It is not a happy feeling to realise you've just
gone from 'drive' to 'neutral' as you pull away from a junction!

I've driven both automatics and manuals, and I think you can leave a child
in a manual car without worrying too much about the child accidently
starting the car: it needs hand and foot co-ordination to start the engine,
and also to get into the gear, and you won't go forward just by letting go
of the handbrake.

In an automatic, you can start the engine just by turning the key, you can
put it into drive just with one hand, and if the handbrake comes off, the
car goes frward.

You might be able to get away with a two-door for a little while, if the
adult passenger is happy to get in the back. OTOH, you have long enough
that you can time your car purchase to your best advantage.

--
Penny Gaines
UK mum to three

On Sun, 21 Nov 2004 14:36:51 +0000, Penny Gaines wrote:
In an automatic, you can start the engine just by turning the key, you can
put it into drive just with one hand, and if the handbrake comes off, the
car goes frward.


Eh? Not in a modern car. You can't put it into drive without
simultaneously depressing the brake.

You might be able to get away with a two-door for a little while, if the
adult passenger is happy to get in the back. OTOH, you have long enough
that you can time your car purchase to your best advantage.


I have a 3 door Integra, and find it absolutely no problem to get the kids
in and out of their seats, even when they were in the baby bucket. And
with current gas prices, I would MUCH rather have a 33+MPG 2 door than
a 4 door that gets worse mileage.