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Owners of RS Clio's who have kids..



  BG DCI
Fiancé is pregnant and we've had a chat today about weather a 172 is going to be big enough for having a car seat, baby stuff inside..

Who else manages with kids and still has their RS!?

She has a 1 series but said she doesn't want to drive 'all' the time!!

Thanks

Liam.
 
  M140i
I have a 7 year old, had various 182's with no issues, trophy was a pain in the ar5e due to the hardback seats but in my current 182, my littleun likes it :)
 

Short Norman

ClioSport Club Member
  997 C4S
We managed with a 205 Gti then a 172 along side a fiat 500 for about two years with two kids, although our kids were 10 and 13 then.

The amount of parafinalia you have with new borns/ toddlers is immense if had had my time again I'd have bought an estate when we had our first (sorry I know you didn't want to hear that). Having said that you always manage with what you have.
 

The Chubby Pirate

ClioSport Club Member
  Golf R
I have a 4 day old girl lol, she hasn't been in the 172 yet, infact she won't be in it until she's 1yr/18 months, saying that we have a peugeot 208 aswell thats 5 door with a big boot, ideal family bus!

Getting rid of your car because your missus doesn't want to drive all the time is lunacy. Can you not drive her car?
 

DomP182

ClioSport Club Member
  ph1 172, Arctic182
I've got 4, the best bit is we can't all fit in so they don't mess it up as they rarely go in it. Get a Grand Scenic quite brilliant with kids
 
If I've still got the Trophy when I have a little one then I don't think it'll be going in there anyway - the suspension almost breaks my back so can't imagine it'll be any good for mini-me :dapprove:
 
  E46 M3 & UR Quattro
I have a 3 year old daughter and manage fine. She loves it in the back in her Recaro seat.. She just jumps in and I buckle her up, job done. It was a little more of a pain when they are young and can't walk and you have to lean in and out them in the seat but its the same for every 3 door hatchback.
 
  MINI-R32-integrale
Firstly congrats to you both.

When we had our first child my partner used my Clio as you could switch off the passenger airbag and have our child in the front, something you couldn't do with her EP3 Type-R. The normal Clio RS passenger seat has Isofix one of very few cars I've ever known to have it in the front, although my Trophy had Recaro's it was still very easy to secure the rear facing Recaro Young Profi Plus carry seat which then attached directly to our admittedly slightly bulky Recaro Akuna Trio travel system buggy that just fits inside the Clio boot.

Once our daughter moved to her forward facing car seat which is anywhere between 9-12 months old depending on size, weight etc my partner then went back to her Civic as she found it easier to put passenger seat full forward step into the car and place our daughter in the seat from the front. Although a 4 door car can be more practicable she found that to get our daughter into her car seat she was twisting her back as putting any child in a child seat in a 4 door car you're doing so from the side not the front as she does in the Civic.

It's only now that our daughter is nearing 2 and able to do lots herself like being able to climb in to the car herself, and weighing about 12kgs we're considering selling the Civic for a 4 door car.
 
  RS Clio 182
I have 2 daughters and a third on the way (due in June) so I put my 182 up for sale yesterday as it will just be too much of a struggle! I am contemplating an estate or 4x4 just because of all the stuff you have to hump around when you have a new born! The mrs does have a 3dr c4 but its the whole 3dr thing that is a pain but otherwise the 182 has been fine with a 9 and 5 yr old
 

Clart

ClioSport Club Member
Ive got 2 kids (3&4) and they love going in the car but in reality they have only been in my cars a handful of times. We have a 7 seater touran as the main family car so the best of both worlds.

I wouldnt even consider using a 1*2 as a daily with kids.
 
  172, Focus
A friend of mine gets on ok using a Ford Puma with 2 kids ever since they were born, similar, if not smaller in some aspects than a Clio.
 

Gally

Formerly Mashed up egg in a cup
ClioSport Club Member
Flol! I had a Clio when Milly was born. Zero issues. I moved house 3 times in my first Clio they're massive inside!

Milly is now 4 1/2 and I have the Trophy. Zero issues again. Changing cars to something you don't want is leading down a road of unhappiness. Especially if your missus is pushing it.
 

Gally

Formerly Mashed up egg in a cup
ClioSport Club Member
A friend of mine gets on ok using a Ford Puma with 2 kids ever since they were born, similar, if not smaller in some aspects than a Clio.

It is. Especially in the back. I had my Niece and Milly in the back on lots of occasions never ever an issue.

Infact the boot in the Clio whilst a tad smaller is a better shape than the Puma.
 

The Chubby Pirate

ClioSport Club Member
  Golf R
Flol! I had a Clio when Milly was born. Zero issues. I moved house 3 times in my first Clio they're massive inside!

Milly is now 4 1/2 and I have the Trophy. Zero issues again. Changing cars to something you don't want is leading down a road of unhappiness. Especially if your missus is pushing it.

And money shot.

Julie suggested getting a newer quiter car and her changing her 107 to the 208, best thing we could have done!
 
  172, Focus
I made the mistake of taking the pushchair out of the boot of the puma once to try and get something, could not for the life of me figure out how to get the thing back in there, like some crystal maze puzzle...
 
  DON'T SEND ME PM'S!!
My cousin has a 1.2 16v and she's always managed just fine for space, from her kid being born to now being nearly 2
 
  PH1 Clio 172
Got a six and seven year old, they love it. Most awkward part is the getting in and out, but lucky for us this is the second car and we have a Pug 407 as the family wagon.
i wouldn't fancy just having the Clio as the main car to be honest
 
  Fabia VRS & Yeti
If you have to manage you will. If you can buy a bigger car life could be made a lot easier! Just use her car or tell her to get a bigger car!
 
  182 FF, A6 Avant
My boy just turned 2 and we've had the Clio since he was 6 months old. For day to day stuff it's fine. We can fit either of the push chairs in the boot and he sits in the front as it's easier to get him in and out. We do have the A6 as the family car though as there are times (visiting family, holidays etc.) when the Clio just isn't big enough.

IMO, a 1 series isn't bigger than the Clio by enough to warrant the change.
 

Gally

Formerly Mashed up egg in a cup
ClioSport Club Member
I made the mistake of taking the pushchair out of the boot of the puma once to try and get something, could not for the life of me figure out how to get the thing back in there, like some crystal maze puzzle...

It's a bloody funny thing! Perplexed me on many an occasion!
 
Congratulations!

We have a 4.5 yr old little boy and a 10 week old girl. It all depends on how often you're using the car to take the little one out. If it is only occasionally then you'll manage with a 3dr. However, if it is the main car you transport little one around in you'll be grateful of some extra space and some extra doors.

The Group 0 car seats (0-9months) are pretty heavy without a child in them, they're also pretty difficult to manoeuvre into the back of a 3 door. If you are going put a group 0 car seat in the back of a 3dr it's definitely easier with the ones which come with a base (Maxi Cosi Pebble is 'Which?' best buy if I recall correctly). You can put rear facing car seats in the front seat, but it is always recommended you put kids in the back as they're safer.

My wife has always had a 5 door (her last car was a Panda 100hp - it was tiny, but 5 doors and a perfectly rectangular boot made it easy to live with) but for a short while I inherited a 3 door company car as a stop gap and it was a nightmare getting the baby seat in and out (had to fold front seat forward, turn car seat so she was feet first, fold down the carry handle, manoeuvre the seat in, lock it onto the base, then lean in and fold the carry handle back up - not fun especially in the rain!), was very glad to see the back of it even though it was only at weekends.

Would also recommend having as big a boot as you can get, it's amazing how much junk you have to cart around for them and no matter how small your puschair folds, they all seem to be an awkward shape and fill the boot!

Like others have said, once they are in a forward facing seat and can climb in themselves it makes life much easier, 3 doors then becomes easier to live with. It can just be awkward getting car seats in and out. Saves hassle if you buy two lots of car seats, one to keep in each car.


Having said all that, a 5dr 1 series shouldn't be a problem, sounds ideal in fact, then keep your car just for you!

Good luck!
 

ALY

  Focus RS & Clio 172
We both had Clios when our first little one arrived six years ago - One became a Vectra and the other an Escort Cos, just to balance out the dullness.

Getting jnr in and our wont be a problem, carrying prams/buggy and bags of gear for the first couple of years is the issue in something so small & with a small boot.

We use a VW Bora as a family car these days (officially the wife's), can't sing their family saloon praises enough, the boot is massive and they have just enough space without making them thirsty beasts to run, the 1.9tdi we have does 50+ unless you are in heavy traffic.
 

Ph1 Tom

ClioSport Club Member
Nothing wrong with a 3 door and kids, I find they are better in the rain as you can get the child strapped in whilst sitting on the front seat tilted forward :)

And in a rear facing seat you can put them in through the boot!
 


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