Car recommendations?

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AClaire11

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We’ve been without a car for about a month and it’s mostly been great, but we live on a hill and I have a chronic knee injury. I’m going to give it a bit longer, but I can’t keep pushing a stroller up the hill every other day and I also can’t just stay in my apartment all the time. We had a 2012 Ford focus and it was nice, but it was really cramped with just one car seat and we’re going to ttc #2 once my cycles come back. Considerations:
  • Parking here is crazy and the streets can be dangerously narrow. It needs to fit in tight spaces.
  • Our budget is tight and we’re going to need a bigger apartment in the next year or so. So something less than ten years old but not expensive. Our old car was about $10k when it got totaled.
  • Fit three car seats comfortably without rendering passenger seat unusable. We’ll also need a double stroller if able to conceive again.
  • Mainly for errands, church, baby groups, doctor appointments
  • Won’t be totaled when another jerk inevitably crashes into us on these horribly designed roads
  • Fuel efficient
 
I don’t know how large your car seats are, but there are narrow models now that can fit three across in most typical sedans.

Until I got a minivan I drove a Honda CR-V (2006). It drives like a smaller car, is great on hills, and is reasonably fuel-efficient. Lots of space for your stuff, too and was pretty roomy with two HUGE carseats (though nobody could sit in the middle then). We’ve done several long trips in it and it was very comfortable. It’s now my husband’s commuter car. Over 100,000 miles and still going strong (like Hondas do. My first car was a Civic and I was so sad when it finally bit the dust.)
 
AClaire11 said:
We’ve been without a car for about a month and it’s mostly been great, but we live on a hill and I have a chronic knee injury. I’m going to give it a bit longer, but I can’t keep pushing a stroller up the hill every other day and I also can’t just stay in my apartment all the time. We had a 2012 Ford focus and it was nice, but it was really cramped with just one car seat and we’re going to ttc #2 once my cycles come back. Considerations:
  • Parking here is crazy and the streets can be dangerously narrow. It needs to fit in tight spaces.
  • Our budget is tight and we’re going to need a bigger apartment in the next year or so. So something less than ten years old but not expensive. Our old car was about $10k when it got totaled.
  • Fit three car seats comfortably without rendering passenger seat unusable. We’ll also need a double stroller if able to conceive again.
  • Mainly for errands, church, baby groups, doctor appointments
  • Won’t be totaled when another jerk inevitably crashes into us on these horribly designed roads
  • Fuel efficient
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Hi AClaire,

Have you also tried looking on-line to see what’s available in your price range, and to see what is available for the kind of car that you’re looking for?

This can be really helpful, if you haven’t tried it before. We did that when we were looking for a new car, and we found it to be helpful.

You can start out by looking at a specific car manufacturer’s website, and then you can narrow it down by choosing a local dealership in your area, and then from there, look at the on-line inventory that a local dealership has in your area.

You can do all of this, before even going to look at any cars in person.

You can then see the actual cars that they have in stock, including the features and the sticker price, and then if you decide that you’re interested in taking a look at something, you can then go over and take a look at the car/s in person. 🙂
 
I’ve been looking at cars the past couple months – we’ll need to be replacing the old minivan soon. :sad_yes:

I second what Pensmama said about the Honda CR-V – good room inside but very manageable on the road. Felt smaller than the minivan, which is a good thing. The Honda HR-V also felt roomy inside while being a bit smaller (and less expensive) than that CR-V.

The Mazda (forgot the model) felt smaller inside to me. And I hated the sight lines (or lack thereof).

The Kia Sportage felt HUGE to me on the inside, while still feeling smaller than the minivan. I haven’t had a test drive yet, so I can’t comment on the handling.

A friend recommended Enterprise auto sales as a good resource for used cars. They sell them off with low mileage, but you get a much better price than new. I haven’t looked around much there yet, so I don’t know yet if it’s as good as my friend says. 🤷

Also, check with the dealership for any older “new” models they might still have – you might be surprised. 👍

God bless you in your search and in the growth of your family! ❤️
 
pensmama87 said:
I don’t know how large your car seats are, but there are narrow models now that can fit three across in most typical sedans.

Until I got a minivan I drove a Honda CR-V (2006). It drives like a smaller car, is great on hills, and is reasonably fuel-efficient. Lots of space for your stuff, too and was pretty roomy with two HUGE carseats (though nobody could sit in the middle then). We’ve done several long trips in it and it was very comfortable. It’s now my husband’s commuter car. Over 100,000 miles and still going strong (like Hondas do. My first car was a Civic and I was so sad when it finally bit the dust.)
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Agree, can’t go wrong with a Honda & the CRV is great. The cars last forever, just do regular maintenance. My Honda lasted 14 years & would still be on the road if I wasn’t T-Boned.
 
I don’t know anything about car seats, but we’ve had very good luck with the Pontiac Vibe (a GM car built on a Toyota Matrix chassis). We like them so much that we just bought our third last summer. The last model-year was 2010, so they’re all pretty old now. Mine is currently at 210k miles and we’re planning to take it to 250k.

They get 30-32mpg, have lots of room in the hatchback – and I can fit my 36-string lever harp across the back seat, so it seems pretty roomy to me! Another advantage of these cars is that they have a timing chain instead of a timing belt; you don’t have to replace the belt every 80k miles, which is a very expensive repair in other cars. The turning radius is reasonable and it’s not a wide or long car. I find I have lots of room before and behind in parallel parking spots.

In our area they’re available in good condition for $7-10k.
 
I have to recommend getting something with a backup camera. It’s a really nice feature.
 
Thank you for the recommendations! The issue isn’t so much width as depth for the moment. I had to sit in the back every time the three of us drove because the infant seat made the passenger seat unusable. The convertible might have worked better, but she was still just shy of outgrowing it when the accident happened. With two or three seats and extended rear facing???

DH will definitely not like the idea of any kind of SUV… We’ll have to discuss it more for sure. He wants to try and wait until the spring to get a car and doesn’t want to think about it now 🤷:rolleyes: Hopefully taking it easy for a few weeks and the new sneakers I ordered will help. I’d prefer to not buy a car if possible.

Tangentially related, I’m really annoyed by the Uber car seats. They’re for 12mo and up and everyone below that is assumed to be in a bucket seat. She’s already just about outgrown that at 8 months, and I don’t want to have to deal with trying to install our huge convertible seat, not to mention I can’t do that by myself and hold the baby.
 
Dodge Grand Caravan, lowest mileage used one you can find with the Pentastar 3.6 liter V6. It’s Canada’s best-selling minivan, BTW.
 
Subaru Outback or Forester. Great safety ratings, good visibility and all wheel drive which is great in snow. I have owned three Outbacks and currently have my first Forester. The new model Outbacks are pretty large, which is why I chose a Forester, but the older model Outbacks are great.
 
If you really need a small, easy to park car, try a Hyundai Elantra. Our family of 5 fit in one. It would be too cramped for a road trip, but for going around town it was great.

If your husband ever softens his anti-SUV stance, consider a Hyundai Santa Fe. I love mine. It’s not as long as a minivan (it’s even shorter than our sedan) but still fits 3 kids plus gear.
 
Lookingforjoy said:
If you really need a small, easy to park car, try a Hyundai Elantra. Our family of 5 fit in one. It would be too cramped for a road trip, but for going around town it was great.

If your husband ever softens his anti-SUV stance, consider a Hyundai Santa Fe. I love mine. It’s not as long as a minivan (it’s even shorter than our sedan) but still fits 3 kids plus gear.
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I was thinking of the Hyundai Elantra for AClaire, too, or maybe the Kias. They own Hyundai.

We have a Hyundai Accent. It’s a 2014.

It is a very economical car. We have a 4 door. We don’t have a hatchback, but a Sedan model. It’s a great car.

It’s comparable to a Ford Focus or a Chevy Sonic in terms of cars of comparable size, but it may be a bit larger in terms of size.

It gets great gas mileage, too.

The Elantra is the next model up from the Accent.

Hyundai offers great safety features in their cars, a great power train warranty, and a 5 year roadside assistance plan that’s included, too.
 
Anne1964 said:
Subaru Outback or Forester. Great safety ratings, good visibility and all wheel drive which is great in snow. I have owned three Outbacks and currently have my first Forester. The new model Outbacks are pretty large, which is why I chose a Forester, but the older model Outbacks are great.
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I second the idea of a suburu, they are all all wheel drive, great safety ratings and as my mechanic says subarus dont die you have to kill them:D
 
I recommend the Rolls Royce Ghost. It’s smaller and easier to park than the Phantom (and more economical too), but you can still easily get car seats in the back and fitting a stroller should be no problem.
 
Bill_Martin said:
I recommend the Rolls Royce Ghost. It’s smaller and easier to park than the Phantom (and more economical too), but you can still easily get car seats in the back and fitting a stroller should be no problem.
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Are you buying? 😉
 
With 3 ERF seats, you will need a full sized minivan, IMO.

I have a Mazda 5, which is a “mini-mini-van” and I was going to suggest it if you just need two seats. We just found out we are expecting our 3rd and we will need a bigger vehicle.

I am planning on a used Honda Oddessy. The toyota sienna is nice, but a major recall on 11-15 models just came out, huge safety issue. The nissan quest and dodge caravan/chrystler town & country just do not match the features of the honda/toyota models, especially in the year models we are considering.

If you do not go minivan, you at lease need a full size (3 row) SUV to allow 3 ERF seats and comfortable front row. Our Mazda has 3 rows, but you cannot use the passenger seat with even the “best” ERF seats (depth wise) behind it.

You can go 3 across with some narrow seats. But the reality of having to reach over one seat to buckle the middle child while the extra kid is loose OR reach over a kid IN a seat…just hard.

You will really value the “magic” of sliding doors while handling 3 kids in car seats, at least I do.
 
misspriss said:
With 3 ERF seats, you will need a full sized minivan, IMO.

I have a Mazda 5, which is a “mini-mini-van” and I was going to suggest it if you just need two seats. We just found out we are expecting our 3rd and we will need a bigger vehicle.

I am planning on a used Honda Oddessy. The toyota sienna is nice, but a major recall on 11-15 models just came out, huge safety issue. The nissan quest and dodge caravan/chrystler town & country just do not match the features of the honda/toyota models, especially in the year models we are considering.

If you do not go minivan, you at lease need a full size (3 row) SUV to allow 3 ERF seats and comfortable front row. Our Mazda has 3 rows, but you cannot use the passenger seat with even the “best” ERF seats (depth wise) behind it.

You can go 3 across with some narrow seats. But the reality of having to reach over one seat to buckle the middle child while the extra kid is loose OR reach over a kid IN a seat…just hard.

You will really value the “magic” of sliding doors while handling 3 kids in car seats, at least I do.
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👍

These are good points.

We have a T&C and truthfully, I don’t like it. I bought it because it was the right price and I can use it to get from A to B, but other than that, it’s a blah car. When we buy another I want an Odyssey.

Sliding doors are indeed magic. And I like that kids can spread out. I have one friend with four kids who has the narrow car seats, so she has three in the back of her minivan. That’s great because they can fit up to five kids without needing to get a larger van, but I don’t know how she manages the “but they are touuuuuuuching meeeeeeee!” I deal with a lot of that and the two of mine in the back are 5 and 3, and not so close together.

(I remember being a little older and we were much nicer to each other in my mom’s van. But in the preschooler and early elementary years, we fought a lot in cramped spaces. My poor mother.)
 
pensmama87 said:
👍

These are good points.

We have a T&C and truthfully, I don’t like it. I bought it because it was the right price and I can use it to get from A to B, but other than that, it’s a blah car. When we buy another I want an Odyssey.

Sliding doors are indeed magic. And I like that kids can spread out. I have one friend with four kids who has the narrow car seats, so she has three in the back of her minivan. That’s great because they can fit up to five kids without needing to get a larger van, but I don’t know how she manages the “but they are touuuuuuuching meeeeeeee!” I deal with a lot of that and the two of mine in the back are 5 and 3, and not so close together.

(I remember being a little older and we were much nicer to each other in my mom’s van. But in the preschooler and early elementary years, we fought a lot in cramped spaces. My poor mother.)
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We’re right in the thick of making the same decision. I told DH I could probably make it in the 5 for a few months, but I can’t get groceries or anything with all 3 kids, there is no room for the groceries unless they are literally right next to the 3/4 year old, who can’t resist digging in to them. Even without the child (ren) I only have one seat’s worth of space (next to a ERF car seat) in the back to put groceries. At no point could I fit my single stroller (which is normal/full size) let alone a double.

The Mazda is pretty basic, manual doors, no entertainment systems, etc. But it’s small and drives like a car. People have told me the Odyssey is really easy to drive, like easier than a Honda Accord. The Mazda seats 6, and I really thought it seated 6 when I bought it, but I now realize it is a great car for families of 4 who occasionally have other people riding with them. Young, small people (who are not in car seats though…).

We are actually looking at 08-10 models, so if a good sienna comes along it wouldn’t be part of the recall, but reading reviews from that time period the Odyssey is still king. There are a lot of them with a moderate amount of miles in that year range available for around 10K or slightly more in our area.

I really feel grateful for DH, he wants a new car himself but when we found out about the pregnancy he said he’d drive the Mazda every day and buy me an Odyssy, so we both have “newer” cars, and give up his dreams of a zippy little car…such a sweetie. It also has us a backup car that WILL (albiet crowded) fit all the family, because we live in a car dependent area, and we are really car-dependent. We live in the boooonnniees 😃
 
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