We bought a used Zafira 2.2l Diesel for CHF 17.5k and are very happy with our choice. We do have 2 kids and somehow boatloads of "stuff" are necessary whenever we go on the road. The extra 2 foldout seats in the back come in handy when inlaws are in town.

First, Congratulations!

Then, It depends...

We have managed since Easter without a car, using public transport and
a bicycle trailer. We have two boys, now 11 months and almost 8 years. Will be getting a car, though.

Experience shows that the amount of stuff you bring is slightly more than what comfortably fits in the car. I have threatened to buy a Ford Transit, but I am not sure it would solve the problem.

BTW, size of car also depends on your sizes. We are 190 and 179cm, and that takes a lot of space from 2nd row.

Polo might be ok, in particular if you find an estate. But if you say Polo, you should also look at a Skoda Fabia which is essentially the same car (perhaps better built) and likely to be cheaper due to less prestige (Polo and Prestige???).

Honda Jazz sound like a good suggestion, or perhaps a Toyato Yaris (Verso?)

You could also consider Peugeot 206 Estate, end of production should ensure reasonable quality. Or the ultimate Nappy Express, Peugeot Partner / Citroën Berlingo. Not luxurious, but very practical and relatively cheap.

I would always be happy to try a Honda, I have just sold an Accord in Denmark which had done 341kkm. Everything was still working, but it was getting on, though...

Good hunting,

Martin

Congratulations first!
We had the same problem when we had our first child. We drove a Golf at the time and decided to keep it. If you think of anything the size of a Polo, in theory it's possible.
Big BUT: Buy a pram first and then take it car shopping and see if it fits in the boot! Our pram fit in the boot, but then nothing else did!
I strongly recommend buying a small pram (my favourite: Bugaboo, expensive but worth it). It will fit into any car (think friends and grandparents and airplanes as well!) and should give you the extra space you need for all the other gadgets you will have to carry round with you.
Hope this helps!

Our Quinny didnt fit in the boot of the Polo unless it was completely dismantled- including removal of the wheels. The other thing was with the car seat in rear facing, sitting in the front seat meant sitting uncomfortably with one's knees on the dashboard. Hence why we upgraded.

Polo is great for those with older kids...

Update in our search and find of a car for 5 (that's us and the 3 children)!

We settled on a nearly new Mazda 5, 2.0l diesel. The deciding factors, apart from the look of the car, which of course is a matter of taste:
- It has two sliding doors, which is great to get the kids out of narrow parking spaces
- The engine is great and surprisingly direct and strong. Energy efficiency class B, so slightly kinder to the environment than others.
- Not so much of a "van" feeling to drive, but still a lot of space inside.
- You can fit 3 kids seats (though narrower than the S-Max) on the second row. 2 emergency seats in the back, but then luggage would have to go into a roof box. The boot is still roomy enough for pram and luggage. Though skis, admittedly, would then have to go on the roof too!
- Extras included in a basic price. Metallic paint job (no, not silver ), extra wheels, tyres, etc. etc. You get much less from a VW Touran, Ford or Opel for the same money.

We compared with the S-Max (thanks to Evolver's tip) - which has a very comfortable second row with 3 decent-sized seats and HUGE boot. But expensive and more of a van. A great car, though, if you have the money to spare.

And the Honda FR-V, 6 seater (3 in the front, 3 in the back). Definitely a fun car with a good engine. But, the boot is small. And we decided we didn't want the hassle of arguing which kid gets to ride with Mum and Dad in the front! We want them all in the back, so we can have our peace and quiet in the front.

A couple of tips, if you're looking around Zurich:

- It's worth looking at cars outside of Zurich. Ours is from Berne, and though driving there and back twice for test drive and pick-up is a bit of a hassle, we must have saved a few thousand just by looking outside the canton.

- The Zuri Car Show in Oerlikon is coming up: 1 - 4 November. So you'll be able to check out all the latest and neatest in one place, before deciding.

- Oh, and we found ours using www.autoscout24.ch - then contacting the garage directly. Also went for a part-exchange deal