Recommend your family vehicle!

edoliesmom

I know was discussed a lot when we were pregnant, but we didn't really need a second car then so I didn't pay a whole lot of attention. Now that my husband is working, and we'll probably be moving at the beginning of the year to somewhere not as local as we are now, we're in need of a second vehicle.

We don't have pets, we don't do anything outdoorsy, but extra room in the back for groceries and room for transporting things from time to time would be nice. I would like the second row to be spacious enough for adults to sit back there comfortably. My BIL got a GMC Terrain, and the second row is a joke. They had both car seats in, and the middle seat basically disappeared. It would've been a miracle for a 5-year-old to fit in the spot that was leftover. So not that or anything similar. Preferably something wider.

Good gas mileage, nothing super fancy (I WOULD like to have automatic locks and windows, cruise control, etc. because I don't have that now and it's so inconvenient). So! Suggestions?

mbethmcgill

I've said it before and I'll say it again, minivan. We have a town & country and love it.

edoliesmom

mbethmcgill said:

I've said it before and I'll say it again, minivan. We have a town & country and love it.

That seems a bit excessive for what we're looking for... Aren't they usually 7-seaters? A 5 or 6 seater is what we're looking for. Why do they never make a a front middle seat anymore?! I haven't seen a new vehicle have a front middle seat in a long time.

edoliesmom

LalaMama81 said:

Are you looking for something to grow into, a few kids down the line? If so, I'd just go for the minivan now. Waste of money to buy something smaller and then need something bigger in 3 years. We have a Honda Odyssey & I love it. 

If you plan on kids being much more spread out or only 2, I'd get a Subaru Forrester or Outback. 2 of my favorite cars. 

Yes, probably just 2 kids. I'll keep those in mind. Thanks!

mooncusp22

I just got a new nissan pathfinder about 3 months ago .... Love it !!! Spacious but not huge, all the luxuries, decent on gas for an suv

edoliesmom

LalaMama81 said:

Just saw your 2nd post. Maybe you'd like something like a Mazda 5? They call it a minivan, but in reality it's much smaller than a regular minivan. It think it's a 6 seater. 

I would have to see it in person. It looks nice, doesn't really look like a minivan from the outside. But the third row looks like it would only fit children or really short adults comfortably, but since we only plan on having 2 kids, I guess it doesn't really matter. We'd have to have the third row laid down constantly for storage. Couldn't have people sitting back there and storage. I won't rule it out though.

ETA: Both seats don't have to be laid down though, so there's that.

ETAA: They start at $20K though which is really good!

Abcollins57

I had a Ford Edge that I loved. It was sporty but had a lot of interior space. I test drove a Highlander before and thought the inside was tiny in comparison. We traveled cross country in the Edge with four adults and my seven year old, everyone was comfortable.

J&NL

We have a Nissan Rogue. It's a small SUV and it gets good gas mileage. $15 puts you at a half tank and it's really comfortable. Also, it's at a decent price brand new.

vettymama

Ford Explorer or Escape. I've had both, currently have the explorer. We needed a bit more room for 2 boys and 2 dogs. Average about 20 mpg on country roads and a little town so not highway.

SoulTermination

We have a Chevy Impala right now, would NOT recommend for two car seats. I don't think they'd fit without squishing the adults in the front, and there's no room for a third person between them, even a kid.

Prior to this car we'd been making payments on a Ford Escape. That one had a lot of room, and in some ways I kind of wish we still had it. =/

If we have any more kids, we might go with a Dodge Grand Caravan like the ILs have. Gas mileage isn't the greatest, but it's roomy and a gentle ride.

Juliajc

Prius v. Just got one at the end of summer and love it! Tons of room, great gas mileage.

AmberLiz99

We love our Ford Escape. The back seat is not huge, but I do fit between the kids car seats, and I could fit a third car seat or booster seat back there if necessary. Gas mileage, all wheal drive, hands free phone sync, visibility and ease of driving a parking are all reasons we chose it. We test drove a lot of small SUV. Out second favorite was the Mazda C5, our least favorite was the Forester

UnofficiallyLO

I drive a Camaro 8-}

Dixon813

I have a honda CR-V and love it! With an infant seat and a booster seat, an adult couldn't sit in the back. (I don't know any back row spacious enough for two car seats and an adult) but before Liam, we've had 3 adults in the back, no problem!

chichi589

I have a 2014 jeep Cherokee Laredo. It's amazing on gas mileage the back storage space is great. 2 car seats fit well and there's room for a small adult in the middle. For 2 kids it's perfect for us we don't commonly have extra people driving with us anyway. As the kids get older and need to bring friends along we will probably get one with third row seating. The insurance agent in me wants to tell you third row vehicles commonly (not alwaaaays) rate higher on insurance as there's more of a risk for potentially carrying 8 people vs 5 people. Make sure you get a quote before you make a decision so you aren't caught off guard!

Jessimax

We have a Mitsubishi RVR. It's not huge, I can fit between the 2 car seats in the back though (snuggly). It's great on gas, decent storage. I am very anti minivan, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't occasionally day dream of one. Especially with the huge stroller in the trunk.

Rrrrrachel

Once your kids are school age and carpooling is a thing a minivan is really nice. Even if you only have two kids. I love my Subaru but no way I can carpool with it. Front middle seats generally aren't very safe is I think why they're less common now.

Rrrrrachel

And a Prius v is plenty big enough for two kids! Again with the carpool thing but those are great family cars.

hordol

I have a 2011 RAV4 like @mamrotu73‌ and LOVE it. There are lots of different options with a RAV4 that you can get depending on what you want. For example I don't have the 3rd row of seats. I got a pretty basic one. There's lots of room in the back to haul stuff. It fits my BOB just fine and has room for other stuff too. Only thing I don't like is my middle seat in the back doesn't have a seat belt (so I guess it's probably not considered a seat) but it is an option you can get in your RAV4, I just didn't even think about the possibility of there not being one so I didn't check for it or anything.

Gas mileage is great. It will be perfect for me for 2 kids. When the time comes for a third husband is going to take the RAV4 as his commuter car to work and I'm going to probably get something larger. I'm a big Toyota fan.

ksulli

Our family car is a Chevy Equinox. It seats 5, the middle seat is tight with two car seats back there, but I can fit between them. Wouldn't do it for a road trip, but have done it for an hour. We have a Recaro carseat which is one of the larger on the market, smaller seats would help.

The back seat can slide up & back, so If you have tall adults back there you can push it back (at 5'6 I heave pleanty of space even slid all the way forward), otherwise push it front and have more cargo space. We've used it for a week long trip with four of us, including golf clubs and fit fine. I get 25-26mpg with the v4 engine. The v6 obviously has more power, but less MPG.

christinanoelle

We just recently bought a 2012 Jeep Patriot and I love it.

BiggerinRealLife

Mazda CX-9. Amazing value. We test drove eight comparable cars, and the only one that was better was the Acura for $19kmore. The CX-5 is a five seater if you want a smaller car, equally awesome. Both drive like sports sedans and have great price points for the technology you get.

LolaX2

We have a Subaru Outback and a Subaru Legacy. Both are great safe and spacious family vehicles. I was actually surprised at how large the trunk is of the Legacy. 

porterlove525

We have a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. DH has always driven a Jeep and refuses to buy anything else. The newer line has much better legroom and space than prior years. When we bought it last year we were also considering the Ford Explorer. My car is a Ford Fusion and has a ton of space. I can fit our snap and go stroller frame and my Bumbleride stroller in the trunk with room for a couple of bags and 2 car seats fit with room for an adult in the middle without compromising the front legroom. It's amazing on gas mileage and came with a ton of extras for way less than $20k plus 0% financing.

We have friends who swear by the Honda Pilot as well and the Mazda CX line (the SUV line), they recently upgraded from a 7 to the 9 when they had their second kid though. And I love Subaru.

porterlove525

We have a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. DH has always driven a Jeep and refuses to buy anything else. The newer line has much better legroom and space than prior years. When we bought it last year we were also considering the Ford Explorer. My car is a Ford Fusion and has a ton of space. I can fit our snap and go stroller frame and my Bumbleride stroller in the trunk with room for a couple of bags and 2 car seats fit with room for an adult in the middle without compromising the front legroom. It's amazing on gas mileage and came with a ton of extras for way less than $20k plus 0% financing.

We have friends who swear by the Honda Pilot as well and the Mazda CX line (the SUV line), they recently upgraded from a 7 to the 9 when they had their second kid though. And I love Subaru.

Talltrees82

I know you didn't like your BIL's vehicle, but I have a GMC Terrain and love it! We can fit the car seat, dog crate, stroller and all our crap for going to the cottage. We have a roof rack which is great when we need extra space inside.

My friend has a Ford Edge and loves it! I've owned two Fords before and like the brand.

DH drives a 2009 jeep Patriot and I would not recommend it. Not sure if we just bought a lemon, but it keeps breaking down and we've had to have the transmission fixed twice. The damn thing isn't paid off yet or else we would have junked it a long time ago.

J&NL

AprilMay9 said:

Keep in mind the car seat can make a big difference too. Radians are highly rated and one of the narrowest seats.

Is this a convertible seat?

Never mind,  just looked up it! 

Rrrrrachel

I have an 09 outback and while I loooove the the back seat is SO SMALL. They redesigned them the next year and I hear the backseat got much bigger. Something to keep in mind if you buy used.

edoliesmom

Rrrrrachel said:

I have an 09 outback and while I loooove the the back seat is SO SMALL. They redesigned them the next year and I hear the backseat got much bigger. Something to keep in mind if you buy used.

We're definitely looking into buying used.

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone!

Lauren0216

edoliesmom  We have a Kia Sorento and love it.  We would have never considered a Kia 5 years ago, but the company has come a long way.  We were able to get the top model for a very affordable price.  It is normally a 5 passenger SUV, but the way back has two hidden seats that we open when needed to move up to 7 people.  We love it!  If you check it out, make sure to test drive the V6 bc anything less doesn't give you enough power.  And if you are interested in a used vehicle, I would recommend a 2012 or newer to get the resdesigned ones. Best of luck!

alohamel

We love our Hyundai Santa Fe!!!!

lcr23

I have a Jeep Patriot and loved it before baby but it's pretty cramped with her car seat. The front seats have to go pretty far forward.
DH just got a 2015 Chrysler 200 and there's surprisingly more space in the backseat than my Jeep.