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Right, there comes a time in a man's life when he has to put aside childish things!

Mrs CE is now expecting our first little one so it looks increasingly likely that the TT must go. Two reasons, I'm away during the week so she needs someting that will accomodate the mini CE, pram etc the odd dog and grandmother....you get the picture. The other reason is that very soon she won't be able to get in and out of the thing.

So the question is ....what now? I've set a £10k budget. So far have considered an A4 avant 2.5D, a bmw 520SE saloon and a KIA Sorrento 2.5TD.

I never thought I'd say this but I'm inclined towards the KIA!! I'm completely suprised by this but it really does tick all the boxes. Plenty of space, high spec, lots of toys etc.

Am I losing my mind?

Yes, you've lost it! One thing to remember is that 3 door cars are marginally easier to get car seats and wotnot in and out of than 5 doors as the doors are usually just that bit longer. Having said that the fiat stilo multiwagon has a huge boot and high seats so it should be easy to get in and out of. They're not supremely popular and fiat are dropping the stilo so you should be able to pick up a bargain. It also comes with a 1.9jtd so the tax banding would be a lot lower.

The kia has the engine out of a tractor if it was anything like the one my dad test drove! The jtd diesel in the fiat is supposed to be pretty good. Don't know whether it is chain or belt cam.

I'd check out honestjohn's website and his car by car breakdown. He collects lots of information from owners so you can find out if any model has had problems. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/ There is also a forum (the backroom) where you can ask what car questions and moan about car related issues

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http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1995-ISUZU-TROOPE ... dZViewItem

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*helpful like a puppy unpacking shopping!

You can have my scabby old Rover for £500 if you like!

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

[utterly shameless plug]

Buy my car!

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/127700.htm

It's very fast, has the same engine and same turbo as your current car (assuming you've got the 225), has all the luxuries inside, and since it has 5-doors and would easily fit a baby seat, it almost qualifies as sensible!

[/utterly shameless plug]

Other than that I'd probably go for a Focus estate for about that money TBH, or maybe the Audi A4 Avant like you've said, the Audi being better finished by far internally, IMO.

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Carl Prescott

Nooooo!!!!!

DON'T buy a 3 door car when you are expecting a baby, unless you want to resign yourself to 3 years of lifting babies / toddlers into the back seat via the folding front seats.

Friend of mine has a KIA Sorento and it does indeed look very chunky and full of toys - like a cut price X5, indeed it even has an "XS" badge on the back so that it looks like "X5" from 20 yards away!

That said, is there any particular reason you need a "Chelsea Tractor"? Aforementioned friend needs to tow a horse box in and out of wet fields, but in the absence of similar requirements surely a decent estate car does all you require only better.

For example, my brother in law has a Range Rover which has a 2.5 litre BMW diesel engine. By his own admission its a big lump of a thing and thus desperately underpowered, yet despite this he only gets 20-25mpg due to having the aerodynamics of a brick*.

By way of contrast I just bought a 2001 BMW 530D estate. Cost £6700 (Ok it's got 120k on the clock) but it is respectably quick (0-60 in about 8 seconds), has as much space as the Rangy, and never returns less than 35mpg.

[EDIT: * = I mean the car has the aerodynamics of a brick, not my brother in law!]

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CSCP Latin for beginners...
Ticketo ergo sum : I scam therefore I am!

Buying a Kia may not be a sign of losing your mind, it may be a sign of finding that the previously unused "sensible parent" part has been activated. Don't worry, it's a short lived thing, in 18 years or so (I am told) it goes back to normal. But by then you can't remember what normal was like

We bough a Kia for my wife, although we needed a car with enough room for 4 car seats, pushchairs, toys etc. so went for the Sedona. It's not beautiful, and it's a car for the head rather than the heart, but it does do things rather well - it's comfy, has been 100% reliable (much more than my VW Passat bought on the same day), has a reasonable fuel consumption and does not attract any unwelcome attention from boy racer types, or envious paint scratchers in car parks. Similarly it comes with lots of toys - the built in DVD player is a godsend on longer journeys. We also went for the Sedona as it had sliding doors, didn't want toddlers swinging doors out wide to damage other cars, I wish more cars had sliding doors as they are a useful feature IMHO. Driving the Sedona has the extra added attraction of making you feel like a lorry driver - they should put a Yorky holder in the dashboard.

In terms of a 3 door vs 5 door, for tiny car seats (group 0) 3 doors are great, you lift the whole seat in and out and can put your knee behind the car seat and push it right down to get the seat located properly. Group 1 or 1+ seats, not so good, you have to lift the baby in and it's awkward. Group 2 seats, again, become quite easy. All in all, I'd say a 3 door is only OK as a second car.

Make sure your car seat is compatible with the car - I'd always recommend a britax seat as we've had lots of great seats from them, and they also have a fit checker for your choice of car. Mothercare offer a trial service, they will try out the seat in your car and will not sell you a seat that is not safe (even if it means them losing a sale ... ethics in selling are a refreshing change these days).

Finally, congratulations! As Lou Reed put it, it's the Beginning of a Great Adventure. Everything changes when that tiny bundle arrives, I don't just mean the inability to leave the house with less than 2 hours preparation time, I mean the things in your heart and mind that change your outlook on the world. Every day is a learning experence!

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COAST Not just somewhere to keep a beach.

A young loner on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent, the helpless, the powerless, in a world of criminals who operate above the law.

we don't need one anymore than I nee to spend £10k on a second car. Mrs CE has always fancied a 4x4 and lets be honest whats wrong in buying something just cos you like the way it looks? it's no worse for the planet than the TT. But we're open to lots of things.

Having said that it is a very practical vehicle, plenty of space. high loading bay, so no bending. Not overly concerned about performance or economy as the mileage won't be particularly high. Tow bar on it so I can use it to help out with the village bits and bobs and trips to the tip. It's hard to see why not.

I like the BMW 520 but it's a saloon. I guess I need to shop around a bit. BUt everything keeps coming back to the kia. I still have my company v50 which retains an illusion of sportiness!!

Done it.

3.5 v6 Sorento purchased! Chose it over BMW 520! It is fabulous!

I'm now officially old!