Heloha

I bought my first BMW last year when my family grew to 4, and went with an 04 330i 6spd performance package which I really love. This is the first 4 door sedan that I thought was really fun to drive. Now we are expecting another newbie in September and looking at upgrading to a 550i. I'm hoping it will hold 5 without too much discomfort.

Does anyone have experience with stuffing 2 car seats and a skinny pre-teen in the back seat? Your input is greatly appreciated!

ericdbs

should fit okay... if the pre teen like to sit in the middle.... i was able to fit 2 heavy set adults and a car seat in the back with enough room... hopes this helps... and congrats to the new addition.... im expecting my first in december.... already looking at recaro baby c ar seats....only the best for my new kiddo

LuvE60

No problem. I replaced a 330 convertible for the exact same reason. It was an excellent decision.

Alex.br

It will fit with excelent confort. I have tree kids (12, 8 and 6) and I came from a E46 330.
The E60 was a great choice.

kryptokat

Fellow Members please don't despise me :'( for saying this. But I believe a family of five is better served by a Minivan.

Now if you plan to fill the back seat every day with carseats and family then you will have to get the 550i and live with the tight rear quarters. (Who here wants drive a minivan everyday? )

If however you can limit rear seat use to occasional then you can keep your 330i which you love and get the minivan for the occasion. The Japanese ones are fully equipped nowadays and have just about everything, inluding my personal favourite Run Flat Tires. Nobody wants to have a flat with two Car Seat toddlers and a Pre teen in the minivan with two feet of snow (not a problem I guess where you live) on the road shoulders.

Look through this forum the 545i (and soon 550i) are phenomenal but do you really want to expose your familly to the possiblity of "Warnnig! Stop Car and Call for Dealer to be Towed" or any other "Windows Malfuntion?"

Go ahead spoil yourself but not the kids.

JBOO

What? How tall are you and your passenger then? I have two car seats in the my E60 and I find it pretty cramped when the kids are in the car.

I can't even imagine having someone sit in between. Maybe I should ask the wife to demonstrate

We have taken a few long trips together and it wasn't uncomfortable, but I personnally wouldn't say with excellent comfort.

Rudy

Two car seats doesn't leave a great deal of room in the center. Sure, it'll probably work for a small person sitting in the middle but then again, some car seats are larger than others.

Count me as another one who has a minivan for the kids and the E60 for the times when I'm not going far with them or when I'm going with one of them...

Alex.br

What? How tall are you and your passenger then? I have two car seats in the my E60 and I find it pretty cramped when the kids are in the car.

I can't even imagine having someone sit in between. Maybe I should ask the wife to demonstrate

We have taken a few long trips together and it wasn't uncomfortable, but I personnally wouldn't say with excellent comfort.
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I am 1,86m height. My kids have the average tall for they age. I think that the problem isn't height but weight. We are all thin. The E60 works fine and confortable to me and them. IT IS JUST MY OPNION. But I don't use the car for long trips.

I ordered the X3 for these ocasions.

rodneyremington

I agree with the guy above about a minivan. I have 3 kids age 9,6, and 3. They can easily fit in the back seat of my 545i, although only one of them is in a car seat.

But who wants an E60 as a family car? It's not well suited. My wife has a loaded Chrysler Town & Country Limited AWD that cost about $30,000 less than my 545i, and the kids love it-- watching movies, spilling sippy cups on the leather seats, pulling the cupholders apart, wedging happy meal toys into every crevace.. But it is MUCH more comfortable than the E60 for anything more than a trip to the corner store when it comes to transporting kids. If you are just talking about the occasional need to put them in YOUR car, you will have plenty of space.

I just have it professionally detailed a couple times a year and hand washed every week and it holds up well. The E60 would not fare as well I'm afraid.

Here it is in Yosemite...(notice the matching color to my Titanium Silver 545i )

BMW#7

I have a 2.5 year old & a 3 month old. On the odd occasion when my son (the 3 month old) was not well, my wife squeezed into the back, between the car seats.

My wife is small 5ft 2 & 50kg's I think.
The point is that it is tough for her to get in & out with the car seats already in place. Once in, she has quite sufficient seat & shoulder room but her feet have to be uncomfortable on either side of the wide rear centre consol.