It's the only car in the house right now. With me commuting by train I have no need for another car so we use the Fabia VRS.

Missus is 3 months gone. Looked at getting another 4x4 (I used to run a TDV8), A6 le man's.....anything with a massive boot and decent grunt.

Sick of the leaks, damp problems, dirty seats, narrow powerband, rattles, lack of spec and quirky electrics. But bloody heck do I love the versatility and sheer grin factor of the MK1

Anyone here kept the MK1 with babies or newborns?

We will be buying the Mothercare Orb pram, and opting for the maxi cosi familyfix ISO base with the pebble child seat.

Car is worth only 3.5k so was thinking of just running it a bit longer

I think it would be fine. Plenty of suitable baby carriages that can go on the rear bench and I gather the boot is big enough for most folding pushchairs.

Keep it.

My 5 year old son fits in back no probs.. i have an estate so bigger boot but the rear leg room etc are the same

We occasionally have 2 adults and two kids in a 1.4mpi and the pushchair in the boot.

I say occasionally as I have an Octy estate which is obviously more spacious.

Make sure the pram / pushchair fits the boot and you'll be fine for many more years yet.

You should be fine. I managed with a Mk2 Golf for a year when my first daughter was born and i think the boot on the Mk2 is no bigger then the Fabia.

Now have Fabia Estate which is great for two kids.

At my daughters (kids now aged 10 & 5) school there seems to be an obsession with pleople carriers, which in my view are just not necessary for two kids let alone one.

Good luck with the new addition to your family.

I'd say yes.

I have two young children, 2&4 years old and our stuff fits in fine. 2 year old still has a buggy if we go out on long trips and it fits in no probs.

My workmate uses a lupo and has never had a problem with her newborn

I have a other half and a 1yo little boy and a labrador! It's tight but we manage. It's just knowing where and how to squeeze things in. Eg when takin the dog we have to take the buggy rather then the silver cross and its has to slide behind the front seats wrapped in a blanket to keep the seats clean. I am goin to get a roof box though for summer time when we go away.

Edited 1 February, 201313 yr by mikejay

My workmate uses a lupo and has never had a problem with her newborn

Lol i had a slammed lupo when my missus was pregnant (she loved the bumps at 8 months gone )..

But when we test fitted the rear facing child seat it would fit in the back with anyone in the front n the pram wouldnt fit in thr boot either :(..

I ended up having to drive 2 hours n pick up a polo while she was in labour !!

To depends how much rubbish you both feel the need to cart around.

We managed fine when we used my mk1 vRS.

Some people manage with a baby seat and a changing bag. Plus maybe a fold up buggy.

Others want all sort or stuff you don't really need and so need a barge. Like a big fancy buggy that's won't even go in the back.

How is the chip shop going?

some times its just a little too tight. lol

Mines been fine. Miley's now 7 months and no probs. we have to remove one of the pram wheels to get it in easy but its quick release so takes seconds.

Fitting the car seat in the back behind the front passenger seat can be a little tight if the seats back too much.

Our 1.4mpi takes me, the missus, my 3 year old in a Britax Max-way ERF seat, and my 8 month old in his stage 0, without issue. Plenty of room when we up to another max-way too.

There's a bit less room in the back with that setup than in my Astra (main familywagon), but then it's a narrower car. We don't use a pushchair though..we use a soft carrier and wear the kids on our fronts/backs. Way more versatile than a pushchair.

My 2p... (I have no baby experience, though..) This it purely my logical expectations..

The Fabia is a bit of a Tardis when you can Tetris it up... BUT, I can see that the minute you have too keep "this way up".. (apparently this applies to babies??) Things could get tricky..

Also, Changing car now, for something bigger surely means less ball ache changing once the baby arrives.. less time playing Tetris, the ability to lob it in the back and go (not the baby, obviously)...

Finically the sooner the better as well, surely? Once the kid's here your bank account's gonna seem a tad tighter for things like new cars.. but if it's already on the drive then you'll find a way (hopefully)..

Alternatively.. Keep the Fabia, find the optional parcel shelf net, and use it as a baby hammock.

Edited 1 February, 201313 yr by Rob.

Well I have two kids one 7 and one 4 and am usein a 3 door ibiza Cupra the Fabia sheres the same platform

IMHO while you can fit in the Fabia in the configuration required , the car that is really newborn baby's parent friendly is the Octavia. does not matter if it's Mk1,Mk2 or Mk3.

Basically, Octavia's boot area and depth is large enough for you to stop thinking about arranging stuff there, about folding prams fully etc. Anything you want to carry (and you do want to carry a lot of stuff around a newborn), you just open the hatch and chuck stuff in without problems/thinking too much/using both hands etc., matters most when you're tired. Even our current Roomster does not allow that (though kids like it more than the Octy on account of panoramic roof and elevated seating), you do need to take a rear seat out (or at least move them forward) from time to time to carry bigger items in a Roomie.

For older kids though, it just depends on how tall the adults are. If you need legroom, then Roomster has a lot more of it, if not, Fabia will do just fine, though you may consider extra storage on the roof / on towbar when you run out of space in the boot. There's also Rapid but it seems to be overpriced.

Edited 1 February, 201313 yr by dieselV6

Me, the missus, and kids (5yo and 6 month old) regularly take the Fab to visit family in both Plymouth (hers) and Bristol (mine) for the weekend. Its plenty big enough for an all in 1 travel system and our bags in the boot. Ok, sometimes when we have a ton of stuff like we did at Christmas its a bit of a squeeze. Ask yourself honestly, how often are you likely to need to put most of your wardrobe in suitcases to throw in the back, as well as the pushchair, kids, everything else! Its plenty sufficient imho!

And if you need that little bit extra space, then get a Fabia Estate.

The mk1 octy estate is massive! My brother fitted a complete Leon cupra r interior in the boot with his 2 kids in the back seat in their bulky seats

my mk1 easy fits me the SWMBO and 2 kids. 1 In a stage 1/2/3 carseat and the pushchair in the boot. And still have room for shopping.

We have two kids (2 and 4) and two adults in comfortably enough. If I could fit a baby and a push chair in a car that had a boot you couldn't stand a roll of kitchen roll up in then I don't see why you'd think a mk1 fabia wasn't big enough?

ive got me my missus 6 year old 4 year old and 3 year old

nuff said lol

My fabia has plenty of room in the back for my 16month old, and still plenty of room for the passenger in the front.

Also as well as the huge bottle of nitrous in the boot, I could fit the pushchair and multiple amounts of bags.

My 3 yr old fits comfortably in there, even with his many many toys. The problem arises for me when, on the odd occasion, I have to take my 1 yr old cousin somewhere with a pram.

Any pram always seems just a midge's too big for the boot and the parcel shelf needs to come out.

It's only a small inconvenience though.

Iv got my partner, a 7yr old and a 17 month old and we can all fit in with a pram and a few other bits and pieces if carefully packed no problem. The thing thats making me think about selling my vrs is that even with the most carefull of packing, i struggle to get my 2 dobermans in no matter how hard i try !! passat estate will be next i think.