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Baby seat in Megane III or Clio IV


chuckovski

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Hi Mate and welcome,

 

I own a 2012 RS250 CUP and i'm also a parent with 2 kids.

1 is 6yr old and the other is just coming up to 4 months.

 

Have a booster seat and a rear facing child seat in the 250 and I've had no issues.

Mind you though I am only 170cms or so so getting in and out isn't really an issue for me.

 

at the end of the day the Clio is a 5 door Auto 1.6ltr while the Meg 3 is a Manual only and is a 2ltr beast.

 

One is a great stop start traffic with the occasional mountain run/track day while the meg was built for twists and tracks.I use ours as a daily as well, I would say for us even though we were planning on more children decided to go with the meg purely based on wanting a real drivers car.

 

hope that helps and if you have any other questions please ask away :D

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Great post, so glad i found it. I was gonna ask exactly the same thing. I was looking for a daily family vehicle and considered the new clioEDC. I also considered the focus st and the new mazda 3. Don't know why, but i only recently thought of the Megane 250. I actually thought that 3 dr cars would be difficult to live with, with the kids. Kaesh, do you ever think "geez i wish a had a 5 door car?" Im just trying to imagine if it would be an issue getting the seat and baby in and out all the time. Im really excited now about test driving a Meg 250! :)

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We have a 200EDC and went baby seat shopping on the weekend. Currently the contender is this: http://www.babykingdom.com.au/shopexd.a ... 4208&bc=no as it's the compact version so fits ok in the rearward facing position for the first 6 months. My understanding is after the seat is in the forward facing position, fitment isn't really an issue for most cars.

 

We went with the 200 because of its 5 doors and the wife will be driving it most of the time so ease of access is key. We've been weighing up changing cars for something bigger but after the test fit of the seat and pram, we're thinking we'll stay with the Clio as it's easy to park around our place which has narrow streets and tight parking.

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Kaesh, do you ever think "geez i wish a had a 5 door car?" Im just trying to imagine if it would be an issue getting the seat and baby in and out all the time.

 

To be perfectly honest no, only reason is that although we have a 5dr focus I don't use it and as the partner works early hours it is often up to me to get the kids organised for school/childcare.

 

so I would say that they are in the Meg 75% of the week while we it might sound a bit weird seeing as we have a 5 door but I would rather drive the Meg and live with a little discomfort for me then drive something bland if that makes sense?

 

we have a capsule which makes it a lot easier as baby is secured into the seat before he goes in the meg and the giant 3 wheel "Jogger" pram we have has an attachment so that we can just take the whole capsule out and click it into the pram.This makes it easy. In saying that we also bought a second seat and this one isn't a capsule but a normal rear facing and for this one there is a little discomfort getting in and out with baby, But as the meg has a slightly higher roof for the back passengers it makes it easy at my height to get baby in and out.For me there is a plenty of room and my 6yr old gets in and out perfectly fine.

 

I find that having those small triangular passenger windows a great thing too as the sun is kept right out of baby's eyes :)

 

It might not be to everyone's liking so i would say try and get in and out on your own from the back of the meg especially in tight spaces as those doors are huge in my opinion and f you can live with that then the Meg 3 might be for you.

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Best of both worlds you could look at the GT220. Has the space for all the kids gear (and there is alot of that) plus its 5 door for easy access and you still have the sporty feel and engine to boot. Yes I will admit its no 250 or 265 but it still drives well and is a great compromise IMHO. I am biased (who isnt) but I love mine and think its a great way to get the kiddies around town. Just throwing it out there.

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with the clio IV, I can vouch that you can easly fit 2 baby seats in the back and sit an adult in the middle without issue as there is no centre arm rest and there is plenty of head room. well...I'm only 180cm tall. the good thing with the clio front seats is that the backing of the front seats are soft leather (cup trophy) so if you have long legs, you wont bang your knees in hard plastic. The clio rear door also opens extra wide which makes life much easier when climbing to the back and install/remove the child seat.

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Hi everyone,

Many thanks to all of you for your replies.

I was particularly surprised (and pleased!) that you could fit your family in there kaesh.

We'll be looking this weekend at an RS265, RS200, and an ST, and see how the boss finds them. Would love an RS265 ...

The other option is the Octavia RS but we'll wait until there are some more reasonably priced demos around.

Great to have so many options to choose from, we're all spoiled for choice!

 

I have to ask those owning the Clio Cup: it looks like the tyres are the most expensive on the planet. What tyres do people use, and how much would it cost? The prices make it almost impossible for me to justify the cup version.

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Ace you're right, even just the five door (which I've seen has been released as part of the facelift update) gt220 would be great family cars. However we already have a Skoda superb for the daily drive with child, this topic I should have started by stating that this is a second car that I need to be able to transport a child if needed. More of a desired car than one of need and practicality.

My dream car for the last few years has been the Renault sport megane and I finally have the opportunity to get one, and running it past the Misses the question she's always had is the one of practicality.

For just one family car, Octavia rs or gt220 would really be the only options in my mind. And maybe the Clio or focus if you're good at packing (I'm not).

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I have an RS265 which carries my 6 year old and my older two kids with no issues. The wife has a Vectra for days when the five of us need to go somewhere together (rare occasions). The RS has a fair amount of rear seat room once you're in there.

 

I don't get the whole 'justification for the missus' thing. She's got a car, get the car you want.

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250 here with 7 & 9 year olds. No dramas at all, although they don't really like not being able to see out the window. 7 year old has just ditched the booster but it wasn't an issue. I actually convinced myself that I needed a 4 door when the kids were younger, so I traded my old 172 for an XR5 and regretted it. We do have the family barge (SV6), but I still do the school run in the Meg a couple of days a week. Also not a problem carting all 4 of us around, but we do use the SV6 for the family holiday trips due to the extra boot space.

 

Speedfiend nailed it with his last sentence.

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250 here with 7 & 9 year olds. No dramas at all, although they don't really like not being able to see out the window. 7 year old has just ditched the booster but it wasn't an issue. I actually convinced myself that I needed a 4 door when the kids were younger, so I traded my old 172 for an XR5 and regretted it. We do have the family barge (SV6), but I still do the school run in the Meg a couple of days a week. Also not a problem carting all 4 of us around, but we do use the SV6 for the family holiday trips due to the extra boot space.

 

Speedfiend nailed it with his last sentence.

 

We have a similar set up. I randomly use the RB8 for whenever I need to take the kids or family. If its a long drive then we take the SUV. Kids are 6 and 14 with the little one still in booster. You just make do with what you have, I don't think 2 doors is an issue.

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Ace you're right, even just the five door (which I've seen has been released as part of the facelift update) gt220 would be great family cars. However we already have a Skoda superb for the daily drive with child, this topic I should have started by stating that this is a second car that I need to be able to transport a child if needed. More of a desired car than one of need and practicality.

My dream car for the last few years has been the Renault sport megane and I finally have the opportunity to get one, and running it past the Misses the question she's always had is the one of practicality.

For just one family car, Octavia rs or gt220 would really be the only options in my mind. And maybe the Clio or focus if you're good at packing (I'm not).

 

Easy answer here mate, get a 250. I have 4 kids and I occasionaly have to take them to school or pick them up and had no problems. Initially my 2 youngest were in booster seats, even then I could still fit my daughter in the middle in the back (just).

 

Just do it already, you'll be amazed how much room there is in the back. Prior to the 250 I had a Passat R36, there was definitely more room across the back seat in the 250 than there was in the Passat.

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I have had the 265 loaded up with me (6'2), my son (same height), 15 year old daughter (5'9) and 6 year old daughter ( she's tall enough to not need a booster seat). It's cosy but not uncomfortable. I wouldn't drive to Melbourne with all of them but for an hour at a time there's no issues. I've had two doors since my first Beetle (blah) and six RS2000's in a row. The styling advantage is well worth the effort!

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So, we're (myself and the missus) both happy with both Clio 200 and Megane 265

Went for a test drive on the weekend and holy crap - I LOVE these cars! Both of them. But I love the 265 more. I couldn't believe the amount of torque steer I got in the 200. I

And why the hell does anyone complain about the ride quality in these cars? I drove over some of the worst tarmac in our suburb with no difference from our 'normal' Mazda 3. Also I didn't have any complaints about the gear shift changes even in just sport mode with the 200. It may be that my manual changes are just too slow ...

So ... deposit paid on demo capsicum red 265 Trophy +

AWESOME!!

Will post some pics somewhere when I take delivery. Probably some with a baby seat so that others can see - I was impressed with the back seat room being as big as Ace mentioned. I reckon there's more space than the clio, just less doors.

Also many thanks to all of your contributions elsewhere on the forum - things like fuel consumption and tyre cost was starting to make my head hurt and my wallet already bleed, so it was reassuring to hear some real world figures and prices (who would have thought buying tyres on eBay would not be a stupid thing to do?).

 

For those who are looking at a GT220 this would be hard to go past - this kind of value made me think twice:

http://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/detai ... =4&sdmvc=1

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Congratulations mate and welcome to the RS family. Not many reds around so you will have something a little different and very cool. Just be aware the RS handling is only as awesome as the tyres letting it keep grip with terra-firma. It's 1 area you don't want to scrimp on come time to replace or the whole driving experience might dull a bit.

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Thanks everyone

 

MM-RS250, any specific recommendations? The general consensus from the forum appears to be the continental contisport contacts (which I assume the car comes with OEM), but people have mentioned Goodyear F1GSD3s.

 

I guess I'm wanting a short cut - not keen to read through all 1200 posts (in total) on that topic! But I guess I will get there =)

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I will say the Conti's mate but only because they are OEM on our's and after 22000km only just at half wear. Have had a few good drive days on them and rate them very highly. They should make the 3 years and roughly 35000km easily.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

We (wife and I) have two car seats in the back of our 225 (3-door). One is an isofix Maxi Cosi convertible. It's rear facing at the moment and the only inconvenience is the passenger seat, which is in front of it, is slightly more forward than we'd have it, but not uncomfortably so. Unless you own a long wheelbase Bombodore, there isn't a car I've been in that could handle front seats right back in a comfortable position while the child seat is rear facing. I am 182cm tall and wife is 167cm.

 

"So why do I post this given you ask if someone has this set up in a Clio III?" I hear you ask. Well I've had exactly the same set up in the RB7. While it's slightly smaller than the 225, again I wouldn't call it uncomfortable. This is with the Recaros. We tend to use the 225 for the kids as it's the wife's car, so is fitted and equipped with everything that is naturally a pain in the a*** to swap into the Clio unless there's a long drive ahead (e.g. nappy bags, Elmo wipes, pram, change of clothes, toys, etc.). While both cars have no rear passenger doors we don't want to get rid of either. We both enjoy driving. For reference, the kids are 13 months, and 5 years old. The youngest had his first ride in the 225.

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Thanks drdrei - most helpful.

How do you go with the pram in the boot BTW? Any troubles fitting? Or just selective about the size you got?

My other car is a Camry... So have acres in there, was just concerned that a Clio won't be a great back up if needed.

 

However, have just looked at the Clio III - surprised by the extra rear seat room over the mkII.

Could actually work...

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I was faced with the same concerns about having 2 baby seats in the back of a rs250, and decided to just take the plunge as it would never be the primary car to transport the kids.

 

After having the car for 3 months now. I can say that I haven't looked back or regretted it. I have a 4 yr old and a two and a half yr old who absolutely love getting into the rs.

 

My main concerns were picking up and out once they had fallen asleep, but the recaros move so far forward it's no problem at all.

 

So in short my advice is go out and buy one.

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cheeky age there are three anchor points down the bottom of the seats, so for some baby seats you may need an extension for the top clip. I have a photo but haven't figured out how to post it! Also have a photo with the baby seat in it.

 

It's pretty easy to get her in and out but she's front facing, not sure how rear facing would go.

 

By the way, our daughter LOVES this car, perhaps more than I do (no, that's going a bit far) so for any skeptics out there, I can't think of a better endorsement!!

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Thanks drdrei - most helpful.

How do you go with the pram in the boot BTW? Any troubles fitting? Or just selective about the size you got?

My other car is a Camry... So have acres in there, was just concerned that a Clio won't be a great back up if needed.

 

However, have just looked at the Clio III - surprised by the extra rear seat room over the mkII.

Could actually work...

In the 225 the pram is not a problem at all. We have a Strider Deluxe which you have to take one of the rear wheels off to fit in the boot of the 225. In the Clio RB7 you needed to take both wheels off.

 

Now that the second child is more than 8 months old (he's 13 months now) we reverted to using our Maclaren. These prams are very underrated as they fold into very tight spaces. In fact, this particular pram has been in 7 cars (excluding hire cars), on three trips to Europe, 4 trips on flights interstate, dragged who-knows how many kms, and operates like the day we bought it. It shows a bit of wear and tear, but for what it's capable of I'd get one again.

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cheeky age there are three anchor points down the bottom of the seats, so for some baby seats you may need an extension for the top clip. I have a photo but haven't figured out how to post it! Also have a photo with the baby seat in it.

 

It's pretty easy to get her in and out but she's front facing, not sure how rear facing would go.

 

By the way, our daughter LOVES this car, perhaps more than I do (no, that's going a bit far) so for any skeptics out there, I can't think of a better endorsement!!

 

Thanks for your info chuckovski!

 

The photos would be great to see how it looks all set up.

 

Is anyone else using ISOFIX?

 

I think there are only a couple of Australian approved manufacturers who are supplying child seats with ISOFIX.

 

I just recently came across this - http://www.caradvice.com.au/308969/isof ... australia/

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hi cheekyage

No worries

Sorry I still can't figure out how to post a pic (I didn't think I had no idea about those kind of things)

I've been looking at some other baby seats and I've found Mother's Choice models seem nice and compact which would probably pretty easily fit 3 across (mind you I haven't tried).

Not many baby seats have Isofix in Australia, and the ones I've found are pretty expensive. Mind you I think it would be worth it - I would imagine it would be much safer.

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  • 2 months later...
  • 3 months later...

b7429d62e7a728a87aca45a304f2437b.jpg

60d08ae99c322442aac978148273a7f3.jpg

 

Finally figured out how to post pictures!

 

I hope it's clear: plenty of room, currently has the largest baby seat you can buy sitting in it, it's a 0-8yo. Had a smaller one in before but that's gone into the family car.

Only issue is my daughter putting her foot on the side around the speakers but if her shoes are off there's no issue.

On the drive day in early April there were a few people with baby seats; no complaints from anyone about the space.

I would recommend buying a seat with the shortest base (height wise) otherwise lifting a 14kg bag of cement into the seat when it has a high base is quite bad for your back.

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Thanks for the update mate [emoji4]

 

Looks like there is still plenty of room back there.

 

Is that an ISOFIX seat you have installed?

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

No isofix I'm afraid, they're all too expensive. They're all allegedly new models so they charge a premium, and the extra fiddly bits I guess cost more to manufacture; whereas if a 'normal' seat has a new color coming out this season the old one sells for $100. Can't say no to that!

Mind you this one cost us $380. Thought it would save us money buying 0-8 but never did the maths.

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Yep I have the Recaro CS in mine and the child seat. My 4 year old is completely happy back there. He calls it his cubby house for kids only.

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  • 1 year later...

Thought I'd update this thread saying that I've had the eldest on the car regularly, and now the new little bloke is in front facing he's in there. No issues. No regrets. Both the kids love the car, but as I think kaesh mentioned in the first few posts the windows are hard to see out.

 

Sent from my XT1068 using Tapatalk

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  • 1 year later...

Bit of a thread resurrection. Am looking at the same question, non-ISOFIX front facing child seat in the back of an RS 250. 

Have found 2 potential set of anchor points - 1) set of silver rings along back of second row seats and 2) heavier set of rings under the carpet attached to the floor in each corner corner of the boot. 

1) is in the expected position but look a bit flimsy compared to other cars I’ve had

2) looks stronger but harder to use. Seems like these are the points according to the manual also. 

If anyone confirm the correct anchor points would be much appreciated!

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Bit of a thread resurrection. Am looking at the same question, non-ISOFIX front facing child seat in the back of an RS 250. 
Have found 2 potential set of anchor points - 1) set of silver rings along back of second row seats and 2) heavier set of rings under the carpet attached to the floor in each corner corner of the boot. 
1) is in the expected position but look a bit flimsy compared to other cars I’ve had
2) looks stronger but harder to use. Seems like these are the points according to the manual also. 
If anyone confirm the correct anchor points would be much appreciated!
There are some horizontal bars embedded in the back of the seats. I'll take a photo of them soon. Don't use whatever you're looking at
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