Recommend Your SUV

WillCMyInk · August 2014

Alright, so DH and I have been talking that in the next 3 years or so we need to buy a vehicle that we will actually keep until we pay it off (yeah, we suck at keeping cars around my house). We were talking and pretty much agree that we want an SUV because, well - we're just not minivan people!

So now I need ideas about SUVs that will have enough room for (preferably) two kids and all their stuff, since we need to "plan ahead" on this one so it continues to meet our needs. I figured what better place to ask than here!

So for all you ladies out there with SUVs (prefer opinions from ladies that already have at least one kid), what would you suggest? What will get me through 5-6 years and hopefully 1-2 kids?

MarxieVonTrapp · August 2014

One of the best pieces of advice when buying an SUV came from my sister who has 3 kids and a 3-row/7-passenger SUV. I mocked her for such a large car--why does she need so many seats if she only has three kids? She pointed out she wanted her car for the long haul, and now she will be able to fit in other kids (playdates, sleepovers, team events, etc) without trouble. Totally made sense to me. And so now we have a Mazda CX-9. Love it. It's awesome.

southernyankeegirl · August 2014

We bought my car back in 2012 with the intention of it being a "Mommy Wagon". I LOVE it!

It's a Toyota RAV 4, 2009. I had a friend who was having a baby and needed a new car, and she ended up buying the same car (2010, I think, for her).

It's super safe, really good on gas (close to 30 mpg is what I average), lots of trunk space, and the trunk opens sideways rather than up-and-down, which I much prefer (as I can slam it with my butt if my arms are full). Toyotas are also super duper reliable, and when they have issues, cheaper to fix than some other models.

I really, really, really love my car. When we add child #2 to our family in a few years hopefully, I'll probably upgrade to a Toyota Highlander for an extra row of seats so we don't have to take two cars if my parents visit or my kids have friends, and DH can take my car.

The other thing I love about it is that you can buy them sightly used, just off a lease, and they're in fabulous condition and only cost around $13k. We paid it off within a year.

[Deleted User] · August 2014

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efujan · August 2014

I agree with @MarxieVonTrapp I'd go with something that's a 7-pax/3-row. That's what we went out looking for, but ended up finding a great condition 2007 Nissan Murano for a price we couldn't pass up. (this was 3 years ago). We will make it work for us - until it quits running - but I do think we'd be happier with a Honda Pilot or Nissan Pathfinder with the 3rd row (or stowable 3rd row) so we'd have the extra seats & space if we ever needed them.

My reasoning for wanting the 3rd row to begin with was - my older sister has a Hyundai SantaFe with just 2 rows. She has 2 girls, and when they were both pretty young, my mom, my sister, the girls & I couldn't all hop into 1 vehicle if we wanted to do something together, because a 3rd adult couldn't fit in between the 2 car seats in the back (then again, maybe that's because of my big butt!). So we always had to take 2 cars. And, with a stroller in the back, our shopping haul ended up in the second car, or, if we'd had the room for 5 in the SantaFe, not much would fit in the cargo area with the stroller back there, too.

So that was a huge point for me. One that obviously went unfulfilled with my last car purchase. The Murano has a bit more room in the back seat than her SantaFe, so maybe we'll be OK when baby #2 comes around, but it's still going to be kind of tough maneuvering around 2 car seats if you have to crawl into the middle back there. And for trips to the grandparents when we spend the night, we already have so much stuff in the cargo area for the 3 of us (all our bags, a pack & play, stroller) plus our dog. . . I could see us upgrading one of our vehicles to a bigger one with baby #2, which I'm still hoping to avoid so we don't have another car payment!!!!

1BabyFritsch · August 2014

Chevy traverse. We just bought it and love it

RibbetRibbet · August 2014

I have a Mazda CX-9. I have had it for 4 years now, and I love it as much today as I did when I first got it.

winecastle14 · August 2014

We love our Chevy Traverse. We opted for captain seats for the 2nd row. It'd been awesome with DD #1 and 2 dogs and still have plenty of room for when DD #2 arrives.

houseofthree · August 2014

I drive a Ford Escape. Its a smaller SUV but works for us so far (this is our first baby though). My husband works for Chrysler and has brought home a dodge durango and I really like it. It has the optional 3rd row of seating. I yhrink that will be our next vehicle down the road.

Samiantha101 · August 2014

I have a Dodge Journey. It has a third row, however it's not a gigantic vehicle. This was a big selling point for me. It doesn't have mich cool factor, however that's not really an issue for me. If I had a bigger price point, I would have gone for a new Buick Enclave.

2000cougar · August 2014

We have a subaru forester and outback. They're large enough to fit rear facing seats comfortably without slamming the front row passenger into the dash. I have no problems throwing 12 bags of mulch in the back without it being higher than the rear seats. I should have bought the turbo, though. I miss the power of our A4's turbo.

kaydah · August 2014

We have an '07 Durango and loved it up until recently. DH learned the hard way that the 3rd row seat in ours isn't really a full seat...it's too narrow and doesn't hold car seats like we had hoped. Looks like we're going to be shopping for something else sooner than expected. Maybe a Chevy Tahoe?

MoreThanSparrows08 · August 2014

I've got two boys and baby #3 on the way. We purchased a Mazda CX-9 back in September because we were in the process of TTC and we knew we'd need it. Plus, our former SUV, a 1998 Ford Explorer, had pretty much just crapped out on us (we like to drive our cars until they die).

So we bought the CX-9 and LOVED it!!! DH is 6'1" tall, and he slides into and front and 2nd row seat without problem. He's got plenty of room for his knees and elbows, and space above his head so he's not hitting in at every bump. He can put his seat as far back as he needs to, and DS2 still has space between the back of the driver's seat, and his seat to store his bag for the day. Rear A/C is also a big MUST for the Texas heat!

The 3rd row is extremely helpful because DH has 3 siblings, and we are constantly offering rides to friends and family. The 2nd row is spacious enough that I can sit comfortably between my two boys, should the front passenger seat be taken. With the 3rd row folded down, there's almost no limit to what we can put in the back.

Ours has a 5/0/50 3rd row seat fold-down, and a 60/40 2nd row fold-down. The front passenger seat also folds flat forwards. It has some hooks in the back to tie things to if needed, as well as some very strategic storage spaces under the "floor" of the cargo space. We store our First Aid kit, paper towels, wipes, and other "better safe than sorry" type necessities in those.

Also, the handling on it is amazing. It turns a tighter radius than my much smaller Explorer ever dreamed of. It's got great Mazda zoom-zoom, and takes turns and short stops without problem.

Unfortunately, our 1st CX-9 was totaled in a wreck in February of this year. We were very impressed with the way it handled the crash, so, when it came time for us to buy another vehicle (thank you insurance!), we bought another CX-9. This time we upgraded to leather heated seats, bluetooth capabilities, and a towing hitch.

We did consider the Chevrolet Traverse, Honda Pilot, and Dodge Journey, but because we are always on the go and always have stuff with us, we decided the cargo space in the CX-9 was what we needed. It's the best in it's class for cargo space.

letsgox · August 2014

H and I both had Honda Pilots til we sold one to my BIL recently (he was in need of a car). We are looking at buying another pilot. It is roomy and has a 3rd row. I pick up my niece and nephew from daycare and can fit 2 convertible seats, both RF in the second row. I put my niece's booster in the back and I still had space to haul groceries. It's not terrible on gas and it's not gigantic.

kawess · August 2014

I'm obsessed with my Lincoln MKX!! We bought it this year (well I bought it

) used. It's a 2008 in amazing condition and it has all the bells and whistles. Since it's used we could get a lot more bang for our buck! I get good gas mileage for a 2008 too! 22mpg. I drive mostly highway. It has a ton of space with out being hard to drive, and I feel very safe in it.

KnitPixy · August 2014

I'm inheriting my mom's Acura MDX. I love it except the part where it takes premium gas. Basically a fancier version of the Honda pilot. Has the fold down third row which while not the most spacious does fit adults pretty well.

I would have stuck with my Jetta but with LO and our 120lb Rottie fur baby they aren't both going to fit in the back seat!

I would highly recommend making a list of what features are a must and what are nice to haves for you. Do some research and then get out and test drive! As previous posters have said look out for lease returns too. They can be a great way to get a basically new vehicle at a great price.

Good luck!

peckmiranda · August 2014

While I currently drive a Hyundai Santa Fe (03, almost 200k miles, still going strong), we're looking to upgrade with baby #2. Mostly because DH is 6'6" so he can't fit in a passenger seat if a rear-facing car seat is behind him.

The top of our list is a 2014 Nissan Rogue. It has the option 3rd row, but the two things that sold me on it were 1) each seat independently moves backward, so instead of scooting the passenger seat forward to accommodate a car seat behind it, we can just scoot that seat back; and 2) there's storage underneath the 3rd row, supposedly big enough to fit a stroller. The thing I don't like about most 3rd rows is that it completely takes up your hatch space so you can fit people but not stuff, but with the storage available under the seats, hopefully we'd still be able to fit stuff.

TXUltraRunner · August 2014

Honda Pilot. 3 rows of seats and lots of storage space. I love all the hidden compartments in the back for storage too.

rockkandi · August 2014

I have always loved big cars (maybe bc I'm only 5' it makes me feel bigger lol). I drive a GMC Yukon and absolutely love it. It is seven years old now and still going strong. When we are ready for a new one, I'll either get the XL version or the escalade.

Maebb · August 2014

Toyota Highlander. It's 3 rows, 7 px, will last a long time, not bad on gas, and also has a Hybrid option.

HamptonsMama · August 2014

Nissan Pathfinder. Love it! It also has the third row but we have only ever used it with all adults. Plenty of room for the stroller, travel highchair and groceries/bags.

CGOODPAS · August 2014

I have a Buick Rendezvous (Buick replaced with the Enclave now) but I have three rows of seating, AWD and I get on average 22-24 miles per gallon. The third row seat folds down easy to give plenty of storage room when I don't need the extra seating which isn't often. I've had it for over seven years and it has over 100k miles on it without having any major problems. It is hard to find something AWD with plenty of room that gets decent fuel mileage making me really happy with it.

babyzap20 · August 2014

I have a Jeep Compass Limited. Love it!

kc192 · August 2014

We got a Toyota Highlander this past fall and i LOOOOVE it!!! My main requirements were that it needed to be big enough to put two carseats in and still have a little room in between for a small adult, but not be too big because I've never driven a big car! It is the perfect size for that. It also has a fold up 3rd row. Everything that had a permanent 3rd row just seemed to big, but i loved the option of more seats for the future when we'll probably be carpooling friends around. It also has a convertible bench seat or bucket seats in back with this removable middle section. You can either take it out so it's 2 separate seats, flip it into beverage holders between the 2 seats, or make it into a bench seat. The trunk space is huge and the gas mileage is not bad (and that's coming from a lifetime Honda Accord driver!) It drives very smoothly and easily, works well, etc. I don't have anything negative to say about it. Also, I thought a dealership would give me the worst deal... turns out they were several thousand cheaper then anything I could find (even private sellers) with the best mileage and they even reupholstered the interior to leather for free. So don't be afraid to stop by the dealership. The other SUV's I liked but turned down because they were slightly smaller were the RAV4 and Chevy Traverse. They were nice but I liked everything the Highlander had to offer much more.

LooneyLife · August 2014

We have a Ford Flex (technically a crossover) and will be buying a Mazda CX5 any day now. The Flex has three rows and is incredibly spacious.

caitlindenise · August 2014

Mine isn't an SUV...we bought a honda odyssey last year knowing we would be trying to have another child within the year. I always said I would NEVER get a van but I LOVE it!!!!!!!!! Automatic doors are amazing inventions and makes life a little easier when running errands.

When we were trying to decide whether to get a van or SUV we did some research on what others thought. For babies and toddlers it's easier to have the van because of the automatic doors, plus you have WAY more room to work with when putting in an infant carrier. Whereas with older kids who can climb in and buckle themselves the SUV is a better choice.

Just my thoughts

ellasmama18 · August 2014

Love the Toyota Highlander! They make them with captain chairs and optional 3rd row to use when you need it. That's what I'd do because that way most of the time you'll have a LOT more room in the back than you do with a 2 row SUV.

Beauxbaton · August 2014

We have a Hyundai Santa Fe. It only has room for 5. But its fine with me. We don't normally have morethab just me and my husband in the car. If we are going somewhere with our families its two cars anyway. Later one they are jntk sports my car might end up being my husbands car, and we might get something bigger. But I also hate big vehicle's, so we'll see

lilmisssweeti · August 2014

I have a jeep patriot and I love it. It's pretty decent on gas if I must say so myself

Maebb · August 2014

@kc192, I went from an Accord to a Highlander too. I agree that I love the space and the fact that it still handles basically like a car.

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