Stupid Audi

[xs2man]

Well, as if I wasn't peeved off enough with the pitiful fuel consumption I am getting out my 2.0 TDI 177 BE A4 Avant Quattro, I get some more bad news today.

My wife is expecting our first child in a couple months, this was part of the reason for purchasing the motor. Nice and safe with the quattro, and economical with the diesel. So as I always do, consumer research to find baby seats. The seemingly most popular, well reviewed, award winning seat seems to be the Maxi-Cosi Cabrio-fix. So we bought it a couple weeks ago in preparation.

So decided to go for the iso-fix base too, save the wife faffing about with seatbelts and stuff, and being more secure = safer surely?

Anyway, apparently they are not compatible with the 2012 A4. In fact, doesn't look like its compatible with any of the B8 A4's. WTF Audi? What appears to be the most popular baby car seat on the market (its one of 2 seats I have found that is compatible with almost every travel system on the market), is not iso-fix compatible with your car? I though iso fix was a standard fitment type, so why is it not compatible?

So, needless to say, straight up to Audi for a settlement figure, to see how much it will cost me to walk away. Well, I get nothing back, but don't have to put any more down. And then straight round to BMW to have a look at the 3 series. At this point it is worth noting that I'm not thinking about changing my car so I don't have to change my baby car seat. The fuel consumption issue is still, by far, the most prominent issue in my mind.

Well, lucky for Audi I guess. There is a new 3 series just released, but in saloon only. But thats okay, because it is a hideous looking beast. The new lights are sooooooo rank, it almost reminds me of the old 7-series (circa 2004) which is also hideous.

Coupled with the new interior clocks, which remind me of a Scania truck or something, and there is no M-Sport yet, but a Sport+ or something? Also a hideous look, the inlays are "brushed aluminium" or something similar, but with a stripe of red all along the bottom? I could put up with the black leather and red stitching all over the rest of the interior, but the inlays were awful. Lucky escape there Audi.

That said, I'm back tomorrow to look at a 5 series. Then off to Mercedes to look at their C & E classes. You aint out the woods yet.

 

[murran]

im sure audi list baby seats in their catalogue, probably circ £800.

think about it, why would audi make their isofix compatible with joe bloggs isofix seat thats £200, when audi can make you buy their £800 seat?

im not saying its right but this will be audis thinking.

 

[xs2man]

Yeah, I understand the argument but see here:

Isofix - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

ISOFIX is the international standard for attachment points for child safety seats in passenger cars.

I'm sure their seat is about £300. But the thing is, all the older models (B6 & B7 anyway), are compatible. And so are the BMW and Mercedes.

Its just another reason why I wouldn't be buying me another new Audi.

 

[Scotty]

So are Audi no longer fitting ISOFIX attachments?

I'm confused by this. I simply can't see them not complying to the ISOFIX standards.

 

[xs2man]

The ISOFIX attachments are there. And I really have no doubt that they wouldn't work in all honesty. However, as they are not approved for use, then that surely causes at least an insurance risk, if not a risk of breaking the law as your seat would not be mounted according to manufacturers specifications or whatever. But they sell their own baby car seat, and isofix base, so that tells you the story really.

Basically, the retailer has said they are not willing to even trial fit it, never mind sell me the base, because it is not approved for use in the vehicle. The approval apparently comes from Audi. They came out to the car for a look, and saw no reason why it wouldn't fit / work. They then called the manufacturer, to see what the story was, but its Audi who didn't approve it apparently.

Audi also sell the Recaro seats though, and they are approved, which is great, except they don't have adaptors for most, if not all, the prams on the market. So not so handy after all. I guess it'll be belts used when they are small, and then Recaro seats when they are a bit older. Assuming the 5 series doesn't cut it right enough.

 

[longp2]

I'm not an expert on this, the car seats my kids were in were the ones that the seatbelt went round to keep them in place, but a mate of mine was telling me that if you have isofix in your car (this is an industry standard) you basically have to buy the base to which the compatible isofix seat will fit. He is in a similar position to yourself and has decided to save himself the expense and just use a new non isofix seat that he already had for his other kid.
It seems to me that it's the car seat manufacturers that are the ones ripping people off not the car companies, also if there are no isofix seats compatible with 2012 A4s then anyone with a 2008 B8 onwards will be in the same position?

 

[xs2man]

You are correct, you need to buy the correct isofix base for your car seat. The bases aren't universal for the baby seats, but the isofix is supposed to be a universal mechanism for the bases. You could of course just use the seatbelts, and they would likely work fine, but using the base is more convenient, and a safer system. When it comes to my childs safety, I bought the car partly for this reason, so after spending many thousands on the car, an extra hundred or so for the base is nothing really.

Now other bases do fit the B8's. The recaro, for example. Probably because Audi themselves sell the Recaro seats. But the seat I have is basically the best reviewed, most popular seat on the market. Its the common denominator among car seat adaptors for all the prams we looked at. i.e. Its the car seat that the adaptors were available for all prams, presumably because it is the best. It certainly reviewed very well, and has won awards. So I bought a top end baby seat, a top end pram, and my top end car isn't compatible. Despite the B7 and B6 both being compatible.

 

[dancingbear]

This is a really interesting thread. My daughter is now 4 years old so I am sure things will have moved on tremendously since she was a baby. We used Jane (Spanish so pronounced accordingly), carrycot, pram/pushchair and carseat systems. They, at the time, were the best stuff on the market and we stuck with this right through to her current car seat base that she sits on. We never used the Iso fix systems to begin with just the seat belts as we found the practicality part for us was all in the ability to take the seat out and plonk it directly on the pram frame.

Now, I am no physicist, I can barely even spell it but, I had some doubt about iso fix from the start. The whole point of these things is obviously to protect our precious little cargo in the event of an accident. My feelings were, if I was in an accident would it not be better for the carrying device to have a bit of flex in it to take some of the accident energy and allow it to dissipate as apposed to something that is ultimately fixed ridged to the cars’ frame. Would it not be the case that this energy, in the event of an accident, would transmit a lot of forces into the seat but with no flexural properties? I bow to superior knowledge on this matter but Jane actually released a car seat that had a suspension system in the base to compensate for the aforementioned. I must point out however that the seat was a stage 2 system and not a stage 1, which is where you are currently at with the age of your child.

I would also watch out for claims about what car seats/travel systems are the best as I bet it will be something different in a few months! Good luck though and keep us posted.

 

[longp2]

I feel your pain, mate. What we need is another B8 owner with a baby, with an isofix seat in use at the minute to give you some positive advice. From what you've said you may need to bite the bullet and change seats.
I hope you get sorted without having to change cars. I'd rather put my kids in the boot than buy a BMW!!! - For anyone involved in social services, I'm joking!

 

[Inked]

This is ridiculous, I have a cabriofix car seat and a family fix base which it is looking likely I will have to return (my wife is four days overdue with our first child).

It hadn't even occurred to me that the car seat would not be compatible with the A4 as I thought isofix was done to a set standard. ****** off isn't even close!

 

[xs2man]

Yep, Inked, it hadn't even occurred to me before either that it might not be compatible. Like I said, I'm quite sure it will fit, as it is a standard fixing as far as I know, so I don't really know what the issue actually is. But as it is not approved, that will no doubt mean something should the worst happen. Your child may be safe enough, but is it an insurance liability? Or maybe it is more sinister.

dancingbear, I see what you say about being the "best". I bought the cabriofix simply due to awards and customer reviews. It certainly looks like one of the best out there, and as I said, adaptors for most travel systems are available, which is another indication of popularity / product quality.

Longp2, I had been considering the BMW more and more recently due to their greatly more economical engine. But as said, I took the older model 3 series out for a test drive yesterday (E90 I think?) and the interior was bland as... No way would I be happy with it at all. Had a good look at the newer one, and it is hideous, so the 3-series is a no go anyway. Will have a closer look at the F10 5-series though and see what I think about them. Also gonna pop into Mercedes today to see what they are about. My mate just bought one last year, and he is getting pretty respectable fuel consumption. Certainly considering the speed that idiot drives at. And he often averages 50+ mpg when he takes it easy.

 

[gavsman]

Did you find out why all Maxi Cosi ISOFIX seats are not compatible with the B8?

It does sound like a bit of a joke really that probably the biggest child seat manufacturer & their ISOFIX seats are not approved for use in this car.

 

[xs2man]

No, I didn't find out why. Its only the base thats not compatible though, the actual seat can still be used with the seat belts.

But the retailer did call maxi cosi who said that they send the seat out to the car manufacturers for testing and Audi didn't approve the isofix bases. I am going to be sending an email to Audi later today to see if they can provide an explanation.

 

[murran]

they send the seat out to the car manufacturers for testing and Audi didn't approve the isofix bases. I am going to be sending an email to Audi later today to see if they can provide an explanation.

from that id guess they the audi testers didnt like it for some reason. maybe they raised some concerns with maxi cozy about the design that they wouldnt rectify so audi wouldnt approve them.

id be interested to find out if audi use the term "isofix" to describe their system? if a standard isofix seat base wont fit then audi have purposefully made the attachments for their own seat bases different.
being that the isofix is a standard across seats and car manufacterers..... if audi are calling their system isofix (which it isnt!) im surprised they havent been sued!!

 

[Inked]

Right, have fitted it to the Audi, and to the wife's mini. Fits exactly the same in both. Have spoken to Maxi cosi and they couldn't give me a reasons to why it would not be approved. They said I should get the retailer to test fit it for me and that if it fits and looks safe then it should be fine.

Went over to John Lewis to speak to them and they believe it probably has more to do with Audi only wanting to approve their own range of car seats (recaro?) and that if all the lights on the family fix base light up then the base and seat are correctly locked in and safe to use.

 

[redspudder]

My youngest daughter (now 3) uses a Britax duo plus isofix car seat,this seat fits fine in both my wifes old Focus and new Fiesta and also fits fine in my B8 although in the Fords Britax state that a top teather had to be used as an extra anchor,now i know its not a group0+ seat and base as above but we used to have a Britax 0+ With isofix base (which fit onto a britax pram system)when she was a baby and this fit fine in the B8,i agree with your concern but its quite possible that Audi have rejected the seat due to safety issues as previously mentioned.I have put a link to the Britax site below as they have a fit finder which is very useful.
The other answer could be (not sure if they still make these) but when we looked around at bases a few years ago they did an isofix type and also a type that was secured by the seat belt either system worked by the base staying permently in the car via seat belt or isofix and the baby seat simply clicked in and out to save time wrapping seat belt around the seat every journey you made,just another option that may suit you and solve a problem?

Fit-Finder™ - Find the Right Car Seat with BRITAX

 

[Joedesi]

Joined this forum as this thread caught my eye

We recently bought a 2011 s4 due to our new arrival. We installed a maxi cosi family fix base on the rear isofix points. The car seat is the pebble.


We had no problem with installation. All fits fine with all three lights green. Not really bothered that it's not "Audi approved"


Hope that helps

 

[Stuhil]

I appreciate my input is a tad late, however I have had a 2010 Avant S-Line Sp.Ed from new, to which I have fitted a maxi cosi cabrio fix for my 18wk old daughter and a pebble for my 2yr old son. Bought these items with the respective bases when I bought the car. The Pram Shop owner (who is a friend) checked the relevant databases at the time and found that said seats/bases were fully compatible with my vehicle...it does indeed sound like Audi are trying to push their products.

 

[TripleD]

How'd you get on getting some quotes to move to the dark side? did anything line up nicely?

 

[xs2man]

Well, on the plus side, I put very little down as a deposit (1500), and drove a very competitive deal. As such, I can just walk away from the car, which after only a couple months of ownership isn't too bad, but still not ideal. In fact, when trading it against a new 3 series, I actually had equity in the car too.

That said, the new 3 series hasn't been released in estate form yet, and, more importantly, it is a fugly beast of a thing. The front end just isn't nice, and while the interior is a vast improvement over the outgoing model, it is still bland and essentially hideous. Not to mention that there isn't an M-Sport version yet either. So the 3 series is off the cards.

Now the 5 series is a much nicer place to sit. And isn't that ugly to look at either. But obviously being the 5 series, it is way more expensive to buy initially, and the residual is not much different from the 3 series, so more per month making it a no go really.

Then looked at a Merc C-Class. Now that was quite a nice choice. For similar money than I'm paying now, I can get a sport + which has full leather, nav and all the bits the BE is missing. Coupled with the 250 engine (I believe its a 2.2 230+ BHP, and someone told me twin turbo, but I doubt that). Now that was certainly a possibility.

BUT, I had to go offshore. So another couple weeks to go. I am going to book it into Audi when I get back to see if they can find any fault with the car, then write to Audi UK about it. See what comes of that. The problem is, that apart from the engine, the Audi has everything else. Iths got the looks and the 4wd.

To throw a curveball into the mix, I thought I'd maybe have a look at firing the A4 back, getting a cheap diesel run around that was good on the fuel (I'm thinking B6 1.9TDI Quattro), and spending the monthly payment on a petrol motor. I have just sold my S4 (B6), so have some funds knocking about for just such a motor.

I went to look at a Merc ML55 AMG the other day, but it was gone by the time I got there. There was an Aston Marton V8 Vantage sitting there though. 2007, 36k, and for only a little more than the BE is worth. How tempted was I to do fat James Bond impressions? Anyway, while I could have stretched to afford it (no PCP on this), with the wife due next month, I'll have to wait.

I did get quotes on a RS3 though, that didn't work I'm afraid. And dont think a normal S3 would do it for me to be honest.

 

[redspudder]

Some awesome motors mentioned there mate especially the Aston,but isnt your argument in the OP fuel consumption and the baby seat surely looking or thinking of these type of motors arent going to make any difference to your situation?

 

[longp2]

Some awesome motors mentioned there mate especially the Aston,but isnt your argument in the OP fuel consumption and the baby seat surely looking or thinking of these type of motors arent going to make any difference to your situation?

I am also a bit confused, if your main concern is fuel consumption then an AMG merc or an Aston may not be the answer. Running 2 cars will also add to the expense, my initial plan was to run a newish Octavia vrs and a 911 but when I factored in the cost of keeping the Porsche on the road whilst only using it occasionally and the costs of running the Octavia (or any car) as my main family steed I decided against it and opted for a new S4 avant. Fuels costs will be highest for the S4 but nowhere near the cost to run 1 bogo car and an exotic.
Luckily i work offshore and only need 1 car.

 

[xs2man]

Yes, well I do run at least 2 cars, and historically it has been an expensive, but cheap to run, daily, and a relativley inexpensive fun car. So for the last couple years my fun car was a B6 S4. That is now sold, so I am looking for my "toy".

So in all honesty, the AMG was going the same way, it was affordable within my "fun" budget, and would likely have been LPG'd to take the sting out of the 15 mpg. The Aston / RS3 route would take me in a different direction whereby I would make my expensive car my "toy", and my second car, my daily, would be a cheaper to run car such as a B6 1.9 TDI Quattro. By all accounts, they achieve much better fuel economy than my current B8, and are still a very nice car, and are ISOFIX compatible.

That said, while I am not 100% on where I will likely be going, I think I will be keeping the B8 for at least a year now. While I hunt for the right B6, and see how that pans out. If it works out good enough, in a year or so I will see about swapping out the B8 for either a 2.0T or a B8 S4. Or maybe an Aston / RS3 depending on how things go at work.

I also work offshore, as does the wife, and we could survive with just one car. But I like to have a "sensible" motor to keep my old man happy, and a fun motor to keep me happy.

 

[longp2]

I know what you're saying, my mantra is "as long as the wife's happy!"
I'd love a toy,even a little 205 GTI project would be great but my son starts driving next year so it'll have to wait.

 

[S4 Phantom]

Took my friend's son for a day out over the weekend for baby sitting. I didn't pay any attention of the baby seat made and model, but the seat was rip out from a Toyota Verso iso fix. The seat fit perfectly okay onto my B8 S4 iso fix.