E90 M3 Baby Friendly

[BNBM3]

We bought an F150 Supercrew for the kid car. The cabin is absolutely massive inside compared to just about any SUV. We use it as the family car with our 2 kids (youngest is just 4 months old). Have a cover over the bed for the stroller, and you can pretty easily fit bags and what not on the floor in the back even with the car seats installed. Plus a pickup has so many other great uses.

Pick up a used one for $15k - $20k.

If you haven't been in one, go look. That would be my suggestion

[Da Hapa]

Originally Posted by JStang

Just because I am having a kid doesn't mean my life is over. Or is it?

On the contrary, your life is about to get a whole lot better.

I sold my Carrera S after my son was born because I couldn't get a rear facing car seat in the back. I bought a used E90 M3 and have been very happy with my choice.

Unless you or your wife are extremely tall and need to put the seats all the way back, you regularly tow things, or you need to go off road, the E90 M3 should be more than fine for you in almost every circumstance.

The split folding rear seats provide for a huge amount of storage space and I've had no problem putting my longboard on the roof (with softracks), beach chairs, coolers, car seat, etc. It's a great every man's car for almost every situation.

[MRV99]

Yes, a E90 M3 has plenty of room for a baby.

Yes, you can get all your crap into the trunk for a baby.

No the car is not to harsh for a baby. Just because it is an M3 does not mean you cannot drive it in a minivan manner. Unless your off-roading the car, the baby will be fine. All baby carriers have plenty of padding no harm will be done.

Yes, you just get seat covers and all season mats for the back of the car.

Yes, your child will love your M3.

Yes go to the dealer, test drive the car for a few hours, install the stuff, load the car up and go to lunch. That is what I did and the M3 passed the test with flying colors.

Yes, An M3 is very practical!
- It gets you to point A ---> B in a manor which is consistent with cars in general.
- It is a safe car.
- It brings 124.635% more joy to the driver than the average car for the same miles traveled. Hell just go out the garage and take a peak, you will still get 94.23% more joy just looking at it.
- It makes your garage feel like it is very important!
- All the dad's at Daycare/Carpool/Babies R Us will not only be jealous but will also applaud you for not being sucked into the "I must drive a crappy car now that I am a dad" which is opposite of what they had to do.
-The child will not be in the car 100% of the time so there is plenty of "no child driving enjoyment"
- Your kid will love it when they get older.
- If you ever go to a racetrack, it is very practical if not preferred.

I could go on but I think you get the point.

[Flying Ace]

Originally Posted by MRV99

Yes, a E90 M3 has plenty of room for a baby.

Yes, you can get all your crap into the trunk for a baby.

No the car is not to harsh for a baby. Just because it is an M3 does not mean you cannot drive it in a minivan manner. Unless your off-roading the car, the baby will be fine. All baby carriers have plenty of padding no harm will be done.

Yes, you just get seat covers and all season mats for the back of the car.

Yes, your child will love your M3.

Yes go to the dealer, test drive the car for a few hours, install the stuff, load the car up and go to lunch. That is what I did and the M3 passed the test with flying colors.

Yes, An M3 is very practical!
- It gets you to point A ---> B in a manor which is consistent with cars in general.
- It is a safe car.
- It brings 124.635% more joy to the driver than the average car for the same miles traveled. Hell just go out the garage and take a peak, you will still get 94.23% more joy just looking at it.
- It makes your garage feel like it is very important!
- All the dad's at Daycare/Carpool/Babies R Us will not only be jealous but will also applaud you for not being sucked into the "I must drive a crappy car now that I am a dad" which is opposite of what they had to do.
-The child will not be in the car 100% of the time so there is plenty of "no child driving enjoyment"
- Your kid will love it when they get older.
- If you ever go to a racetrack, it is very practical if not preferred.

I could go on but I think you get the point.

so needless to ask, what are you thoughts on a minivan?

[FISH22]

^^^ LOL

[FISH22]

I have only owned my '11 E90 M for a couple months, but man do I wish I bought it a LONG time ago. I have been in to sports cars for a very long time, and a few years ago, after owning a few S2000s, I decided to get a cheap daily and keep the garage queen. I daily drove a '13 Honda Fit for a couple years, and hated it. Never had time for the two seaters (S2000s, NISMO 370Z), and that's when I decided to start my search again for a fun family car. You seriously cannot beat the M. My kids are 1 and 3, and they fit perfectly in the back. They have only been in the car a few times, but it's fun every time, and they love it. Especially when I hit the "M" button, and EDC goes full stiff.

I do miss my two-seater sports cars at times (they just have a special feel), but I still get a very rev-happy engine that screams, a car that is extremely fast (at least for me) and has a TON of great character, and a car that looks just amazing! All while my kids are singing to music in the back. You can't beat it.

[Bimmer22]

Originally Posted by JStang

Greetings! My wife and I are expecting our first child in September and wanted to get opinions on how spacious and child friendly the E90 M3 is. I currently have an E92 335i with about 88k miles which is obviously not the most child friendly vehicle on the road.

My options are as followed:

1) Keep my E92 335i (weekend / fun car) and buy a mid sized SUV (i.e. Toyota Highlander / 4 runner)
2) Keep my E92 335i (weekend / fun car) and my wifes E90 328i for my daily / kid car.
3) Sell my car and get an LCI E90 M3 as my only vehicle

Knowing what you know now as a parent, what would you do? Try to keep your M3 bias to the side as I know it can be hard to do.

Thanks!

Take it from me, I was in your exact position with a new born and e92 328xi.
If your wife has a 328i sedan, you can wait for the baby to come and see how the actual spacing will work out. The 328 and e90M will be the same size anyway. Just remember one thing....traveling with infants often requires you to pack a hell of a lot of stuff (Strollers, diaper bags, food, etc.) As they grow and snack in the car they make a hell of a mess too.

Try to keep emotions/desires out of this and think ahead also. It will save you money down the road (not having to change out cars as the need grows). Will you eventually be expanding the family and having a 2nd, 3rd child? Will you need to haul grandma or grandpa along the way sometimes?

Just my personal opinion based on my experience, you will inevitably want a roomy, reliable, safe driver to haul the family. The M is safe but won't be as roomy as an SUV or minivan. Thus a part of option #1 is a must. Also for an infant, you or your wife will likely be sitting next to the child to tend to them. (pacifiers, cleaning spit up, changing etc...). Take that into consideration if you're going to try to make this work with a 328i or M3 alone.

Seems like your heart is set on BMW. Why not simplify the landscape and trade in the e92 and 328i for an X5 (fulfill part of option #1) and get the M3 as a weekend toy?

[JStang]

Originally Posted by Bimmer22

Take it from me, I was in your exact position with a new born and e92 328xi.
If your wife has a 328i sedan, you can wait for the baby to come and see how the actual spacing will work out. The 328 and e90M will be the same size anyway. Just remember one thing....traveling with infants often requires you to pack a hell of a lot of stuff (Strollers, diaper bags, food, etc.) As they grow and snack in the car they make a hell of a mess too.

Try to keep emotions/desires out of this and think ahead also. It will save you money down the road (not having to change out cars as the need grows). Will you eventually be expanding the family and having a 2nd, 3rd child? Will you need to haul grandma or grandpa along the way sometimes?

Just my personal opinion based on my experience, you will inevitably want a roomy, reliable, safe driver to haul the family. The M is safe but won't be as roomy as an SUV or minivan. Thus a part of option #1 is a must. Also for an infant, you or your wife will likely be sitting next to the child to tend to them. (pacifiers, cleaning spit up, changing etc...). Take that into consideration if you're going to try to make this work with a 328i or M3 alone.

Seems like your heart is set on BMW. Why not simplify the landscape and trade in the e92 and 328i for an X5 (fulfill part of option #1) and get the M3 as a weekend toy?

All of this is based on the fact that the wife will be getting a midsize SUV.

With that in mind, I have narrowed down the options to either keeping her E90 328i as my daily/kid car and my E92 335i for my toy. Probably the most wise decision financially as her 328i is already paid off and mine will be by the time the baby comes.

Plan B is to get rid of both cars and get an E90 M3. This is what I REALLY want but it just needs to make sense financially. I am just fighting the internal battle of getting the E90 M3 I guess.

Right now, I am leaning towards sticking with the cars we have now for a couple of years and then picking up an F80 a few years down the road when used prices come back down to earth.

[rd13]

Get the E90 M3!

I have a 5 year old at the a 3 month old both boys. There is enough room in the M3. My 5 year old uses the Clek Oobr Fullback and my 3 month old uses the Britax B-Safe. Sometimes my wife would go to the back if we are giving someone a ride. This can work until my second son can't use a basket anymore. My wife is 5'2 and I'm 5'8, there is enough space behind the front seat for kids. The trunk does get full if we go shopping or grocery along with diaper bag and stuff. Our other car is E46 330i same thing we can manage. If I need a large car to haul stuff I just borrow a larger car from relatives.

My 5 year old loves the M3 he loves hearing the V8 and will always say go faster and it makes me smile all the time. When the 3 month old is with us I keep the revs moderate and I actually have EDC set to normal.

Sometimes I do get the tailgating from other drivers and 60% of the time they are BMW non M series . M cars/AMG/RS are better they give so much distance

[Flying Ace]

Originally Posted by JStang

All of this is based on the fact that the wife will be getting a midsize SUV.

With that in mind, I have narrowed down the options to either keeping her E90 328i as my daily/kid car and my E92 335i for my toy. Probably the most wise decision financially as her 328i is already paid off and mine will be by the time the baby comes.

Plan B is to get rid of both cars and get an E90 M3. This is what I REALLY want but it just needs to make sense financially. I am just fighting the internal battle of getting the E90 M3 I guess.

Right now, I am leaning towards sticking with the cars we have now for a couple of years and then picking up an F80 a few years down the road when used prices come back down to earth.

that sounds very reasonable...don't make any major financial moves this year as the baby will suck up a lot of funding...

[BzsBimmer]

Originally Posted by Flying Ace

that sounds very reasonable...don't make any major financial moves this year as the baby will suck up a lot of funding...

Babies are cheap... it's when they grow up and head off to high school and college.