DH and I love our Volvos - my sedan, his wagon. Obviously, since I work with trauma care/head injury, there are no SUVs in our household! Both Volvos are very roomy and handle great, and get excellent safety ratings.
Volkswagens also have outstanding safety ratings, but you need to be sure you have a good Volkswagen mechanic since they're a little quirky.
I just got a Honda Odyssey. Yes, I drive a minivan and honestly it's the best car I have EVER had. The automatic doors and size make it ideal for twins and when/if we have a third child. We also have a Toyota Highlander that I love, but with the twins and all of their stuff, the minivan meets our needs.
Jeep Patriot if your looking for Roomy, Convenient and Comfi while Safe and Fuel Efficient. I absolutely love it! And it has been great with the Babie's Carseat (we had a sedan before and I kept bumping my head)
If you're planning on more than 2 children through the running time of your lease definitly consider the Honda Odyssey or Pilot- They are both great cars and have the 3rd row seating...Not as efficient as the Patriot though!
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I can tell you want NOT to get I have a BMW 325xi. Its very little! It was perfect for me before kids, great mileage, all wheel drive, etc. And it is so much fun to drive. We are seriously thinking about a BMW X3. Those are wonderful! The X3 is something to look at
I lease, too. I have a 2009 Subaru Forester -- it's great! Not too big, but big enough for all the baby gear. And it drives well and is good on a road trip. I highly recommend it.
I drive a Chevy Tahoe. I like the 3rd row seating and how convenient it is to flip the back seat for more storage. It is a very smooth drive. I know you can get this with other vehicles, but I love my rear backing camera, as well as the sensors. The remote door opener is great when I've got arms full of DS and grocery bags. It seats 7. It is so easy for me to get DS in and out of carseat without being hunched over. It is 4wd and livnig in rural Iowa, that really helps in the winter. I like having a higher view so that headlights are beaming in my rearview mirror.
ILs have Toyota Highlander. By the time we strap carseat in, I feel like there isn't room for anyone or anything else. It is a very nice vehicle and drives nice. My parents have a Dodge Grand Caravan. Very nice vehicle and the one feature I really like is that the doors slide instead of open (like on my Tahoe). Less chance for door dings.
I have a Chevy Equinox and love it. The mileage is very good for the amount of space you get. I have even fit 3 car seat in the backseat, not something I would do on permanent bases, but it can be done. DH has an older Ford Escape and will be replacing with a new one this year. I like the Equinox, better than the Escape. The Escape drives/feels more like a truck than car.
Both cars are great for kids and all the stuff that comes with them. The also get pretty good gas mileage for being SUV's. We spent a long time car shopping before we bought the Equinox and it seemed like the best option for us. However we didn't look at any foreign cars. Living in the Detroit area, I just couldn't bring myself to buy foreign.
I have a 1998 Honda Accord that has served me well for 11 years. It's good for one kid, maybe two, but if you're planning on more within the life of this vehicle, you'll need a bigger car.
That said, we're looking at the Mazda5 for our next car. It's technically a minivan, but smaller than most and has car-like gas mileage. Fully loaded, it's less than $25k new. There are some downsides (little storage room if 3rd row is up, tight quarters in 3rd row), but I dont' think any of those really apply to us.
I'm a boring car person and have to have a 4-door sedan. That being said, I love my Acura TL. It's roomy and rides very smooth. I'd love to get the RL next, but they're so expensive.
I have a Jeep Commander, its the largest they make but it doesn't feel like a tank on the road. The trunk is HUGE because it has a 3rd row, but we keep that down all of the time. I just knew a 3rd row may come in handy as kids get older and want friends to go places.
The gas mileage isn't ideal but its a smooth drive and I love the park assist system, now that my little guy is a walker I freak out about him behind my car (even though he's usually in it with me)...
I just got a Honda Odyssey. Yes, I drive a minivan and honestly it's the best car I have EVER had. The automatic doors and size make it ideal for twins and when/if we have a third child. We also have a Toyota Highlander that I love, but with the twins and all of their stuff, the minivan meets our needs.
Jealous! I so want an Odyssey and I don't care how uncool that makes me!
Re: Recommend your car
DH and I love our Volvos - my sedan, his wagon. Obviously, since I work with trauma care/head injury, there are no SUVs in our household! Both Volvos are very roomy and handle great, and get excellent safety ratings.
Volkswagens also have outstanding safety ratings, but you need to be sure you have a good Volkswagen mechanic since they're a little quirky.
Honda Pilot! Love it! Though I'm not too keen on the 2009 models.
It handles really well and gets decent mileage. We have an Accord coupe also, and they drive very similarly, despite the extra 1000 lbs or so!
Jeep Patriot if your looking for Roomy, Convenient and Comfi while Safe and Fuel Efficient. I absolutely love it! And it has been great with the Babie's Carseat (we had a sedan before and I kept bumping my head)
If you're planning on more than 2 children through the running time of your lease definitly consider the Honda Odyssey or Pilot- They are both great cars and have the 3rd row seating...Not as efficient as the Patriot though!
I drive a Chevy Tahoe. I like the 3rd row seating and how convenient it is to flip the back seat for more storage. It is a very smooth drive. I know you can get this with other vehicles, but I love my rear backing camera, as well as the sensors. The remote door opener is great when I've got arms full of DS and grocery bags. It seats 7. It is so easy for me to get DS in and out of carseat without being hunched over. It is 4wd and livnig in rural Iowa, that really helps in the winter. I like having a higher view so that headlights are beaming in my rearview mirror.
ILs have Toyota Highlander. By the time we strap carseat in, I feel like there isn't room for anyone or anything else. It is a very nice vehicle and drives nice. My parents have a Dodge Grand Caravan. Very nice vehicle and the one feature I really like is that the doors slide instead of open (like on my Tahoe). Less chance for door dings.
I have a Chevy Equinox and love it. The mileage is very good for the amount of space you get. I have even fit 3 car seat in the backseat, not something I would do on permanent bases, but it can be done. DH has an older Ford Escape and will be replacing with a new one this year. I like the Equinox, better than the Escape. The Escape drives/feels more like a truck than car.
Both cars are great for kids and all the stuff that comes with them. The also get pretty good gas mileage for being SUV's. We spent a long time car shopping before we bought the Equinox and it seemed like the best option for us. However we didn't look at any foreign cars. Living in the Detroit area, I just couldn't bring myself to buy foreign.
I have a 1998 Honda Accord that has served me well for 11 years. It's good for one kid, maybe two, but if you're planning on more within the life of this vehicle, you'll need a bigger car.
That said, we're looking at the Mazda5 for our next car. It's technically a minivan, but smaller than most and has car-like gas mileage. Fully loaded, it's less than $25k new. There are some downsides (little storage room if 3rd row is up, tight quarters in 3rd row), but I dont' think any of those really apply to us.
I'm a boring car person and have to have a 4-door sedan. That being said, I love my Acura TL. It's roomy and rides very smooth. I'd love to get the RL next, but they're so expensive.
I have a Jeep Commander, its the largest they make but it doesn't feel like a tank on the road. The trunk is HUGE because it has a 3rd row, but we keep that down all of the time. I just knew a 3rd row may come in handy as kids get older and want friends to go places.
The gas mileage isn't ideal but its a smooth drive and I love the park assist system, now that my little guy is a walker I freak out about him behind my car (even though he's usually in it with me)...
Jealous! I so want an Odyssey and I don't care how uncool that makes me!