Anyone else vehicle shopping?

KilgraveMadeMeDoIt

We have two cars, my little Hyundai Accent and my husband's Rav 4. The Rav is the primary family vehicle, for obvious reasons. 

We're considering replacing the Rav. It's only a couple years old but it's going to be pretty awkward to have three across the back. Our oldest is nearly done with boosters (he meets 4 of 5 points on the five point test) and our youngest is in just a booster. Baby will need to go in the middle so while it won't be too difficult while the baby is still in a bucket seat and can just be clicked in and out, it'll be pretty awkward to put the baby in and take the baby out once s/he is in a solidly attached rear facing seat. Plus, the baby will be right in the middle of the inevitable back seat sibling bickering. 

We got a really good deal on the Rav but we only bought it two years ago (right before we decided to TTC, actually.) It seems a bit extravagant to replace it already and vans with the sort of features we want don't run cheap, but we're considering a Mazda CX-5. 

Wondering what hat others are doing and what sort of consideration you've put towards whether or not to replace vehicles. 

ShallowSeas

We are getting ready to look for another vehicle. H and I both have older cars, so we'd like to get rid of one and buy a newer vehicle.  We both felt like we needed something more reliable when we have Baby, so we're looking for a newer SUV with lower miles. I'm still researching consumer reports, safety ratings, and all that jazz so I have no idea what I want at this point.

comealongponds

We could make it work with what we have (my G5 and DHs extended cab truck) but t would be tight, especially if we need to take the babies and the dog somewhere all at once. We're hoping to buy DHs parents used Enclave, since that'll give us way more space for everyone. Otherwise, we'll have to start looking around as well...two baby seats take up a lot of space!

whitneyf1

We leased a GMC Acadia right before we did our embryo transfer. We had a new Jeep Cherokee but we were over our miles on our lease and still had a year left so it made sense. They bought it out and our payment didn't go up that much. It sounds silly but we got the Acadia because we have a 3 year old black lab who comes with us most places. I couldn't see having a car seat and our 60 lb dog in the backseat. He loves the 3rd row in the Acadia and we have the captain seats in the second row for a car seat. If we weren't over our miles we wouldn't have gotten a new car though.

NatashaSprout

We have 4 cars. The midsize SUV's are 2012 and 2014. A sedan that's a 2014 and a 2010 F250 king ranch crew cab (remember when I said we have too much shit?). None of them are conducive to 2 large almost teenage boys, a baby and dogs. We are trying to figure out what to trade in and what to purchase. This conversation has been going on for months now and we are still unsure what to do. 8 passenger SUV's are great but lose cargo room to the 3rd row. We need to fit at least 2 dogs (in crates) at all times. I think we need a bus. 

TinyAlligator

We only have one car atm. It's a focus hatchback and while I love it, it is not even conducive to driving with two dogs and our one kid now. We're looking at cars with the optional 3rd row (so the bigger but not biggest suvs). We can't afford much, so vans will have to wait until we actually need more room. (We want all the kids)

MollySm

We just bought a used but liw mileage Toyota Sienna, and so far we absolutely love it.  We were between that and a Honda Odyssey, so we just looked in our area for used cars available until we found one for a good price with low mileage, then test drove.  So far it's working out so well.  My girls are both in the middle, but my oldest will move to the back once baby comes.  She likes to be able to see straight out the big back window, so she won't mind the move.

NordyMN89

Currently, H and I each have a 4 door sedan. I love my Lexus and will be sad to give it up, but it's the older of the two cars and I think H wants to keep his Honda (maybe not, maybe he'll want my car). We're getting a Toyota Highlander. Been eyeing those bad boys up for a couple of years now! Two weeks ago we talked about it and it makes more sense to buy it sooner rather than later...get used to making the inevitable payments before baby comes and redo our budget. There's plenty of space in a sedan for a singleton, but I was in bad wreck a few years ago and would feel a lot safer in an SUV.

yosemite2018

SO and I both had 2 door cars (mine with only 2 seats) so when we started ttc we both bought new cars. Mine will be more of the baby car as his back row is still pretty small. I got a Honda CR-V specifically because I wanted something big enough for 2 car seats (eventually). My dad bought a dodge caravan so that will be the car for road trips. The middle seats fold all the way down so it is pretty easy to adjust based on how many seats/storage space we need. My friend with a 3rd on the way bought a minivan too as she said it was the only option once they knew they would try for a 3rd (had a small SUV like mine before).

doraleigh35

We just bought DH a Ford Fusion that our friends were selling cheap. It's a few years old, but they were moving out of the country and needed to sell it fast. We got a crazy deal on it.

I'll be taking his 2012 Nissan Titan. Even though it's a pickup I love this truck. It drives so nice and has a lot of room in the cab. I'll drive that until we have #2 and then we'll trade it in for an SUV.

PurpleBrunette

We bought a Ford Fusion last year to finally go back up to a 2 car family (I have a Jeep Liberty). We have now decided we hate the Fusion (mostly nothing to do with the car itself, except that it is a car) and we want to get something new. But that will most likely be next year. When we bought the car, we deliberately made sure that our 80lb Labrador could fit comfortably in the back seat. Doing that gave us the unintended benefit of at least knowing a baby could fit back there too. 

MrsDho11

H and I share a car.  It's a 9 year old Prius, but it still runs perfectly.  I was mostly concerned about safety, but some research has me believing it's a nice safe car.  We pay so much for rent that I'd rather not add in a monthly car payment as well.  We'll probably keep this car and try to stay at just one for at least the next two years, but likely until it stops running or starts needing repairs.  Then I'd probably want to just buy another Prius, but H wants a Tesla.

lilwonder

We're both going to be getting new cars before the end of the year. Mine is fantastic, I love it and I honestly don't want to give it up-- but, it's 10yrs old and has a bunch of miles on it and we can see the future repair cost writing on the wall. We're going to replace it with the same thing, since they just came out with a spiffy new body style; Volvo XC90.

As for DH, I think we're going to get him the new Inifiti G37. We had a G35 a few years back that we loved. We say all the time that we shouldn't have sold it.

AdmiralKitty

I own a 2012 Ford Focus hatchback and so does a good friend of mine that had her baby 2 years ago. She has a terrible time getting her kid in and out of it because it's so low and any carseat had to go in the middle. Even at 2yo now they still have trouble getting her in her carseat. H and I decided to sell his car last year (he was still making payments and I owned mine outright) and be a single care family for a while, then back in Nov during black friday we leased my "mom" car - a 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan. I freaking love it. It's small enough to not be overwhelming or use too much gas but is definitely still an SUV with plenty of room. We figured by the time the lease is up we can upgrade to the Touareg or move on to another bigger SUV for baby #2. We got an amazing deal on the lease and we couldn't be happier... however H desperately wants to sell the Ford now and get an upgraded "dad" car. *sigh*

shevaCC

We both had 10-12 year old cars when we were TTC baby #2 2.5 years ago. We looked at SUVs and decided that to get what we wanted (3 rows of seats, usable storage even when the 3rd row of seats was in use, and decent gas mileage) we needed a minivan. Any SUV on the market in our price range would make us compromise on one of those things we wanted. We ended up with a Honda Odyssey as we slightly preferred that over the Toyota Sienna we also test drove. As a bonus, we love the sliding doors, the millions of cup holders, and all the little convenience features they put in to make life with kids easier. Since I no longer have any delusions of "coolness" I don't mind driving the mini van.

fiscally3

We just upgraded last month to a 2014 Ford Flex, I love it.  I'm not a minivan person, and I think it will be perfect for our family.  My husband gets stressed out driving a big car, so something like a suburban is not an option for us, and honestly the Flex has been my mom car crush since I was pregnant with #1.  With my first pregnancy we just weren't feeling the whole buying a new $30,000+ car, so we found a used Kia Rondo that was great for our first 5 years of parenthood.  The Rondo was a 5 seater and we fit 3 car seats across, and still had plenty of space, it was a great car, just won't fit 6 of us.

DH drives a Ford Fusion (sedan), and for those of you who have one, its surprisingly roomy, when having our old car repaired we fit all 3 car seats across the Fusion.  The trunk even fit all the double stroller and all the things we needed for a whole day out. We did this for over a week.

BmcD2016

We bought my new car back in August in preparations for having a baby. I upgraded from an Accord to a GMC Acadia. I love it, although i do wish it had captains chairs in 2nd row, but we got the best deal on it. I think it will be sufficient for two pre teen girls and a baby, plus any friends that we have with us that weekend. Even when all rows are in use, I feel there's still plenty of usable cargo space. 

TrulyBlessed22

We just purchased a pre-loved Acura MDX this past year in preparation for baby #2.  We love it, usually we only use it as a 2 row car and have a really large trunk but once in a while we've needed the 3rd row and that is a great feature to have.  Other than that our big purchase decision was based on it's safety rating...it's one of the highest rated SUV's safety wise.

kms456

We currently have a 2014 Ford Edge (mine) and a 2011 Ford Fusion. They are both fine on a day to day basis, but I'm worried about having enough space for family trips in the Edge. Contemplating upgraded to the explorer or another similar 3rd row SUV.

TheBorg7of9

I thought this might be helpful to people that are car shopping.  It shows the latch and tether positions for 3-row cars.  Very important information when car shopping.

https://thecarseatlady.com/latch3rowvehicle/

TheBorg7of9

Because of our nanny share we have a baby, two 2 year olds and a 4 year old.  We use a Honda Odyssey and it is the bomb.  We took out the entire seat in the second row behind the driver to allow us to climb in and out to buckle everyone in and that way the driver has unlimited leg room.  Trunk space is great. Auto doors are a life saver.

aquasocks

TheBorg7of9 said:

I thought this might be helpful to people that are car shopping.  It shows the latch and tether positions for 3-row cars.  Very important information when car shopping.

https://thecarseatlady.com/latch3rowvehicle/

I'm glad you posted this. When we were TTC last summer, I decided that we "needed" 3 rows. After car shopping and realizing that you can't exactly put a car seat just anywhere, I decided on a 2 row Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. I freaking love it. 5 star safety, huge trunk space, and A/C seats. Great gas mileage, 100,000mi warranty. I love it so much. 

LadyBugMe101

We currently have a Nissan Rogue 2011 (mine) and a Honda Civic 2011. We are considering getting rid of the civic since it is much smaller. I have my heart set on the new Mazda CX-9 (has a third row). The Honda is paid off and the Nissan will be in October. We most likely will not purchase the new car until Summer 2017 to give us some time without a car payment. I am not sure I am ready for a van  *** I need to take a look at the Arcadia a few of you ladies mentioned.

Roxell

Omg I just want to rant on this page (sorry not sorry). My SIL has 7 kids and they put all of them in the back of their minivan. The 3 in car seats are the only ones buckled and the 4 older (2 of which should really still be in booster seats) literally sit on the floor or run around. Makes me super pissed! I'm hoping she gets pulled over and ticked before she gets in a car accident.

Thewizardofrhythm

We had a rav for the past 6 years until last week. I love that car. It's suited our needs until now as a family of three with a big dog who skis and car travels a lot. But with the second coming it felt small so we upgraded to a highlander hybrid. It feels like the rav in many ways but has a third row for potentially more children or dog. 

sweetlyuntied

We shared a car (and H usually rode his bike to work) before DD. A well-loved 1999 CRV. When she came along we moved a little further in the direction of the burbs, got a place that had off-street parking, and added a used low-mileage Honda Accord which I adore. 

Since we're moving across the country we are going to ditch the CRV. It has just about 200,000 miles and is just about to drop dead. We'll tow the Accord. H might be able to take the train to his new job so we might continue with one car for a while, but then like @MollySm we'll probably be in the market for something like a used Odyssey or Siena. I love the practicality of a mini-van. If we were staying in the Northeast I might be more inclined to look for something with four wheel drive but itll be less of a concern for us on the West Coast.

mrsjlang

We totally need to upgrade, currently have a Nissan Micra. Great car for single or a couple, but now I can't imagine adding a baby and all the baby things to it. (don't get me wrong, we fit a queen size headboard in it, but that a special case)

We're looking at SUVs to be honest - I love the Acura MDX, but it's totally out of price point. Maybe something like Nissan Rogue or Honda CRV or Toyota Rav4. Hubby likes the Chevy Equinox. Also thinking a sedan might be okay, as long as it has a full size trunk.

Yay shopping?

yosemite2018

mrsjlang said:

We totally need to upgrade, currently have a Nissan Micra. Great car for single or a couple, but now I can't imagine adding a baby and all the baby things to it. (don't get me wrong, we fit a queen size headboard in it, but that a special case)

We're looking at SUVs to be honest - I love the Acura MDX, but it's totally out of price point. Maybe something like Nissan Rogue or Honda CRV or Toyota Rav4. Hubby likes the Chevy Equinox. Also thinking a sedan might be okay, as long as it has a full size trunk.

Yay shopping?

I used to have a Rav 4 and now have a CRV. I love both of them. I think the CRV is rated slightly higher now which is why I didn't get another Rav 4 (check me on that though). Either way, my family has always had Hondas or Toyotas and find them super reliable. My friend with a one year old got the CRV first and told me it's perfect for their family. Also I see them more than any other car on the road, even old ones which to me confirms their reliability.

FallenLeaves1990

We had a 2012 Jeep Patriot that kept completely shutting off while driving. It got to be incredibly dangerous, especially when DD was in the back. We traded it in for a 2013 Ford Fusion Titanium this past weekend and I'm officially in love with a car for the first time. It's roomy enough in the back for a kid on each side and it's super safe! DD loves in because it ha a rear backup camera which she just finds fascinating. 

whitneyf1

@fallenleaves1990 that happened to us with our Cherokee! It didn't shut off but when we were in traffic it would not change gears so when we would try to drive again it would think we were in a higher gear and wouldn't go. We'd have to shut it off and turn it back on. We leased it brand new and had to have the entire transmission replaced 2 months later!

MissAmeliaPond

@KilgraveMadeMeDoIt If your size range is the Mazda CX-5, I strongly encourage you to also test drive the Nissan Rogue and even the Honda CR-V. Those were our top three contenders, and we ended up going with the Rogue. I LOVE my car. The newer models have an option to add a third seat (though I'm not sure about the anchoring since we didn't get the third row). If you do add the third row, I think you end up with little to no cargo space in the back, though. I got the SL model (with the leather seats), and it seriously feels like a luxury car. I love it so much. The ride is smooth, and it's not as much of a dog when you gas it as the CR-V. The Mazda CX-5 was hands down the most fun to drive, and felt sportier, but the Rogue just felt a bit nicer/fancier. Also, it gets over 100 in the summer where I live and I wanted light interior, and that wasn't an option for the CX-5 in the imitation leather they have. 

FallenLeaves1990

whitneyf1 said:

@fallenleaves1990 that happened to us with our Cherokee! It didn't shut off but when we were in traffic it would not change gears so when we would try to drive again it would think we were in a higher gear and wouldn't go. We'd have to shut it off and turn it back on. We leased it brand new and had to have the entire transmission replaced 2 months later!

Isn't that crazy?! I guess it's common for Jeeps so I can tell you who's definitely steering clear of that brand for a long time. That could have been dangerous for you!

KilgraveMadeMeDoIt

@missameliapond Thanks for the recommendations. Having cargo space in the back with a third row is important since we often bring our dog (lab mix) around with us, and we travel home in the summers so we need room for luggage (and the dog.) We'll stick with the Rav for another couple years, at least until I have an income again, if we can't find something reasonably priced that suits all of our needs, but we'd rather something that'll give us a bit more passenger space. Especially since our oldest is already 4'9" and we can see adolescent growth spurts right around the corner...

thegrowinghildys

H works for Chrysler and we're looking at the new Pacifica that comes out for 2017.

TinyAlligator

Roxell said:

Omg I just want to rant on this page (sorry not sorry). My SIL has 7 kids and they put all of them in the back of their minivan. The 3 in car seats are the only ones buckled and the 4 older (2 of which should really still be in booster seats) literally sit on the floor or run around. Makes me super pissed! I'm hoping she gets pulled over and ticked before she gets in a car accident.

maybe she can't afford the bigger cars? Those passenger vans are really expensive and she's doing what she needs to do. Not condoning her driving them all around like that, but if money is tight, I'd hate to judge something out of their control.

Roxell

@TinyAlligator They also have a car so they could easily take 2 vehicles so all their kids can be safe. They choose to put all 7 kids in the back of their minivan van. I get not being able to afford a new vehicle but you do what you have to in order to keep ALL you children safe. It just bugs the shit out of me that she doesn't seem to take the safety of her children seriously. 

talkthewholetime

I skimmed so I don't know if anyone said this - if you're car shopping, bring a rear facing car seat. We didn't think to do that and now my knees are in the dashboard because our "upgrade" really isn't that much bigger. Borrow one from a friend or something!

jarethinafrock

I have a 2-door Chevrolet cobalt and my husband has a 4-door Honda Accord. Toting around my 20-month-old in a 2-door has gotten to be awful and so we are actively looking for a van to replace it. Still haven't found one in our price range though. 

m6agua

I just got a 2013 Kia Sportage a few years ago. I love it and plan on running it into the ground. However, we just got a large dog and he takes up most of my truck space. We may need to get one of those luggage things for the roof of my car. DH is next to upgrade his vehicle. I mentioned that he will probably need to choose a larger SUV and he is open to the idea. Otherwise when we take trips to the lakehouse in the summer (45 minutes) we may have to just take 2 vehicles, which is fine also.

sweetlyuntied

ash111916 said:

mrsjlang said:

We totally need to upgrade, currently have a Nissan Micra. Great car for single or a couple, but now I can't imagine adding a baby and all the baby things to it. (don't get me wrong, we fit a queen size headboard in it, but that a special case)

We're looking at SUVs to be honest - I love the Acura MDX, but it's totally out of price point. Maybe something like Nissan Rogue or Honda CRV or Toyota Rav4. Hubby likes the Chevy Equinox. Also thinking a sedan might be okay, as long as it has a full size trunk.

Yay shopping?

I used to have a Rav 4 and now have a CRV. I love both of them. I think the CRV is rated slightly higher now which is why I didn't get another Rav 4 (check me on that though). Either way, my family has always had Hondas or Toyotas and find them super reliable. My friend with a one year old got the CRV first and told me it's perfect for their family. Also I see them more than any other car on the road, even old ones which to me confirms their reliability.

This. My FIL and GrandfatherIL both worked as mechanics and have always ONLY owned Hondas (and the occasional Toyota). I feel like they're priced reasonably too, which I like.

When I first started dating DH I drove a (totally badass) Pontiac Grand Am and got ALL the side-eyes from his family. 

16isourluckynumber

@KilgraveMadeMeDoIt  I have a CX-5 and 2 kids, 5 yo and almost 3 yo.  It is fun to drive but it already feels small - my 5 year old is always putting her feet up on the back of the passenger seat.  A few times when we have needed to have another person in the passenger seat I have squeezed in the middle of the back, and it is very unpleasant (I'm not huge at 5'9, 140, but I couldn't even lean back because my shoulders didn't fit between the car seats).  For 3 kids I would recommend something bigger, like the CX-9.  We used to have a CX-9 and I really regret trading it in.