WOHM with 2 kids, no carpooling - what car do you drive?

[♥ms.pacman♥]

i see a lot of posts asking for recs for cars where lots of space is needed (3rd row, etc) due to hauling around lots of kids and sports equipment. what about those of you, like me, who only have 2 kiddos, mostly drive alone (to and from work, the gym, etc) and don't do a lot of carpooling? i am curious to what people have (or maybe more fun, what you would WANT to have! :))

i currently drive a '06 Camry (DH's first car) which is fine and super reliable but very blah and starting to fall apart aesthetically (i'm sure running-wise it will last another 13 years - lol). we have a 2012 Ody which we love but DH mostly drives it because he's usually the one driving the kids. i mainly just drive 7 miles to work and also to Pure Barre or to yoga class 3-4x a week. My DH does almost all the school dropoffs/pickups, and i only do pickups occasionally (maybe once or twice a week) during the school year when DH is tied up in meetings.

i live in Texas where everyone and their dog has some sort of gigantic SUV or truck, but that is so not me. i don't even want a compact SUV. My kids are 8 and 9 so car seats or needing sliding doors aren't an issue any more. THey aren't into sports really so no lugging lots of equipment. I've never driven another kid (or had my DC driven by another parent- it just hasn't come up yet). My DS is on swim team this summer and i sometimes pick him up but he just brings a small bag with a towel and change of clothes. And if we ever need a big vehicle on weekends/evenings/road trips we have the Ody which is more than enough for us.

Are there any mamas out there perfectly happy with smaller sedans (or even, gasp, a 2-door?? LOL).

[Philly Mom]

My DH loves his Jetta.


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[AnnieW625]

I was perfectly happy with my VW Passat diesel sedan with a manual transmission; that car replaced a manual transmission 2001 Toyota Corolla. When we had to replace the VW due to the diesel scandal we replaced it with a Subaru Outback because we wanted something with a little more storage capacity and I really just didn’t like any of the sedans (that weren’t an Audi or VW....I was mad at VW so I didn’t purchase another one) on the market at that time.

I coordinate a vanpool for work now (so I drive that car (VWAtlas) as my regular car to and from the van pool spot) so DH drives the Subaru and we only drive the Pilot on the weekends or on my day off and in the evenings.

When we were looking we narrowed it down to the Subaru Outback, Mazda CX-5, and the Volvo XC70.

Dh is thinking about a Tesla Model 3 or a Toyota 4Runner in the next 18 months to 2 years when we will most likely have to get a new car.

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[niccig]

DH has a VW golf, 4 door as DS sits in back and has long legs. He got the super turbo charged, insanely quick acceleration version. Its fun to drive but I’d get a ticket!!

I have a CRV, that’s our big car.


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[Mommy_Mea]

DH has a VW golf, 4 door as DS sits in back and has long legs. He got the super turbo charged, insanely quick acceleration version. Its fun to drive but I’d get a ticket!!

I have a CRV, that’s our big car.


Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87652)I was going to say a GTI :)

[khm]

I had an Audi A4 and loooooooved it. It is the size of a VW Jetta. My kids were 16 and 14 and it wasn't exactly roomy back there, but they fit fine. It wasn't our road trip car or anything.

I replaced it with a brand new VW Passat and its "fine". First new car I have ever had, but its just plain too big for me. I am pretty lukewarm on it (I love have the "right" car, so I'm kinda sad.) Shoulda gotta Jetta, or an different A4. ;) We DID take it on a road trip though, so there's that!

I did drive a Suburu Outback and a Honda Accord Sport, but both neither one spoke to me either. Just kinda ended up with the Passat because we had to get something and soon. I thought I was being more practical in not getting another Audi, but man, I miss it every day!

[LBW]

We have a Honda Odyssey as our “family” car. We use it for long trips and when we’re driving the boys or carpooling. We also have a manual transmission Mazda 3. It’s my husband’s daily commuter car and the “fun” car to drive on weekends or when we only have 1-2 kids.

[gymnbomb]

We have 3 vehicles. One is my husband’s company vehicle which is only used for work and occasional daycare drop off or pick ups on the way to/from work.

Our “family car” is a mini van. My car is an 8 year old Corolla. I like it very much and can comfortably fit both kids in it, and one not very tall adult in the front seat (I keep the rear facing car seat behind the passenger seat for the extremely rare times my husband drives it.) I almost always drive it to work and when I take the kid(s) somewhere without DH. A little bit because it gets much better gas mileage, but mostly because I just prefer driving a smaller vehicle.

I drive the van if there are extra people or if I need room to put more stuff. Or if it is the garage instead of my car and it is pouring rain or snowing. DH loves vans and drives it everywhere except for work. I love that we have it because it is very practical and convenient, but I also really love that I don’t have to drive it all the time. The original plan was to trade my car in when we got it, but then we decided my car cost so little to keep that we should just keep it for a while. And I am so glad we did.


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[bisous]

You know, I haven’t had a ton of different cars but I have to say that compact SUVs would be my choice. We have a Jetta (but our experience really should hardly count—it’s a 1987!), and an Odyssey. I drove two different Acura Integras in high school and college. My mom has a Camry that I borrow sometimes and my dad has a Sienna.

My two favorite cars I’ve driven were both compact SUVs! My beloved CRV and my MILs RAV4. I like cars that sit a little tall. I don’t like sedan seating. Compact SUVs are SOOO much smaller than my van though. They’re so versatile and can fit a ton.

[mm123]

DH and I hate big vehicles. I drive a 2005 Toyota Corolla, and DH drives a 2015 Mazda 5. It’s the perfect combo for our family.

I LOVE my Corolla- I don’t know what I’ll do when/if it ever dies (well, I’ll probably just get another one!). I drive around a lot for work, and it’s easy to maneuver, and good for parking. It’s scratched up, but I don’t have to worry about it, since it’s worth hardly anything. I can easily fit my two DDs (ages 9 and 11) plus an extra kid in the back, and the trunk actually holds a ton of stuff.

For longer trips, or when we have 2 extra kids or adults, we take the Mazda. It’s fine, but I don’t love it as much as my trusty Corolla :-).

[niccig]

I was going to say a GTI :)

He has the autobahn GTI. It is super fun to drive, handles the road very well, and accelerates so fast! DH wanted a fun car to drive that wasn’t crazy expensive. His last car was a Prius.


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[marymoo86]

No carpooling,2 kids but hate sedans. I’m hauling some kind of sports equipment all the time.

I have a Tahoe as DH has a truck.

[niccig]

You know, I haven’t had a ton of different cars but I have to say that compact SUVs would be my choice. We have a Jetta (but our experience really should hardly count—it’s a 1987!), and an Odyssey. I drove two different Acura Integras in high school and college. My mom has a Camry that I borrow sometimes and my dad has a Sienna.

My two favorite cars I’ve driven were both compact SUVs! My beloved CRV and my MILs RAV4. I like cars that sit a little tall. I don’t like sedan seating. Compact SUVs are SOOO much smaller than my van though. They’re so versatile and can fit a ton.

I love my CRV. I can tumble the back seats forward and fit a tone in the back. I’m probably just going to get newer version when I need to replace it. It’s 11 years old, but plan to keep it for awhile, and then it may become DS’s car.


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[SnuggleBuggles]

RAV4 hybrid. It’s fun to drive! Dh has a sedan so it’s nice to have something else. It’s what we drive on road trips (frequent).


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[div_0305]

Somewhat similar shoes, but we are a tall family, and my kids complain a lot in my sedan, which is my commuting car. Everyone feels they have no leg room. When I get another car, it will likely not be a sedan, even though it's great for gas mileage and parking!

[mom2binsd]

We are myself and two teens, I drive a Ford Edge. I like the size, we play travel hockey and the trunk is plenty big. It's been very reliable, it's a 2008, I have 235K on it. The back seat fits 3, not for long drives but anything under 3 hours is fine and comfy.

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[smiles33]

We each drove Honda Pilots for years when I was bringing DDs to daycare/preschool and DH was towing his bass boat. Now that the kids walk to school, and I have a 35 mile one-way commute, I gave up my Honda Pilot and bought a plug-in hybrid hatchback (Audi A3 etron) that is FUN to drive. I love that it's sporty, can take turns easily (compared to the Handa Pilot), and is fuel efficient (I fill up my 10 gallon tank once every 2 weeks despite driving 300+ miles/week). My kids can still fit in it, but my 80 pound dog doesn't fit well and we have issues when both kids have giant backpacks plus camping gear (e.g., when I dropped them off for overnight camp). Still, I don't regret giving up my 2004 Honda Pilot when I stopped driving my DDs daily. We still have DH's Pilot for weekend outings with our dog or when we need to drive a big group (e.g., chauffeuring DD1's friends from the escape room to the restaurant for her birthday party).

[Mommy_Mea]

DH has a Honda Accord Sport, and it is really fun to drive (it is a stick shift), gets amazing has mileage (regularly between 30 and 40 mpg), the trunk is huge and it has SO much legroom (he drives his co-workers around all the time), but overall it doesn't feel like a big car. We aren't big car people (I have a Jetta wait that I love).

[mm123]

DH and I hate big vehicles. I drive a 2005 Toyota Corolla, and DH drives a 2015 Mazda 5. It’s the perfect combo for our family.

I LOVE my Corolla- I don’t know what I’ll do when/if it ever dies (well, I’ll probably just get another one!). I drive around a lot for work, and it’s easy to maneuver, and good for parking. It’s scratched up, but I don’t have to worry about it, since it’s worth hardly anything. I can easily fit my two DDs (ages 9 and 11) plus an extra kid in the back, and the trunk actually holds a ton of stuff.

For longer trips, or when we have 2 extra kids or adults, we take the Mazda. It’s fine, but I don’t love it as much as my trusty Corolla :-).

ETA: I think car choices have a lot to do with the culture where you live. Where we are, it’s a very urban/dense city, and lots of people walk, bike or take public transit. Most of our friends have just one car in the family. Heck, I have several good friends (who have children) that don’t even have a driver’s license! Really the only people who have big SUVs/minivans are those with 3+ kids. We were in Dallas a few years ago, and we couldn’t believe the number of GIGANTIC cars that were on the road. Not a Corolla in sight!!

[janeybwild]

I just bought a Toyota CH-R for this scenario. I absolutely love it.

[wendibird22]

2 kids and rarely carpool and we have a Ford Fusion and a CRV. The CRV is mine and I adore it. I love sitting up (had an Ody before this) and the cargo space. We take it on long trips, use it to pull our trailer and FILs boat. DH and I don't care for his Fusion and soon will be trading it in for a Honda Ridgeline...DH wants a pickup but a 2nd row seater that isn't as huge as the Ford trucks.

[basil]

I like driving big cars and love my MDX.

DH has a Subaru Legacy and he likes it. Fits the kids just fine.

I would look at an EV in your situation.

[newnana]

For me the question is passenger height. I'm short. I love a small peppy car: subaru impreza, VW GTI, Audi A3 (I've had the older and newer A4. LOVED the old A4, the new A4 is too big). Responsive, fun to drive, great visibility and gas mileage. I would definitely get something like that if my passenger constraints weren't an issue. HOWEVER...

DD and DH are both tall. DD hits her head on the back window in most of those cars. that's not safe. If she were my stunted height, that wouldn't be a problem, but she got her height from DH, who is over 6'. Hooray for her being tall! but it does mean she has to go with us when car shopping. Same concern with legroom in back for her.

Camry and Accord are fine. Boring, but fine. They will last forever and will definitely suit your needs. But I'm not a boring car girl. Heck, all my cars have even had names... some have even had songs. I'd stick everyone in the GTI and go for a test drive. That one I think would be better for leg/head constraints if that's a concern. Have fun!

[ellies mom]

We have two kids. Very limited carpooling and no sports. I have a new CRV which I love [emoji177]. It replaced an older Outback.

DH drives a Honda Accord Hybrid which replaced his beloved but recalled Passat Diesel [emoji19].


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[carolinacool]

Full confession: I've never understood the term "fun to drive." I hear people who drive sticks say it all the time, but since I can't drive one, I guess it's lost on me. As long as everything is working and I don't need to take it to the shop, it's fun to drive. :ROTFLMAO:

I drive a Nissan Murano, a crossover/medium SUV. We have one child (9, wrapping up third grade), so it's plenty big enough for our family. We don't do any formal carpools, but we've started inviting his friends to games or other events, and we can squeeze two other kids in the backseat with DS for now, although I know that will change as they all get taller. It's our workhorse vehicle. The one we take for outings, vacations, etc.

D drives an Altima, which sits in the Accord/Camry family. Nothing that blows your socks off, but functional.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

Thanks all!
For us height is not an issue..DH is 5’6”, as am I... so no 6-foot kids in our future (lol).

For me I just don’t like SUV as much. I don’t like to sit that high off the ground. I want something with pretty good gas mileage that doesn’t need to be big. Gas is cheap here but still. I am intrigued by electric vehicles....Never done electric before and it’s not common here in Texas. We do have outlets here at work which are premium parking spaces so that is some incentive there.

[twowhat?]

Thanks all!
For us height is not an issue..DH is 5’6”, as am I... so no 6-foot kids in our future (lol).

For me I just don’t like SUV as much. I don’t like to sit that high off the ground. I want something with pretty good gas mileage that doesn’t need to be big. Gas is cheap here but still. I am intrigued by electric vehicles....Never done electric before and it’s not common here in Texas. We do have outlets here at work which are premium parking spaces so that is some incentive there.

I see lots of Teslas here...if you might be interested in one, I'd go and visit a showroom. We did just for fun one day and it was very neat. They aren't allowed to make sales at the showrooms, only to tell you about the cars so it's a really neat no-pressure way to go and see the cars, sit in them, get all your Qs answered. Felt like talking to fellow nerds, LOL. Even the kids found it fascinating!

[SnuggleBuggles]

Thanks all!
For us height is not an issue..DH is 5’6”, as am I... so no 6-foot kids in our future (lol).

For me I just don’t like SUV as much. I don’t like to sit that high off the ground. I want something with pretty good gas mileage that doesn’t need to be big. Gas is cheap here but still. I am intrigued by electric vehicles....Never done electric before and it’s not common here in Texas. We do have outlets here at work which are premium parking spaces so that is some incentive there.

My SIL loves her Honda Clarity electric sedan. Might do the trick for you!

eta- I gave dh the ok to buy a Tesla a few years ago but he never did. I still don't love them unless you live somewhere with great electric infrastructure. The range is still too small for my liking.

[newnana]

if you are thinking electric, LOVE the nissan leaf and tesla

not a huge fan of the bmw I3. If you have any snow/ice that handling/braking system isn't my favorite

[♥ms.pacman♥]

I see lots of Teslas here...if you might be interested in one, I'd go and visit a showroom. We did just for fun one day and it was very neat. They aren't allowed to make sales at the showrooms, only to tell you about the cars so it's a really neat no-pressure way to go and see the cars, sit in them, get all your Qs answered. Felt like talking to fellow nerds, LOL. Even the kids found it fascinating!
Haha - we actually already did this! My DS is really into cars especially Tesla and is a total tech geek so he was in paradise!! It was pretty cool and does have me thinking about it. I love the concept of self-driving and parking and summon feature. Also , I hate the conventional method of car buying and negotiations so the idea of ordering a car on a smartphone in 2 minutes is quite appealing actually. I just wish texas wasn’t so anti-Tesla and makes the process difficult bc it’s not through a dealer. There are actually not as many of them here as in CA ...in CA they were everywhere.

[HannaAddict]

I see lots of Teslas here...if you might be interested in one, I'd go and visit a showroom. We did just for fun one day and it was very neat. They aren't allowed to make sales at the showrooms, only to tell you about the cars so it's a really neat no-pressure way to go and see the cars, sit in them, get all your Qs answered. Felt like talking to fellow nerds, LOL. Even the kids found it fascinating!

Buying a Tesla was the easiest and most pleasant car buying experience. Looked online at what was being built to see if anything in the supply chain was almost ready with the features, found a couple of options with the saleswoman and went home to decide and did it online putting down a deposit like an amazon purchase! Got the sale invoice, plugged in the VIN of car we wanted to trade, and the offer from Tesla was more than the dealer or KBB said, no questions asked (late model low miles car), it deducts the trade-in off the sales price and adds tax and did an electronic check for the balance. About ten days later the car was ready, drove up, they had a folder with paperwork copies, had us sign over the title to the trade, took the keys (no hemming and hawing and inspection) and showed me to the new car and within half hour of being there drove away. Fantastic. Wish all car buying experiences were like that. When I bought an odyssey a few years ago, they drug out the process despite paying cash and knowing exactly what car. Sitting and waiting, just BS and not necessary at all. Love having electric too, and love having my own higher speed charger at home. Makes it so easy and convenient. Love it love it.


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[HannaAddict]

My SIL loves her Honda Clarity electric sedan. Might do the trick for you!

eta- I gave dh the ok to buy a Tesla a few years ago but he never did. I still don't love them unless you live somewhere with great electric infrastructure. The range is still too small for my liking.

Over 300+ mile range now. For the families that drive to Disneyland or something, might be an issue but 300+ miles gets us to our vacation house in the mountains and back and there is a Tesla supercharger station in the town. On road trips, it takes us 20 minutes at high speed to top off and go. For most people it will work but I wouldn’t want to rely on their chargers but have my own at the house so don’t even have to think about it. It is fabulous in the snow too, that was a pleasant surprise.


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[HannaAddict]

if you are thinking electric, LOVE the nissan leaf and tesla

not a huge fan of the bmw I3. If you have any snow/ice that handling/braking system isn't my favorite

The earlier version of the Leaf has terrible crash safety stats but I’d check and see if they are better. And they had super short range first generation Friend has the Chevy Bolt eclectic she likes for daily kid driving and other friends have the new Jaguar electric that looks sharp, it is a small SUV. I think for a daily driver, electric is the way to go.


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[♥ms.pacman♥]

Buying a Tesla was the easiest and most pleasant car buying experience. Looked online at what was being built to see if anything in the supply chain was almost ready with the features, found a couple of options with the saleswoman and went home to decide and did it online putting down a deposit like an amazon purchase! Got the sale invoice, plugged in the VIN of car we wanted to trade, and the offer from Tesla was more than the dealer or KBB said, no questions asked (late model low miles car), it deducts the trade-in off the sales price and adds tax and did an electronic check for the balance. About ten days later the car was ready, drove up, they had a folder with paperwork copies, had us sign over the title to the trade, took the keys (no hemming and hawing and inspection) and showed me to the new car and within half hour of being there drove away. Fantastic. Wish all car buying experiences were like that. When I bought an odyssey a few years ago, they drug out the process despite paying cash and knowing exactly what car. Sitting and waiting, just BS and not necessary at all. Love having electric too, and love having my own higher speed charger at home. Makes it so easy and convenient. Love it love it.


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Thanks for this! That does sound awesome and yes, we had almost identical (bad) experience in getting our Ody (which we had to do twice, as our first one was totaled in an accident) . I get a migraine just thinking about car buying experience and all the shenanigans they have to pull and the 3 hours u end up sitting and waiting and all the lines they try to sell you.

I am miffed that the tax credit for Tesla being phased out. After July 1 it goes down to $1875 and after Dec 31 it disappears :(

[SnuggleBuggles]

Over 300+ mile range now. For the families that drive to Disneyland or something, might be an issue but 300+ miles gets us to our vacation house in the mountains and back and there is a Tesla supercharger station in the town. On road trips, it takes us 20 minutes at high speed to top off and go. For most people it will work but I wouldn’t want to rely on their chargers but have my own at the house so don’t even have to think about it. It is fabulous in the snow too, that was a pleasant surprise.


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That's good. Back in the day it was closer to 200, which I just don't love. Our road trips are close to 250 miles normally and I really need more of a buffer for the sake of comfort so even at 300+ it'd stress me out. And in pretty much any part of the country than where you live, high speed chargers aren't really abundant. ;) I can easily find them in town but it doesn't take long to be what would be in the middle of nowhere as far as charging stations are concerned.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

That's good. Back in the day it was closer to 200, which I just don't love. Our road trips are close to 250 miles normally and I really need more of a buffer for the sake of comfort so even at 300+ it'd stress me out. And in pretty much any part of the country than where you live, high speed chargers aren't really abundant. ;) I can easily find them in town but it doesn't take long to be what would be in the middle of nowhere as far as charging stations are concerned.

the standard plus is now 220 still, the long range battery is 320 i think. my DH prefers long range but i honestly don't see the need for our case, given the extra cost. i drive maybe 20 miles a day. we have charging stations at work too. it seems like overkill for main purposes.

i guess it depends on how often you road trip and what kinds of road trips. we are not a camping/out-in-the-wilderness family at all. in texas, we really just don't go anywhere more than 40 miles MAX unless we drive to the in-laws, which is 280 miles away from our house. we only drive there maybe four times a year. so even with long range battery would likely still have to charge up. there are many supercharging stations along the way though (while there is a lot of nothing in between, we go through several major cities along the way that have the superchargers at places we would normally stop at anyway). plus, we still have our Ody which we could use for road trips (though i would ideally want to make full use of the Tesla self-driving capability for road trips...).

[khm]

My next car will be a Tesla. No doubt. I loathe the entire dealer system and would have loved to just buy a car online. Just a bit out of what we wanted to spend at this time. $$

I drive my car from 10 - 50 miles a day 99.9% of the time. It'd be charged at home 99.9% of the time.

A Tesla could easily get us on our most frequent road-trips (200-ish miles). For real road-tripping.... that's too rare to factor it in to the decision making process. We will likely still be rocking our Toyota Sequoia well into its old age, so there will be that to use for real road-tripping if we are too chicken to try taking Tesla.

[HannaAddict]

ms.pacman[emoji813];4335677]Thanks for this! That does sound awesome and yes, we had almost identical (bad) experience in getting our Ody (which we had to do twice, as our first one was totaled in an accident) . I get a migraine just thinking about car buying experience and all the shenanigans they have to pull and the 3 hours u end up sitting and waiting and all the lines they try to sell you.

I am miffed that the tax credit for Tesla being phased out. After July 1 it goes down to $1875 and after Dec 31 it disappears :(

They did price adjustments to make up for the tax credit. I got mine before they phased out and the new pricing might even be less depending on the model.


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[HannaAddict]

That's good. Back in the day it was closer to 200, which I just don't love. Our road trips are close to 250 miles normally and I really need more of a buffer for the sake of comfort so even at 300+ it'd stress me out. And in pretty much any part of the country than where you live, high speed chargers aren't really abundant. ;) I can easily find them in town but it doesn't take long to be what would be in the middle of nowhere as far as charging stations are concerned.

I’m not sure where you live but they are building out super chargers all over. I was actually surprised at the brand new one in town where our vacation house is since mountains and rural. And as others said, for 99% of the time you aren’t driving 200 miles or more during the day. Tons of them here and long range has been the standard for years. They’ve discontinued most of the short range models. We kept the nanny car odyssey if needed but if more than a few hours, we don’t drive in any case, I’m always surprised by how many hours people will drive on this board! It isn’t for everyone of course but it is so fabulous to drive, comfortable, solid and fun and doesn’t kill any polar bears. I love being able to drive a bunch of kids around and not get the not great mileage of our SUV or minivan. And really love not stopping at the gas station!


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[HannaAddict]

ms.pacman[emoji813];4335681]the standard plus is now 220 still, the long range battery is 320 i think. my DH prefers long range but i honestly don't see the need for our case, given the extra cost. i drive maybe 20 miles a day. we have charging stations at work too. it seems like overkill for main purposes.

i guess it depends on how often you road trip and what kinds of road trips. we are not a camping/out-in-the-wilderness family at all. in texas, we really just don't go anywhere more than 40 miles MAX unless we drive to the in-laws, which is 280 miles away from our house. we only drive there maybe four times a year. so even with long range battery would likely still have to charge up. there are many supercharging stations along the way though (while there is a lot of nothing in between, we go through several major cities along the way that have the superchargers at places we would normally stop at anyway). plus, we still have our Ody which we could use for road trips (though i would ideally want to make full use of the Tesla self-driving capability for road trips...).

The lowest range Tesla you can buy new is 255 for the standard Tesla X that is being phased out. Everyone I know has the 325 X. The S is now 370 standard, they phased out the low range S. Even the wildly popular new 3 is over 300 mile range as well as the new Y. For the real road trip sans kids, need the roadster with blazing speed and 600 miles range! Fun!!


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[SnuggleBuggles]

I’m not sure where you live but they are building out super chargers all over. I was actually surprised at the brand new one in town where our vacation house is since mountains and rural. And as others said, for 99% of the time you aren’t driving 200 miles or more during the day. Tons of them here and long range has been the standard for years. They’ve discontinued most of the short range models. We kept the nanny car odyssey if needed but if more than a few hours, we don’t drive in any case, I’m always surprised by how many hours people will drive on this board! It isn’t for everyone of course but it is so fabulous to drive, comfortable, solid and fun and doesn’t kill any polar bears. I love being able to drive a bunch of kids around and not get the not great mileage of our SUV or minivan. And really love not stopping at the gas station!


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250 miles is 4 hours. Flying would take just as long once you factor in security (not everyone has TSA pre), flights and then renting a car. It’s impractical to fly. Also, going to a beach house (unless it’s your own and stocked with what you want), you need to bring stuff and driving is just the logical choice for most regular people. I’m sure the super wealthy have solutions but that’s not us. We like road trips anyway. We have books or podcasts we listen to as a family and the journey is part of the fun.

Dh did look up where super chargers were at some point too. They are around. I’m still in the “let’s wait a bit longer for the tech to improve but if you really want it now, just get it” Camp.

On your “it doesn’t kill any polar bears” comment...what about battery disposal/ end of life for the car? I drive a Toyota hybrid and that’s on my mind with this car.


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[squimp]

Electric car batteries will be recycled at a much better rate than consumer electronics. And the more electric cars, the better the systems in place to recycle.

I am all about reliability, and unfortunately Tesla has the third lowest rating for brands - Volvo is at the bottom. I was looking at both of those but am now not remotely interested. A lot of folks who buy Teslas and Volvos are the type who get new cars every 3-5 years but that is just not me.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimgorzelany/2018/10/25/the-most-and-least-reliable-rides-on-the-road/#5006e9a252c7

[Kindra178]

RE: carpooling, when my kids were your kids ages we rarely carpooled or had several other kids in our cars. That has changed with having older kids. If I lived in a non-snowy area, and liked sedans, I would get the Accord, possibly hybrid, or CRV. You will regret getting a two door car in a few years.

[Philly Mom]

Electric car batteries will be recycled at a much better rate than consumer electronics. And the more electric cars, the better the systems in place to recycle.

I am all about reliability, and unfortunately Tesla has the third lowest rating for brands - Volvo is at the bottom. I was looking at both of those but am now not remotely interested. A lot of folks who buy Teslas and Volvos are the type who get new cars every 3-5 years but that is just not me.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimgorzelany/2018/10/25/the-most-and-least-reliable-rides-on-the-road/#5006e9a252c7

My neighbor just got a Tesla. He misses his Subaru. He wishes he made a different choice.

[westwoodmom04]

RE: carpooling, when my kids were your kids ages we rarely carpooled or had several other kids in our cars. That has changed with having older kids. If I lived in a non-snowy area, and liked sedans, I would get the Accord, possibly hybrid, or CRV. You will regret getting a two door car in a few years.


Agree with this, but her kids don’t play team sports, so probably much less an issue. But would definitely would stay away, two door, those quickly become a pain if anyone is sitting in the back.

[DualvansMommy]

I know you’re looking for a sedan, OP. But I would think carefully on that if you’re the type to keep your car for a long time vs trading it in every 3-4 years.

My kids are about same ages as yours, just a year younger. We tend to keep our vehicles 10-13 years before thinking about trading it in, and it’s mainly why we’re looking for a 3 row SUV because we don’t want to be locked in with 2 or 4 door sedan car. Friends riding with DS1 is happening more often, at least weekly basis now. So I can foreseen happening more often than decreasing.


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[NCGrandma]

Are two-door sedans actually common now? I haven’t noticed any for ages (except for certain very sporty cars that are unlikely to work for families anyway).


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[khm]

Are two-door sedans actually common now? I haven’t noticed any for ages (except for certain very sporty cars that are unlikely to work for families anyway).


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I think they are in somewhat of a resurgence with the redesigned small sporty coupes like the flashy new Honda Civic coupes, Toyota's 86 and Supra. Subaru's WRX. Mustang. Audi has a few 2 door options, that fancy BMW. No, these aren't "mom" cars, but I'm seeing them a lot in my neck of the woods. Especially that Civic, they seem crazy popular. I am near a large state university, so that might explain it!

I am in the camp of the family has an SUV, but *I* want a smaller sporty something. ;) I **tried** to drive the honking SUV everyday when we were between cars and I just did not ever get used to that beast. Not even a little, and I drove it for quite some time. Love it for when we need it, but not as my daily driver. I was constantly low-level stressed driving it. I'm a small car girl all the way. I miss how perfect my A4 was for me....

Now that my kids are drivers (one 14 and 16) themselves, that means we have one teen car and maybe another in the future. I'd TOTALLY consider a coupe for myself if something grabbed me! YMMV though, every situation is different. People love different things, others are totally utilitarian about cars.

We do drive cars until they are dead, so it is a commitment to consider several years down the road, and what you also have available, etc.

[NCGrandma]

I think they are in somewhat of a resurgence with the redesigned small sporty coupes like the flashy new Honda Civic coupes, Toyota's 86 and Supra. Subaru's WRX. Mustang. Audi has a few 2 door options, that fancy BMW. No, these aren't "mom" cars, but I'm seeing them a lot in my neck of the woods. Especially that Civic, they seem crazy popular. I am near a large state university, so that might explain it!
.

Interesting—guess I should take a drive through campus and pay more attention (especially the student parking — we always said that the cars there were much fancier than in the faculty parking!)


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[khm]

Interesting—guess I should take a drive through campus and pay more attention (especially the student parking — we always said that the cars there were much fancier than in the faculty parking!)


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I think those Civics are just finally "less boring" and more attractive, and people seem to be snapping them up! Its that car that you notice once, then suddenly see EVERYWHERE.

[bisous]

I think obviously different people are going to prefer different kinds of cars! One thing I want to point out is that driving a small SUV is REALLY different even than driving a midsized SUV. The CRV and the RAV are closer in footprint size to a civic than a camry (but they have way more room in the cabin and trunk). They’re super maneuverable and easy to park. You might still decide that you don’t like a small SUV but I just wanted to point out that you may dislike driving a suburban or even an explorer and still love a small SUV!

[mommylamb]

I have a Toyota Prius Prime, which is a hybrid plug in. I get most of the way to work and back just in electricity, but it switches to hybrid mode when the electricity is done so I can drive long distances without a problem. I get gas once every very 6-8 weeks, and even then the tank Is small so it’s cheap as can be. I am averaging 150 mpg. I’ve had it since September and absolutely love it. For the kind of driving you’re talking about, you would never use gas. It only seats 4 people but for me that’s completely fine. I also have only 2 kids. DH’s car is an SUV with a third row.

With the tax credit, the Prius prime was less than the regular Prius (just a regular hybrid). For the kind of driving you’re talking about, you don’t need to spend the money on a Tesla because a plug in hybrid would still have you on all electric all the time. Mine charges in just over 5 hours from a regular outlet, so no need to install anything fancy in your garage for a charger.


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[trcy]

I have a Toyota Prius Prime, which is a hybrid plug in. I get most of the way to work and back just in electricity, but it switches to hybrid mode when the electricity is done so I can drive long distances without a problem. I get gas once every very 6-8 weeks, and even then the tank Is small so it’s cheap as can be. I am averaging 150 mpg. I’ve had it since September and absolutely love it. For the kind of driving you’re talking about, you would never use gas. It only seats 4 people but for me that’s completely fine. I also have only 2 kids. DH’s car is an SUV with a third row.

With the tax credit, the Prius prime was less than the regular Prius (just a regular hybrid). For the kind of driving you’re talking about, you don’t need to spend the money on a Tesla because a plug in hybrid would still have you on all electric all the time. Mine charges in just over 5 hours from a regular outlet, so no need to install anything fancy in your garage for a charger.


Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkHi mommylamb! I feel you have been gone for a while, or maybe I am just getting old and forgetful lol

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[mommylamb]

Hi mommylamb! I feel you have been gone for a while, or maybe I am just getting old and forgetful lol

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No, you’re right. I am rarely ever here any more and haven’t posted in a long long time (several years at least). A little over 4 years ago, I took a much more demanding and challenging job and DH became a stay at home dad. I travel a lot and work much longer hours (but I love it and I’m much happier than I was in my old job). So every once in a while I randomly read posts if I am bored on a weekend but only once every few months (since I no longer need to run any errands on weekends).

And this is how you know I really love my car, because I broke my silence to say so.


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[Philly Mom]

No, you’re right. I am rarely ever here any more and haven’t posted in a long long time (several years at least). A little over 4 years ago, I took a much more demanding and challenging job and DH became a stay at home dad. I travel a lot and work much longer hours (but I love it and I’m much happier than I was in my old job). So every once in a while I randomly read posts if I am board on a weekend but only once every few months (since I no longer need to run any errands on weekends).

And this is how you know I really love my car, because I broke my silence to say so.


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Hi!! Good to hear from you!!


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[mommy111]

Subaru impreza