Rear Facing Baby Seat Behind Driver on A4 Avant?

[Spacemonkey]

Hi first post...

I've been looking for the right spec A6 (2.5 Auto Quattro 180) but have given up as they go as soon as they are on sale, so looking at manual 180 2.5 Avant A4s again now.

The trouble is that I'm sure I read somewhere that you couldn't fit a rear facing sprogseat behind the driver's seat, but I'm not sure if that was for an Avant or not- I had a strange feeling the Avant had a touch more legroom in the back...???

I'm 6'2" but as I'm skinny I don't have 6" of butt cleavage to push me closer to the wheel so my seat is not as far back as most long legged peeps.

I've got a potential car to see Friday but as it's nearly 3 hours away I don't want to waste my time if the sprog carrier won't fit behind me. I always put him behind me as I find it a lot easier and the seat takes up less space than a person's legs so my missus or her mates can sit on the other side and wipe up the baby sick while I'm doing the driving part, and still have someone up front if needed. At the mo' I'm using my Maxi Cosi Cabriofix on an easyfix ISOFIX base in my X-Trail and it fits JUST perfectly- my seat is just touching the sprogseat and he can still kick the living shoite out of the back seat as he's really tall for his age too...

Hopefully there will be enough room to shove his chariot in the boot as well- that's why I preferred the A6 due to bootspace, but 'in theory' there's only 10L in it..? Looks a lot more IMO....


Of course, if there's anyone in Christchurch/Boringmouth area who is willing for me to do a trial fit asap it would be great...

 

[sumo]

Hi fella, I have a a4 avant and a 5 month old baby in a rear facing seat with a isofix base and yes it is tight. I'm 5'6 so the seat is no where near back on the runners and it is a close fit.
Sorry if that's not the news you wanted fella, you could always put it behind the passenger seat and squash them instead of you?

 

[Spacemonkey]

Hmm yes, not what I wanted to hear!! Guess I'm just going to have to try one out nearby for fit, but I've only 36 hours to do so.. and I'm working late tomorrow..

 

[p1tse]

Why does it have to be behind driver seat?

 

[Icarus83]

I had the same problem. I went from a 5 door Mk4 Golf with a rear facing baby seat to the A4 Avant. Was a tight squeeze in the Golf but still do-able! I did consider the A6 platform but I'm fickle and the styling of the front put me off, much prefer the A4.

I found that the baby seat fitted fine, but I'm 5'10 so that helps and I assume the type/style/physical size of the seat plate and carrier makes a big difference.

I would personally still go and look at the Avant, take the baby seat with you and test it out with it fitted behind you. Only one way to know really.

My little one is 2 now and in her front facing can kick my seat....not annoying at all!! I do have it in a relaxed reclined position and low on the adjusters though.

I have her behind me as we have a double garage and the only access when its parked up is the drivers side of the car.

On longer journeys we tend to move her seat to the middle of the car so that she can see forwards and both me and the Mrs can keep an eye on her, and the Mrs can give her her juice cup, nibbles etc.

Good luck!

 

[Spacemonkey]

Why does it have to be behind driver seat?

Have you read all of my post?

 

[Spacemonkey]

I had the same problem. I went from a 5 door Mk4 Golf with a rear facing baby seat to the A4 Avant. Was a tight squeeze in the Golf but still do-able! I did consider the A6 platform but I'm fickle and the styling of the front put me off, much prefer the A4.

I found that the baby seat fitted fine, but I'm 5'10 so that helps and I assume the type/style/physical size of the seat plate and carrier makes a big difference.

I would personally still go and look at the Avant, take the baby seat with you and test it out with it fitted behind you. Only one way to know really.

My little one is 2 now and in her front facing can kick my seat....not annoying at all!! I do have it in a relaxed reclined position and low on the adjusters though.

I have her behind me as we have a double garage and the only access when its parked up is the drivers side of the car.

On longer journeys we tend to move her seat to the middle of the car so that she can see forwards and both me and the Mrs can keep an eye on her, and the Mrs can give her her juice cup, nibbles etc.

Good luck!

Thanks! Well, my driving position is about right for peeps who are 5'10" so there's hope yet... I also have the back uprightish due to a dodgy back so this to might help! Interesting about fitting the sprogseat in the middle, can this be done on an A4 with a rear facer? Probably not... Likewise, I have a massive driveway but it's still not easy to get the seat in and out on the 'other' side so my side it is and of course, it's easier for regular passengers on the other side too as there is more scope for the passenger seat to be flexible in it's position than the driver's seat. I've never had an issue getting the sprog out of the driver's side in relation to traffic etc. It just has never been an issue in the last 5 months. The only trouble I do have is that he is very soon going to outgrow it as he is very tall- evidently in the top of the top 10% of height for his age so might have to go in a front facer sooner than I'd like. Going to have to look into that one...

The other thing I worry about is the relatively small boot in the A4 Avant. 'My' buggy (as compared to my wife's Oyster) is a baby Jogger Summit XC- the king of offroad buggies. And like a Swindon Babe, it's pretty hefty. I really hope it fits without taking the wheels off. Trouble is, we use the car seat as the pushchair at the mo as he's too big for the crib bit and too young for the front facing pushchair (eye contact etc) so I can't take it with me as I'll be away all day and she'll need it if she takes him out. I'm planning on dropping her in Cardiff at her mate's house while I look at the car just up the road, but she'll have the sprogseat with her. Don't want her with me in case I have to spend money on top of my car (which is worth a fair bit more)..

 

[p1tse]

Have you read all of my post?

No I have now lol

 

[p1tse]

Not that comparable, but I had a mk5 golf
I think roomier than a b6 avant in the rear

I had a maxi cosi isofix base
The car seat would go in ok, but with the handle down it would touch up against the seat in front

Soon ran out space and now and still have a fantastic 5 series touring

 

[Spacemonkey]

No I have now lol

Tell you what- it's a pain in the butt that they are all so damned far away!! Seems the 2.5 Quattro Avants for sale don't hang about

I'm trying to decide between one with 180k but looks very good and well maintained, but it's a 51 so poss cam worries, but it's cheap so might fire them a message about servicing, or one on 125k but with a slight ding on the rear arch, but also very good nick apart form that and not on LL servicing... £500 more and it had the belts last done at 50k!!!!! So there's another major bill straight off, and the tax has just ran out. Hmm...

The first one is 4 hours away and the other is 'just' 3 hours away..

 

[Spacemonkey]

Not that comparable, but I had a mk5 golf
I think roomier than a b6 avant in the rear

I had a maxi cosi isofix base
The car seat would go in ok, but with the handle down it would touch up against the seat in front

Soon ran out space and now and still have a fantastic 5 series touring

Cheers!! Was that behind the driver's seat or passengers?

 

[p1tse]

It was more of a struggle behind driver side
Passenger side had more flexibility to move the seat forward, but it did mean front passenger had less space

But with my driving position my wife could still fit in the rear behind driver seat

I know people cope, but I think if you had an isofix base connex gore behind the driver seat and your height you will struggle

Only because the seat doesn't go directly on it front above it needs a bit of forward motion when releasing

 

[p1tse]

If I can dig out some pics I'll try and link up what mine looked in a mk5 golf which I'm sure has more space than an a4 b6 interior

 

[Spacemonkey]

Thanks mate! Much appreciated!

In my XTrail, the end of the seat is more or less touching the seat back of the driver's seat, but it doesn't interfere with getting in and out as I pull the release catch and tilt the seat towards the door slightly to release it from the base, then use both hands to lift it out.

 

[Spacemonkey]

And the answer is:

It fits! Handle up or down. Seat is in a great position for me and to be honest I thought the room in the back was fine. Yes, tall passengers might not want to go far in the back, but not as bad as I was lead to believe IMO and all that...


Drove amazingly- just got to find one right for me now! Definitely not a large boot though...

 

[p1tse]

Good testing

E61 BMW has a good boot and they come in an amazing 35d engine

 

[Spacemonkey]

But looks horrid to me and no 4wd...

Na, tbh I've had loads of BMWs until I discovered VWs so now it's off to Audiland to give them a go. And I like the look of the B6 Avant tbh and great value for money I reckon.

 

[p1tse]

But looks horrid to me and no 4wd...

Na, tbh I've had loads of BMWs until I discovered VWs so now it's off to Audiland to give them a go. And I like the look of the B6 Avant tbh and great value for money I reckon.

Fair enough
I think they look good and a remapped 535d still returns 40+ mpg on a run and with 300bhp+ and 500lb\ft its effortless

 

[Spacemonkey]

Hey, I think DeLoreans are one of the best looking cars out there so what would I know..?

 

[p1tse]

 

[Spacemonkey]

I do like the back end on them, but I reckon they cost a few groats more than a B6 V6 TDi...