GTKY: Family Friendly Vehicles

crossfitbabybump · July 2017

What kind of vehicles do you guys drive with kiddos? Did you ever give up your dream car for your kids? What is your dream vehicle?

I have a 2 door Jeep Wrangler named AJ but am trading it in on Monday for a GMC Terrain. I need a more reliable, baby friendly, gas friendly vehicle. I am slightly heartbroken to give up my Jeep but it's what's best for the baby! My dream vehicle has always been a Jeep, ever since I was a little girl. I bought mine last May, thinking I would have her forever. But a baby requires more space and a 2 door is just not going to be fun with an infant and car seat.

But I promise this, I will have a Jeep again someday!! Until then, I've been upgraded to "mom" status.

Let me hear yours, ladies!

Cowboycorgi · July 2017

We have a Honda Pilot. I'm not sure if we will be changing vehicles or not now that we will have 3 rear facing kiddos

riansmommie · July 2017

I got my dream mommy vehicle right before #3 arrived, I have a Suburban, because I refuse to get a mini van! I LOVE my 'burban, and it's been an awesome mommie vehicle. A little anxious to figure out car seat arrangements though when #4 arrives, because I still have 2 that are rear facing, and one in a booster seat.

lenniebriscoe · July 2017

We currently have a Chevy Traverse with two kiddos and are thinking of upgrading to a Suburban for the extra cargo space. We do a lot of traveling to see family and need to bring everything but the kitchen sink.

crossfitbabybump · July 2017

@riansmommie hahahahaha I love the mini van comment! I agree, I refuse to get a mini van but wasn't sure if I would offend anyone with that comment. Good to know I'm not the only one! I would love a Suburban if we have more than one child! My parents had those when I was growing up and that's what I was taught to drive in so I love anything big like those! The higher up I am, the safer I feel

crossfitbabybump · July 2017

@lenniebriscoe I got to drive my FIL Traverse and LOVE LOVE LOVED it! Good vehicles for sure!

kmalls · July 2017

We have a Traverse as well and LOVE it. We recently upgraded to a model that has captains chairs in the second row instead of a bench seat. I highly recommend the captains chairs if you have 2+ kids in car seats, with a bench it's just about impossible to get to the third row!

Elizabella85 · July 2017

I actually think my opinion is the unpopular one, I couldn't wait to get a minivan. They're not cool but they hold a lot!! LOL

We have a Chrysler Pacifica and I love it. Tons of storage space, a back up camera and Latch for 4 of the 5 back seats. Such an upgrade from my Ford Escape, especially with #2 on the way! My husband can put the seat as far back as he wants (tall man with long legs) and the back of the seat still doesn't touch her rear facing Graco convertible.

crossfitbabybump · July 2017

@kmalls YES! Captain chairs are so much more convenient!

@elizabella85 Pacifica's are nice!! Back up camera's I love!

ladybugsamom · July 2017

We drive a Lincoln Navigator so we'll have plenty of room for the six of us. My youngest is still in a car seat (at 5 years old), but there's plenty of room with our third row. The middle row has captains chairs as well and the big kids climb all the way in the back.

missnc77 · July 2017

We've been doing a lot of car shopping for baby #2. I mentioned it in another thread. Our issues -

1. Tall husband. We currently have an Acura MDX and can't put a rear facing seat behind the drivers seat, so when we're together as a family, I can never drive the car.

2. We're moving at least two times within the next two years, so it has to haul me, my husband, two kids, and a dog across country twice. And luggage.

3. Most third row seating is worthless. Seriously, it's awful.

4. Because we have to live in a variety of places, we need 4WD or AWD.

Cars we've tested:

- Buick Enclave
- Infiniti QX80
- Chevy Tahoe (tight with a rear facing car seat)

Cars we didn't bother test driving after putting a rear facing car seat behind the driver's seat and making my husband sit in it:

- Honda Odyssey (front seat doesn't scoot far enough back for my husband)
- Honda Pilot
- Ford Explorer

We thought we found what we needed in the Buick Enclave. I highly recommend those not wanting a minivan check it out. It was space for days, captain seats for second row seating, and a good amount of cargo space even with the third row up. I mean, I know nobody gets excited about a Buick, but it has a lot of cool features and space for days. We haven't pulled the trigger though, because of the cross country move thing. I'm just thinking we need a mini-van, but every time I go and look at one, they really don't have as much space as you'd think. I don't know what we're going to do.

riansmommie · July 2017

@crossfitbabybump I was raised in suburbans as well! My hubby fought me on it, he tried hard to get me in a mini van, but I fought harder and won. Now he keeps trying to convince me to the newest body style.

kitandcat · July 2017

I have a 2015 Ford Explorer and I love it for my DS! I think it will work well with my second LO too. Not too small, not too big, easy to drive and park and seats 7-8. I am trying to convince DH that I should trade it in for a minivan. I always said I'd never drive a minivan but I'd seriously do anything for those sliding doors!!!!

MLD912 · July 2017

We've had a Tahoe (my H drives primarily) since I was pregnant with DD. I had a Chevy Cruze, which I loved, but it won't fit two car seats, so we have upgraded me to a Ford Edge. I love it!

Racso12 · July 2017

We have a GMC Acadia and I love it. We will probably be moving on to a suburban when #2 arrives. We have two labs that we take with us on road trips and my husband does a lot of triathlons so we need all the space we can get.

And I agree with the above. Captains seats are awesome!

Edit: apparently I can't type

sardavbak · July 2017

I'm team suburban too! Got mine in February and OBSESSED! (literally the first thing my husband said when we found out we're having twins was "good thing we got the suburban!!")

dani103 · July 2017

We have a Toyota Venza and I absolutely love it!. I have had it for almost 6 years, but we bought it thinking about having children in the future. It has been great for my DS and will be able to have two car seats comfortably with still a good amount of trunk space. I hate that they have been discontinued. If it ever gets tight, though, my husband has an older Chevy Tahoe that is still in great condition. We could switch vehicles.

pghctwife · July 2017

I'm soooooo not a car person. I drive an 06 murano that is literally held together iwth duct tape. It's been paid off for years so just were driving it into the ground. I fit 3 diono radians int he backseat. We are hoping Tim get it to last till closer to march but I need $700 for a new exhaust pipe and it isn't my worth that much to put in, so the time frame might get moved up.

So that said. You wanted to know my dream car. A MINIVAN!!!! For real. I learned to drive in one in hs and honestly love the drive. And HELLO sliding dooooooooors. I have no idea what I wants, it'll be used and a good bargain hopefully. I'll have 1 in a booster, two front facing and one rear facing.

runnergirl2015 · July 2017

I have an infinity qx56 and love it! Lots of space, roof rack for road trips, back up camera, and entertainment system. We bought it in December because we already had 3 kids and really needed a bigger car. Now that #4 is on the way, I'm really glad we did.

I'll probably figure out the car seats next month (after we tell our kids about the baby) because it's way easier to do that stuff without a big belly getting in the way. Lol

mamaloba816 · July 2017

I have an Explorer and I love it. It was what I wanted before we were ready to have kids, but we did buy it assuming it would be our family vehicle some day.

Car seats will be a bit of a challenge with multiple kids. We're undecided if we want 2 or 3. If we have 3, there are only certain car seats that will sit 3 across. We got the Diono Radian RXT because it's one of the few. The thing about this seat that makes it difficult is that it is really tall. Even with the angle adjuster that makes it more upright, my husband can't sit comfortably in the driver's seat without his seat touching the car seat. He's 6'1". We'll end up getting a shorter car seat that will allow him to have more legroom with this baby since we will have 2 rear facing.

LiveNLove44 · July 2017

pghctwife said:

I'm soooooo not a car person. I drive an 06 murano that is literally held together iwth duct tape. It's been paid off for years so just were driving it into the ground. I fit 3 diono radians int he backseat. We are hoping Tim get it to last till closer to march but I need $700 for a new exhaust pipe and it isn't my worth that much to put in, so the time frame might get moved up.

So that said. You wanted to know my dream car. A MINIVAN!!!! For real. I learned to drive in one in hs and honestly love the drive. And HELLO sliding dooooooooors. I have no idea what I wants, it'll be used and a good bargain hopefully. I'll have 1 in a booster, two front facing and one rear facing.

@pghctwife Three cheers for driving a car that is paid off and fits three across!! We're in that same boat. My car is the newer of our two, and it has a big back seat for its class, so DH will be getting a new-to-us car this winter before #3 arrives (as long as all goes well). We also have the Diono Radians, and we purchased them to ensure we could do 3 across in at least one vehicle. We keep our kids rear facing for a long time, so we'll have 2 rear facing when baby arrives and one forward. I hope it works!!!

justkeeptrying · July 2017

We have a Hyundai Tucson. I love Hyundai. My last 2 vehicles have been Hyundai and we've had excellent experiences with them. If we decide to have more than 2 kids, we will need to updgrade to a 3 row SUV or a mini van. But for now, our Tucson does the trick. DH is already talking about getting a mini van after this baby comes. But he just likes getting new things lol

mdfarmchick · July 2017

@ladybugsamom We have a Navigator too and I love it. I just can't do the minivan deal.

@missnc77 I have had more than one Buick and have always loved them. Until we moved out west, I thought my next car would have been an Enclave. But I had an Explorer and then a Navigator. Have you tried looking at a Navigator/Expedition/Tahoe/Suburban/Yukon?? Or, DH has a crew cab F-150 and the backseat has so much room. If you had a bed cover, it could be exactly what you are looking for especially with a tall DH. My cousins have a Yukon and four kids and they are driving it until it quits. Haha. We too are looking at the cross country moves and needing 4WD/AWD. I didn't think I was ready to go to a Navigator because it seemed too big. As improbable as it sounds,it drives smaller than my Explorer did and is wayyyy easier to park. GL

ashleyf911 · July 2017

I have a Honda CRV. It's perfect for us now with a toddler and 2 big dogs. I'd like to upgrade to the Honda Pilot before #2 comes. I think we'll need just a little more space than what the CRV has.

pettycrocker · July 2017

We got a Dodge Journey with the 3rd row last year when my father moved in with us... I guess that was a cue to the universe to send more babies.

P.S I hate it and am counting down the seconds to swap it over to H, and get a new one for myself. I really want an Odyssey

rsquaredr · July 2017

Right now I have a mazda cx9 which I love!! But the 3rd row doesn't have any tether options and dd1 is FFing. Debating a Suburban or minivan. We need awd here in PA

lgutu28 · July 2017

crossfitbabybump said:

What kind of vehicles do you guys drive with kiddos? Did you ever give up your dream car for your kids? What is your dream vehicle?
I have a 2 door Jeep Wrangler named AJ but am trading it in on Monday for a GMC Terrain. I need a more reliable, baby friendly, gas friendly vehicle. I am slightly heartbroken to give up my Jeep but it's what's best for the baby! My dream vehicle has always been a Jeep, ever since I was a little girl. I bought mine last May, thinking I would have her forever. But a baby requires more space and a 2 door is just not going to be fun with an infant and car seat.
But I promise this, I will have a Jeep again someday!! Until then, I've been upgraded to "mom" status.
Let me hear yours, ladies!

I drive a 4 door Jeep Wrangler that I have to get rid of.

I have no way of stuffing a third car seat in it unfortunately. My husband will be driving it though and we'll just trade in his Dart to get a van or SUV.

Staciefacie · July 2017

Right now we have a Honda Civic. It works right now but there's no way in hell I'll be getting a third car seat back there. I need something with good amount of cargo space since we visit my parents a lot (6 hr drive) and be able to fit three across or at least have a third row for my 6yo. Really dreading the minivan route, I don't want one. I like SUVs better or maybe a roomy truck (wishful thinking). I haven't even thought about our options yet.

jerseygirl9090 · July 2017

We have a Nissian Pathfinder and love it! This is our second plus we have two 80 pound dogs..a pointer/boxer mix and a German shepherd

hedgepig · July 2017

I drive a Subaru Forester and love it! This will be our first baby, but my sister has the same car so I know it easily fits at least 2 carseats. I definitely recommend it

runsoncoffee · July 2017

I have a CRV currently. We bought it with the intention that it'd be great for kids but I didn't realize how much space kids take up... especially when travelling. We'll keep it for now but when number 3 comes along we'll need something bigger. My dream car is the Odyssey... I've driven one before and they are so nice!!!

JournoGrl23 · July 2017

Right now I have a Toyota RAV4, which I love. We bought it while we were still TTC No. 1 because DH's car finally died after almost 20 years. I did a lot of research and it had great safety reviews and was considered a family friendly vehicle. Now, however, I realize DD's carseat takes up a seat and a half pretty much and I can only fit two other passengers in it. With a second child, the entire back seat will be out of commission. DH is currently driving my old car (Toyota Carollla) that's over 10 years old and isn't really safe because it breaks down a lot. When that car dies eventually, we would like to upgrade to my new dream car: A Honda Odyssey in powder blue!

missnc77 · July 2017

@mdfarmchick I haven't thought about a Navigator! I looked at the gas mileage, and it's only a couple of miles worse than a Tahoe or Suburban, so it could be an option. We love the Toyota Seqouia but that thing gets THE worst gas mileage out of every car we've looked at - 13/17 city/highway. Woof!

tlcl13 · July 2017

I just traded in my Mazda CX-9 (the perfect mom car) for a new Jeep Wrangler two months before my BFP (insert crying while laughing face here). Luckily it is my first kid and we will fit just fine in the Wrangler, but you have to laugh at the way it all works out sometimes!

hullabalou · July 2017

We have a Toyota Corolla and I'm a little concerned about having two rear facing car seats. I don't want to put the toddler and baby right next to each other, but my son's convertible seat doesn't fit well rear facing unless it is in the middle. He will be close to 3 when the baby is born, but I was planning on RF until he outgrew his seat limits. It's not in the budget to get a different car right now, so we will just make it work.

LiveNLove44 · July 2017

scoogy19 said:

I have a CRV currently. We bought it with the intention that it'd be great for kids but I didn't realize how much space kids take up... especially when travelling. We'll keep it for now but when number 3 comes along we'll need something bigger. My dream car is the Odyssey... I've driven one before and they are so nice!!!

DH and I noticed when we were packing up for a road trip last month that babies take up way more room than older kids, so maybe it's just a short-term space-sucking situation

We had to pack way more stuff with our babies than we do for our almost 4 and almost 2 year olds. I hope that means we'll be able to fit this third one into my mid-size sedan...

crossfitbabybump · July 2017

@Igutu28 I'm relieved to hear that actually lol because I was looking at a 4 door wrangler but something was just telling me NO. As much as I would love to still have my Jeep, it's not feasible for babies.

My husband just traded in his charger that was only RWD for one with AWD. We live in MinneSNOWta so we need snow reliable vehicles. Granted, the Jeep is snow reliable for sure but just doesn't hold heat in the winter and is so cramped. I'm already so close to the steering wheel, so when my bump comes in, I fear I won't fit. Plus it's soooo close to the air bag and I am NOT willing to even risk that! Even if I put my seat back further, I'd still hit the wheel and then not be able to reach the pedals, lol.

So nice getting to know you guys and your thoughts on this, thanks for sharing! I'm almost slightly convinced to look at a mini van now... but only if we have more than 2 kids!

muggle621 · July 2017

We have a Nissan Rogue we bought in Nov. We plan on being one and done but we still want to get a Nissan Pathfinder in a few years (that's the plan at the moment anyway) since we go out of town to visit my family somewhat often. My husband drives a 2001 Nissan Xterra which makes me nervous safety wise so I'm hoping we can trade that in for a used Pathfinder or similar sometime before March.

Edited b/c my H drives a 2001, not a 2004.

kby721 · July 2017

I love our GMC Acadia. Agree with the above, captain seats are wonderful. I think we'll keep our Acadia for a long time and look to get a different SUV when our kids are out of big car seats.

crossfitbabybump · July 2017

Ladies, if you all are looking for decently priced used vehicles, try cargurus.com !

ladybugsamom · July 2017

@mdfarmchick LOL! Even if I did want a minivan (I don't), MH would NEVER go for it!

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