Are there any child-friendly reliable cars you can recommend?

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Are there any child-friendly reliable cars you can recommend?

My daughter is expecting her first child. Currently she drives an old Mini but is looking for something more reliable and more convenient for getting the baby in and out of. We have about £10,000-£12,000 and are thinking of a Fiesta. Are there other cars we might consider? Safety and access come first, style second. Do cars come child-safe these days with any special features?

Asked on 6 July 2013 by MC, Cardiff

Answered by Honest John

A Fiesta is fine, but something more upright might be more back friendly for the baby, like a Suzuki Splash, Vauxhall Agila, Hyundai ix20 or KIA Venga, or maybe even a Ford B-Max if you can find one for the money. Most cars now come with ISOFIX tethers for rear child seats. Some, like the KIA Rio, also have them for the front passenger seat.

Tags: child seats safety reliability small cars

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Related models

Kia Venga (2010 - 2019)

Spacious back seats and wide-opening doors. Easy to drive and park. Good visibility. Decent boot capacity.

Suzuki Splash (2008 - 2014)

Small yet tall five-door city car. High seating position. Rear seats fold flat. Auto is 4-speed torque converter. Highest first time MoT pass rate of any car.

Vauxhall Agila (2008 - 2014)

Surprisingly spacious small five-door city car. Makes best sense with 1.0 petrol engine. Much better than old Agila. Rebadged version of Suzuki Splash.

Hyundai ix20 (2010 - 2018)

Cheap to run. Good visibility. Plenty of rear passenger and boot space. Better engines and transmissions in 2016.

Ford B-MAX (2012 - 2017)

Sliding side doors and no central pillar mean unimpeded access. Five star Euro NCAP rating. Engines include 1.0 litre three-cylinder EcoBoost petrol. Decent drive.