Hello - potential new owner of a 500 here. We've been looking at a variety of cars in the 500's class and still think it is by far the nicest looking and economical out there.

However... we are 'trying for a family' and I'm wondering how many of you out there would think the 500 works for 2 people plus sprog. I know a child seat would fit in the back but there's all the rest of the clutter that goes with it and the boot doesn't look particularly spacious.

Just looking for other people's views or maybe experiences if you're in a similar boat - any help appreciated

Possible, but highly uncomfortable I'd say. Plus what about if/when you have 2?

No interest in 2... took long enough to get round to the idea of having one....

2 adults + 1 sprog is easy in a 500, just make sure you go for one with a split rear seat.

Come on, who wants to drive around with the seats in Ikea mode. It's completely impractical.

Lots of people do, that's why split seats exist and why people choose to have them on cars where they are optional.

My parents drove a 1969 Mini when I was born, and changed it for a 1975 just before my brother was born, and they never complained about them being too small.

The problem nowadays is we all want life to be easy, and buying a bigger car rather than adapting our lives to suit a smaller one is the easier option. Why else would people that drive perfectly sensible mid-sized hatchbacks immediately rush out to look at People Carriers as soon as they find out they are expecting a baby?

21 years ago me and my ex wife had twins and we managed fine with a 2cv so the fiat should be fine

Scrogg said:

My parents drove a 1969 Mini when I was born....
The problem nowadays is we all want life to be easy, and buying a bigger car...Why else would people...immediately rush out to look at People Carriers as soon as they find out they are expecting a baby?

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Lol, a bit like central heating and indoor toilets I guess

I have both so am probably reasonably qualified to comment on this one. And FYI, the Citroen C4P has emissions of 140g/km which I think is less than the 1.4 500!

pearce_jj said:

And FYI, the Citroen C4P has emissions of 140g/km which I think is less than the 1.4 500!

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You've lost me. What do the emissions of a Citroen C4 Picasso have to do with whether a 500 is big enough for 2 adults and a baby?

Just that often "small" is perceived as environmentally friendly, responsible or whatever with similar negitivity towards drivers of bigger vehicles. Was this not what you were eluding to - why else would one care whether one chooses a large or small car?

Ahh, O.K

No, environmentally-friendliness was not even on my mind. We were discussing whether the 500 is physically big enough or not.

Fair enough I'd find it a struggle personally.

We have just the one kiddie (2 1/2 year old). The 500 is fine, pleanty of room inside, plenty of cup holders for drink bottles, easier to get her in & out of the car seat than our previous 5 door car & she loves it as she has a good view out.

The split rear seat is a good idea as the boot is fairly small, so if you need to buy something large you can still get it home & take the little 'un too. Leather is a real bonus with kids - cleans up nice & easy.

We've done a week away for the three of us in it with no problems. Our buggy didn't fit in the boot (some do, but as she's getting older it wasn't worth getting another), but it did fit across the floor behind the front seats OK.

Also done days out with the three of us & another adult in the back with the little 'un in her car seat. Again, no problems.

In fact, it's just the weekly shop that won't fit in the boot.

Hope that helps..

pearce_jj said:

Fair enough I'd find it a struggle personally.

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I think most people would find it a struggle, but that is because we are all used to life being a lot easier than our parents' generation.

Many families brought up children owning cars no bigger than the 500, and they all managed perfectly well, but then they had no choice.

Can a mod find my rant from the thread from yesterday where I showed how you could carry a child in a 500?

We specced split fold rears for this very reason as we're planning to have a sprog in the future. Me and 2 brothers who were about 10 or so at the time fitted into a round shape Honda Civic so why can't you fit 2 adults in the front and a sprog in the back? I had the mother in law in the back all the way to and from Kent last week and while she acts like a spoilt little baby she's a fair bit larger.

Scrogg said:

I think most people would find it a struggle, but that is because we are all used to life being a lot easier than our parents' generation.

Many families brought up children owning cars no bigger than the 500, and they all managed perfectly well, but then they had no choice.

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I think that's the problem here. Baby tat manufacturers and car makers want you to believe that you need something one step down from an articulated lorry to carry little sprog because

A) Said baby shyte manufacturers can flog you more crap than you actually need to maintain little sprog

and

B) Bigger cars mean bigger profits for car manufacturers.

OrangeSport said:

We have just the one kiddie (2 1/2 year old). The 500 is fine, pleanty of room inside, plenty of cup holders for drink bottles, easier to get her in & out of the car seat than our previous 5 door car & she loves it as she has a good view out.

The split rear seat is a good idea as the boot is fairly small, so if you need to buy something large you can still get it home & take the little 'un too. Leather is a real bonus with kids - cleans up nice & easy.

We've done a week away for the three of us in it with no problems. Our buggy didn't fit in the boot (some do, but as she's getting older it wasn't worth getting another), but it did fit across the floor behind the front seats OK.

Also done days out with the three of us & another adult in the back with the little 'un in her car seat. Again, no problems.

In fact, it's just the weekly shop that won't fit in the boot.

Hope that helps..

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Thumbs up to you for not being a slave to modern parenthood and so on and so forth! Leather? That's part of the reason we specced it as well!

306maxi said:

I think that's the problem here. Baby tat manufacturers and car makers want you to believe that you need something one step down from an articulated lorry to carry little sprog because

A) Said baby shyte manufacturers can flog you more crap than you actually need to maintain little sprog

and

B) Bigger cars mean bigger profits for car manufacturers.

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You're starting to sound almost as cynical as me

Scrogg said:

You're starting to sound almost as cynical as me

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No no no..... you've only just seen the beginnings of my deep wells of cynicism.

You're an amateur compared to me

Probably a good example is today's afternoon out to the seaside. The 3 of us in the car. In the boot was everything you could need:

Rug to sit on
Inflatable dingy
Picnic bag
Towels
Change of clothes for us all
Bucket & spade
Toy diggers & dumper trucks
Potty (for the little 'un)
Her teddy & a push chair for him
All the little extras in a bag (suncream, hats, etc)
As well as my rucksack which is always there with tools, torch, tow rope, oil, jump leads, gloves etc

It handles all that fine - can't see you would want much more on a day-to-day basis.

We did wonder at first. Loved the car, so took her & her seat to the showroom, expecting it not to fit. It did. Took it for a drive expecting it to not be that great. Loved it. Haggled expecting to get a discount. Didn't.

Never regretted it though...

OrangeSport said:

Probably a good example is today's afternoon out to the seaside. The 3 of us in the car. In the boot was everything you could need:

Rug to sit on
Inflatable dingy
Picnic bag
Towels
Change of clothes for us all
Bucket & spade
Toy diggers & dumper trucks
Potty (for the little 'un)
Her teddy & a push chair for him
All the little extras in a bag (suncream, hats, etc)
As well as my rucksack which is always there with tools, torch, tow rope, oil, jump leads, gloves etc

It handles all that fine - can't see you would want much more on a day-to-day basis.

We did wonder at first. Loved the car, so took her & her seat to the showroom, expecting it not to fit. It did. Took it for a drive expecting it to not be that great. Loved it. Haggled expecting to get a discount. Didn't.

Never regretted it though...

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Where's your

Travel cot
Moses basket
Intercom system
Ear thermometer
'Super fun happy joy joy learn to play with Hitlers severed testicle' mobile hanging from the roof
gate across the rear seats so baby can't fall down
bottle steriliser

etc etc??????

Anyone would think you're a negligent parent not having all those things with you wherever you are

When I have a child it's going to have the following things in the car

A child seat
Something for it to be pushed around in
Some nappies for those uncontrolled bowel movements
Some food (Wifes boobs should do for a while)
A change of clothes
Some nappies
Some wet wipes
and if I'm feeling nice some toys

How the hell that wouldn't fit in something as big as a 500 I don't know, for those doubting that the 500 is a big car, just wait till you see it next to something like a Fiesta that your parents had when you were young. The 500 looks like a people carrier. We were parked up at my brother in laws on Thursday and his wife was amazed at how big the 500 was compared to her 900 convertible. I'll go back to what I've said before and say that it's companies convincing us that we need endless loads of crap which means that people think they need people carriers and saloons just to carry a little baby.....