We are looking at getting a second car (I know, bad for the environment blah blah blah etc).

It has to be small (the missus won’t drive our Vectra).

£2k – £3k run around big enough for 3 adults and 2 kids with a twin pram in the boot.

Not needed for longer journeys.

I was thinking of an A Class Merc. Anyone got one?

What other small toddler taxis do people have?

Not an A class unless you have deep pockets. Twin-pram in the boot means you automatically need a bigger car though (plus the 5 occupants). I’d go for a first gen Skoda Octavia estate.

It has to be small. 5 occupants with no baggage other than the pram and a change bag. Most of the time it will be 1 adult 2 kids. All of the journeys will be less than 10 miles.

Focus. Can’t believe anything any smaller will actually take all you want to fit in. Otherwise get something smaller and stick with the Vectra when you have to fit all that in.

Focus?

I am in the market for the same kind of thing and a 5 door focus is probably what I’ll get. other car is an Octavia Est. Don’t think our double pram thing would fit in an A class

Fiesta is too popular, Corsa too small? Old-shape Astra?

OK… revised requirements.
1x mum
2x kiddies
1x double pram (it will fit in the boot of a Fiesta)
1x grandmother (small – think Wee Jimmy Krankie)

If the kids are using childseats and you travel with 3 adults a lot then maybe consider a small(ish) 6/7 seater. If it’s only the occasional 3 adults and one of them is small or doesn’t mind being a bit uncomfortable then a Focus.

Seat Ibiza is a cracking little car. The 100HP diesel is great. Fabia is pretty good too.

A Class mercs are a PITA and tres expensive when (not if) they break. Standard consumables are quite cheap tho’

You will need a trailer and comfy chair for Gran then?

😉

Would think about a estate version of whatever you version you go for

See loads of cheap TDI Golf estates in that price bracket, Mrs might find it less of a tank to drive than the Passat, but still has a reasonable load carrying space.

Focus- Genius.

+1 for Ibiza. 1.9 TDi is brilliantly driveable and gets 57mpg (you’ll get less if you do short trips all the time of course). Good space in the back for adults, and you could probly get a twin pram in the boot if it’s not too big.

Anyone got a Citroen C3?

I’ve got an Ibiza (the 1.9 TDi 130bhp Sport) and it is fairly roomy, but I am not sure about it filling ALL of your needs. It will definitely be fine for your revised needs.
It’s a quick car, seems to depreciate a lot more than the Polo/Fabia it’s based on, is roomy, well equipped and comes with plenty of equipment. The one downside is that the ride is definitely on the ‘filling loosening’ end of the scale. For more comfort – try the Fabia.
The 100bhp diesel is more than adequate, although a petrol would probably be more suitable unless high mileage is the order of the day.

Isn’t the Honda Jazz meant to have tons of room for the size of car?

Her indoors’ mum has just got rid of a C3. She liked it, but not much room inside. I am a short-arse and found the rear cramped.

I drove an A-Class as a hire car in Belgique and it was a piece of absolute Dog Toilet.

How about a Renault Modus or a Vauxhall Meriva? Nice lofty driving position gives good visibility and very practical.

Golf.

Land Rover 90

Hyundai Getz
For £3k you’ll get one that still has a couple of years manufacturers warranty left on it

It has to be small (the missus won’t drive our Vectra).

Why ever not?

Another vote for the Focus though I guess with your budget, it’ll be the pre-05 version which is smaller so fitting the twin buggy might be a squeeze. We have an 06 Focus and that’s perfect I reckon for 3 adults/2 kids and a buggy. I’d have no problem recommending one as ours is nice to drive, reliable and comfortable.

Why ever not?

Just the way it is for some people – they don’t feel confident

My wife has been driving for 12 years & won’t go on a motorway or dual carriage way – I’ve given up trying to persuade her

the pre-05 version which is smaller so fitting the twin buggy might be a squeeze

Depends how big a twin buggy is folded – SWMBO’s ’00 Focus has plenty of space for the P&Ts pushchair (which will seat 2).

I found the biggest problem is fitting 3 booster seats in the back of most small/medium cars as they basically don’t fit. One solution is to get a small Volvo (v50?) with 2 built in booster seats…… they’re great.
Otherwise I’d go the Focus route….. rented focus estates a couple of times and they’re big enough for 2 adults and 3 kids on booster seats (but only just and for no more than 2 weeks as they’re just not wide enough for the kids to put seatbelts on themselves).

3 booster seats

!!!

Woah there!

Two is the limit. As soon as this one hatches i’m getting myself fixed.

“Depends how big a twin buggy is folded – SWMBO’s ’00 Focus has plenty of space for the P&Ts pushchair (which will seat 2). “

Absolutely – I was purely speaking from my experience where our Quinny Buzz fits fine but doesn’t leave lots of spare room for other stuff.

Why ever not?

Just the way it is for some people – they don’t feel confident

My wife has been driving for 12 years & won’t go on a motorway or dual carriage way – I’ve given up trying to persuade her

Indeed. Mine has never ever driven my car (and says she never will) but is perfectly happy with her a3. She’s ok with dual carriageways but has only ever driven on motorways by accident.

Why ever not?

I wanted a Vectra estate (sad), but Mrs Spider said she wouldn’t drive it, so we went for the hatch instead. On the way home after we picked it up she said that she wouldn’t drive the hatch version either.

I’ve known her for too long. There is no point in arguing.

Actually quite a rational position. Surprised she’s happy to be a passenger in a V**xh*ll.

A Class Merc.

stay away, mate has one and its been a dog….

very small in the back aswell.

expensive as hell to service and parts

Zafira. They’re quite cheap now. And it ticks all your boxes.
It will go wrong at some point, but will be cheap(ish) to fix.

If she won’t drive a Vectra, she’d have to be barking to want to drive a Zafira.

I have a 01 Toyota Corolla 1.6vvti. Massive boot (you can fit two adults in it, I know, I’ve tried it) that shames anything else in it’s class. Really good rear legroom, quiet, comfy. And the big plus, amazingly reliable, more powerful than equvalent astra or focus. And more economical too – 42mpg on long motorway run 4 up fully loaded and 30-35 mpg round town. Ok it’s not as cool as the astra or focus but really, how trendy is a focus anyway?

Wouldn’t swap mine for anything similar, unless it was the estate version (which is very rare)

Ford Fiesta

Zafiras are horrid to drive and will feel like a big car for her.

I recommend the Nissan Almera. Can be had to under £3k for a good version, not as tiny as a micra or corsa, probably on par with focus, very comfy, active happy engines, super reliable, quiet, 45mpg out of a 1.5 petrol engine, light and stable round corners… a fun car to drive generally. Not a single bad word to say about them.

I can second the nissan too. Great value, easy to find and reliable. Not as big a boot as my car though. 😉

Nissans are cheap second hand – the Top Gear factor means they depreciate.

Honda Civic – the shape before the bizarre one with the spoiler across the rear windscreen.

Bags of room in the car and in the boot. I have a 1.6 and it goes really well 🙂

Range Rover Vogue.
In black with drug dealer windows. Cheap now. Never known a mum not want one (secretly).