CLK's & baby seats: Does one have to be a contortionist to get the kid in & out?

[Herr Leber]

Assuming the baby seat is in the back seat, would putting a toddler in and out require any difficult manuevers?

I would really want the 2 door styling of the clk but think I need the 4 door convenience of the e class.

Any thoughts folks?

[need2speed]

Do you wife a favor and get a 4-door. I think many mothers sustain back injuries from trying to heft toddlers out of coupes! My wife insisted we trade in our 2-door for just that reason.

[blackmercedes]

I loved the CLK, but we were talking "baby" when I was shopping. I gave one quick try of scooping something squirmy out of the backseat, and all two doors got scratched off my list.

[Herr Leber]

Yeah, that's what i was thinking too. It also crossed my mind that mopping up puke from the rear floor & seat would be more challenging as well.

But dont the front seats move foward automatically for easier access to the rear?

[G-Benz]

Two-doors are no fun with a baby.

I owned a Mazda MX-6 and my wife had a Honda Prelude. Then came baby, and I traded the Mazda for a Honda Passport.

Whenever our daughter rode in the Prelude, it was a PAIN to get her out of the cramped rear seats!

Although it's not hard to lift a ten-pound bundle of joy, your child will be using that seat for another four years...so eventually, you will have to be tugging a 45-lb bruiser out of that seat...a prelude to chiropractic complications!

Also, consider the storage capacity of whatever vehicle you choose, as you will be towing a lot of extra "camping" gear for your baby! In those early years, I was lugging more stuff than most Marine ground troops!

[blackmercedes]

Originally posted by Herr Leber
But dont the front seats move foward automatically for easier access to the rear?

"Easier" is different from "easy." It's still a tough job, and as your munchkin grows, it'll get difficult. Eventually, they'll be able to hop in and out on their own, but in the meantime, youch. My daughter is going to be four in July, and can handily get in and out of the car herself now.

When they move from the infant seat to the toddler seat, the seat is "installed" in the car. You have to heft the one year old child into and out of the seat, and then climb in and out yourself to buckle and unbuckle them.

G-Benz is right about all the "stuff" that goes along, but it can be pared down if need be. Our C-Class was/is more than big enough, even for extended car trips.

Buy rubber MB floor mats and use them in the back year round. Make sure you cover the seat when putting the seat in, especially when they're big enough to put muddy boots past the bottom of the car seat.

Mercedes sells the best infant car seat, and it has BabySmart in case someone uses it in the front. We've used all the MB seats, and find them superb. People balk at the price, but so what? It's your child.

We also have the back-of-the-seat MB toy holder. VERY worthwhile if you travel by car. Neat touch in that the fabric matches the car seat, for those among us "fashion conscious" enough to pay attention to such things.