[Rons335i]

I'm expecting my first kid this jan and I was just curious if the e90 335i is a good family car overall. Input appreciated. Thanks

[Eagle1oh7]

It does Baby if you get the sedan, Baby 2 might be pushing it. I know, I have two kids.

[RaidersFan]

Originally Posted by Rons335i

I'm expecting my first kid this jan and I was just curious if the e90 335i is a good family car overall. Input appreciated. Thanks

I don't see why not! Plenty of space for 3 people. If you are going on a big road trip, just put on a roof rack and box up there, and you will have a ton of space. Much more refined ride than your typical family sedan. Probably pushing it if you are having 3 kids though. My 328i was our main car, and my new 335 will replace it in the same capacity: a great family rig that doubles as a fun back road carving machine.

[williamf]

The Coupe is fine also. I purchased a 2007 right after I had my first kid in 2007. It was not hard to get him in and out of the car. When the car seat is turned around (infant requirement), it is a little challenging, but once you can turn the seat around, it is a piece of cake.

The car is very well engineered as far as safety is concerned. I almost totaled the car in 2007 (should have been totaled, over $35K in repairs). My son was not in the car, but my adult passenger and me walked away from a trashed car without a scratch.

I have my issues with BMW, but safety is not one of them.

[i dunno]

as long as the car is modern, most late model cars are pretty safe. heck, a civic has a higher iihs safety rating than an f30 3 series.

[pgaplayerless]

Buy a volvo if you want safe, family mover....

[awu]

Perfectly safe, but a bit inconvenient if you also have to haul dog and stroller. What we ended up doing is getting a Sienna along with an E90. MUCH easier than just having the BMW

[e90'D10]

According to USAA the 335i is extremely safe which I agree since I'm saving more on insurance compared to my Evolution 8 lol I have an e92 and good room in the back seat which my 2 yr old nephew was in..

[Ark10bimmer]

I say get A e91 touring.

[AndyR83]

BMW has a pretty good safety record. I'm no expert on the sedans, but I can't imagine it would be any harder to put a car seat in a 3 series than any other comparable vehicle.

[mlifxs]

for crash test safety, check out:
http://www.iihs.org/ratings/ratingsbyseries.aspx?id=458

not to mention car has great accident avoidance in terms of stability control, responsive handling, brakes. Not many sedans are comparable.

definitely not a mini-van for people hauling. putting a young child in a baby-seat is much easier with a mini van then for any sedan / coupe. Kids do provide a higher level of wear and tear too, which might point to something more utilitarian.

[Maestro]

When I bought my 335I, I wanted the coupe but I have active kids and just did not want to deal with having to get out out of my seat to let kids in the back seat so i got the sedan. There has been time when I have 4 kids in my car due to carpooling to and from a soccer game or practice. I had no problem with 4 kids in the car, but as the boys got older and bigger they hated the back seat since I tend to drive with the seat almost all the way back. When the kids were little and for short rides like 30 to 60 minutes they did not have an issue with the car. However for longer rides and now that they are older they prefer our Ford Flex, since you can put a 6 ft boy in the last row and they have plenty of room.

I have the sport suspension on the car and I will also tell you the 335I is not that comfortable on long drives especially for those sitting in the back. I personally have not real issues driving long distance, but if you have the sport suspension the car is a bit hard on the body if you not driving smooth roads.

others already talked about the safety of the car. There are plenty of real world of example of people walking way from some really bad accidents in a BMW. I personally were impress with the extend of damage to a BMW and the people in the car only having minor injuries to that is a testament to the safety of the car.

Just some things to think about.

[Benstuck]

I have no kids but I would not want kids in my bmw regardless. I would just buy a mini van and call it a day, that is, if you have the means for that option.

[shadow191]

Since you have an E90, you're fine. The only downside will be getting the baby carrier in and out, the E90 isn't that big. And you'll lose a lot of passenger space in back with the baby carrier in. But all of those issues have to do with how large baby carriers are, not the car. Safety wise, I wouldn't worry at all. New cars are plenty safe, in the back you're only really worried about side impact. I would just recommend putting the carrier in the middle if possible. That's what is recommended and I have first hand experience on why that is. My old IS350 was totalled in a side impact. Dodge Charger t-boned it while my wife was taking my son home. Got hit dead center hard enough that the passenger seat was touching the drivers seat. My son came out unscratched since his seat was in the middle. Probably would have been fine on the side as well, but better safe than sorry.

[AzureHaze]

Originally Posted by Maestro

I have the sport suspension on the car and I will also tell you the 335I is not that comfortable on long drives especially for those sitting in the back. I personally have not real issues driving long distance, but if you have the sport suspension the car is a bit hard on the body if you not driving smooth roads.

+1. Steer clear from the sport package unless you love waking up a cranky baby from his/her nappy time. I found out the hard way when I offered to give a ride to my buddy and his baby daughter. You already know how bad the roads are in SoCal so I don't even need to remind you.

If you're planning to have more than one child in the future, try looking at a 5 series (GT series don't count ). You and the old lady want more than two bundles of joy? Hear the new Odyssey is pretty neat. Especially with that fancy built-in vacuum.

[iknowitsfast]

I have a 10yr old the size of a small adult and a normal sized 5 yr old daughter. I have a 335xi E90 and we get along just fine. I must confess that we also have a dodge caravan minivan though for extremely long trips. But anywhere local or even some distance is no problem at all. One child? You're more than ok.

[apc3libras]

You're good as long as you don't have to put anything in the trunk other than one of those large folding strollers. Ours took up the whole trunk.

We ended up getting a smaller folding stroller and now we can fit a large suitcase and golf clubs in the trunk too.

The car seat for infants rear facing takes up quite a bit if space so the driver or passenger seat must be moved forward a bit. Forward facing is no problem at all.

Good luck.