Obviously this is early on, but I'm a planner. I recently found out I'm getting a raise at work, as well as a stipend coming in December. I hear December is a good time to buy a new car as they're eager to get rid of the old models. Our cars are pretty old and my DHs is crummy. We're thinking we'll trade his in and he'll drive mine, but the new car will be our main vehicle.
We're thinking a small SUV or minivan for space for a few possible kids, and especially more space for a stroller and the rest of the baby junk.
I'm a huge Mazda fan, and I'm leaning towards a Mazda 5 at the present.
Anyone else in the same boat?
Already have a small SUV/minivan that you would recommend?
We put the buggy before the horse and bought an SUV already Wanted to pay cash so we didn't have a payment and got a great deal on a 2005 Chevy Tahoe. Leather interior & DVD player were my 2 things I wanted. We're in love with it!!
Running the risk of being laughed off this board, DH and I really want one of these:
While laughing at me, please keep in mind that we're Dutch, and Dutch people are basically born onto a bicycle and ride them everywhere. Neither of us has a driving license (not that weird for Dutch people of our age), the need for having a car is much lower over here (tiny country with good public transport links) and the costs of owning a car are much higher (especially gas).
So yeah, we'd love one of those. And because we live on top of a pretty steep hill, we'd get the e-bike version. It comes with two fold-out benches with safety belts, so you can fit four toddlers in there, or one toddler and loads of shopping. And you can even install rails on the bottom to click your car seat into, so suitable for transporting babies as well.
We just upgraded my car a month ago to a 2015 Chevy Traverse. We absolutely love it. We can fit DS (and his infant car seat), our two dogs and all of our gear and still have the third row to spare. When we put down the third row the cargo space is insane. This car will absolutely grow with our family and I highly recommend it!!
We're actually in the same boat. DH has a crummy 15 year old car that I don't even feel comfortable driving. The second I got the BFP he suggested we get a new car. I have a Honda CRV and it is by far my FAVORITE car and it is perfect for a family so we are looking at buying a Civic/Accord or Elantra/Sonata for the other car. Cheaper, good on gas, and safe for everyone. We'll have the rule of who ever has the kids gets the CRV.
Sigh, yes. This will be our third, and my current vehicle (Mazda Tribute -- the same as a Ford Escape) doesn't have room for three across. Right now the girls sit in a MyRide 65 rear facing and a Nautilus harnessed booster, and there's not room for even the tiniest of tiny car seats between them. Plus, my older daughter can't buckle herself in yet, who I imagine would be moved to the center, and I can't imagine being able to lean across a rear facing seat to buckle her. We've been casually looking online for good deals on a Honda Odyssey.
I lease. When DS1 was born I had a corolla. It was way too small with the bucket seat in the back. The front passenger would basically be sitting on the dashboard. When my lease was up last November, I got the Rav4 - MUCH better. There is a good amount of space in the back but it's definitely a small SUV.
I am happy I will have both kids for a few months before my next lease is up again so I can make sure the Rav4 is comfortable for a family of 4, with our dog
We just upgraded my car a month ago to a 2015 Chevy Traverse. We absolutely love it. We can fit DS (and his infant car seat), our two dogs and all of our gear and still have the third row to spare. When we put down the third row the cargo space is insane. This car will absolutely grow with our family and I highly recommend it!!
Exactly what I was going to say! We LOVE our traverse. It has been awesome with our first little and all her gear, plus accommodates having other passengers and makes traveling a breeze. Plenty of space.
DH surprised me with a new car on my birthday back in March. It's a Mazda CX-5, my dream come true soccer mom SUV! I absolutely love it and can't recommend it enough! Best in its class, too!
I drove a Camry for the 1st year of my daughter's life and then switched to an Equinox. The sedan worked great and had tons of trunk space. The only improvement I've seen with the Equinox is that it's easier on my back when it comes to taking her out of her car seat since she is higher up. My Equinox actually has a smaller trunk than my Camry did. I'd like to get a bigger SUV in the future. Something with 3rd row seating.
We just bought a 2015 Acadia and love it! It's essentially the same thing inside as the Traverse. The third row and option to put it down for cargo room were what we needed! I love it.
Check out cars.com. They have a car seat fit check/review for a lot of vehicles. They fit infant on up to booster seat with photos and how much room is left.
We just got a new Highlander in July, unplanned due to an accident. It should suit us for the next 10 yrs hopefully. We are also looking at the Mazda3 5-door to replace our other car that's about to die. We want a smaller, more fuel efficient car that will be car seat friendly.
Yep... DH had a Toyota Sienna Minivan when I met him. We use that as our main car, but there's no way to put 3 across with the bucket seat and I'm not crawling into the back to strap the wee buggers in.
So we are going to have to trade my Ford Focus hatchback in. Thinking about a Jeep Cherokee, or the new Toyota sienna as it has bench you can add to create a 3'rd seat in the second row. Also you can push the seats back so there's more room between front and middle seats. We drove a rental on our last vacation and it was great.
____________________________
Breast Cancer diagnosis 12/01/2010 - Survivor and Cancer free as of 03/22/2011 BFP#1 04/12/2011 - fetal demise - MC 05/28/2011
BFP#2 10/14/2011 - fetal demise - MC 12/13/2011
BFP#3 05/30/2012 - fetal demise - MC 07/23/2012
IVF#1 02/14/2013 - 2 Beautiful Blasts transferred
BFP#4 02/25/2013 - BFP - MC and ectopic 03/06/2013 IFV#2 07/02/2013 -BFP#5 - 07/07/2013 1st Beta 07/11/2013 - 483 (9dp5dt) - 2nd Beta 07/13/2013 1006 (11dp5dt)
1st U/S 07/31/2013 - TWINS! "The Minions"
IVF#3 BFP#6 09/01/2015 6dp5dt 1st Beta 09/05/2015 - 105 - 2nd Beta 09/08/2015 335 1st U/S 09/22/2015 - .......
Yes! I've been bugging my man to get a new car for awhile. He's still driving the Pontiac sunfire he got 20 years ago after finishing school!!! I told him baby won't go in his car because 2 door is a pain for that, so he'd better be ok with driving my car (a 2007 Hyundai accent), or buy something new! He's started doing research on options.
We have to... All the seat belts are occupied in our minivan already. And even before we found out I was ku, we were talking about selling the van and getting something bigger, because we do a lot if stuff with my sister and niece, and she never gets to drive her car (her h is pretty much always using it, even when he isn't). Anyway, we've been looking into monster, "holy crap, you can put how many people in there?" options, and aren't excited about any of them. But my mil has a Honda Pilot, and she adores it, so now we're looking at that, even though we will still be in the position of having every seat occupied all the time.
Congrats to everyone on this thread! I hope everyone has healthy pregnancies and babies. We have 2 children already and decided to buy a new Suburban. Apparently when I say 1 more baby, my husband hears 3-4 lol! We wanted to have room for our kids plus their friends. This will be our last vehicle purchase until my DH can trade his Taurus in for the Camero he sold when he met me with my 2 children
I've wanted a Traverse since they came out, but we had to go budget friendly despite the fact that we already don't have enough seats in our vehicle. We just don't all travel together, which has worked for us so far. The only time we all need to be at the same place, my mom or MIL has to go too, so we just throw one of our kids in their car.
We just got a 2 year lease in Feb, so we can't upgrade yet. I think when we have enough saved again, we'll buy a second hand minivan outright. In the meantime, I think I'll still love my new Ford Escape!
We need to.... I drive a tiny Hyundai that's not going to easily fit an infant seat. DH's car is older than mine, but at least it's bigger. We recently rented a Kia Soul on a trip and liked it quite a bit. Right now we're leaning towards one of those assuming it'll be great for our long term needs and because it's a great price.
I currently drive a Honda CRV and I love it. We want to upgrade to a newer CRV or an Infiniti FX35 but I am pretty spoiled with having no car note at the moment. It's up in the air at the moment.
(Me) 30 & (DH) 32 {Together 11 years - Married 04.17.15}
We bought a 2010 Toyota 4Runner when I was pregnant with our daughter. Love it! Kinda want to get a Toyota Sequioa now because of the two car seats...but I paid off the 4 runner 2 years ago and it's nice not having two car payments...especially with another child on the way.
Obviously this is early on, but I'm a planner. I recently found out I'm getting a raise at work, as well as a stipend coming in December. I hear December is a good time to buy a new car as they're eager to get rid of the old models. Our cars are pretty old and my DHs is crummy. We're thinking we'll trade his in and he'll drive mine, but the new car will be our main vehicle.
We're thinking a small SUV or minivan for space for a few possible kids, and especially more space for a stroller and the rest of the baby junk.
I'm a huge Mazda fan, and I'm leaning towards a Mazda 5 at the present.
Anyone else in the same boat?
Already have a small SUV/minivan that you would recommend?
We just got a 2013 Mazda 5! We love it! We get between 28 to 30 Miles to the Gallon. And it is rather comfortable as well as affordable. Totally would recommend one. I think the only downside is less trunk space, but it you don't need the back row, it folds down and then you have a ton of space.
Another vote for the Subaru Outback - we just upgraded to the 2016 Outback from a 2013 Forester because we wanted some additional features like tinted windows and some extra space.
It also gets pretty good gas mileage for an SUV and the all-wheel drive is wonderful in the winter (not sure if you're somewhere that gets ice/snow).
DH's car is basically unusable. No AC, falling apart, various mechanical problems. So we were possibly planning on getting a mid sized SUV. My current car is a small 2 door so not ideal for what is to come. We have some money saved for a down payment and my car is almost paid off. Once it is... Car shopping time!
In anticipation of getting KU with our first, DH and I just bought a 2015 Ford Explorer and we are so in love with it! If you're not interested in the third row, the Ford Edge is really awesome too.
I'm not sure if we will upgrade or not. We can't fit everyone in our current car- a CRV- as we will have two in carseats, but the 18 year old is off at college so it isn't a full time issue. I really wish she would get her license.
I'm pregnant with #3 of hopefully 4 children. We have an Infiniti QX60, which is like a fancy Nissan Pathfinder. I love that I can move the 2nd row up to get to the 3rd row even with a car seat installed.
Welllll... DH JUST traded in our Avalanche for a Jeep Wrangler (ugh). I've not been wanting to sell my car bc I don't want a car payment and it's paid off. DH has pretty much left me no choice. I've been looking at the 2016 Ford Explorer. It seats 6 without looking like a minivan on the outside (I just can't do it).
Been married since 2009. Unicornuate Uterus (yes I menstruate glitter) Several MCs DD born 2013 (our miracle "you can't have babies" baby!)
I have a 2004 Honda CRV and I absolutely love it, even though you basically have to replace the AC every 4 years unless you want to completely rebuild the engine. The 2004 is before they redesigned the body so it has way more cargo space than the newer models.
However, we're on kid #2 and I have a lot of friends with 1-2 kids that I frequently hang or trade childcare with, so it's looking like I'll need to part with my CRV pretty soon here We won't buy a car brand new because I don't want to deal with car payment/ depreciation, so if we can find a decent used Honda Pilot we'll go with that. If not, I guess it's minivan time for me...
Re: Anyone Else Thinking About a New Vehicle?
Not everyone can breastfeed - Mammary Hypoplasia/Insufficient Glandular Tissue Awareness
I have a Rav4 and love it.
I lease. When DS1 was born I had a corolla. It was way too small with the bucket seat in the back. The front passenger would basically be sitting on the dashboard. When my lease was up last November, I got the Rav4 - MUCH better. There is a good amount of space in the back but it's definitely a small SUV.
I am happy I will have both kids for a few months before my next lease is up again so I can make sure the Rav4 is comfortable for a family of 4, with our dog
We just got a new Highlander in July, unplanned due to an accident. It should suit us for the next 10 yrs hopefully. We are also looking at the Mazda3 5-door to replace our other car that's about to die. We want a smaller, more fuel efficient car that will be car seat friendly.
1: BFP 3/14/14; EDD 12/1/14; MMC with HB, D&C 5/8/14
2: BFP 1/31/15; EDD 10/09/15; MMC with HB, Cytotec 3/16/15
6/9/15 Diagnosed MTHFR Compound Heterozygous
3. BFP 8/27/15; EDD 5/08/16
Yep... DH had a Toyota Sienna Minivan when I met him. We use that as our main car, but there's no way to put 3 across with the bucket seat and I'm not crawling into the back to strap the wee buggers in.
So we are going to have to trade my Ford Focus hatchback in. Thinking about a Jeep Cherokee, or the new Toyota sienna as it has bench you can add to create a 3'rd seat in the second row. Also you can push the seats back so there's more room between front and middle seats. We drove a rental on our last vacation and it was great.
____________________________
Breast Cancer diagnosis 12/01/2010 - Survivor and Cancer free as of 03/22/2011
BFP#1 04/12/2011 - fetal demise - MC 05/28/2011
BFP#2 10/14/2011 - fetal demise - MC 12/13/2011
BFP#3 05/30/2012 - fetal demise - MC 07/23/2012
IVF#1 02/14/2013 - 2 Beautiful Blasts transferred
BFP#4 02/25/2013 - BFP - MC and ectopic 03/06/2013
IFV#2 07/02/2013 -BFP#5 - 07/07/2013
1st Beta 07/11/2013 - 483 (9dp5dt) - 2nd Beta 07/13/2013 1006 (11dp5dt)
1st U/S 07/31/2013 - TWINS! "The Minions"
IVF#3 BFP#6 09/01/2015 6dp5dt
1st Beta 09/05/2015 - 105 - 2nd Beta 09/08/2015 335
1st U/S 09/22/2015 - .......
We have 2 children already and decided to buy a new Suburban. Apparently when I say 1 more baby, my husband hears 3-4 lol! We wanted to have room for our kids plus their friends. This will be our last vehicle purchase until my DH can trade his Taurus in for the Camero he sold when he met me with my 2 children
We just got a 2 year lease in Feb, so we can't upgrade yet. I think when we have enough saved again, we'll buy a second hand minivan outright. In the meantime, I think I'll still love my new Ford Escape!
DD: 05/14/16
DS: 9/18/12 - 40w5d // DD: 05/17/16 - 40w
Been married since 2009.
Unicornuate Uterus (yes I menstruate glitter)
Several MCs
DD born 2013 (our miracle "you can't have babies" baby!)