Car advice - expecting twins!

C

chris8013

New member
My wife and I are expecting twins next April, so we need to start thinking about our car situation. We currently drive a BMW 4 series coupe, so we are looking to get a second car.

I'm gravitating towards 7-seaters like a Nissan Serena or Toyota Noah. My wife doesn?t like them because of looks. I?m concerned over safety ? doors look quite thin, and no 2nd row side airbags.

My wife likes the new BMW 2 series Active Tourer, a smaller 5-seater MPV. I?m concerned over space.

Do I need a 7-seater? I?m not sure if I can fit a fifth person (helper) in a normal 5-seater with 2 car seats. Anybody with any experience??

Really appreciate your advice!

Chris
 
What about visiting grandparents? Friends of ours traded in their Mini for a Mazda 8 when they found out they're having twins. Personally I think a 7-seater is the way to go. Plus both friends who had twins, had a 3rd very soon after :)
 
Hi Chris,

I am of the opinion that one should not base year long decisions on "visitors" who are likely to be here for a few weeks of the month.

I'd recommend taking a look at our car forums on GeoExpat and asking there .. plenty of parents and plenty of car enthusiasts / owners to help you... Car Owners Forum
 
I used to have a Mercedes 5-seater E-class. Having a second kid plus extended family (one set of grandparents in hk) so traded for the 8-seater Serena.

The Mercedes would have been too small to fit both kids plus car seat and a 5th person in the back.

Pluses of the Serena (that works for our family):
- lots of different configurations enabled by the moving seats in the car. Back row seats can be flipped up for huge trunk space (if we are traveling with 5)

- trunk space can fit a double stroller. I plan to buy a graco sit-to-stand stroller

- the 'middle seat' can be shifted to the front row (to function as an armrest) or fixed in the middle row (to function as the 5th seat)

- my toddler car seat is placed in the middle row and can still comfortably fit 2 adults

- automatic doors. My toddler now knows how to open and close the door by himself, which is helpful when I have my hands full

- lots of compartments for storage, which is ideal for storing wet napkins and tissues and some other toddler stuff

But watch out for the height restrictions in certain parkades. My husband said that the car wouldn't fit in selected parkades.


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I do think you need bigger than a 5 seater. With the car seats and stuffs, you pretty much got no room left. I assume when daddy is driving, mommy will sit at the back with the kids, so you kind of have to cramp everything into the front seat.

I think Honda Stepwgn spada could be a choice, esp if you wife cares about the look. It has quite a youthful outlook and it's not as dull as a mini van.
 
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