Non Retro Parentmobiles...

If you only have the shortlist as mentioned in your OP, as dictated by the wife what do you need us for?
Test drive and a conversation between you 2 will decide, not a lot of help we can offer on here...

Think we are going to have a look at some E46/E91 Tourings at the weekend lol.

Tried the Pram a different way arround in the Golf:

Actually more room than I thought.

As I'm back in work today & on lates the Octi was in the car park so I thought I would see how it compares to the Golf:

The boot on the Octi is pretty good (not quite as big as a Passat, but I think the Octi is closer related to the mk5 golf estate), I had 12 servers in the back of it - realised when I got back to the office why the steering had gone light - reverse rake FTL lol.
Sorry, Ford's off the list as is Vauxhall - just don't grab my interest at all I'm affraid.

She has warmed to the idea of a BMW estate, but nothing else. Think its more to shut me up more than anything else. Plus we looked at a e91 330i m sport earlier this year when I was looking to replace the Golf and she liked that apart from the white leather, she liked the brand new x5 even more though (Told her she married the wrong person for getting one of those lol)

Don't worry, wont be buying a diesel. I detest the 320d engine with a passion. Had a e46 320d a few years ago and it put me of diesels for a long time. The e46 always felt like a quality car and I don't think ive been in many cars that felt better put together or that rode better.
It was just let down my the curse word engine.

I love the e39 and always wanted a 530 sport or m5 but mpg maybe an issue lol.

Have seen a e60 523 sport touring in budget but I think it maybe too big for her.

Seen a few high mileage e91 318s that are cheap & one of the best cars ive ever owned was a 175k 318is coupe, but havent done my research on the E91's with 4 pot - only ever been interested in the 330i or 335i lol.

Those BM's are good for the money, I could get an e46 & keep the Golf for another year but at the moment though my Golf is (amazingly) worth the same as when i bought it 18 months ago so its kinda tempting to move it on before it drops in value.

She wont drive an Auto - changing gears is part of the fun of driving (her words not mine)

Miles are not an issue on e46/e39, good to see that you realise that - condition & FSH are the most important aspects. Bear in mind that a high mileage e30/e36 is a completely different story to the e91 in complexity

The e60/61/90/91's are super complicated cars in comparison and not built as well. I test drove a few e60s and they just feel second rate compared to the e39, the same I hear is true for the e90 vs e46.

I know it might not look as impressive as the e60/e90 (they're starting to age much worse than the e39/e46 though) but you'll have a much cheaper ownership experience with these. The 4 pot petrol in the e46 isn't the worst thing in the world but the car just suits a 6 pot, plus it's easier to find a decent spec 6 cylinder. 320i/325i/330i cars all run pretty much the same MPG, so don't pick between them based on that.

I had a E46 318 touring back when I had 2 kids and managed to get all our camping gear and nonsense in there for a week away no trouble, lovely car as well. I also managed it with the pt cruiser as well but with a much smaller buggy. Tbh my Mrs has had a lot of buggies and they seem to make the biggest difference to car practicality to the point that each car here has a buggy that's the most suited to the boot size!!

I could probably cope with a 5dr Golf, but seeing as I'm changing car's anyway it seems to make sense to get something bigger, no point making things harder for myself lol.

If only money wasnt a limiting factor...
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201312310743309/sort/default/make/BMW/model/3%20SERIES/postcode/s89bn/radius/1500/keywords/sport/body-type/estate/transmission/automatic/price-from/2500/maximum-age/up_to_10_years_old/fuel-type/petrol/engine-size-cars/3l_to_3-9l/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/page/2/advert-type/featured-listing/dealer/4502/usedcars?logcode=flp

Automatic estate with 306bhp, 0-60 in 5.2 seconds & lower road tax than my golf lol.

From experience leather is great with a dog (and also sicky kids)- just wipes clean, probably the most practical thing other than plastic seat covers or MBtex

Buggies are a PITA we have twins and had at least 5 different ones while they were growing up, I wouldn't probably go for a complete travel system with hind sight as they tend to be more bulky, If you can try other peoples ones before making a final decision unless you've already comitted, what feels like a doddle to handle in the shop can turn into an absolute nightmare when loaded up with kids/ shopping etc and try to go up or down a curb.

I agree with a lot of what has been said here, especially about buggies, When we had kids we knew nothing about either modern cars or how children work... and still don't know much, lol, but what I have learned is that the bulkier and more complicated a buggy/travel system is the more it will annoy and frustrate you in time. Basically the sooner you can get a kid into a simple bottom-of the range Mclaren you can carry over one shoulder on a strap when folded, the better your life will be. We started out with a Hahhhnda Jazz, which was hateful in almost every respect and moving up to a much bigger and less gutless F*rd Focus... most importantly, a four-door... was another moment of epiphany. Leather would definitely be a good move if possible, otherwise maybe one of those sort of polymer furniture protectant sprays. If you care about the car not getting trashed, that is. It's got nothing to do with kids being well-behaved. Yours will be, mine are, most people's are, BUT their destructive powers will still be on a scale slightly less than that of Mount St Helens. It's just how they are!

With this said, any car can transport kids, even in these days of safety nazism and ludicrous car-seat legislation. Kids are, after all, only small humans, and cars are designed to carry humans of all sizes! It's just that things that are minor irritations day to day become massive ball-aches when you're in a narrow supermarket carpark space trying to settle bouncing-off-the-walls kids, in the rain, while trying to lift them into the backseat of a three-door when there's only room to open the door ten degrees. However, even RX-7s can be pressed onto service as kids transport if needed. Pics, to relive the tedium of this post otherwise, lol;




Helps if at least one of the kids is a midget though

If you've bought a travel system you will move to a McLaren sooner rather than later, for the reasons covered by Luckyseven. They're marketed to make you think you have all you need in one, but they're not actually what you'll need at all. Anyway, for another opinion to consider before getting rid of your Golf...3 doors are better for the first 18 months. What!? Crazy! I had a 3 door and 4 door car at the same time and putting the little one in a baby seat can be easier when you are directly in front of them, ie with your back to the front of the car, rather than reaching across from outside the car. The 3 door car was easier for us, no contest. Once they are heavier it is different but we found this, alongside a few friends who weren't too proud to admit the same thing when they tried it.
Oh, and another curve ball, is that the safest place for the little one in any collusion (bar a freak accident where a scaffold pole comes in through the centre if your windscreen) is the middle back seat. So get a car with, or fit isofix in the centre seat.
Or ignore all if this, because advice when expecting is really annoying.....:-)