Hey all,

Have been, for the last few months been contemplating to sell up my punto days and upgrade to the coupe, 16 or 20vt I'm unsure of as yet.

But having found out the last few weeks that me and the missus are expecting our 1st child, I don't know wether its a good idea.

My question to you all, specifically those with children, how child seat friendly are the seats?

My missus has a 206cc, which as impractical as the car may be, child seats fit no problem, with air bag turned off of course

Any help would be great
Ben

Have you tried a search? This topic was discussed, again, just a week or two ago.

Congrats on the baby

Sorry fella, my mistake, will have a search now

Thankyou mate

I preferred putting the baby seat into the coop over the Mazda3 when my son was a bub because I could actually get in front of him to fit him in. Even now at 2 years old in his grey Recaro (matching the grey leather interior ), being able to stand in front of him with the passenger seat forwards is much easier than having to reach across from the side as you'd have to with a 4/5 door car.

For the same reason I prefer a 3-door to a 5-door for getting your kid strapped in!

We currently use the Coupe as our practical family car. Bigger boot than the 147, a Quinny pram (Buz) fits in no problem (you aim one of the rear wheels in the slight recess caused by the foldable seat so don't have to get the wheels off either). I've done a weekend trip to the UK like this, 3 days with child, pram, bed, our stuff,... nothing on the rear seat (except some spare parts for Joe at CC - oh and the kid of course).

Fitting seats is NO problem at all. All babyseats accept regular seatbelts and although ISOfix makes for a easier solid placement, it has the drawback of sometimes being difficult to negotiate bumps (side support) in the rearseats or bucket rear seats. Actually we have a baby seat in the Brera as well but there's NO way you can actually get an adult in front of it without seriously compromising leg room (as in: good for minutes, longer than that is torture as you sit folded against the dash and very upright).

Nope, the Fiat is a delight compared to manymany other Coupe's and much more pratical than a 3-door hatchback like a Punto, 147, 1-series,...

Agree, the Coupe is very child friendly, considering it's style, etc.

I regularly cart a 5 and a 3 year old around with no problems.
In fact, I bought my Coupe a month after the 5 year old was born

As said, easy to get in front of them and strap them in, even with my backside

3 doors means you don't have to worry about child locks, etc either.

The length of the seatbelt is also quite generous too, especially compared to my Fiesta I had at the time and a Mondeo I was using after crashing the Coupe.

I was suprised when mine went in for a service and I was lent an Escort, with the car seats in the back I couldn't get behind the wheel in the Escort, no prob with the coop, I've even had two adults in the back on a 120 mile trip (though wouldn't recommend it).
The boot is suprisingly practical too, so there you have it: the Fiat Coupe the sensible choice!

is this a hummer we're discussing?

agree though about room for kids......plenty

At least the headlining has never rubbed my hair away and my seat goes back far enough from the steering wheel to allow for my belly

It wasn't my belly, I'm saying no more.....

I can fit 2 child seats in the back of my Coupe, though I have a seat belt belt extender to fit the rear facing seat.

I must admit i have 2 kids one is 3 months old and its abit of a struggle to get the car seat in the back but i wouldn't sell my coupe the missus will have to go first

Fantastic, thanks for the replys people, much appreciated

I do have a few other cars in mind, or wether to keep my punto. It's just the coupe looks are growing on me

I have 3 kids, until the 3rd arrived the coupe was the family car! Even did the airport run in it.

Only thing I'd say is the boot isn't pram friendly, those hinges and the opening size are a pain for a new born pram (non buggy type). A quinny Zapp would be your best friend from +1 year!

Congrats on the news!!!

The Quinny Zap / Buz / ... will also take a maxicosi or baby bed, so newborn is not a problem.

I've been through this recently and can confirm the following:

You will strain your back getting a newborn child in and out of the car

You will struggle to get all of the little bags and pram into the boot.

The car will get wrecked. The child seats leave perm dents in the back bench seat.

Their cute little feet WILL kick and scuff the back of either front seats (in my case both!)

IMO don't bother, get a car with 4 doors.

Might be me then. I'm very muscular so no problems there.




No problems 3-day UK stay with pram + bed + our stuff + some spare Coupe parts (eibach & billstein, filters,...) and even took two extra Recaro babyseats (next to the one already there) going back.



Recaro (or anyone really) does seat protectors that will protect the seats for dents and scuffs. It's a big piece of leather that you hang from the headrest and/or lay under the baby seat. Alternatively put some cardboard / MDF under the baby seat to spread the weight. Guess it also depends on your type of babyseat.

CC Joe will confirm that my boot seems to get bigger the more stuff I put in. The missus is always amazed how much we can fit in back there. Also the lid is really square on the Coupe, so you can have things seemingly sticking out but still the boot lid doesn't touch them.

You know when people ask this question I often wonder why supermarkets give carrier bags for shopping instead of envelopes, or why people take suitcases on holiday instead of carrier bags, or why coffee comes in a jar instead of a balloon, or why you drink tea from a mug and not a welly..

All of them are possible, but by golly its so much easier in carrier bags, suitcases, jars and mugs.....

You're right. Sell the Brera, buy a Scania.

Not 'given' to us in Wales any more, 5p charge on each one if you want one.

Just thought I'd let you know

A scania would be more suitable again in terms of interior space, but I am unsure of whether the supermarket parking will pose an extra problem - but you're kinda of going down the right route.

T - shop local to me charges 10p thats the southern impact I am afraid