Adam M

Am considering a peugeot 207 GT, but am in the throws of the 3 or 5 door debate.

I have read that contrary to popular belief, displacing the seat in front and standing in front of the baby makes it easier to use a baby seat than having to lean across the baby when using a five door. Supposedly easier on the back too.

3 door is cheaper aned better looking.

The baby hasn't been born yet, but due to me trading in a convertible, I want to be doing it now rather than in september when it has been born and the part ex price of the car drops £500.

Can anyone help me out from experience?

john banks

Do babies p-ex for less once they are born?

I forsee people carriers, bodily fluids and screaming noises galore

Adam M

dr. john, don't be facetious!

P20SPD

iTrader: (1)

Always found it easier with the 4/5door.

I still find it irritating putting the kids in my MG 3 dr, and they are 5 and 4, and do most of it themselves.

Jamo

iTrader: (23)

we have a 3 door cab and a impreza wagon, the wagon is a lot easier to be able to get at baby and put her in, If I had a choice it would always be the wagon, but the cab is ok, just a bit more of a pain. pm me if you want more detail.

james

Diablo

Notwithstanding that I feed my dogs on small children, and have no empathy with the whole child thing , suspect you will find that seat height is more important than means of access as a high seat means no bending.

A sliding rear door will also afford better, safer access.

Doubt very much that having a child seat in the rear of a three door will be easier than a five door though Adam..

With that in mind, I'd get a diesel Berlingo/Partner/Kangoo. Good height, cheap to run, decent build, the aforementioned sliding doors and a huge boot to take all the paraphenalia that goes with kids.

Adam M

not a fan of kids diablo?

why does that not surprise me?

Adam B

I have to agree ... 4/5 drs much easier

Cheers

Adam

Darren 01

When I sold the STI (quicker than I thought I would) we only had the Mini Cooper S.

Total pain in the Ar$e! Luckly it was only for a couple of weeks.

She now has a Seat Altea TDI and it is a joy to use.

Diablo

LOL

Just saying it like it is.

All our friends have kids, and they're great. Just not for us

Just trying to be helpful Adam Take the advice on board, or (most likely leave it), its up to you.

NotoriousREV

We got rid of our 3dr Clio within weeks, it was a pain in the **** (well, technically the back) to put the baby in and out of his seat. We now have a Forester as the family chariot and it's perfect: wide opening doors, perfect height for plonking baby into seat and loads of room for kit.

Sounds like saleman talk to suggest a 3 door is easier

Brendan Hughes

Assuming you can get to a 207, why not try it? To me, that sounds only possible if you're a dwarf or a contortionist. If I imagine standing behind the front seat of a car looking backwards, I'm sure I'd be bent double, unless you're going for a full moonroof as well (and you won't be opening that when it's raining!). IIRC you're not short and you're not svelte , so I really don't think it's for you. Unless you're leaving the job to your petite wife all the time?

Another thing - even if it's easier (I doubt) to strap the baby in the seat, you still have to get the baby (AND the seat, if you go for a travel system) in there - try holding a baby, of five months (as they do grow that big ) whilst climbing into the back of your 3-door. Not only do you risk damaging your back more than when strapping them into a 5-door, you also risk bashing baby's head against the roof or B-pillar each time.

I'd go for a 5 door

sti-04!!

When my little boy was born, i purchased a 535d tourer for all his gumph that we carried around. Get yourself a a 4/5dr or even better & go & purchase an Estate. Though i now have an E320 CDi 4 door & the boot is enough to carry 2 sets of golf clubs & his pram

Nigel H

Another vote for a 4/5 door

We had a Saxo VTS for the first 6 months of our son's life and it was OK, but as he got bigger it became more difficult. Firstly as he got heavy and secondly as he got more awkward to belt in with wriggling around.

So we got a Focus and life became much easier. Then we got the scoob and life became easier still , mainly 'cos of the boot!

ScoobyDoo555

had a 306 3dr, and it was a killer for the car seats

Got a Scooby instead

6yrs down the line and a 2nd child, now got the Audi S4 - happy compromise between performance (for me) and being kid/dog friendly (them!!)

Dan

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

Pain in the arris get the grandson in and out of wifey's three door. So he now spends all his time in the Wagon. ISOFIX is a real bonus too. Got one of those Jane' Sports seats from flea bay for £109 delivered.
The Scoob makes him laugh louder too.

gingerboy

Wife has had a 3dr Astra GSI, TSL333 Impreza STi and now a 3dr Alfa 147. In all honesty not a lot in it really, if the child seats are staying in the car 90% of the time it wouldn't bother me either way. However if you are constantly changing seats about a 4 door can be a pain threading the belts whereas I have found the 3door much easier as you can step into the car and thread the belt much easier with better access to the seat belt anchorage points.

If you do go for the 4 door make sure the rear apeture when the door is open is a good size, we were forever catching our 3 yr olds head when were getting her in and out of the scoob, whereas with both 3 doors this was less of an issue.

Also with a 3 door you tend to twist your body less as you can simply put one foot in the rear footwell, place child in seat, buckle belt and step back out - it really is not that difficult, plus the door aperture is huge.

Do I miss anything about a 4/5 door -yep, the additional 220 bhp the TSL333 had was a bonus as the alfa only has 120bhp (boo hoo).

By the way the afla and GSI both had / have memory type seats that returned to the seat position once the backrest is returned to its normal position so it's not like you put the child in then have to spend 30 seconds re-adjusting your seat.

So for me it wouldn't bother me either way, who is going to use the car the most?? You or the wife?? What suits you / the wife the best, try both 4 door and 3 door from both perspectives of fitting the seats through to placing a larger child in the car.

Good luck

Paul

pwhittle

I've always used 5 doors with the kid in, though it's getting difficult to lift her in now at 30lb.
Also consider safety though. having a door provides extra side impact protection. The 3 door focus did well in Euro ncap side impact tests, but they are carried out on the front doors. In the US they move it further back, and the 3 door failed miserably.
This alone IMO is a good reason for choosing 4/5 doors

Also, if you were injured in a crash in a 3 door, how would anyone get your kids out?

NotoriousREV

Don't forget, your wife will inexplicably insist on having more than one pram (no-one knows why) and she'll also insist on taking both prams everywhere. In fact, MrsREV is suggesting a 3rd "hybrid" pram to bridge the gap between the big pram and the buggy despite the fact that REVlet has started walking

zxr750Nick

5 Door all the time. Had 2, 3, 4 and 5 and 5 takes the prize.

The worst thing about a 3 door is that its really hard to clean up all the SPEW and food residue that the brat/s will leave behind.

Leather seats are practical and prefered as they wipe down easy.
Also put something like a towel between the car seat and the leather as they will chaff and burr the leather, but above all, you do not want baby formula milk in the seat squab for the life of the car. It REALLY REALLY hums. Trust me, I know


The only other bit of advice I can give is, PULL IT OUT quicker next time.....

Nick

andyr

I reckon the rear seat height is of equal concern than the 3/5 door issue : I've a WRX and wife drives an Audi A2 - both 4/5 door, the A2 has quite a high rear seat.
This past week we had a hire car new Punto 3dr : our daughter is 2 1/2yrs old and can now climb into her car seat and I think the Punto was actually easier : when the front passenger seat folds and then slides fwds it provides more room between it and the rear seat and allowed me to stand in the rear passenger seat-well to strap her in and this is deffo easier than either of our cars with their fixed front seats.
When the child is younger, say up to around 1 1/2 yrs old, I think it might be as easy with the 4/5 dr car but after than the child's greater mobility may make the 3dr car easier.
Best thing would be to take a child seat with you and try the cars out just to see what access is like and how easy lifting your child in and out will be.

Andy Tang

iTrader: (3)

Imagine constantly lifting and twisting with something that weights half a stone, and gets heavier all the time!

I'm very happy with both the Forester and the 5-door Golf with have for both access and space. We briefly used one of the seats in our old Ford Ka and it was a complete PITA.

Now number two is on the way, we will not consider anything that isn't a 5 door!!

Proby521

iTrader: (1)

My 206 got the push, and could not do without the 4-door + huge boot Bora Tdi what we got now. That boot is soooo big, you can loose the pushchair in there. The getting baby in/getting baby out is a breeze. Definately would not choose a 3 door, not until he can get himself in/out anyway!

Proby

Jamesemt

Hi guys, bit of a thread hijack!!

We're going through the same thing (see my hyundai thread below...). Wife is pregnant, and want to get the fabia swapped before she has it, as the boot is far too small.

What's the most baby friendly TDi around for under £16k? I was thinking about a 4x4, but not so sure I can live with the economy. Octavia estate?

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

Octavia or Passat estate.

I don't think this has been mentioned, but in cases (and there are a lot of them) where you are parked in a carpark without a parent space available the 3 door is virtually impossible if cars are next to each other. Once you have the knack of getting baby in and out of a 4/5 door you can get nipper in/out with the door half open. Try that with a 3 door!

Adam M

thanks for the tips guys.

Jamesemt, which fabia are you getting rid of?

chiark

I really can't believe someone tried telling you that a 3 door is more practical for baby seats...

Just goes to show that you'll believe anything, really

mattstant

Yep that's why 3 years down the line line i have Sciatica down my left leg and strained ligaments behind the right knee

and as far as three doors for baby seat

Rob16v

5 door. Trust me.


Rob