Car Suggestions

Grapes13 · January 2016

So my husband and I are going to be trading in (or just selling out right) his truck, since it's not big enough for two kids. We bought a brand new Forester last year (for me!) and so we are thinking we will get something used for him this time around. We don't want to spend too much, as we are still working on paying student loans for 2 more years

lol. But the idea is to just buy a four door car/mini van/ or possibly SUV if the price is right. So what I want to know is those of you who have cars or mini vans that you love, can you tell me what you have and why you love it? We will have 2 under two and won't be having anymore kids for a long while if we decide to have more at all (in case you are wondering). Thanks in advance!!

violetmarie61516 · January 2016

We just bought a used Toyota Highlander and LOVE it! It's been the vehicle I've wanted for years and I absolutely love it. It was really hard to find though, I actually had to drive 5 hours out of state to get it. Worth it!

Tawny87 · January 2016

We have a Durango (12) and love it! It feels like a van/suv and a truck all at the same time. I have a (10) forester too and I miss driving it since it's now my hubby's commuter.

AmberLiz99 · January 2016

We really like the Ford Escape we got a couple years ago. It's not too big, super easy to park and good turning (we live in a city, so those area important) and it's is a great hight and size for getting both kids loaded into. The fuel efficiency has been better than I expected too. It's all wheel drive, do great in snow, and we live in a big hill so winters can be tricky in our other car if. we get a snow or ice storm.

brendj · January 2016

We just got a Honda Odyssey and it is awesome. I was skeptical on the whole idea of a minivan, but the lower trunk and super nice family friendly features have already come in handy.

DeePaddy24 · January 2016

I bought a Mazda CX-5 just before Christmas, & I really love it. There's plenty of space inside without it actually being a large SUV. It's a good drive (& has been awesome in the snow we have here), & is rated high on the safety lists.

BOH1025 · January 2016

I love my Honda Pilot!! Tons of room without being a minivan!

lm45678 · January 2016

We have a Kia Sorento (14-CPO) and a Kia Optima (15) and absolutely love them both!! They each have a 10 year warranty so whenever anything is wrong we take it to the dealer and they fix it for free.

They both drive nicely, gas mileage is pretty good and are super comfortable. The Sorento has an optional 3rd row which has come in handy for me multiple times and is great for a growing family.

I know Kia didn't have a great reputation (I never thought I would have one!) But the Audi designer now works for Kia and had completely changed the looks and quality of the cars!

purplefan1 · January 2016

Thinking about cars as well. Considering the Ford Edge or Ford Explorer.

Also, super jealous that you only have two years left on student loans. Pretty sure when I checked mine last it said I will have them paid off in 2030.....

crdo · January 2016

Just bought a Subaru Outback a couple of months ago. LOVE it. Great space without being too big, AWD, quiet, smooth ride, reliable, top safety pick--can't say enough about it.

We also love our Honda Fit. Smaller car that's excellent for city driving/parking, but very spacious inside for passengers and cargo. Reliable, drives and performs well, good price.

NicknShan · January 2016

I just got the Subaru Outback and am in love! Even my husband said if it wasn't lame, he would want another one for a second car because it rocks that much. It is more spacious that our SUV, has great cargo room, amazing gas mileage, all wheel drive, top rated for safety... the list goes on and on and on and on...

hockeyfan42 · January 2016

June2016BabyW said:
Thinking about cars as well. Considering the Ford Edge or Ford Explorer.

We traded our Edge (11) in for an Explorer in September. We love(d) both! Just needed extra space for two kids and the 225lb dog.

ETA: The Edge would have been fine for two kids, but we tend to travel with the dog and that kills the cargo space.

gray51015 · January 2016

hockeyfan42 said:

Thinking about cars as well. Considering the Ford Edge or Ford Explorer.
We traded our Edge (11) in for an Explorer in September. We love(d) both! Just needed extra space for two kids and the 225lb dog. ETA: The Edge would have been fine for two kids, but we tend to travel with the dog and that kills the cargo space.

What kind of dog do you have!?!?! I thought my dog was massive at 110lbs!!

hockeyfan42 · January 2016

gray51015 said:

What kind of dog do you have!?!?! I thought my dog was massive at 110lbs!!

English mastiff! And 225 is keeping him lean. We (and the vet) want to make sure he isn't stressing his joints with any excess weight.

splsmama2016 · January 2016

We traded my 2012 Honda Fit in (because it's not big enough for DH to drive nor is it big enough for two full size car seats and a person in the middle) for a 2016 Honda Pilot. We love it!! So much space, third-row seating that folds flat, great trunk space and good milage.

arteduc8 · January 2016

We just bought a 2016 Subaru Outback on December and I absolutely love it!!!! It has a ton of cargo space and a very roomy backseat. It is top rated for safety which was a major selling point for us. We opted for a model that has Eyesight, blindspot detection, and rear back up detection which has already proven its worth in the month we've had it. We just fit 5 adults in it this weekend for a trip into the city, a touch tight in the backseat with 3 adults, but it was more roomy than my in laws sedan for sure. Its a very quiet and smooth ride, almost too easy to go fast, ha! I like that it sits higher than a sedan but not as high as an SUV. It hugs the rode really well while driving on curves and the AWD was amazing during a recent ice storm. My Outback drove like a champ up a huge hill in 3 inches of freezing rain slush/snow next to other SUVs that were swerving a few weeks ago on my way to my 16 week appointment. We test drove a Nissan Rogue and a Prius V and neither compared to the Outback in our opinion.

We really didn't want a minivan as it just isn't a good fit for us. But my sister has a Honda Odyssey and loves it. They have 2 kids and a dog and they love all the features it has for their family.

Grapes13 · January 2016

June2016BabyW said:
Thinking about cars as well. Considering the Ford Edge or Ford Explorer.

Also, super jealous that you only have two years left on student loans. Pretty sure when I checked mine last it said I will have them paid off in 2030.....

Lol I feel for you! I started with 30k myself and my husband 10k. I just really buckled down before our first baby, and I work for an awesome company who pays a portion on my loans too! So it will still be a full 9 years of paying but it's better than 20!

Grapes13 · January 2016

@hockeyfan42 he's adorable!!! Now I want one haha! He makes our Jack Russell look like a mouse!

mainemama_ · January 2016

We really love our GMC Terrain, but with another baby on the way we are looking into the Yukon XL. We travel to my parents a lot and they live 3 hours away. With two car seats, both of us, our black lab and all our bags the terrain is just going to be to small. But I LOVE how it goes in the snow, I live in Maine and the winters can be brutal here.

alysemci · January 2016

I want a Yukon sooooo bad. We'll have two boys and 3 large dogs and plan on having more kids so it makes sense. Just need to save up!

Eta- we're in ma so our winters blow too

btorgers · January 2016

I have a Ford Edge (14) and I love it! I have a 2 year old, so it is great with the bigger car seat. The only thing is now that we are going to have 2, it won't leave a lot of room if we need other people to go with us. I am thinking that in a year or so we may upgrade to the Explorer or something of that size. Most of our family doesn't live here so when they visit we will most likely have to take 2 cars if more than one person visits. Otherwise, I love my Edge. It gets great gas mileage for a midsize SUV and it is a great traveling car! Good luck!!!