My wife and I are expecting our first child this spring. We have been looking for a new car to accomodate the addition to our family (especially since my old Z3 won't do the job anymore!) and have originally narrowed our choices down to a BMW 3 Series or 2009 A4. However, a recent conversation with a friend raised several questions/concerns with either vehicle, in particular:

- Can the back seats properly accommodate a car seat?
- Given the amount of room in the back, how easy/hard is it to get the carrier in and out of the car?
- Is there enough storage space in the trunk to accomodate the stroller and other stuff

Given these concerns, I am now also considereing an A4 Avant or the new Q5 as possible options.

For those with small babies or are familiar with these cars, what are your thoughts on the most suitable/"baby friendly" car in the Audi family?

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

 

I suggest you take the car seat with you and you try it in each car, not only you, your wife as well. You'll find the 3 series a bit tight. The A4 Avant has plrenty of room, but you have to bend down to seat the baby or remove him/her. The Q5 would be easy because of the height.

 

Have you considered the A6? the A4 gets a bit tight but the A6 gives you plenty of comfort and room and a ton of storage in the trunk. Personally I would never get an Avant as they remind me of a hurst, just my opinion i guess. I had an A4 and it is cozy I would say, I am buying an RS4 and planing on having a kid with that think in my garage, and thats even less space, but I did look into getting some pretty slimmed down strollers and they fit reasonably well and you have the option of putting the seat down as it is a 60/40 split rear seat arangement. Hope that helps!

P.S. The BMW looks a lot smaller to me then the A4, even width wise!

 

Proper fitment is not only going to depend on the vehicle, but also which car-seat is being used. I'm very particular as to the fitment of my daughter's car-seat in my vehicles, and as such, have purchased a new car-seat every time I buy a new vehicle. I usually take the car in question to the store and try them out until I find one that fits perfectly. When I shop for a car-seat, my sole criterion for purchase is safety/proper fitment.

After some looking, I even found a car-seat which allowed for proper install, and enough legroom, for my daughter to sit in the rear of my TT! Obviously, the fact that your seat will need to be rear-facing for a while will be your biggest challenge.

Just to reiterate the safety thing: of all the people I've seen install car-seats, I have [I]never[I] seen anyone but myself install is correctly.

 

Perhaps I'll get you to install for me! Just kidding....

 

Take the Q5!

 

Although my daughter is 2, I've had the A4 since she was born. The problem I have is that when the baby seat is in the car (behind the passenger seat), I have to have the passenger seat moved almost all the way forward so my daughter can have a bit of leg room. It's works okay because my wife is only 5'3", but it's a bit tight. I should have gone for an A6....

The trunk is big enough for a stroller and other baby stuff...

 

No problems here.

 

Good one Bryan!

 

My little girl is now almost 14 months, and has been in our A4 Avant from the day I drove her home from the hosp.
As others have said, you need to put the front passenger seat almost all the way forward. Doesn't leave much room, but it's only for the first 12 months or so. We were really happy when we turned her seat around (and so was she). So it'll work for ya if one of you can sit relatively cramped for about a year, or just sit in the back w/the kid. Worked great for me, since I got to drive 100% of the time (wife's smaller than me ).
In my opinion, don't get a SUV. I also borrow a 2002 Silverado 4x4 from time to time, about the size of most full size SUVs, and it was a pain lifting her up and getting her into the beast the few times we did it. Much easier to get a kid into an A4, and the Avant has plenty of space behind the seat.
Oh yeah we routinely get 7 to 7.5 L/100km @ 120 km/h in the summer with the kid and a load of crap behind her. Gas is only temporarily cheap . Go get an A4 Avant. You'll love it.