Baby-friendly daily: putting it to an Oppo vote

"Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney" (braddelaparker) 04/02/2019 at 10:21 • Filed to: None

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So I bought my 996 a year ago having told my wife that a baby seat would fit in the back. This was not a lie! (I believed it!) It was not, however, exactly correct either. A front-facing child seat fits in a 996; a rear-facing infant seat, however, does not.

Given that my child is currently an infant and will be for the fore seeable future, barring any strange lab accidents, it is time for me to find a rear-facing child seat friendly daily that I can use for transporting the kiddo around now that my wife is going back to work.

Early contenders were a W123 or a W124, particularly a wagon on the latter. Would still love one, but the market is pretty thin and I’ve had a few slip through my fingers already.

However, with a two-week window a national search, the time to move is now. I’ve gotten more pragmatic with my search. General parameters are as follows:

Price: $3,500 - $7,500

Transmission: auto preferred so the wife can drive, but for the right car I’d go stick because she’s capable of getting competent on stick

Needs to fit a rear-facing child seat, and I like wagons in particular

Would be great if the car is a competent autocrosser as well as the 996 is getting retired from autox duty due to age/oil concerns.

So, I’ve come up with the following list

E46 Touring: Cheap, spacious, mildly rare, pretty cool. Checks a lot of boxes

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Mk6 GTI: not cheap, stretching to get into my price range but a few will pop there, but would be a great autox car, the DSG is a great compromise, and they’re practical and cool. TSI motor is a let down for sure, though

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E39 5 series: cheap, plentiful, comfortable, spacious

Hit me with your thoughts, throw in any other options Oppo.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/02/2019 at 10:49

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Solution: remove 996 passenger seat. 

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/02/2019 at 10:51

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Mazda 3 manual hatch?

ToyotaFamily > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/02/2019 at 10:55

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Would recommend a Golf over a GTI. Sure it won’t be as quick but the 2.5 is pretty solid. 

Nothing > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/02/2019 at 10:55

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Volvos? V50 or V70? Very comfy, although I don’t know about your autocross requirement with these. Maybe an A4? Dodge Magnum R/T! Lexus SportCross. Legacy GT wagon.

nj959 > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/02/2019 at 10:59

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G35 6MT:

Autos and AWD models are plentiful, but whatever you do get an ‘05+. New gen came out in ‘07 if you can find one in budget.

S211 E350 :

Avoid the ‘06-’07 cars. Sedans are obviously much easier and cheaper so they may be t he smarter buy even if you lose the cool factor of the wagon.

diplodicus forgot his password > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/02/2019 at 11:02

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I’d take an e39 over an e46 personally. The VW might be the smarter choice from a safety standpoint though, not sure how those did in crash tests.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/02/2019 at 11:03

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Yep, GTI is the answer. Or Jetta SW/Golf Variant for maximum slow.

TorqueToYield > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/02/2019 at 11:07

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Whatever you do bring the child seat with you for the test drive / PPI. Put the child seat wherever you plan on putting it normally. In some cases even if the rear facing seat “fits” the passenger seat will be so far forward you won’t be able to fit anybody in it and it won’t fit behind the driver sea t with you in it .

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 04/02/2019 at 11:10

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Weirdly the passenger seat isn’t the primary issue. Since my 40AE car has the hard-back sport seats it actually just barely fits, but the rear seat wells are so concave that the baby seat base just can’t sit tightly/ securely in it.

Tripper > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/02/2019 at 11:12

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I got our rear facing seat in the back of a 997...The catch is that no one can ride in the front passenger seat unless they want to ride using the dash as a pillow.

Having owned and adored an E46 for 12+ years that is my vote.

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > Nothing 04/02/2019 at 11:16

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Rang through most of these, the newer Volvos are just too bland. A4s are in the mix, but I’m a little wary of the timing chain issues on the years I’d be looking at. There don’t seem to be any Magnum R/Ts which survived, weirdly (not weirdly given FCA product history). Love the SportCross, but the value proposition just isn’t there given age/condition and price. Legacy head gaskets scare me.

Like these ideas though!

nermal > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/02/2019 at 11:16

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A Power Wagon is still a wagon, it even says it in the name.

Just do a 96 month loan on a new one. $7,500 is at least a year worth of payments. Plus, if the children annoy you, you can make them ride in the bed.

It’s perfect! 

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > nj959 04/02/2019 at 11:17

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Considering the 6MT G35s for sure, just haven’t found one I love yet.

Would love an E350 wagon, they are super cheap, but almost all of them I find have the mess that is 4Matic. I’m generally opposed to AWD as is, but certainly opposed to 4Matic.

412GTI > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/02/2019 at 11:18

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FA5 Civic Si - It’s not Auto, but is great for everything else. Super reliable K20 motor, spacious for kiddo stuffs, great stereo, very good at AutoX.

I had a coupe for 4 years before my GTI and I still recommend them. They’re great cars. Not the fastest but fun in their own way. Motor is a torqueless gem. Very little unexpected/bullshit maintenance compared to older German cars.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/02/2019 at 11:18

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The Golf is probably the best choice, though I would look for a Dieselgate car. 

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > Tripper 04/02/2019 at 11:19

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I think I might be able to go buy a different seat just for the 996 and make it work, but I may also be looking for a good excuse to buy another car...

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/02/2019 at 11:19

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Seems like you might be able put a hard foam pad on the bottom of the seat and maybe at the back as well, to elevate the base a little, and then torque it down really well so it’s still properly stable.

Maybe buy a cheap, thick yoga mat and fold it and/or cut it to size to see if it’s feasible?

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/02/2019 at 11:20

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Normally my rec would be a Subaru Forester or Outback XT. A rear facing seat technically fits, but it’s tight for the passenger (we did it; the passenger needs to be 5’8 or shorter though). The GTI will likely be the same.

Soooo...Lexus LS430?

nj959 > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/02/2019 at 11:22

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Clean G35s can be tough to find for sure, so many of them have been beaten to hell.

The 4matic post refresh 211s tend to be the better buy from what I’ve seen because they still had the super reliable 5 speed. RWD cars had the 7 speed which had some issues for the first few years before the 212 came out.

Tripper > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/02/2019 at 11:38

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Oh I know that game! I have two cars that are straight up not safe for our 9 month old, and another that is safe but extremely inconvenient. My wife’s car is a 2017 3 pedal Forester, so we can certainly make due with it for the foreseeable future, but I’m also on the hunt for a dad car.

Cash Rewards > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/02/2019 at 11:48

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I had a 2011 mkvi GTI and I cannot recommend. With dsg it felt soulless. It ate money. It was always something else. Every oil change had an additional $600 bill for something, until my wife asked why we kept spending money on the car. I don't  miss it at all (except the plaid seats, those rule)

functionoverfashion > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/02/2019 at 12:05

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Solid vote for an E46 wagon from me, who has two small kids, had rear-facing seats in both of my E46 wagons every day for the 4 years (between the two kids) of that, and still daily one now. I’ve never autocrossed my car but I have gone to Team O’Neil’s roads with it, and it was a blast. 

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/02/2019 at 12:23

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Problems solved.

Maxima Speed > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/02/2019 at 12:28

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That’s a really tough decision. Having no first hand experience with this cars I think I would lean towards the VW. My honest opinion is that the Camry has unbeatable value and if you need to haul people around it’s the best thing to get. Obviously keep the Porche as well.

RallyWrench > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/02/2019 at 12:31

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I had an E46 touring (which replaced a Mk4 GTI when we had our first kid) , it gets small really quick when one or more rear facing kid seats are in back, depending on who is in the passenger seat, but it works. With one kid, I thought it was perfect. Loved the car, especially with a manual, but my wife wanted a van when we had our second so we (I) had to let it go. The E39 is solid too, although finding a good one is hard. A coworker just sold his E39 Touring because it was getting small for his two little kids as well. As with the 3 series, once a couple of kids seats are in it, there’s not much space left for all their support crap, especially for overnight trips or if other family comes along (like a 6' 6" father in law) . Forget putting a Bob stroller and, say, a cooler and a couple of bags in back.   Make sure it’s new enough to have the Latch system hookups, it seems every car seat nowadays is really meant to work with them instead of just belts. They became pretty standard by 2000-01 or so. Our only kid-friendly vehicle is currently an old Sienna, but for my next daddy wagon I have my feelers out for a good W210 Mercedes E320 wagon. Cheap, comfy, reliable, and roomier than the 5er or Audi A6 Avant. The GTI is a cool car, loads of fun, but the 2.0T has some issues.

LOREM IPSUM > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/02/2019 at 12:55

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Does the Infiniti FX45 strike your fancy at all? Basically a v8 skyline hatch. I love mine, and the rear facing seat fit just fine. It babies, awd drifts, and hasn’t needed anything more than oil changes in the 2 years I’ve owned it. No manual option though, sadly. It does sound great with a magnaflow however , so it's got that going for it.

OmerCarrothers333 > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/02/2019 at 12:58

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My MK6 GTI’s about the same as that one, but mine’s a 2-door. I have not looked at the ad, but I would advise getting a back-up camera installed if it doesn’t have one standard, it feels awkward trying to see out the back window (because of how you have to twist around and the bolsters make it a little bit of a bitch); just get one that mounts on the license plate, as an OEM style is expensive (it lives in the trunk badge and has servos that “pop” it out).

Rear-facing car seat will fit, put it on the passenger side. 

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > RallyWrench 04/02/2019 at 13:51

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This is great feedback, thank you. Baby is our first so it’s just him right now and we have my wife’s Q5 for any time we want to take a trip/our dogs with us. Really just need something that can be a dedicated baby car for me/grandparents to take around, which it sounds like it can probably handle.

Yeah, I would really be more than happy to cough up the extra money for a GTI, but the TSI engines are a pain. I already have one German car with a finicky engine which can easily run up a 5-figure bill, and quite frankly it’s much more interesting than a GTI.  

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > OmerCarrothers333 04/02/2019 at 13:52

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Awesome, thanks for the feedback on the seat.

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > 412GTI 04/02/2019 at 13:53

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These have been on the radar while I was passively searching, has been tough to find one that hasn’t been beat to death but they’re very much in play. Would appreciate that I wouldn’t have to think about maintenance at all given the rear-engined German savings account explosion that sits in my garage.

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > LOREM IPSUM 04/02/2019 at 13:54

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They do and they don’t. I like them and actually looked at them for my wife, but hasn’t pulled me in enough to reconsider yet. I’m going to constantly change out my dad-car every 6 months or so, though, so one of these might be in the cards at some point.

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > Cash Rewards 04/02/2019 at 13:55

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Yeah that’s my biggest concern. I had a MkIV GTI and I know they’ve improved, but I’m not trying to get into another German money pit which is far less exciting than my current German money pit.

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > functionoverfashion 04/02/2019 at 13:55

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Killer feedback, thank you! By far the leader in the clubhouse. Nothing locally for me right now is the only drag, but at the price you can get one for I have no problem shipping it back or flying out and driving back.

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > Maxima Speed 04/02/2019 at 13:56

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911 isn’t going anywhere...for now! It will only be replaced by something more special, and that’s probably going to have to wait a while.

I really thought about a Camry or an Avalon that I can pick up cheap and never have to worry about, I just can’t quite get myself to commit to that.

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind 04/02/2019 at 13:57

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LS400/ 430 has been a serious contender and if the right one pops up I’m going to go for it, but while my race car is broken and I don’t have time to work on it, I want something I can at least have a bit of fun with at the local autox.

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 04/02/2019 at 14:04

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If I could find a clean one with an SRT-4 swap and cold A/C I might seriously consider it.

functionoverfashion > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/02/2019 at 14:10

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No problem! There have been a few other oppos with them, and several with E46's in general.

* cooling system

* suspension bushings, driveshaft (u-joints & center support bearing)

* CCV/PCV system - more of an issue in cold climates, short-trip usage.

These are the things I’d look out for, generally speaking. These cars are pretty straightforward to DIY and extremely well documented online both in forums and youtube. I did very little of my own work before owning my first E46 in 2009. I reached a point of doing almost everything but alignments, but then had kids so swung back to using a shop more. Anyway. Great cars. 

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > functionoverfashion 04/02/2019 at 14:24

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And you continue to deliver! Cooling system was obviously on my list for a BMW of this vintage, and I always assume suspension bushings need replacing on a car of this age, but CCV/PCV is a good one to note. Car I’m looking at is in Phoenix and would be coming to Dallas, so maybe not an issue but worth noting.

Yeah, I’m in a similar boat. Pretty comfortable working on just about anything these days given enough time, but the time part is at a premium now!

Cash Rewards > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/02/2019 at 15:04

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Everything I've heard about the mkvii outs it light years ahead of the mkvi

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/02/2019 at 15:33

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At your price range, you will struggle to find something with an entertaining/modern auto transmission; except for the VW dsg. I would say mk5/6  GTI or GLI.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/02/2019 at 16:02

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The original engine made the same power/torque as the SRT4, while being able to handle around 500hp on stock internals, why would you want one with a swap?

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 04/02/2019 at 17:10

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Because I didn’t know any of this about K-cars!

BreakMyWallet > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/02/2019 at 23:34

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E46 touring fun-fact: the touring has more rear leg room than the sedan even though they’re the same underneath, because the rear seat was pushed backwards slightly. One of those little details that would never happen on a modern car because it would save a couple grand on development.

As the proud owner of a 325iT, this is the correct choice (or an E39). There’s a short window in the 2000 model year when the 528 wagon received the new 5-spd auto, allowing you, the lucky buyer, to pair the beefier 6 with the better auto (say no to four-speeds).

The M54 is a great engine as long as you stay on top of the maintenance, and it’s a super reliable car (again, as long as you stay on top of the maintenance). Do not get one without the sport package - the seats alone are worth the wait. The post-2001 facelift really improves the look, and a 2004 or 2005 gets you the GM 5L40 gearbox, a far more robust companion to the ZF my car has which is made of glass. Avoid an M56 engined car (SULEV) which has a sealed gas tank, meaning fuel pump failure will result in replacing the tank entirely.

The 2.5 with the auto is a little bit of a bummer (the 3.0 is very noticeably stronger and basically gets the same mileage) but they didn’t sell us any 3.0 wagons in the states. If you’re feeling froggy, 2.5 to 3.0 swaps are pretty darn easy if you can handle a cherry picker and a laptop.

Congrats on the new car, and most importantly, being a dad. Rock on

BreakMyWallet > BreakMyWallet 04/02/2019 at 23:37

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Look at that: the Arizona one is an M56 car. Note the funky vanity cover compared to most E46.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/03/2019 at 07:22

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Better get on it ;)

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > BreakMyWallet 04/03/2019 at 11:37

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Man, really appreciate this input as I’ve pretty much settled on a 325iT at this point.

I liked how clean the AZ car was, but called yesterday and it sold. I’ll keep that in mind about the SULEV cars; I can live with the tank issue if I can retrofit a non-SULEV tank to the car pretty easily.

Unfortunately stock is pretty thin right now! This San Diego car is the only clean-looking example I’m finding right now, but I’ve had trouble getting him to respond to me. Likely a SULEV car and I think he’s a schosche high on the price, but willing to work around that for a good car.

https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/cto/d/san-diego-2002-bmw-touring-325i-wagon/6842628677.html

BreakMyWallet > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/03/2019 at 12:10

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That one looks very nice for the mileage. If it’s truly a 2002, no SULEV - the M56 was only offered from ‘03 up. If you can get the VIN, mdecoder.com will give you a full breakdown of factory options (and show M54 or M56).

I paid waayyyy too much for mine, but I was extremely particular about what I was looking for (options, colors, etc) and I'm one of those guys that will back off of a car at the first sign of shadiness from a dealer/seller, so I really had no legs to stand on when it came to price.

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > BreakMyWallet 04/03/2019 at 15:21

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If I can perhaps monopolize your time once more, I ran across this example in California. It is an M56 and it’s not my preferred combo, but has a ton of recent service and looks to be well looked after. On the other hand, $5,500 of recent service on a $5k vehicle has me looking at this kind of sideways. Are lifters a known issue on these cars?

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/cto/d/san-rafael-price-drop-clean-low-mile/6836697371.html

BreakMyWallet > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/04/2019 at 00:01

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With the caveat that my knowledge is not exhaustive: not sure why you’d replace all the lifters. BMW sixes get a little tappy from the lifters from time to time, but it’s often just a need for a bleed (run engine at medium rpm for a couple minutes , no load) to get air out of the lifters. If there had been lifter failure, you’d think the failure of all 24 at once would be both impossibly rare and catastrophic for the motor, but I’m probably just missing a reason why you’d do that.

I be a little concerned about the need for cat replacement - what caused that, and was it fixed?

I would also try to find if the fuel pump/tank assembly was replaced under warranty. SULEV cars got a 15 yr warranty to cover their insane non-serviceable fuel pump, so if it was done under warranty that would give me some good peace of mind. If it wasn’t done I’d worry, as E46 fuel pumps fail for various reasons at even under 100k.

Finally, $180 for an oil change on an E46? Oof

BeaterGT > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 05/02/2019 at 15:57

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What is the original engine in these?

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > BeaterGT 05/02/2019 at 16:04

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They had the TIII motor, which was a 2.2L Mopar block with a DOHC Lotus head.

They claimed 224 hp/218ft-lbs stock, but it seems they were under rated from factory.

itranthelasttimeiparkedit > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 05/09/2019 at 22:19

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e39 touring!