New car time and this time I've gone all out 'dad'

[Atik]

I've really gone and done it now. A proper dad car for a new dad!
Replacing the Volvo V70R, because believe it or not, I can't get the rear seatbelts over the baby seat in it! So useless as a family car. And I refuse to fit seatbelt extenders.

Anyway, here it is:
2009 Ford Mondeo 2.2TDCi Titanium X
Feel free to use the pan smiley on me.
Fully spec'd car with the 175ps TDCi engine so plenty of grunt even though its not a proper petrol turbo. Been driving it for a week now, and I love it! Even though its the hatchback, it has a bigger load space in the boot compared to the Volvo. Anyway, hoping for a few years of completely hassle free motoring! Got a Ford dealer walking distance from home for anything and everything that needs doing. The only thing I needs doing on it it getting a part fitted to the stereo so I can connect my phone to the stereo.
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[Nick Mann]

Ridiculous! I also hope you get stress free motoring, as I can't believe you will get driving satisfation from it! It also sounds like congrats are in order?

[foxdie]

Atik a daddy?? Congrats!!!

[TAR]

And here was me thinking you needed the car seat to get a better view out the windscreen. Congrats on the new addition, shame about the wheels.

[Confused]

Commiserations and congrats!

I'll let you decide on what order to place those in...

[jaspa]

Congrats on the child front

Stuart

[adaxo]

Congrats of being a dad (there is a chance child can cure petrolheadenes!!!), not too sure about car pick

[Atik]

Thanks all.
Got a 3 month old little boy now, and we've been using the wife's car solely for family duties as mine was unsuitable. Now have two cars that fit the family role. Its definitely not as fun, but i must admit its a nice car to be in for general day to day driving. Fully kitted inside and out, so plenty of toys to keep me occupied. Unsure if I will take the diesel remap route as its possible to go from 170-ish to 220-ish bhp with the right map.

I had an older 2002 Mondeo for a while a few years ago, and that was also hassle free driving while I had it. But with only 115hp, it was so under-powered. With 170-ish hp now its got enough grunt for most of my needs. Just cant drive the car in anger as the rev range is so short!

[Davezj]

Congrats on the new addition Atik.
My brother in law used to have V70 estates and always managed to get child seats to fit without the need for seatbelt extensors. Not sure if they had isofix points or not but still got child seats to fit.
I just think that is an excuse to dad it up properly, Go the hole sensible dad for a few years and then go and get a R35 skyline.


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[MPBVr4]

Congrats ATIK.

I had 20 years (Post Datsun 260Z) in the wilderness when the kids came along. My first PROPER car once they were grown up was my Silver VR4
havn't looked back since, nothing less than 280BHP

[jaspa]

pre-daughter I only really drove MR2s so not ideal as a family car so I decided that I should probably get something suitable for transporting a wife, a child and the enormous amount of luggage that comes with them.

That's why I ended up with another Legnum The wife has a Qashqai so normal journeys are covered.

I still have the MR2 but it's sat on my driveway starting to look sorry for itself as there's no point having a weekend toy if you can't take the family so I think the MR2 is going up for sale next month once it is MOTd.

Stuart

[Atik]

I did consider getting another Legnum for a while, but running costs and maintenance demands were a little prohibitive. Paying £400 for insurance on the Mondeo while it would have been closer to £900 for a Legnum. Much longer maintenance schedule and therefore reduced cost of running the car. Fuel was never any issue but now having one tank of diesel lasting me two months instead of one tank of unleaded per month takes me from around £1000 per year on fuel to £500 per year.

But I have plans to be back in a JDM special car at some point.

[elnevio]

Congrats Atik!

And I suppose well done on the little lad too!!

[carfanatic]

Congrats of being a dad (there is a chance child can cure petrolheadenes!!!), not too sure about car pick

Erm, well I have 3 children one of whom was 40 last June (you can do the maths). I am still a boy racer. So no, kids don't cure petrolheadness. Congrats on the sprog. Maybe he will grow up fast and show you the error of your ways. :-)

Who do you insure with, mines £280 with agreed value. Probably less than the Mondeo bus.