Apparently I need a bigger car

[cycosis]

JUST so everyone knows, there is no booster seat law in Alberta. Apparently it infringes on the "rights" on rural communities, ie. farmers/hutterites etc.

Parents in Canada have an odd tendency to move their kid to the next stage at the earliest possible moment. This is bad practice.

You should always try to maximize each stage of a car seat, while managing the operating environment in the vehicle. Keep them rear facing as long as possible, forward facing in a 5 point harness as long as possible, then a booster seat as long as possible. Make sure they outgrow the height or weight limit of the stage.

[killramos]

Well I am mildly impressed, seat fits pretty well in there. Esp with front seat all the way forward.

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I can still fit in front of it (though only just) and I am about 6 feet tall. Not bad for a little 2 series.


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If I adjust the seat to where I would actually want it rear room is more like this:


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Still alright. Might be tight for an older kid.

Overall, 2er is workable as a "sometimes" family wagon I think. This aligns with my overall opinion of the 2's rear seats. Leg room is actually decent due to the shape of the seats. It's only height that really gets you, which I have the same problem with even in a luxo barge cls550. Again perfectly workable in a pinch.

Also no comment on how long it took me to figure out how to install it without instructions

Anyhow shutting up as if OP can't make a 3 series sedan work a 2 series coupe is defs not in the running.

Personally if I had to ditch the 2 a GLA45 would be on the short list. I really enjoyed it when rage let me take it for a rip last summer.

[03ozwhip]

^ lol nice! Good job Fitting it haha. As far as dealers go, how far is their reach? If I'm looking for a particular vehicle that a local dealer doesn't have but some other dealer in a different province has one, how would I find out if they have a reach there?

[Jeff TYPE R]

Strange thread. The discussion went from a Buick Lacrosse to some guy stuffing a car seat into a 2 series and snapping photos for the thread.

My wife drives an X3 35i. We won't be at the booster stage for awhile, but I think rear facing seats take up just as much room anyway. It's fairly spacious, comfortable, and it has enough grunt to embarrass ricers and speed ahead of whomever is being a dick on the road. It doesn't handle at all, but you'd have to be a fairly awful person to really put that to the test with kids in the car.

[rage2]

Originally posted by Jeff TYPE R
My wife drives an X3 35i. We won't be at the booster stage for awhile, but I think rear facing seats take up just as much room anyway. It's fairly spacious, comfortable, and it has enough grunt to embarrass ricers and speed ahead of whomever is being a dick on the road. It doesn't handle at all, but you'd have to be a fairly awful person to really put that to the test with kids in the car.

You appreciate the handling when kids aren't in the car, just like how you appreciate your power to embarrass ricers and speed ahead of dicks. Unless of course you're an awful person and embarrass ricers with the kids in the back.

Or maybe you're just getting old and have outgrown being a car guy and willing to settle for boring to drive cars.

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by rage2

You appreciate the handling when kids aren't in the car, just like how you appreciate your power to embarrass ricers and speed ahead of dicks. Unless of course you're an awful person and embarrass ricers with the kids in the back.

Or maybe you're just getting old and have outgrown being a car guy and willing to settle for boring to drive cars.

The only time the SUV doesn't have kids in it is also when the wife is driving it and she doesn't care all too much. As far as embarrassing ricers with kids in the back...well that just makes it all the more embarrassing for them, doesn't it?

But yes, the older I get, the more tame (lame?) my cars.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Kind of an odd ball suggestion but you can get a 2016 Hyundai Genesis 5.0 V8 Ultimate for $52K right now ($10K off) before negotiations. It has a better interior than some of the Germans and all the electronic toys of a loaded 5-series or similar. 430 HP, napa leather, Lexicon stereo, etc. It's a pretty big car, lots of back seat room. Value proposition is very high, even though it's not quite as fun as something from BMW.

[03ozwhip]

Is it really a smart decision to spend 50k on a hyundai? That kinda worries me.

[JRSC00LUDE]

I see Hyundai as a bit of a black hole if you buy new/lease. Good cars in their own right but such horrid depreciation that once you're in one you have to stay in them or take a big bath to get out.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by 03ozwhip
Is it really a smart decision to spend 50k on a hyundai? That kinda worries me.

Not sure how these new ones will hold their value, they are only as old as 2014. Just looking on auto trader, all the 5.0 Ultimates on there are 2015-2016 and basically full MSRP so there isn't really much data. Anyway, just a thought. I was impressed by it for the money, but I agree that public perception still isn't where it should be for Hyundai - it's a fair concern.

Maybe they're better to lease if Hyundai pulls a GM and gives you an inflated residual.

[03ozwhip]

So I posted in the latest purchase thread but thought I'd update this one. I checked out the GLA45 and wow, it's a small hatch, I thought it would be bigger, but for the size of the car it was roomy.

That being said, I decided that I didn't want a $750-$1000 a month payment, so I looked around and found the perfect combination of the 335 and "non suv/hatch in my budget" and picked up the X1 35i. It's a blast to drive. Its already got a dinan stage 2, black grills and intake and I plan on doing a bunch more to it, it helps that it's an awesome color and it's mostly loaded lol

Thanks To Rage2 for offering to let me drive both his and his brothers vehicles to make a decision even though I didn't need it, they were both at mercedes, 2 birds one stone lol