Baby led car change

[Curly]

So I'm sure this is a situation that a lot of you have encountered before.

Baby comes along and all of a sudden, the mx5 is lacking a couple of extra seats...

I'm in a situation where I don't drive my mx5 much as I ride to work, and when I go out with the family, we take the (urgh) Countryman. I'd be lucky to do a few thousand km annually in the mx5.

So I can barely justify keeping it, but I see in the not too distant future it will become a liability not being able to pick up said child from places, and even more of an issue if another one pops out.

Problem is, I love driving the mx5. I love sliding it around on gravel, I love balancing it on the throttle on on-ramps and I love stuffing it down a twisty road when the opportunity arises.

Question is - how much do the sub $20k alternatives suck? The 86/BRZ is at the upper end of what I can justify in terms of cost (since I doubt I'm going to drive it any more often). I've got a soft spot for an Alfa GTV/GT/Brera, but I suspect it's going to be a nose heavy, understeery fwd thing to drive. I love the rx8, but they've got a hell of a bad reputation. There's the WRX/STI/Evo, but they're probably a bit quick for my limited levels of self control. Integra/Civic type R?

Not sure I really want to go down the hot hatch route either, although a Fiesta ST or Clio could be fun. Been there...

Or do I look at something a little more classic and learn about carbs and points and oil leaks and flatbeds? Alfa 175/2000GTV? E30 BMW?

Or do I just admit it's all over and spend the next few years trying to find an Alfa 159 wagon with a manual box and petrol engine?

[Ruffian147]

Get a Hilux. You'll love it.

[smy0003]

Couple recent discussions about the hot-hatch thing.
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=73805&p=901031#p901031

viewtopic.php?f=53&t=73543&p=898297&hilit=hot+hatch#p898297

Four doors makes baby seat entry/exit a lot easier and I'd discount the 86 on that alone.

BMW 130i might fit the bill, but are quite rare. A circa 2010 WRX sedan would be nice, plenty of rear room and boot space for taking the extra luggage which comes with extra little people. Never did get to drive one, but ridden shotgun and they go alright in a straight line.

Renault do a GT wagon version of the Megane III, 166kW small wagon. Same engine as the RS so 200kW is just a tune away.

Or, do you go full bogan with a VEII SS? They are cheap now (although running costs are right up there). Roomy, safe, fast in a straight line. Perfect for long holiday trips.

[Blade_Hunter]

86 will give you a similar (not the same) driving experience with regards to handling.

I would recommend stay away from the Subies, lots of power, boring as bat sh*t to drive unless you really start to push it, the problem is to push those things anywhere near it's limits you need to put your license on the line (not smart when you have a new kid coming). Don't get me wrong, they are wonderful wonderful cars but they do everything for you, if you love driving the MX5 it's most likely for the rawness of it, you will lose all semblance of that in a Subie AWD Turbo thing (Lib / WRX / Levorg).

[Magpie]

You can legally put a baby seat in the MX5 so it can be used for these sort of family duties.

https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/safety/rules/children/where-to-sit/
Cars with only 1 row of seats
Children of any age can sit in the front seat as long as they are properly restrained.
If a car has a passenger airbag, a rear-facing child restraint shouldn't be used in the front seat if the restraint is positioned close to the airbag.

[AndyT]

Couple recent discussions about the hot-hatch thing.
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=73805&p=901031#p901031

Or, do you go full bogan with a VEII SS? They are cheap now (although running costs are right up there). Roomy, safe, fast in a straight line. Perfect for long holiday trips.

OT I know but comments like this really irk me. The Commodore is an incredible car on the world scale so why bogan? Is an MX5 rice then? I have both and great cars in their right.

Now I'll take a deep breath and get a coffee.....thankyou

[JBT]

As a grandparent with four littlies ranging from 2 to 9 needing granny transport. Our solution:

Mazda6 hatch - 5 doors, auto, reliable, excellent aircon and boring as batsh!t but, it carries us + 3 adults, or three kids in baby/booster seats, in comfort and you can still put a pile of stuff in the boot. It also doubles as a removal van with the back seats lowered.
MX-5 - for our fun and the occasional short drive with the oldest two kids.
BMW 135i - for blistering performance and fun with up to two kids in the back. BUTTTT....it's a coupe and right PITA to get any restraints (and then the kids that go in them) in there. No worries for the self loading kids not needing additional restraint.

So there you have it - you need three cars!

[Mr Morlock]

I would recommend steering well clear of Alfas. They have a poor reputation and you can bet that service and resale value is poor as well.

If driving capability and fun is an issue then its probably a hot hatch that might do the trick. Used vehicles are affordable. Reliability resale and service is a real issue for a family. Focus has some really interesting cars though the comments about Subie WRX are surprising - I thought they would be fun- maybe not. Consider also insurance premiums. Insofar as the bigger cars Falcon, Commodore quite frankly they are not agile little things like an MX-5 but they are mighty vehicles with performance, good to drive and heaps of space for passengers and gear. Sedans like those drive better than any of the SUVs and the urban trucks like Hi Lux are still just coarse work horses which are not even very comfortable.

PS look after the bub with a safe car - that applies to all drivers and passengers as well. The 86 or BRZ etc are not meant for this and would be a pain.

[kalt]

BMW 135i

I'm interested in your thoughts on comparison drives between your NC and the 135i (auto or manual?) apart from the power and weight difference, is the driving experience similar? I've yet to drive the 135i but am leaning towards obtaining one.


Baby trailer not an option right? Just checking

[BlackLeaf]

Baby comes along... the mx5 is lacking a couple of extra seats... I can barely justify keeping it... I love driving the mx5.

I can relate. I have four kids. When the first child came along, my wife suggested the MX5 (which I had owned for four years before we got married) needed to go because it was impractical. With the second child she was adamant that as we had the two kids and the MX5 only had one available seat, surely I could see her point? I explained that my rationale for keeping the MX5 was that we had two kids and the MX only had one seat (and couldn't she see my point?), and at a pinch I could fit a second child on the parcel shelf and a third in the boot. Perhaps because of the bluntness of my delivery, this did not go too well.

By the third child the issue was not even discussed. The solution all along was to have a solid and reliable second car that was fit for the purpose of family life... a Mazda 626 initially, then a Toyota Avalon when the third came along, and then a Mitsubishi Grandis for the fourth. The MX was used to augment the family logistics of pick-ups and drop-offs and we all got along very nicely, and have only rarely been caught out (this is where grandparents come in). And now the eldest is driving and we have added a Hyundai i20 to the stable, things are even more flexible. And I still drive an MX5.

Sounds like you already have your own solution with your 5 and the Countryman. But it also sounds like you have already made your mind up and are looking for a different solution.

In my view, don't blur the lines. Replacing the 5 with another sporty car with more seats will be a compromise on a number of levels (this is common wisdom on this forum) and probably be impractical when it comes to gaining access to baby seats and what have you, and the kids will probably only shite and vomit on your upholstery, put crayon on your windows and trim, and shove ungodly rusk sticks into various car orifices that you will only be able to smell but not find until weeks later. This will make you unhappy and create stress in your relationship.

Why look at getting rid of the 5 and getting a $20k solutions? Keep the MX5 (you will regret it if you don't and you might even subconsciously blame your wife and/or first child), keep your current second car (what is a Countryman anyway?), spend $2k on the MX as a reward to you for such logical, family-orientated thinking, spend $1k on a pre-birth holiday with your wife, and put the remainder of the $20k towards a house deposit or education fund. In 18-years you will have a ready made answer to this question when it is again asked on this forum.

On the flip side, if you are not particularly passionate about the MX5, just sell it and move on... but prepare yourself for the regrets which will inevitably come.

Good luck.

[JBT]

BMW 135i

I'm interested in your thoughts on comparison drives between your NC and the 135i (auto or manual?) apart from the power and weight difference, is the driving experience similar? I've yet to drive the 135i but am leaning towards obtaining one.

Both our NC and BMW are 6 speed manual. The 135i is nothing like the NC to drive as they are completely different philosophies...but I absolutely love it! The NC is a a low powered sports car that loves being tossed around and needs to keep the speed up to, in and through the corners. The 135i, at 1500 kg, is a joy to drive, likes to go hard and has fantastic (Brembo) brakes. It's a bit more dignified by going slow in and bloody fast out of corners.

Having said that, the Bimmer handles quite well, given its weight, but tends to understeer which is not helped by the staggered wheel setup (7.5" front and 8.5" rear). I've reversed the tyre pressures (recommended by performance suspension man) to 42 psi front and 36 psi rear which has helped a bit. I believe fitting the slightly stiffer E90 M3 front sway bar also helps....even though this sounds counter-intuitive....because it does a better job of keeping the macstruts camber in check. Mine is standard poverty pack (no I Drive) but does have a BMS JB4 hooked on by the PO which is currently set to "pass through" until I think I can handle even more powah.

[zero00]

As an owner of two MX-5's, NA & NB I also have an 86. The latter is a fantastic car, totally reliable and very economical at 5.4L/100km on a trip at the speed limit. You would have to be moving the seat forward every time bub takes a ride but no doubt you would get used to that

I have had the NB 7 years next month and the NA 6 years in March, the 86 will be 4yo on Valentine's Day

I suggest go for a test drive if you haven't already done so and see for yourself

Mine is now out of warranty but with service every 15,000km/9 months it's very reasonable at around $320

[Curly]

Get a Hilux. You'll love it.

Haha, yeah, no thanks.

I also have an 86. The latter is a fantastic car, totally reliable and very economical at 5.4L/100km on a trip at the speed limit.

Yeah, I think the 86 is going to be a sensible choice - reliable, affordable, 4 seats yet still fun to drive. Yes it's not going to be as practical as other choices, but it's not going to be the primary child hauler.

BMW 130 is an option I had been considering, not sure why I didn't add it to the post.

I would recommend steering well clear of Alfas. They have a poor reputation and you can bet that service and resale value is poor as well.

Yeah, but they're really pretty and I've never owned one. I've got a pretty high tolerance for breaking down (having said that, it's a bigger deal if there's a child in the car) and being off the road while waiting for parts. Resale value would be less of an issue if I buy one cheap and second hand.

comments like this really irk me. The Commodore is an incredible car on the world scale so why bogan?

Part of me would like a Commodore wagon before they go out of production, but Holden haven't made manual ones for years, so that's out. Not to mention the wife would veto it on 'bogan' grounds, unfair as that may be.

stay away from the Subies, lots of power, boring as bat sh*t to drive unless you really start to push it, the problem is to push those things anywhere near it's limits you need to put your license on the line

I've got a GC8 rally car in the shed, which is pretty quick (although like everything, you get used to the speed very quickly). Unless you do some suspension work they're pretty understeery. Turns out that the 'rally budget' and 'baby budget' are quite closely linked, as one goes up, the other goes down. Currently the cat is the main user of this car.

Renault do a GT wagon version of the Megane III, 166kW small wagon. Same engine as the RS so 200kW is just a tune away.

That's a pretty good option, cheers. Skoda Octavia RS wagons are coming down in price a bit too.


Cheers for everyone's input.

[kalt]

.. The 135i, at 1500 kg, is a joy to drive ..

Thanks for the review JBT