Mini JCW or Fiesta ST with a baby?

[rodenal]

As above, it's doable enough day to day but becomes a pain if you need to carry another person or get more than a few bags of shopping etc

We used our 5 door fiesta and the biggest issue was boot space with the pram really as nothing else will realistically fit with it. I wouldn't really want a car of that size as the only means of ferrying the family around and I definitely couldn't be bothered with a small 3 door car but we are likely to try and use the fiesta as out second car even with one on the way (albeit our daughter is near enough 4 now so doesn't really come with any "stuff")

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Thanks for the replies - quite a mixed bag with some coping (but probably not ideally) and others not.

Getting another M135i and beefing security - my replacement GAP should cover me back to a M140, so i could... but as I already have cctv and an alarm, apart from getting a guard dog I dunno what more to do. But, it would leave both myself and my partner worrying more than needed. The break in happened at 4pm in broad daylight (with both neighbours in), so they just don't give a monkeys... The main thing giving away the empty house was the empty bin left in the drive, as it was bin-day - and it's out of my control to change bin-collection or specify where they can abandon our bins afterwards (even if they left it on the road it has the house number on it, so still indicated who's no about to collect their bins).

we already have a travel system (which is not isofix), so i was planning on taking the seat and stroller to somewhere like Car People to directly try and compare the space/access for a range of cars.

Cooper S's and JCW's are wanted by criminals looking to transport stuff. They are easy to break into and drive fast and handle well. They use the boot as well as the back seats to move what they need moving.

I'd just get a M140i. Fit a steering wheel lock. As in the one where they need to smash the windscreen to drive off in. Job done.

No need to worry about bins, etc. Or if you really want to be anal about it clamp it when not in use on top of the wheel lock.

 

[mjt]

My A6 Avant was awesome (and still is) as a load-lugger. The Chevy Spark we had was useless. Although it did fit a pram, but that took up the whole car

 

[LiE]

How exactly did they steal the car ?

 

[the_r_sole]

boring point alert - having tried and tried, most proper prams won't fit in the boot of a mini (cooper s) although you can buy a mini branded one which fits ok!
Also a pain to get a child seat in and out of and there's not really a lot of room in there... can't comment on a fiesta. Good idea to go and see some cars with the travel system in hand to try out, that's how I ruled the mini out quite quickly!

 

[Dangerous Dave]

My wife has a JCW Mini Hatch assume you are aware they are 4 seat and 3 door only (you can get the Cooper S as a 5 seater/5 door). If you are only going to use it occasionally for transporting your baby I expect it would be fine. I was looking after a friend's baby and the pram went in the boot as it is pretty deep the car seat was in the front as isofix is standard on the front passanager seat. The boot will only take the pram so if you want to take anything else it's on the back seat. As said above always make sure to check the pram you own fits as some prams are huge, back seats do drop so that could be an option.

We waited until our son could get in the car seat himself and put his seat belt on before swapping back to a smaller 3 door car (from a Countryman) works well aslong as you have a bigger car available when more space is required.

We tried the MK8 Fiesta ST, Mini has the performance, tech and build quality edge I would give the ST it on the handling front but both great down a twisty road. Mini is hampered by the crap stock Pirelli P7 runflats.

 

[DereksDontRun]

How exactly did they steal the car ?

brick through back patio door, raided the house, found the keys and drove off with whatever small bits and bobs they could find around the house.
all on cctv - their car (on cloned plates) is parked on the street (presumably after spotting the bin sat on the drive next to the M135i), one lad rings the doorbell and tries the front door (it seems like he's clocked the cctv and keeps a cap pulled down and almost tries to shield his face with his arm). After no reply at the front door he waits a couple minutes then vaults over the gate at the side of the house and 7 mins later he's climbing back over the gate, blips my car and drives off.

anyway, back on topic. hmm, sounds quite unlikely with the mini/fiesta idea then... I was already starting to think about the 5dr cooper s instead of the jcw... I guess I'll just need to take a load of bits to a car supermarket and see what i can fit where...

 

[LiE]

Damn that sounds pretty ballsy. A video door bell would have prevented the break in it seems. A lot of these break ins involve someone ringing the door bell, so if you can answer even if your not home then they wouldn’t try it on. Nest cams can also alert you if activity is detected and allow you to speak remotely via the cameras.

How did the alarm not go off?

 

[Psycho Sonny]

brick through back patio door, raided the house, found the keys and drove off with whatever small bits and bobs they could find around the house.
all on cctv - their car (on cloned plates) is parked on the street (presumably after spotting the bin sat on the drive next to the M135i), one lad rings the doorbell and tries the front door (it seems like he's clocked the cctv and keeps a cap pulled down and almost tries to shield his face with his arm). After no reply at the front door he waits a couple minutes then vaults over the gate at the side of the house and 7 mins later he's climbing back over the gate, blips my car and drives off.

anyway, back on topic. hmm, sounds quite unlikely with the mini/fiesta idea then... I was already starting to think about the 5dr cooper s instead of the jcw... I guess I'll just need to take a load of bits to a car supermarket and see what i can fit where...

you thought about having a bigger gate? not leaving car keys where they are easy to find? having a smart house alarm fitted? having a smart doorbell installed?

 

[FlapR]

Honestly just get another 135i if you liked it and it did exactly what you want. Mini's are completely useless when it comes to boot space I wouldnt even bother thinking about it.

 

[timmeh]

Maybe car seats are smaller over there but there is absolutely no way that either of our rear facing car seats would fit in a Mini. I've had to move my seat forward and upright to the point where my head touches the roof in my CLS just to get the car seat in the back and it's probably more upright than he'd like. My wife has a fairly large SUV and even that has no room between the front seat and the kid's seat.

 

[Duke]

Both seem small cars for this use, I would have thought a Focus/Golf size would be better? Also the Fiesta ST has very hard suspension so worth bearing in mind.

 

[ShiWarrior]

you thought about having a bigger gate? not leaving car keys where they are easy to find? having a smart house alarm fitted? having a smart doorbell installed?

sorry but i disagree with this with the first two

they put a brick through his house window and looked high and low for the keys to that car, if they had the keys with them (id carry them with me tbh) they wont stop until they either are confronted or find the keys

as to the gate, theres at least 2 of them (sometimes more) so a leg up would do the trick anyway


i do think a house alarm and a smart doorbell is a rather good idea

i want my family to have cctv etc on their house, but they wont have it :/

back on topic :

Focus ST would be my preference

 

[LiE]

sorry but i disagree with this with the first two

they put a brick through his house window and looked high and low for the keys to that car, if they had the keys with them (id carry them with me tbh) they wont stop until they either are confronted or find the keys

as to the gate, theres at least 2 of them (sometimes more) so a leg up would do the trick anyway


i do think a house alarm and a smart doorbell is a rather good idea

i want my family to have cctv etc on their house, but they wont have it :/

back on topic :

Focus ST would be my preference

They broke in because no one was home. Theives are opportunists.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

And it was relatively easy to do so.

Put a big obstacle in their way and they will think twice.

Like a steering wheel lock. They will simply go for another car down the road which doesn't have one.

Or a house which doesn't have a big gate to scale.

 

[Dr Who]

And it was relatively easy to do so.

Put a big obstacle in their way and they will think twice.

Like a steering wheel lock. They will simply go for another car down the road which doesn't have one.

Or a house which doesn't have a big gate to scale.

Yeah steering wheel lock will help if they break in for the keys

 

[Nasher]

Install a hidden switch which just turns off the start button (it's just a couple of wires out of the back of it). Simple but it would take ages for someone to diagnose. It would just seem like the battery is dead.

 

[ExoMale]

The mini is an absolute no go. you arent getting any sort of travel system in the boot

depends on the travel system, i used to use a 5dr 107 as a family car even though she had a much more practical car and worked from time to time, 2 or 3 car seats in and a travel system that had the seat and frame individually fold flat enough to stand up in the boot, had to remove the wheels and put top the side, so only the parcel had to be left behind, even managed a few bags of shopping like it. not to say i know what a mini is like as my mum had a bmw cooper, but obviously wasnt used in that way lol.

My M135i was stolen a couple weeks ago and I'm still waiting for the insurance/gap payout to know what i've got to play with, but already window-shopping. To add to the fun, my partner gave birth last weekend, so now we have a little thing to cope with too.

90% of the time, it's only me in the car. So, I'm thinking I only need a small car, but still something big enough to fit a baby seat for nursery runs, and possibly once in a blue moon, i would need to have 2 adults and the kid in the back. Much as I loved my old MX5, i think it's just not suitable atm. I had a look at the GT86 and the rear space and access to it, puts me off.

We already have a Countryman as a "family" car - so anytime we want to go anywhere with all 3 of us, or I want to take my mountain bike out somewhere, then there that. So, I don't feel the need for an estate or larger car. If It's just me in the car then I can put the baby seat on the passenger seat (airbag off obviously).

So, I'm after something fun to drive, small-ish, and arguably less desirable to steal than my old M135i (so, I've excluded BMW, Audi and Merc).
So, I was thinking Mini JCW (or Cooper S and possibly remap if needed) or a mk8 Fiesta ST (montune if needed there). Both well reviewed as fun small cars, and the Fiesta is arguably a little more practical. But... am I going to worry about being broken into again for my car keys (possibly more so with the Fiesta)?!? Surely less so than a M135i, Golf R or S3, and surely someone has even stolen a Dacia Sandero or 10yr old Metro, so no car is "safe"

Am I fooling myself, or should I be looking at a Focus/Leon size car now I have a kid? I remember squeezing in the back of an original Mini as a kid, and the new ones are massive in comparison - but, I fear I might be regretting it after a couple years???

Surely people on here have experience with a Fez or Mini as a 2nd family car? Thoughts?

sucks on the car, but grats on the baby.

i think you are looking at all this wrong, you dont look at something fast and sporty and impractical to put a baby in, i dont know what else has been suggested since i made this response, but if i was you and wanted something sport to have a baby seat in then i would upgrade your countryman to the cooper S or whatever the options are and then just buy a sporty 2 seater or something for yourself. so you get a fast sporty like practical family car and then a sporty car you or your partner can use when the countryman is in use.

 

[BinnsY]

depends on the travel system, i used to use a 5dr 107 as a family car even though she had a much more practical car and worked from time to time, 2 or 3 car seats in and a travel system that had the seat and frame individually fold flat enough to stand up in the boot, had to remove the wheels and put top the side, so only the parcel had to be left behind, even managed a few bags of shopping like it. not to say i know what a mini is like as my mum had a bmw cooper, but obviously wasnt used in that way lol.

Let's be honest though, that sounds like a colossal faff. When your leaving your local supermarket with a crying baby after a long day, the last thing you want to be doing is separating your pram into all it's core components and playing tetris in the boot. This is why so many modern prams have all the quick one click fold action so you can do it one handed whilst holding your little one at the same time.

I completely appreciate it can be done, but given the budget that will be available I just don't see why you would.

 

[cwhitehead]

I have had both, the mini is much more fun to drive the boot is ridiculous and unworkable, i dont think i ever had a parcel shelf in it along with headrests! With a baby and shopping its a no no, unless you have a second car to use for bigger jobs / longer trips.

The Fiesta will feel dreadful compared but is a great handling car.

Personally id go with 135I again or Golf R. I know you're worrried it will happen again but it can happen with any car! get a tracker or an immobliser fitted and stop the worry. (I have an R now)