family-friendly non-minivan?

[ourbabygirl]

I currently have a small sedan which is really not very baby-friendly, and its lease expires next April. My husband and I are starting to think about what to get next, but don't want a mini-van! Right now we only have a 7 month old, but plan on having at least 1 more. I'd probably like some sort of SUV, or at least something with AWD for our crazy long & stressful winters!

Any suggestions for something nice looking, reliable, safe, and not too pricey?

Thanks!

[KrisM]

Why not a minivan? SUVs are higher and harder for kids to climb into themselves. Minivans hold more people, like your kids friends. Just curious.

I have a Malibu, but want a minivan!

A sedan is nice, as my kids can get in themselves, the trunk holds a lot and I don't have to tie everything down like in a minivan or SUV, and I get 28 MPG.

[geochick]

Some to consider:
Honda Pilot
Toyota Rav4
Mazda 5
Lexus GX470
Mazda CX9
Toyota Avalon (or other large sedan)
Honda Odyssey
hyundai Veracruz

[SnuggleBuggles]

We have done extremely well in our Civic with 2 kids. I wouldn't rule out a sedan. Also, I honestly don't think you gain any extra space that is helpful with an SUV unless you are talking about buying some giant 8 seater (which I can't imagine you would). Side by side the trunk space is often smaller than a sedan (well, you have tall space but that doesn't tend to be that useful, ime) and the cabin space is the same as in a sedan from what I can tell if you are looking at smaller SUVs. Being up higher is a tad easier for buckling purposes but I wouldn't give that feature much sway.

I want to be able to carpool with ds1's friends and we just can't fit another child in our backseat next to our car seats. So, I am looking at the Mazda 5. 3rd row of seats can be floded down so you have trunk space. It is the same length as my Civic so I won't feel like I'm driving a bus. I consider it a small minivan. It is currently the trendy car to buy in my city (which I didn't know when I picked it out! I just liked it!). People want good gas mileage and the ability to carry more without having something big so it fits that bill.

If it weren't for ds1's friends I would happily keep using our Civic.

Oh, and snow tires are supposed to make a huge difference, so much so that you could get by w/o AWD. (I listen to a lot of NPR Car Talk ).

Beth

[Piglet]

With 2 kids max, I would stick with a mid-size sedan. They are safe, good on gas, and have more than enough room for 2 carseats (and oftentimes 3). We have a Mazda Protege that we love to pieces. It is 9 years old and hasn't given us a minute of trouble. We lived in Canada until this year (and will be heading back again this summer) and never felt the need for AWD on our vehicles. Stability Control and Traction Control along with good winter tires will do the trick and sticking with a car that has a low center of gravity will help a great deal as well.

[smiles33]

We have a Nissan Altima (a medium- to large-sized sedan) and the Honda Pilot SUV. Here's my list of pros/cons comparing to the two:

- I frequently hit my head and my 3 year old DD will hit her head (usually only when she's standing on the seat or climbing into her car seat) as we get into the Altima's backseat and get her into her Britax Boulevard (which sits pretty high). That never happens in the Pilot. She also climbs into and out of the Pilot herself.

- The Altima has much better mileage and accelerates/drives better IMHO.

- The Altima is much easier to parallel park (again, IMHO).

- The Pilot sometimes feels like a big whale on the road compared to my smaller, sleeker Nissan.

- Nissan recommends premium gas for the Altima, Honda is fine w/regular gas.

- We're expecting #2 in 4 weeks, and may have #3, so it's possible I'll be switching cars w/DH. There's a 3rd row in the Pilot, too, though it completely obliterates any trunk storage space. Still, it's available if you carpool. We never use it.

Good luck!

[MontrealMum]

Originally Posted by SnuggleBuggles

Oh, and snow tires are supposed to make a huge difference, so much so that you could get by w/o AWD. (I listen to a lot of NPR Car Talk ).
Beth

I've gotten by for 12 Quebec winters with a set of 4 very good snow tires. We have some of the harshest winters in North America, and I have never driven an AWD until we bought a Subaru this year; however, it's DH's car so I've only driven it a few times in the winter - most days I drive my Corolla. I can say that although AWD was nice, 9 times out of 10, snow tires, knowing how to drive in the snow, and a little digging are all you need. I park on the street, we don't have a garage. I wouldn't necessarily buy an SUV and bank on it being a good winter vehicle - they frequently get stuck up here and we often see them in the ditch when going to ski. Of course, the snow tire law went into effect this past winter so perhaps that happened less. JMHO, but I would certainly consider investing in good snow tires for a minivan/sedan over buying something that consumes so much gas with these fuel prices.

ETA: AWD does not necessarily help cars drive better in the snow. What it does is give you more traction for getting out of very snowy parking spots (or mud in the spring) or down a completely unplowed road. It will not help keep your car on the road. Stability and traction control, which are standard on many newer cars, will go much further to do that - along with snow tires.

[TwinFoxes]

We were car shopping, and two I really liked were the Mazda CX9 and the VW Passat Wagon. I'm like you, I have no desire to get a mini-van. We have a Jetta right now, and now that the girls have traded in their double snap-n-go for a BJCMD, we have tons of room in the trunk so we probably won't be getting a new car after all (I love my Jetta, so zippy!) I liked the CX9 because it had lots of cargo room and space for the dogs, and it handled really well. The Passat Wagon felt really comfortable. (I didn't test drive it though.)

What you might want to do, since you have time, is go to an auto show this year. You can't test drive the cars, but you can sit in them and get a feel for them. I ruled out a lot of cars I had been considering just because they were uncomfortable, or had bad blindspots. I don't know where you live, but a lot of the major cities have auto shows, usually in the winter.

[neeter]

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[WatchingThemGrow]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Honda CR-V! We have one and think it has been nearly perfect for 2 kids! It has plenty of room for family vacations, everyday stuff, a potty area in the back for DD next to the BJCED. It has been so awesome for us b/c it can fit 3 seats if needed, and the inside is so configurable in terms of hauling large toys/gear when necessary.

We both like the way it drives, costs, goes through gas, etc. We're planning on keeping it with 3 DC as long as we can, until the need for carpools and stuff dictates a van.