5dr liftback + baby = bad idea?

[has819]

We are planning to buy a Yaris and would like to buy a 5DR liftback. However, we'll probably be having our first baby within the next year, and we fear the cargo area is too small to store a stroller and other daily baby gear with a carseat in the back. Does anyone have any experience with this? We don't want to regret getting the liftback -- we reluctanctly are thinking that we need to get the 4DR sedan.

[LtNoogie]

If you get the 60/40 split rear seat, You can fit quite a bit of stuff in AND fit the the baby seat.

[Phaeton]

You can get folding strollers that will fit just fine in the cargo area.
My wife and I had a newborn and a Honda Prelude. It was a bitch with the 2 doors, but very possible if you get baby stuff that folds down.

[IllusionX]

those big strollers will fit in the liftback, but you might not have extra spaces to fit other things.

though.... you can fit 2 folding handicap chair in the hatch.... while you can only fit one in the trunk of 03-08 corolla. hehe...

[jambo101]

I'm sure its possible to fit a few baby items you need in the rear of the liftback but you wont have room for much else,when we had the kids going most places required stroller,portable crib,big bag full of stuff and various toys,it would become very tight in a HB if you had to also bring along your and your wifes own personal stuff or if you wanted to buy anything on your travels,.i'd opt for the sedan.

[marcus]

wait for the 2010 mazda3..coming out next year.

[thebarber]

i have a 3dr yaris and an aveo sedan. we have our first kid coming in march. the sedan will be the baby carrier

i think even with a 5dr yaris there isnt that much room behind the rear seats for too much stuff....youd have to stack it all in the back. but it would be 10x easier to get the baby in and out.

sure split fold seats would help, but i dont know about you, but i dont want to be stacking a bunch loose stuff next to my kid. he/she can grab it or get hit by it if something should happen....

personally, id lean sedan w/ a kid, it just has more space for people AND stuff (though obviously somewhat smaller range of items you can carry.....but are you going to stack a big screen next to your baby? i wouldnt either.)

[jambo101]

Originally Posted by marcus

wait for the 2010 mazda3..coming out next year.

Better yet get the damn minivan when the rugrat comes along ..good luck and congratulations.

[voodoo22]

I know a guy who bought the Yaris Sedan over the Fit, because he couldn't get his baby seats in through the back door of the Fit.

[contraband831]

you WILL need the 60/40 (i have a bench seat), A big stroller fits in the back of my 3 door LB if the upper handles are removed. in the furture a lot of the toodler strollers will fit, there are many on the market which are very good and very compact.

[PetersRedYaris]

Just as some others have already said, you will NEED the split rear seat. I'd still have my Yaris if mine had it...

[linny]

I have the 3 door liftback with split seats and a 1 year old. It works out surprisingly well! Stepping into the back to put the baby in and out of the seat is easy. It is amazing how you can stand back there. The cabin is very roomy with the high ceiling. Strollers,bags, boots and whatever lay down really nice on the floor behind the seats. I agree, the trunk is small but some folding strollers fit.
The three of us have taken several overnight trips and our couple bags, stroller, and pac-n-play all fit and we do NOT look like a clown car going down the road with hands and feet sticking out the windows.
I will admit that it does take mindful planning and placement of stuff though.

[Luna V 2.0]

Personally I think the LB would be a really bad idea for carrying a kid and stuff at the same time. Even with the 60/40.

It's true that the 60/40 seats make it so that the LB can carry way more stuff than the sedan ever could, however, thats because your using the back seat as cargo space. I don't think you want to fold down say, either side to store stuff, and have the baby seat on the other side. Like TheBarber said, it'll make it so that yoru kid can just pick stuff up, or get hit when stuff moves around.

Sedans are better for children, period. You want seperation between where your kid is and storage. LBs basically keep everything in the same space. I'd only recommend the LB as a second car in your case, its great for moving stuff around.

[06silveryaris]

I have a 17 month old and 3dr LB and it works fine. It is my second car because the trunk fits the combi stroller but I have the seats scooted foward so I ca fit more things in there other than the stroller. That is my experince

[thebarber]

must be nice to have sliding rear seats....

[06silveryaris]

Originally Posted by thebarber

must be nice to have sliding rear seats....

yeah, they are pretty flipping sweet