What kind of car do you drive?

H&W05 · February 2012

Due to recent unexpected medical bills, we are going to try to trade in our SUV for a smaller car. What kind of car do you drive, how does it fit the car seat and how much did you pay (if you don't mind answering)?

Right now LO is in a convertible car seat and if we ever have another one the back seat will need to fit an infant seat also.

TIA!

lildevil968 · February 2012

I drive a Subaru Outback. I bought it used 2 years ago for $14k. The back seat is kind of tight with a convertable carseat, but the infant seat was ok.

BeachBum73 · February 2012

I drive a 2004 Nissan Altima and I love it (the newer models look even nicer). It is surprisingly comfortable and has a lot of room in the back. The trunk is also very roomy. My daughter is in a booster and my son is in a convertible but we also fit his infant seat back there. We paid about $15K for it through Carmax.

emiliemadison · February 2012

I have a newly acquired minivan, but before that we had a 13 year old compact and still have a full sized sedan. Both fit two car seats just fine.

If you're looking for a reliable, fuel efficient, budget friendly vehicle, check out a Kia Optima or Hyundai Elantra (used). They're great for families and very reasonably priced.

RosieBcheeks98 · February 2012

I drive a 2011 Hyundai Sonata and I love it. It is actually a pretty big car with big trunk. I have a Graco My Ride 65 in the back and it has plenty of room. It does GREAT on gas and come with some awesome standard features. I think we payed around 24,000??

You must test drive one..you'll fall in love.

3003girl · February 2012

Honda FIT.

LOVE IT! it works great for our one LO in a convertible seat (rear facing, passenger side) and our two dogs.

Bought it new in 2009?10? I'm not sure the exact amount we paid, but it was around 16,000?

I got the manual transmission and regularly get 40mpg. mostly highway/ 55mph driving. we live in the sticks.

JulySpark05 · February 2012

We bought a 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid a year ago and love it! The infant seat fit very nicely in it but I find my Britax is a bit high so it was a bit of a challenge putting her in it until we got used to it. Although, I think there might be a way to lower the carseat but we haven't tried.

The only complaint I have about the car is since its a hybrid, you lose maybe 1/3 of your trunk space since the hybrid battery is in the back. Still fit our Graco stroller just fine but not as much space as a regular Camry. IMO though, it was worth getting the better gas mileage and sacrificing on the trunk space. We paid around 17K.

momofmanyinthemitten · February 2012

We bought a used Ford 500 over the summer. We bought it for $11,000 from DH's old priest. I'm in love with it. When I have to drive DH's Saturn, I realize how great our Ford is.

[Deleted User] · February 2012

We just bought a Nisaan Versa. Love it! It fits our Britax in it just fine, and people can very comfortably sit on either side of it plus it gets great gas mileage - like 32mpg. We paid $18k with taxes & everything.

The other cars listed are also awesome. My piece of advice is to take your seats with you & set them in the car. We did & it was invaluable. GL!!

Under.the.Rose · February 2012

2005 Malibu Maxx is our cheapo around the town car (since it doesn't have side airbags) -- the insurance on this car is pennies! I think it's one of the cheapest cars you can get to insure. Paid $5000 for it this past year.

2007 Ford Fusion SEL V6 (paid $13,500 last yr) is our second car and the one we use if we're travelling anywhere together as a family because of the safety features, heated seats, etc.

We have DS rear-facing in a convertible Britax BLVD and it fits in both cars with plenty of space. It doesn't crowd the person sitting infront of him and there's plenty of room in the back seat for another carseat (or two).

That said, we'll likely be switching out the Fusion for an 08 Toyota Sienna since my parent's have one coming off lease in May and we could get it at a major discount paying their buy-out rate.

SoDoMojo · February 2012

We have a Scion xB. It's pretty roomy inside despite how small it looks - DH is 6'3" and he has extra leg/head room in backseat. With the RF convertible the passenger seat is pushed forward a bit. We bought it new 6ish years ago for around $16k. ETA: manual transmission - we get around 33mpg.

Stephanie2167 · February 2012

I have a Honda Accord. Love it!

We bought it new in 2008 so it was around $28k. You could buy a used one for a good price.

ToastieSimons · February 2012

We have a 2009 Ford Focus. It's the perfect car for us, it gets about 34mpg and fits the carseat, strollers and our stuff well.

We bought it last march for $11k with 16k miles on it.

melody921 · February 2012

I have a Honda Civic EX. I believe I paid $18K and change back in 2007. It fits DS's convertible carseat just fine (We have a Britax Boulevard). I plan to keep it with the next baby until there's a reason to change to something else.

MamaSquish · February 2012

solidio:

Honda FIT.

LOVE IT! it works great for our one LO in a convertible seat (rear facing, passenger side) and our two dogs.

Bought it new in 2009?10? I'm not sure the exact amount we paid, but it was around 16,000?

I got the manual transmission and regularly get 40mpg. mostly highway/ 55mph driving. we live in the sticks.

Me too! I LOVE mine, and it really is so much bigger on the inside than it looks. We also have two dogs, they can even ride in the back (trunk area) And I love the hatch back-it's great for the stroller, groceries, etc. I had a civic before, and like this better than a regular trunk.

lucisparents · February 2012

We have a Jeep Patriot that we bought brand new for 19K. It's considered a compact SUV and doesn't have the towing capibilities of a larger SUV but the MPG makes up for it. I average 25 MPG. I'm only 5'1" and it's just the right height for me to get DS in/out of his car seat, and I love the storage. I keep his big Graco stroller in there all the time and still have room for groceries.

I only wish we bought used, to save a few bucks. But now it's paid off and I plan to keep it for years to come.

jedrumwright · February 2012

I have a 2011 jetta. We paid about 22k for it brand new just before DD was born. (we were actually looking at a 2008 but the interest rate was that much better and it wasn't much more per month). My monthly payment is $350 but we pay more to pay it off faster. It can fit both my graco snugride 35 and my graco myride 65. I haven't tried both seats at the same time though. It's not as comfortable as our Tahoe on long trips but I do love my car.

Kaley28 · February 2012

I drive an '04 Volvo XC90 but my DH drives a Volvo S60 (sedan). My H's is a 2012 and has all of the bells and whistles... it was the most expensive car we've ever purchased. But, we really love Volvos for their safety and reliability. You could easily get a used one in great shape for a good price, though they do hold their value well.

Brewtowngrl · February 2012

We just traded in our 09 pilot for '11 VW Routan (only 8,700 miles). We got more for our pilot then we paid for the Routan.

ksyknelvr73 · February 2012

We have a 2011 Toyota Camry and it's been great for us - it's a reliable car and the convertible seat (we have a Graco MyRide 65) fits just fine with room to spare for the passenger (we have it on the passenger side), and it's still rear-facing. I know that with a Camry they were the same model and size for a while - I think starting in 2006 so you could probably get a great deal on a used one if you need to. Ours was $24k brand new.

Want a personalized experience?

What kind of car do you drive?

Re: What kind of car do you drive?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards