Car Suggestions? 2 Kids...

sproutmd · March 2012

DH is getting ready to start car research. I own a sedan. Can we get away with another sedan with two kids? I know we can from day to day, but I'm thinking more along the lines of the weekend camping trips, and game days for my DS when we will have a stroller for the baby plus his equipment, or stroller in the trunk plus groceries, etc. Just tell me that we can get another sedan. Wink If not, what do you and your DH drive? TIA!

MammaBear81 · March 2012

We didn't get a van until we had three kids. We had a Volkswagen Passat and we still have a Honda Civic. Both cars can fit a Britax Boulevard in them (FF or RF) so any car seat would probably fit. As for vacations we were able to pack for long weekends in either car.

On the flip side my sister and her DH are getting an SUV because they can't possibly fit everything in their car for the two of them plus their daughter (they have a Camry). I guess it depends on how light you pack!

IMO you don't get much extra space with an SUV when you compare the higher purchase price and gas expense. GL

trinny · March 2012

Mine are pretty young now, but we do fine in our sedans (accord and civic). The main issue I have is not being able to take a friend, cousins, grandparents, etc. We only have room for our family, no one else. Mine are too young for sports or other activities, so this is almost never a problem.

EastCoastBride · March 2012

We only have (and will only have) one kid and we have a mini-van. But we do a lot of road trips that involve STUFF. Plus it really is very nice to be able to carry other people w/ us when we go places w/ dS.

I know there is a lot of mini-van hate out there, but from a praticality stand point, they really can't be beat. We never ever have to worry about what we're taking w/ us.

juliettodd · March 2012

I have two teenage boys and we (including DH) take my Honda Civic everywhere. It has great trunk space, enough room for everyone and is so economical on gas, road trips are extremely inexpensive.

CrazyToast · March 2012

We're a one and done family, and we love our Prius. We could easily have 2 kids and still use the Prius. We don't camp, but we do road trips all the way from CA to WA at least once a year. We pack that car quite nicely. But then again, we are very organized about packing.

madhatter2003 · March 2012

we had a civic and a mazda 5. We downsized to one car when we moved, and kept the mazda 5. It's a 'mini-minivan' in that it has 3 rows, but that back row is small. BUT it's great for when people visit and we need the seating, or I just fold it down when I do a big shopping trip, etc.

mrsseguin · March 2012

I drive a Pontiac Torrent and DH has a GMC sierra crew cab. Both are great vehicles and have more than enough room for all our stuff

I personally wouldn't want a sedan...we like a bit larger vehicles, and they have more space. Sedan's just seem too cramped. But, it is doable, if you really want/need it to be. I have a friend who has 3 kids and they are a one vehicle family and they drive a ford focus.

everam01 · March 2012

We were fine in a 2008 Honda Accord, but since we want to be able to take the dogs with us somewhere we bought a wagon (Subaru Outback) and it has plenty of room for our purposes.

duchess0727 · March 2012

We leased a van once we had 3 kids, but I still prefer to drive my Prius (and I can fit 3 kids in it). For trips, we will use the van but we were fine with trips in the Prius. It got a little tight but we made it work. I think it's all in how you pack.

Buffy2010 · March 2012

My husband has a prius and I hate it. We usually take it on road trips because of the awesome mileage but it is just too freaking small. My kids are almost 4 and 6 and both quite tall for their age. Add the carseats to the deal and I feel like we are stuffed completely. I love the idea of the prius but I positively hate driving it or being a passenger.

I have a Kia Rondo. While I admit it is ugly, it does the job. It has the 3rd row if you need it, but doesn't feel nearly as big as a minivan. We have used the third row many times for carpooling and when family visit. When the third row is folded flat the cargo room is really great.

brewcitybride · March 2012

We have a 2004 Honda Pilot, and I LOVE it. Of course, I don't love gas prices, but the Pilot actually gets decent gas mileage for an SUV.

We will be trading our 2004 for a newer model when it's paid off in November, yeah!

Leap08 · March 2012

We have a Corolla and a Subaru Outback. We can fit both car seats, a stroller, and groceries in the Corolla, no problem. We got the Outback because we like to take our dog with us to the park or on trips, and there really was no space for her in a sedan. I'm fairly certain we could pack everything for a week long vacation - including a stroller - in the Outback and still have enough room for the dog. The Outback is also really comfortable and has a surprisingly roomy backseat. We can actually fit an adult and 2 car seats in the backseat. It also gets fairly decent gas mileage for a non-sedan.

racampbell1 · March 2012

We have an Acura TL (which we LOVE and can fit 2 seats but would be tight for road trips since we'll have to take a pack n play along with everything else) and had my old 2001 VW Jetta. We tried to fit two carseats in the Jetta, and yes, it can be done, but it just felt too squished - the passenger seat has to be ALL the way up. We just traded the Jetta in for a 2010 certified pre-owned Nissan Murano w/only 11,000 miles. I LOVE it. Plenty of room for 2 carseats, room for both kiddos to kick their feet and pretty decent cargo space. Not great on gas, but not horrible. It was a good compromise for us re size vs. fuel efficiency for not a ton of money.

A word of advice for anyone car shopping, we went through the Costco auto buying program, they'll do new or certified pre-owned and we saved a ton of $$. It's free to Costco members - you just plug in what you want to the website and they send you an email with the dealership you go to. We were even able to haggle the price lower than the Costco price! We bought our Acura through that program too.

mommabear7182 · March 2012

We have a minivan and LOVE it. It really works when our relatives come over and bring their children.

JosiePosy · March 2012

We have a van for family driving, and a Civic that DH and I use to carpool to work most days. Both are older cars, so when the Civic dies I'm going to be looking at an Outback. We can't comfortably fit all four of us in the Civic so it would be nice to be able to put all of us in two cars. The van has been awesome for roadtrips, and we have a large dog so that's a bonus too that everyone fits. I can pretty much guarantee that we will have a van until the kids move out. It's been too useful to give up.

dragon_chica · March 2012

We have a Chevy Equinox LT and love it. The backseat can be adjusted to provide more or less trunk space. I can fit our Britax B-Ready in the back along with groceries. It drives really well.

preggersin2011 · March 2012

I would find a used car that meets these criteria- about 2 years old so it won't be super expensive, large interior and huge trunk, gets good gas mileage, and is comfortable to sit in on a long trip. My aunt/uncle raised three kids (5yrs separating oldest to youngest) and they both had two 4door cars no SUVs or Minivans.

QueSrah · March 2012

If you're concerned about driving just your immediate family with stuff like groceries or sports equipment, you could prioritize sedans with big trunks. I only have one kid, but the trunk of my sedan is huge (at least for whatever I need to do). I already drive around with a stroller and groceries in the trunk, and having a second car seat in the back seat wouldn't change my ability to fit the groceries in the car.

jlsimon56 · March 2012

What about a hatchback?

The Hyundai Tucson is a smaller SUV that gets 33mpg.

We have a Subaru Legacy, which is the sedan version of the Outback and I would LOVE an Outback. Our friends have one and it's great!

kyethra · March 2012

We have a jetta sportwagen and love it. We have two dogs and there is still room in the back, plus it has roof bars and DH put on a hitch so we could tow a small trailer for moving furniture etc and it is TDI so we get nice mileage.

Amanda Hallman · March 2012

We have one baby right now and I drive a GMC Acadia. I LOVE it!! It's so comfortable to travel in, has 3rd row seating, and plenty of storage room in the back. Good luck on your car search.

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