How much smaller do you think the average alternative pushchair will be? Also, as already stated there's an awful lot more to load up than just a pushchair when you have a young child.
Spec me a flavour of wallpaper paste...
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How much smaller do you think the average alternative pushchair will be? Also, as already stated there's an awful lot more to load up than just a pushchair when you have a young child.
The OP has also asked for ISOFix, and I don't know which cars do / don't have it fitted however I would bet that the Mk3 Mondeo doesn't.
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
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I haven't ruled everything else out. I'll go and look at an E Class this week as suggested, and I'll follow up on Fox's search for the MK4 Mondeo a bit more to see if theres a reasonable zetec or titanium to be had, although I think it's unlikely to yield much success. I'd consider an Accord, and I think it's on par with the passat looks wise, but my other half hates them, so it'll take some convincing to get her to go and look at one. Don't get upset because I didn't respond to your demand to explain myself on a point I've already answered.
The pushchair and associated bits were about £700 in total and that was with a 15% discount for it being end of line. Unfortunatly, if you get one that is shorter when folded it becomes wider and heavier, and those that are just shorter aren't great quality, so there's not a lot of room for movement even if we did swap the pushchair.
I wouldn't want to spend £6.5k on a mk3 though. I've never liked them and would only have one as a workhorse. The ST220 would be worth considering as a second car, but thats a while away yet really. I don't actually mind the look of the Passat. And I think the R Line looks quite nice too.
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I would've put money on the e46 and Focus having ISOfix. It's available but not standard. I was literally astounded that the architypal family car, the Focus, didn't have it.[TW]Fox;14694976 said:How much would you like to bet, I'd take you up on that
EDIT- and the Focus was in Titanium spec.
I AM OUTRAGED AND FUMING WITH RAGE
No but seriously, you haven't really responded, all you have done is claim you don't like the look of estates, but, if looks don't matter, and they clearly don't because you are looking at £8k Passats, why wont you consider one?
I would caution against this. In terms of the W211 your budget will JUST squeeze you into a high mileage early example. But you don't want to squeeze your budget with something like this, you need to spend a grand or two less and leave a reserve for when, not if, it goes wrong. This means we are down to £6k.
Thats the W211 out the window and only the previous W210 (95-02) is available for this money. The W210 was the best car in its class..
...for an entire 6 months until BMW knocked it into the last decade with the E39. Which you've already said you dont want, so I'd advise against a W210 either.
Interestingly the Focus DOES have ISOFIX as standard IIRC. What you get when you pay for it is a little neat plastic hatch to access it. If you dont have this you can cut the seat material to access the ISOFIX mounting points.
That said, you realise that ISOFIX is no safer than a properly mounted conventional childseat, its main advantage is that its less hassle to fit.
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I don't mind the looks of the Passat. Its not as bland as an avensis, or as dated as the vectra(rear), or as pig ugly as the new volvos. It's very unoffensive to look at so it just blends into the background as bland. I can live with that. I'd have an A6 Estate or the E60 maybe, but that's about it.I AM OUTRAGED AND FUMING WITH RAGE
No but seriously, you haven't really responded, all you have done is claim you don't like the look of estates, but, if looks don't matter, and they clearly don't because you are looking at £8k Passats, why wont you consider one?
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That's good to know, Thanks[TW]Fox;14695093 said:
That is interesing. Does the same apply to the mondeo with the plastic hatch thing? The dealer was suprised that it didn't have ISOfix. He said it was an option. Serves me right for believing that a dealer was telling the truth![TW]Fox;14695093 said:
I am pretty sure it does but 'officially' the car hasn't got ISOFIX. I guess the idea is that its cheaper to make all the seats the same then charge for the plastic thing. It's the same as earlier VAG cars and cruise. If it doesnt have cruise it's ridiculously cheap to add it as most of the components are present even if the car hasnt got it fitted.
Dont take my word for it if you are considering purchasing with this as a requirement - do some final research first, but I'm pretty sure its the case.
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Fair Play. Wrong words for the Avensis. They are offensive to look at. Not just bland. I was praying to all gods that the boot wouldn't be right and the interior would be naff. One of them answered my prayers. The boot wasn't what we're after and the interior wasn't quite down to vauxhall standards but was close.[TW]Fox;14695183 said:
The boot in the A4 Avant or Saloon isn't as deep or as wide as the passat, although that was the old model. Have to admit, I've not looked at the 2005-onwards shape.
2005-2008 A4 is the same car with some styling tweaks. So it'll be the same.
Suprised its noticeably different to the Passat. Surely a pushchair fits in an A4 Estate? My parents had a Mk2 Escort RS2000 when they had me and I presume a pushchair fitted into that!
Where as estates stick out like a sore thumb and offend everyone in sight and are from from bland but excite you no end?
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What are you getting at?
I beleive his point is that there are loads of great cars you wont have because you dont like the way they look, which would be understandable if you were instead going to buy a Ferrari, but as you've picked one of the most dull, forgetable and dreary looking cars in existence as your favoured choice, it has confused him.
To be fair its confused a lot of people, not just him
If I have kids there will be a Metro fitting nicely in the back of my EMM FREE.