Recommend your car...

Msteach09

I have a 2004 Honda Accord Coupe with 57k mi and I love it, however it only has 2 doors... and I will not struggle with a car seat every time I have to get baby in and out of the backseat.

DH is being firm with how much we are going to spend (he says less than 15k and Im thinking more like 20k) because his truck is 2 years old and we still owe 25k or so on it. He bought it BEFORE I was in the picture, so dont even get me started on how unfair it is he wants to get me an older vehicle when he is driving a brand new truck....

Anyways- whats your recommendation fr a new vehicle? I love smaller SUVs (like CRV, Sportage etc...) or Sedans ( like Accord, Camry)

RachNRich

We're heading across the state to pick up a VW Tiguan--it's a year old--neither of us see the point in buying brand new again! 

NicoleD715

I have a Kia Optima. I think it has lots of room and is a nice sedan (and I love the warranty). 

avalovesart

We love our Toyota Venza -- it's an awesome crossover hatch-back type of vehicle. They can be pricey though, but maybe you can find a used one. They did not exist until 2009, so even used ones may still be expensive, not sure.

leiniew

I have a honda civic sedan and love it! I am pregnant with my first though so not sure how well its going to go with the car seat and all that fun stuff that goes in the car when you go on trips.  In the next year or two we are planning to trade it in for a honda pilot.

RNmommyof2

I drive a Subaru Impreza wagon.  It's like the Outback sport, just has different trim and paint. I really like it.  I had a Ford Thunderbird when Samantha was born and a 2 door car with a carseat sucks.

Shawnee11507

I have a Kia Soul and I love it. It is a smaller cross-over vehicle. I have to make sure the stroller will fit in the trunk space though!

hopeandlove0417

We are currently putting off buying a car for my hubby, he's currently driving a GTI 2 door Thankfully I have a corolla so were okay. We where looking at the Nissian Juke, it looks really nice and not bad for thie price.

mintea

I my VW Passat. We got a 2005 this year for about 8k. (I am not very interested in spending a lot on cars and this one feels sturdy!)

meaganbrand

i drive a tahoe so i'm not much help, but my sister has an chevy equinox that is really nice. its more of a crossover suv but feels roomy on the inside. she has a baby and 2 bulldogs and there's def room for them and baby gear as well. also the chrysler 300 is a really nice sedan with lots of room.

shortsweet&sassy

We are a Nissan family so Im going to talk up the Altima, we love it. It spacious fits car seats and the big boosters and the trunk is huge and holds everything we need it to. It was a good price and all the nissans we've had have lasted awhile.

MyHusbandMyHero

I have a GMC Acadia and I LOVE IT. When we bought this car after DH was injured we werent planning on having kids so soon. Since it was kind of a now or never thing, we went through IVF to have a baby asap. Now I need to get an even bigger car like a a yukon XL (GAS GUZZLER).

The acadia is nice -- it has a 3rd row capacity and actually has the same amount of room as the Tahoe, but its the "car" body style. So it doesnt feel huge. I love mine but there is now way when we travel we could fit the wheelchair and all our luggage and special extra equipment PLUS everything for a baby (AND the baby! haha) and 2 dogs in that car. Now it holds everything for us and all DHs stuff he needs and our dogs and their stuff when we travel. Plus it has onstar which is really nice. I love that.

 

CrissyandWil2012

I have an '04 Toyota Highlander and I still LOVE it.  I bought it brand new and it now has 120,000 miles and drives just as good as it did when I bought it.  I'm pretty sure you can get them used for under $10K, hope that helps!

HEmery

We bought a 2005 Tahoe a year and half ago and it's wonderful. We got an amazing deal and it had one owner and was in the military, so outstanding mileage for the price.

mrsrp2sw

JEEP Commander here but I love my baby aka Jacob  

 Its got decent gas milage only cost me $50 to fill at $3.77 a gallon...I love it then again I am obsessed with Jeeps.  The Commander is the biggest and not made anymore but I would suggest the Liberty or Cheroke.  Certified PreOwned is great too with Jeep.  Good Luck but remember to not only look at the space but the safety of the vehicle, the space in case you expand the family, and if you are in a snowy state how it drives in the snow.  Enjoy  

Gem17

My mom and my good friend both have Honda Pilots. They love them. Moms is brand new and friends is a few years old. My mom transports DD a lot cuz she watches her throughout the week. She has a Britax Boulevard and it fits perfectly. My friend also has a little boy, and she's really happy with her older model. HTH! Plus it comes in 4x4! We have a Yukon and love it!

adrienne29

I have an 09 VW CC Sport and LOVE it. My lease is up in March and now with 2 on the way I'm thinking SUV but I'm really going to miss that car. My hubby has an 06 Jetta - we both really like VW, feel like they are very sturdy and well built.

woozer77

I think you should look in to the Honda CRV. It's definitely in your price range and, as I'm sure you know, Hondas are really great cars. My sister has one and finds it very easy to get her 3 and 5 years olds in and out of the car.

JeniLovesNeil

I LOVE my VW Golf.  I've had a lot of cars and this is, by far, my favorite.  DH drives a VW Jetta and loves his as well. 

Angiee930

I have a honda civic coupe a 09 one and it fits DD and I fine but now that I am pregnant we are trading it in soon and upgrading to either a 2011 Honda Pilot or a new BMW x5 not sure which one though, BMW have great warranty's and great crash test ratings...it's a hard choice but at least I have 6 months to choose.

babyau

Ainslie325:

I drive a 2008 Subaru Forester.  It's repeatedly been MotorTrend's small SUV of the year.  I love it!  It was the first new car I ever bought (it may well be the only one I ever buy, having discovered the virtue in the lightly used car), but it has never let me down.  After four years and over 85,000 miles, all I've the maintenance I've ever had to do (apart from oil changes and tire rotation) was to buy new tires at the beginning of this summer. 

I bought the LL Bean trim (which is no longer made, but the Limited is similar), so it has some nice bells and whistles (leather, heated front seats, and a pano moonroom), but I really only went with the trim package I did so I could get an iPod jack (which I think is standard in all models now).  It has plenty of room for our black lab, luggage, and baby gear, good leg room and comfortable seats in the back, and the AWD means it handles great in the snow.  Subarus will go forever and hold their value well. 

I absolutely LOVE my 2010 Subaru Forester XT too! We are a Subaru family. My DH drives a 2002 Impreza WRX wagon, and it's his baby (well, the other baby). From our experience of owning a Subaru for years, it's a very safe car. Can't beat their AWD system, and Ainslie said, it's such a low cost maintenance car. I would certainly recommend the Forester!

hillbillysunshine

I have a 2011 Kia Sportage.  LOVE it!!  Good gas mileage, not expensive, AWD, great space in the back for car seats.  DD's convertible car seat is a Britx Advocate.  It is a beast, and fits just fine with room to spare!  Plus, plenty of room in the back for stroller, groceries, etc.  I believe the Sorento is a decent price as well.  Plus, they have a GREAT warranty on Kia's. GL!

kms34

We have a 2007 Accord 4 door and love it!  We'll see how easy (hard) it is to travel with 2 kids but so far we absolutely love it.  DH drives a truck so if we get rid of a vehicle it will be that and likely get a minivan.

laxnpro

I have a 2006 Chevy Equinox and love it! The back seat can slide forward to give you extra trunk space which will be nice when we have a car seat in tha back seat and baby won't be needing leg room, we will have tons of extra space in the trunk 

mkarns

Just bought a 2011 Ford Edge and I loooooooooove it. If you're looking for used, I literally get stopped in parking lots with other Edge owners asking me about my new Edge and telling me how much they like the one they bought a few years ago. Big enough to be an SUV but small enough to drive like a car. Its soooooo smooth! 

paulaanne

My sister has a Nissan Murano and loves it with her 2 boys

jen-dale

I would just get a 4 door Accord. There's plenty of room in there for a car seat, stroller etc. That's what I have. DH will have to get a new car soon and we are looking at the KIA crossover.

lancyjo

mkarns:

Just bought a 2011 Ford Edge and I loooooooooove it. ...Big enough to be an SUV but small enough to drive like a car. Its soooooo smooth! 

 I have the Lincoln version of this, the MKX, and I LOVE IT! It's a little pricey, but SO worth it! Either way, Ford or Lincoln, you'll get a great car. I cart my nephew and his stuff around occasionally, and there's still a ton of room. Plus, the huge sunroof is awesome. Good luck car shopping!

ErikaFleury

Honda CRV! I am a Honda person to begin with, but I've loved my CRV since I got it about 2 years ago. My SIL has the same car and has 2 year old twins, it works great for her as well.

firewife9278

I just bought a Chrysler 200, 4-door. It is AMAZING. Quite possibly the best car I've ever had. I drove a Jeep Liberty for 7.5 years before this, and an old Plymouth Acclaim before that for 6 years. This car is smooth, comfortable and large enough for a family since it's a mid-size sedan. (My dad works for Chrysler, so I don't have any experience outside the Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge family)

The fact that it's built 5 miles from where I live is pretty darn cool too

Hunterloren

I have a 2004 Hyundai Sonata. Solid, solid car. The new ones are a little more pricey. Yuck. I also like the Hyundai Tucson, and the new VW Jettas are a good price. My experience with Jettas has been good. 

DBride2006

hillbillysunshine:

I have a 2011 Kia Sportage.  LOVE it!!  Good gas mileage, not expensive, AWD, great space in the back for car seats.  DD's convertible car seat is a Britx Advocate.  It is a beast, and fits just fine with room to spare!  Plus, plenty of room in the back for stroller, groceries, etc.  I believe the Sorento is a decent price as well.  Plus, they have a GREAT warranty on Kia's. GL!

I have a 2011 Kia Sorento, which I adore. We bought it after driving my 2003 Kia Sorento for 7 years/140K miles! Great warranty, amazing bells & whistles for the price and super reliable. Mine has the third row seat (which is pretty small, but we've used it a few times and it's nice to be able to fit more that 5 if you need to) and it has great trunk space without the third row up. 

pinksweetpea2

I totally rock a the swagger wagon (Toyota Sienna).  Seriously, it is an awesome car and totally perfect for a family with small children, a big dog and family who visit from out of town.   Also, the one I have has AWD so I totally kick ass in the snow.  

jmccall79

I have an '06 Nissan Altima, 4 door.  It's very roomy...I've have had my sister and 3 nephews (one in a car seat) at one time and they were all comfortable.  You can get a used Altima for a nice price.  When I bought mine a year ago, it only had something like 50,000+ miles on it, it's loaded with leather, sunroof, bose system, etc, and I only paid a little less than $12,000 tax, tags, title!  Know what you want going in to it and don't settle because you will be miserable the whole time you own the car.  I'd really recommend the Altima.  If you are able to spend a little more the Maximas are nice too.  And Nissan, like Honda or Toyota, will last forever if they are maintained!  Good luck!

busterbeagle

We very recently bought a 2012 Hyundai Sonata and are extremely happy with it.  Safety and fuel efficiency are awesome.  The backseat is comfortable even for adults.  And it is a very nice looking car, too!  We got a model with some upgrades, but the basic model is just under $20k (I think).  Hyundai also makes a few smaller SUVs that are similarly priced.  The Tuscon starts around $19k and the Sante Fe at $22k.  We picked Hyundai because they have the longest warranty and their cars consistently ranked very highly over-all and in areas that are important to us.  We were also considering Hondas, but we just felt like the Sonata was a bit roomier than the Accord and it comes with a longer warranty.

As far as used vs. new goes, the decision for us was easy.  We were both driving 12 year old cars with just over 100k miles on one and just under 100k miles on the other.  When you look at 3 year old used cars with 40k miles on them for only a few thousand less than new, it is kind of disappointing.  We plan on taking meticulous care of our new car and driving it for a very long time, so we felt more comfortable spend a bit more to ensure that the car would be well-cared for from the start.  A used car might be a good idea if you plan on trading in every few years or if you can find one with low mileage (my sister scored on her Honda that she purchased from an elderly woman).

Good luck!