Author Topic: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?  (Read 7443 times)

Morning Glory

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4867
  • Location: The Garden Path
Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« on: April 18, 2017, 02:51:05 PM »
Hi, I need some advice about what kind of car to look for. I would like something that's not a gas guzzler. My husband is 6'6", I am 5'4", and our son is 2 years old. We are going to welcome another mini mustachian in November, and we also bring our dog on road trips. Currently our son is still rear facing and we have a seat for each car (Graco Contender) mounted in the middle. We also still have his infant seat  with 2 bases that he outgrew. He should be well into safely front facing before the next one comes. We are both comfortable with driving manual transmission, and husband is good at car repairs.

Our current cars:
2003 Dodge Neon. I mainly drive this one around town, and bike to work 6 months of the year, so it has surprisingly few miles for it's age (about 90k).  It is not comfortable for husband even on short trips. Also it would be tight even for me with a car seat behind the driver's seat, and the gas mileage isn't that great.

2008 Crown Victoria. This is the one we take on road trips, and also husband drives it around town because it is more comfortable for him. We could probably put rear facing infant in the middle, front facing toddler behind me, and dog behind my husband. The problem is that it is pushing 250k miles and we are worried about it breaking down far from home. Also it would be difficult to share driving on long trips because we would have to move infant seats around. It also has horrible gas mileage (about 24 mpg on the highway, less in town).

We also own a 1976 Chevy truck that we use for farm chores and occasional runs to Home Depot.

Husband wants me to give up my Neon and get something big enough to take the whole family on trips, that I would also drive around town. He would keep the Crown for driving to work, etc. I don't see the point in having 2 cars big enough for everyone, and also 2 sets of car seats.

So my options are:
1. Keep the existing cars and sign up for triple A or similar

2. Replace one car with a minivan, station wagon, or SUV.  It needs to be reliable for taking on trips, and also comfortable for everyone. I would also like it to get better gas mileage than the Crown. Subaru Forester looks the best on paper for our needs but I haven't done any test driving yet. We also haven't ruled out the possibility of a third kid. I would like some suggestions on other types of car that might fit our needs.

3. Replace both vehicles: a big one for whoever has the kids that day, and an economy car for whoever doesn't. I like this idea because it would save gas, and also because I have to parallel park when I drive to work. It would have to be more comfortable than the Neon for husband to agree with this plan. I would like some suggestions here as well.

More information: our state charges for licensing based on the age of the vehicles, so older is better here. We currently have only liability insurance for all of our cars. We are not ready to be a one car family due to cold climate and living on a busy county highway with gravel shoulders. We live 4 miles from my work and 15 miles from husband's work. I work 3 days/ week and he works the other 2, so one of us is always home with the kids.

Morning Glory

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4867
  • Location: The Garden Path
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #1 on: April 18, 2017, 02:56:59 PM »
I would also welcome any other advice for dealing with a newborn and a toddler.

Joel

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 887
  • Location: California
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #2 on: April 18, 2017, 02:59:06 PM »
Posting to follow.

My wife and I currently have a 2-door civic (mine) and a 4-door civic (hers) and are expecting our first child. We have plans to have 3 kids. It's quite likely that I will need to upgrade my 2-door civic as there just does not seem like enough room in the backseat to fit a backwards-facing car seat conveniently. I've considered upgrading my car to a 4-door civic for a few years, and then upgrading her car when we have the 2nd or 3rd. We also would like to eventually have a full-sized dog as well. Needless to say, I'm curious to see where the discussion goes with this conversation.

hoping2retire35

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1398
  • Location: UPCOUNTRY CAROLINA
  • just want to see where this appears
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #3 on: April 18, 2017, 03:05:52 PM »
minivan and an around town, economical, car your hubby can tolerate.

don't give dog access to baby, gets some nets or some carrier that will fit in the very back.

steviesterno

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 277
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #4 on: April 18, 2017, 05:29:02 PM »
we're thinking about kiddo #2, and the wife drives an A6 and I drive an FJ. Both have some room but not a ton, and both were bought pre-MMM. I was looking at bigger SUVs but can't find anything that's an upgrade in room for under 20k. so did some soul searching and figured out that I don't need one. I can fit 2 car seats, and with only a couple bucks worth of modification I can make the FJ work for me. same with her car. And if we need to go on a big road trip? I'll rent a van. if I need to haul giant stuff from Lowes or whatever? I'll rent a truck.

paying for a short term rental for the rare occasion we'll need it makes more financial sense than either putting up the cash or taking on another monthly bill.



jac941

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 284
  • Location: SF Bay Area
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #5 on: April 18, 2017, 11:00:56 PM »
I'd recommend a hatchback or some other vehicle where the dog is in the "trunk" and the kids are in the back seat. I just can't imagine a dog that would put up with an adjacent toddler. If this is a very small dog, a carrier or crate on the floor or in the seat could work.

As far as the car seat setup goes, the recommendation is that the least protected child should be in the middle. So if your toddler will be forward facing, he should be in the middle and the rear facing infant should be in the outboard seat. The infant seats are easier to move too, so you could swap back and forth when you swap driving with your husband so the infant is always behind you. That said - my kids (ages 2 & 4) are in the two outboard seats now because this makes it impossible for them to touch each other. A critical consideration for parental sanity as the kids get older.

There are lots of good cars that could work but your very tall husband would need to verify with a test drive. Try the Forester or the Honda CRV. That small Mazda mini van might work for you too. I've also heard that he Hyundai Elantra hatchbacks are pretty good for tall drivers.

Good luck!

Milizard

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 769
  • Location: West Michigan
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #6 on: April 19, 2017, 09:09:38 AM »
Posting to follow.

My wife and I currently have a 2-door civic (mine) and a 4-door civic (hers) and are expecting our first child. We have plans to have 3 kids. It's quite likely that I will need to upgrade my 2-door civic as there just does not seem like enough room in the backseat to fit a backwards-facing car seat conveniently. I've considered upgrading my car to a 4-door civic for a few years, and then upgrading her car when we have the 2nd or 3rd. We also would like to eventually have a full-sized dog as well. Needless to say, I'm curious to see where the discussion goes with this conversation.

i had a 2-door Civic and 2 kids.  We managed by almost never driving the kids as babies in the Civic.  In the baby bucket, I sorta managed to get the baby in there, with a lot of difficulty.  My babies were big, so outgrew the buckets rather quickly (before 6 months of age).  I'm not sure I can express how difficult it was to get the baby in a rear facing convertible seat on the few occasions that I had no choice (car repairs for the other vehicle).  I felt as if I had to tie myself into a pretzel, climb back there next to the seat, have someone hand the baby to me so i could buckle him in, and then tie myself into a pretzel again to get back out.  Repeat at destination.

To sum it up, get one bigger car.  Doesn't need to be huge.  We replaced with an Accord.  My husband is 6-4 and fits in it.

Milizard

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 769
  • Location: West Michigan
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #7 on: April 19, 2017, 09:10:43 AM »
I would also welcome any other advice for dealing with a newborn and a toddler.

Good luck .  ;-)
Remember, they'll play together and keep each other company when they're bigger.

SimpleCycle

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1259
  • Location: Chicago
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #8 on: April 19, 2017, 09:22:15 AM »
We're a family of 4 but our tallest family member is 5'8" and no dog.  We kept our compact car with two car seats installed and plan to rent for longer trips and camping.  For us, this is the lowest cost solution, rather than buying a new car.

TOgirl

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 64
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #9 on: April 19, 2017, 09:26:13 AM »
We had a 2 door civic with our first child, and watching my 6'4" hubby try to shove her in the back seat in the bucket was entertaining! When we found out child #2 was on the way, we upgraded to the Mazda 5 (small mazda minivan). Somewhat good on gas, as it's still a 4 cylinder. It suited our needs well, and gave each kid a captains chair. Sliding doors for easy access to car seats, kids, etc. Way easier than bending down to reach the kids and drag them out of the car, especially with the bucket car seat. Fold down extra seats in the very back, although those are best for people with no legs...I keep those folded down and it easily fit camping gear, road trip gear, strollers, etc. I still drive the Mazda 5, and my kids are now 7 and 5.5yrs old. They slide the doors open all the time, and I never have to worry about them hitting other cars. I'm keeping it as long as possible, even though it is now our smaller vehicle - hubby bought a used Kia Sedona last year....makes my Mazda seem small, but his is a beast to park.

Additional advice about having a newborn and toddler? Mine were 17 months apart. Some days will be spectacular and some will be spectacularly sh*tty. It will mostly be a blur. But you'll be great :)

Joel

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 887
  • Location: California
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #10 on: April 19, 2017, 09:34:33 AM »
Posting to follow.

My wife and I currently have a 2-door civic (mine) and a 4-door civic (hers) and are expecting our first child. We have plans to have 3 kids. It's quite likely that I will need to upgrade my 2-door civic as there just does not seem like enough room in the backseat to fit a backwards-facing car seat conveniently. I've considered upgrading my car to a 4-door civic for a few years, and then upgrading her car when we have the 2nd or 3rd. We also would like to eventually have a full-sized dog as well. Needless to say, I'm curious to see where the discussion goes with this conversation.

i had a 2-door Civic and 2 kids.  We managed by almost never driving the kids as babies in the Civic.  In the baby bucket, I sorta managed to get the baby in there, with a lot of difficulty.  My babies were big, so outgrew the buckets rather quickly (before 6 months of age).  I'm not sure I can express how difficult it was to get the baby in a rear facing convertible seat on the few occasions that I had no choice (car repairs for the other vehicle).  I felt as if I had to tie myself into a pretzel, climb back there next to the seat, have someone hand the baby to me so i could buckle him in, and then tie myself into a pretzel again to get back out.  Repeat at destination.

To sum it up, get one bigger car.  Doesn't need to be huge.  We replaced with an Accord.  My husband is 6-4 and fits in it.

Thanks for posting this. One of the cars is a 4-door civic. Not sure if that qualifies as big enough or not though...

Goldielocks

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7062
  • Location: BC
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #11 on: April 19, 2017, 09:50:47 AM »
Hi,

My first thought was -- three vehicles! (minimal insurance here starts at $1200 per year, so YMMV).

A) I would keep the farm truck, if it is the only vehicle that can do certain chores (like carry a sick goat to the vet). (add on AAA)
Sell the Neon -- although it runs great, it is not working for your family.  Let another family have it.  You use the farm truck for occasional trips that you need, when the other car is not available.

B) Buy a (new to you) larger car -- minivan or Mid-size SUV (depending if you need higher clearance).

Background
We are tall and DH drives with the driver seat all the way back, which made it hard for us with front-facing kiddo behind -- kicking the seat eternally.   Then when they are 5 yrs - 10yrs, it's OK, then because we are tall, their legs grew and needed a large back seat again for long trip leg room.

The vehicles that worked for him and long road trips -- Minivan (Dodge Grand Caravan, kids in captain chairs in last row, room for 3 kids, dog, etc), and now, a Toyota Highlander.   We also tried a large glamorous-interior Mercedes (cheap to buy used here), and the Subaru Legacy, which were also great for rear / front leg room.

Both a Minivan and the Highlander have trailer hitches and a utility trailer, so could be used for more of the costco runs and you could keep the farm truck on the farm, etc.  Both of these vehicles have a third seating row (although it is small on the Highlander), etc.    Our Grand Caravan lasted nearly 250k, and the highlander seems to keep hauling just fine after 11 years.


little_brown_dog

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 912
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #12 on: April 19, 2017, 10:04:32 AM »
I have an old used RAV4....two big dogs, one toddler and one baby on the way. I am a SAHM so the gas cost is really a non issue since I don't drive enough to make the Rav's lower fuel efficiency matter much. I really like the Rav's size and I am personally happy now that we have baby #2 on the way that I have access to a larger vehicle than a standard sedan. Between the 2 carseats and a stroller, even a car this size starts to get a little cramped, especially if you throw the big canines into the mix (they take up the entire trunk).

NeonPegasus

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 374
  • Location: Metro Atlanta, GA
    • Neon Pegasus
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #13 on: April 19, 2017, 10:52:43 AM »
I have an '08 Highlander. We bought it when we had two kids and it was bigger than I wanted but ended up being good when #3 decided to enter the world.

No way, no how would I have a two door car with little kids. Oh, the f-ing misery of dealing with car seats. I'm not a fan of anything with suicide/clamshell doors either. That's what DH's truck has and it's just one more layer of "Mommy/Daddy help me!" that I don't need in my life. I WANT the 9 year old to be able to get out of the vehicle herself, KWIM?

I looked at the Mazda fake minivan but opted against it due to its safety ratings. I'm not sure if they've changed in recent years and will admit that the sliding door is great. If you get a Highlander or any 3 row vehicle, make sure the third row has split seats. My '08 doesn't but the '10 and later does. I sooooo wish for that. I even looked into buying a split seat and replacing the full one in my '08 but apparently it takes a lot of MacGuyvering.

So, to your question, ditch the Neon. I see no reason why you should keep it if the gas mileage sucks. If you drive it that little, couldn't you use the farm truck instead? I guess the farm truck has even worse mileage but is the extra gas that much more than the cost of keeping a 3rd car?

If you get a car like a Highlander, you could ditch both the Neon and the farm truck. The Highlander is reliable, comfortable, and safe. It would accommodate a 3rd kid and allows you to haul your kids' friends on occasion (you can do two in back row, three in middle and one in front).

I have driven a Honda Odyssey and hate it. It's too big for my taste and too expensive. Again, the sliding door, especially the ability to open it with a fob, is appealing but driving it sucks.

As far as getting kids in and out of vehicles in infant bucket seats, look into babywearing. Instead of hauling them in a heavy ass seat that is a back injury waiting to happen, I would pop the baby into a sling and go. It makes grocery shopping way easier and typically keeps the baby much happier.
« Last Edit: April 19, 2017, 07:55:57 PM by NeonPegasus »

cacaoheart

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 147
  • Location: Raleigh, NC
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #14 on: April 19, 2017, 04:29:51 PM »
I would test drive a Prius V. They have more headspace than a normal Prius and a good bit of space for a dog behind the seats. I'm not sure if a Honda Fit would be tall enough for someone that is 6'6'', but my 75 pound greyhound fits behind the 2nd row though nothing else can go back there with him.

Milizard

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 769
  • Location: West Michigan
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #15 on: April 19, 2017, 07:59:00 PM »
Posting to follow.

My wife and I currently have a 2-door civic (mine) and a 4-door civic (hers) and are expecting our first child. We have plans to have 3 kids. It's quite likely that I will need to upgrade my 2-door civic as there just does not seem like enough room in the backseat to fit a backwards-facing car seat conveniently. I've considered upgrading my car to a 4-door civic for a few years, and then upgrading her car when we have the 2nd or 3rd. We also would like to eventually have a full-sized dog as well. Needless to say, I'm curious to see where the discussion goes with this conversation.


i had a 2-door Civic and 2 kids.  We managed by almost never driving the kids as babies in the Civic.  In the baby bucket, I sorta managed to get the baby in there, with a lot of difficulty.  My babies were big, so outgrew the buckets rather quickly (before 6 months of age).  I'm not sure I can express how difficult it was to get the baby in a rear facing convertible seat on the few occasions that I had no choice (car repairs for the other vehicle).  I felt as if I had to tie myself into a pretzel, climb back there next to the seat, have someone hand the baby to me so i could buckle him in, and then tie myself into a pretzel again to get back out.  Repeat at destination.

To sum it up, get one bigger car.  Doesn't need to be huge.  We replaced with an Accord.  My husband is 6-4 and fits in it.

Thanks for posting this. One of the cars is a 4-door civic. Not sure if that qualifies as big enough or not though...

Well, our 2nd car was a minivan, but I guess you can manage with just about anything if you had to.  I've heard of people doing alright with a 4-door Civic.  Probably shorter people.  Babies are supposed to be rear-facing for 2 years now, which makes it even more challenging. 

Perhaps they've gotten roomier over the years.  Mine was a 99, and it was tight for me to have the carseat behind my seat.  I'm about 5-6, but still had to scrunch up a bit.  My DH could not physically fit with the carseat behind him.  The car was tight for him with the seat all the way back.  We put the convertible in the middle, as that was the only spot that it could fit, it's back coming forward between the 2 front seats.  This was a smaller one.  There was no way our other seat could have fit in that car.  The bucket seat wasn't too bad to get in (and not too great either), but our kids were tall like their daddy, so that didn't last long.

Despite all the difficulties, my DH started to drive the too-small-for-him Civic when he started a job with a longer commute, and we kept that car for 6.5 years of parenthood.

GhostSaver

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 86
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #16 on: April 19, 2017, 09:31:40 PM »
Congrats on having short commutes to work and biking a good chunk of the time! And on driving a stick and being comfortable turning a wrench! You are already taking some big steps to keep the car costs down!

My wife and I have two big, smelly dogs and some chickens. And 1 kid (soon to be 2). And we have short work commutes and like to take road trips or go camping on weekends.

We drive a 2012 Nissan Leaf and we try to put as many of the commuting and day care miles on it as we can. Mile-for-mile, this was the cheapest car for us. Gas cost is as close to 0 as you can get, and so is maintenance. All (soon to be 4) of us will fit just fine, though I'm the tallest at 5'10". Someone well north of 6' might have gripes about car seat clearance, but it is (by definition) a short trip vehicle. It's fine in the snow with appropriate tires. It has snowed approximately 300" at our house this season, so we leave it parked when it is really deep out, but we drive it in much rougher conditions than most SUVs ever see.

We have a 2011 Subaru Outback with the 6 speed manual for our 2nd car. I don't love it, but we placed a premium on snow performance and we were a bit rushed when we bought it. I think you would be better off with one from the late '90s with the 2.2 liter and the 5 speed manual, especially if you don't mind turning a wrench. That generation was easy to work on and very reliable. If you can get one in good shape, that would be great.

If I were you, I would be tempted to sell all 3 cars, get the cheapest Leaf you can find (7 grand maybe!) as a commuter, and get the most reliable '90s-era quad cab pickup you can find. Then you've got a hatchback that can handle the dog and both car seats for short trips around town without spending money on gas and you've also got a 4x4 for foul weather, farm chores, and camping road trips. Tacoma, Frontier, F150, Silverado, Colorado, etc. The only problem is that around here, people want way too much money for those in quad cab 4x4 trim, even at 20 years old! Making your peace with trashing the interior of a '99 Suby Outback with the 5MT and 2.2 liter is likely to be much easier on the wallet!

FinallyAwake

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 62
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #17 on: April 19, 2017, 10:17:30 PM »
Sell all the cars/trucks.

Get a minivan and a Leaf.  (6'5 long legged hubby loves his Leaf.)  I can move dressers and other large furniture with my mini.

Toddler and newborn at the same time?  Your life is about to get fun and terrifying at the exact same time.  Hold on for the ride!  :)   Luckily and sadly, it's only for 12-18 months.  Then they'll be buddies ganging up on you.  And that's when you throw kid #3 in to the mix.  So go ahead and get the minivan now.

teamzissou00

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 106
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #18 on: April 20, 2017, 09:23:45 AM »
We have a minivan, and I need a car to get to and from work.  I was originally thinking a CR-V with 80k miles on it.  It would be a decent car to commute with and has 4WD for camping and such..

What's with the leaf praise?  I have a 15 minute drive to work each day - and $15k to pay outright for a car.  Would that buy me a Leaf? On Nissan they start at $30k. 

NeonPegasus

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 374
  • Location: Metro Atlanta, GA
    • Neon Pegasus
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #19 on: April 20, 2017, 11:01:23 AM »
We have a minivan, and I need a car to get to and from work.  I was originally thinking a CR-V with 80k miles on it.  It would be a decent car to commute with and has 4WD for camping and such..

What's with the leaf praise?  I have a 15 minute drive to work each day - and $15k to pay outright for a car.  Would that buy me a Leaf? On Nissan they start at $30k.

You should be able to get a LEAF coming off lease for as little as 10k. Gvt subsidies didn't care if you owned or leased. A lot of people (including me) leased. At the end of 2 years, I gave it back, as did many others. Prices tanked.

With a short commute like that, a used LEAF would be a good choice, especially since you have a minivan as well. If you need to transport the kiddos, you can easily fit in carseats (I had 3 across). You'll likely find that you end up driving it a bunch more than you expected since it's fun to drive and short drives with the kids will be gas free.

KES

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 43
  • Location: Columbus, OH
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #20 on: April 21, 2017, 01:11:05 PM »
We're a family of six and only bought our minivan when number 4 was born. I recommend keeping what you have until you outgrow it. At one point in our Avalon had 3 carseats in the back (well, two were boosters), but definitely doable.

MayDay

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4953
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #21 on: April 23, 2017, 09:28:53 AM »
If you want the smallest possible car that you can rearrange a baby in and fits your tall hubby, go to the carseat forums and they'll be able to tell you with more precision than we will.

If you are pretty sure you'll have a third kid, just get the minivan.

I will say that I rear faced mine until ~21 months in a civic. FF seat if toddler was behind the driver, RF baby bucket was behind passenger. It was fine, but we are both 5'8".

MEJG

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 276
  • Location: Northeast US
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #22 on: April 24, 2017, 04:40:17 AM »
We easily fit two kids (one rear facing one FF), two dogs (130lbs and 60lbs), myself and DH (6'1'') in our Prius for weekend trips. Extended trips would have taken creative packing or on top of car storage.  We now have that Prius and a Toyota Sienna after adding a 3rd child. I honestly have fantasies about a Prius V over our minivan.

If you are looking for more space then a Minivan wins over any SUV.  A good hatchback will handle a dog! And while the kids have short legs bags can go on the floor in the back seat.

MayDay

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4953
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #23 on: April 24, 2017, 07:29:21 AM »
We easily fit two kids (one rear facing one FF), two dogs (130lbs and 60lbs), myself and DH (6'1'') in our Prius for weekend trips. Extended trips would have taken creative packing or on top of car storage.  We now have that Prius and a Toyota Sienna after adding a 3rd child. I honestly have fantasies about a Prius V over our minivan.

If you are looking for more space then a Minivan wins over any SUV.  A good hatchback will handle a dog! And while the kids have short legs bags can go on the floor in the back seat.

Yes to the bags on the floor. The problem, as a PP noted, is that at some point they have long legs, lol!

Our kids are 7 and 9 and we could no longer do a dog plus two kids us baggage in a small hatchback or sedan because the kids take up the back seat.

We have a van now- same fuel economy as a mid sized SUV (Highlander, etc) with way more space. If you go down to a larger hatchback/wagon like an outback it depends on the size of the dog- no great Danes!

I don't know. I love the minivan for practicality with being able to throw all our camping gear plus 4 bikes in the back. Roof boxes give me hives. But I hate driving a van in a city. But my kids are only going to get bigger. I don't think we could do four adult bikes on the back of an outback, weight-wise.

dphngbr

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 20
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #24 on: April 24, 2017, 03:40:03 PM »
Up until this year, we've had a 2-door Accord (DH's commuter car) and a Subaru Outback for 3 kids and a 90 lb dog.  Husband is 6'1", I am 5'6".  This worked great for 6 years until we swapped out the 2-door sedan for a 4-door this year (husband was killing his back getting the older kids out of the car at school drop off.)  So I'd say keep the Neon, and trade the Crown Victoria for a wagon. 

Granted, we're a bit unusual -- we gave up on strollers completely by the third (we use baby carriers) and also ditched the infant bucket seat (convertible car seat fits better behind the driver.)  We add a roof box for road trips and camping.  I very rarely feel like we need more space than this, and our dog has gotten used to sharing the trunk space with luggage.  :)

(I fully recognize the kids will get bigger, and at some point we are going to probably want more legroom for everyone.  But it's been 6 years, and we're not there yet!) 
« Last Edit: April 24, 2017, 03:45:19 PM by dphngbr »

a1pharm

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 101
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #25 on: April 28, 2017, 07:48:47 AM »
1. Sell the Crown Vic
2. Keep the Neon
3. Sell the truck
4. Buy a minivan

RussellMania

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 15
  • Location: Santa Rosa, CA
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #26 on: April 28, 2017, 03:17:28 PM »
Even with a minivan, you still want to double check that everybody fits. I'm 6'8" and have twins who are still rear-facing. We have a '08 Ford Freestar, and there is not any extra space for me (I have to slouch or my head hits the ceiling).

One thing to keep in mind is you don't want the driver's seat touching the car seat. Keep a gap between them for safety so that the car seat doesn't get squished by the driver's seat in a crash.

a1pharm

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 101
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #27 on: April 28, 2017, 04:34:40 PM »
Even with a minivan, you still want to double check that everybody fits. I'm 6'8" and have twins who are still rear-facing. We have a '08 Ford Freestar, and there is not any extra space for me (I have to slouch or my head hits the ceiling).

One thing to keep in mind is you don't want the driver's seat touching the car seat. Keep a gap between them for safety so that the car seat doesn't get squished by the driver's seat in a crash.

If there's enough force to push your mangled body meat into your seat with so much force that it impacts the car seat behind you, leaving only a few inches isn't going to save anyone.

englishteacheralex

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3892
  • Age: 44
  • Location: Honolulu, HI
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #28 on: April 28, 2017, 04:52:14 PM »
This exact same question is what led me to MMM in the first place in July 2016. I had a 2 year old toddler and was due to have an baby in December. I was seriously considering buying a used Sienna or Odyssey. We had two 1999 Toyota Corollas at the time.

Read a lot of MMM  stuff about cars and decided against a minivan in favor of a 2003 Toyota Matrix with a stick shift.  We decided a minivan wasn't necessary at this point and a hatchback should do us fine. We deemed SUVs too expensive on gas in exchange for not that much extra room. Minivans are awesome but again, too much gas. We live in Hawaii and gas is very expensive here.

Now that the baby is four months old, I can tell you that the Matrix is freakin' awesome and if we weren't so cheap I think we'd sell the other 1999 Corolla and replace it with another Matrix. The kids fit in there just fine and there's more leg room than the Corolla. It was $3300 and we haven't had to do anything to it except change the oil. Gets great gas mileage. Any small hatchback does great with two kids. Honda Fits are cool (hard to find used ones in our <$4k pricerange), Nissan Versas seem pretty good, Elantra hatchbacks looked good to us, Ford Focus hatchbacks from certain years...they all seemed fine, we just went with the first hatchback in that category that we found that was cheap and approved by our mechanic.

As for other advice...it really depends on what kind of a baby you get, huh? Ours is pretty great. The first month was hard but I had a lot of help with the toddler so all I had to concentrate on was the baby. After the help went away, the baby was a little less needy and I adjusted to juggling two. A baby carrier is a treasure with two. Somebody also gave us a hand me down double stroller and that's been a big help. I was terrified of having a toddler and a baby but so far it's actually been really fun...more fun than I had when the toddler was a baby. I'm a lot more confident about parenting now.

Joel

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 887
  • Location: California
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #29 on: April 28, 2017, 05:21:02 PM »
This exact same question is what led me to MMM in the first place in July 2016. I had a 2 year old toddler and was due to have an baby in December. I was seriously considering buying a used Sienna or Odyssey. We had two 1999 Toyota Corollas at the time.

Read a lot of MMM  stuff about cars and decided against a minivan in favor of a 2003 Toyota Matrix with a stick shift.  We decided a minivan wasn't necessary at this point and a hatchback should do us fine. We deemed SUVs too expensive on gas in exchange for not that much extra room. Minivans are awesome but again, too much gas. We live in Hawaii and gas is very expensive here.

Now that the baby is four months old, I can tell you that the Matrix is freakin' awesome and if we weren't so cheap I think we'd sell the other 1999 Corolla and replace it with another Matrix. The kids fit in there just fine and there's more leg room than the Corolla. It was $3300 and we haven't had to do anything to it except change the oil. Gets great gas mileage. Any small hatchback does great with two kids. Honda Fits are cool (hard to find used ones in our <$4k pricerange), Nissan Versas seem pretty good, Elantra hatchbacks looked good to us, Ford Focus hatchbacks from certain years...they all seemed fine, we just went with the first hatchback in that category that we found that was cheap and approved by our mechanic.

As for other advice...it really depends on what kind of a baby you get, huh? Ours is pretty great. The first month was hard but I had a lot of help with the toddler so all I had to concentrate on was the baby. After the help went away, the baby was a little less needy and I adjusted to juggling two. A baby carrier is a treasure with two. Somebody also gave us a hand me down double stroller and that's been a big help. I was terrified of having a toddler and a baby but so far it's actually been really fun...more fun than I had when the toddler was a baby. I'm a lot more confident about parenting now.

I wasn't even considering a hatchback. Is there enough trunk space for troller and whatever other junk you typically need?

NeonPegasus

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 374
  • Location: Metro Atlanta, GA
    • Neon Pegasus
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #30 on: April 28, 2017, 06:53:15 PM »
This exact same question is what led me to MMM in the first place in July 2016. I had a 2 year old toddler and was due to have an baby in December. I was seriously considering buying a used Sienna or Odyssey. We had two 1999 Toyota Corollas at the time.

Read a lot of MMM  stuff about cars and decided against a minivan in favor of a 2003 Toyota Matrix with a stick shift.  We decided a minivan wasn't necessary at this point and a hatchback should do us fine. We deemed SUVs too expensive on gas in exchange for not that much extra room. Minivans are awesome but again, too much gas. We live in Hawaii and gas is very expensive here.

Now that the baby is four months old, I can tell you that the Matrix is freakin' awesome and if we weren't so cheap I think we'd sell the other 1999 Corolla and replace it with another Matrix. The kids fit in there just fine and there's more leg room than the Corolla. It was $3300 and we haven't had to do anything to it except change the oil. Gets great gas mileage. Any small hatchback does great with two kids. Honda Fits are cool (hard to find used ones in our <$4k pricerange), Nissan Versas seem pretty good, Elantra hatchbacks looked good to us, Ford Focus hatchbacks from certain years...they all seemed fine, we just went with the first hatchback in that category that we found that was cheap and approved by our mechanic.

As for other advice...it really depends on what kind of a baby you get, huh? Ours is pretty great. The first month was hard but I had a lot of help with the toddler so all I had to concentrate on was the baby. After the help went away, the baby was a little less needy and I adjusted to juggling two. A baby carrier is a treasure with two. Somebody also gave us a hand me down double stroller and that's been a big help. I was terrified of having a toddler and a baby but so far it's actually been really fun...more fun than I had when the toddler was a baby. I'm a lot more confident about parenting now.

I wasn't even considering a hatchback. Is there enough trunk space for troller and whatever other junk you typically need?

My experience with hatchbacks is that they often have great room in the trunk and give you more flexibility than a sedan. It may come at the cost of carrying a full size spare so be sure you know what you're getting.

When I drove the LEAF I had to make an emergency run to our stainless steel supplier in the midst of afternoon carpool. I had them cut it down a bit smaller (usually 20' lengths and the cut it to 14'). I was able to run it through the passenger front window, through the middle of the front seats and through the car seats into the back. Couldn't have done that in a sedan.

bunchbikes

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 325
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #31 on: April 28, 2017, 08:12:40 PM »
Minivan for a family of 4?

What on earth for?

What do you do with the 3 extra seats?


We drive a 2009 Nissan Versa hatchback. Fits the bill.  Too much stuff to fit inside with the kids and dog?  Put it on the hitch cargo rack.  Too much stuff for that? Hasn't happened yet, but if it does I'll add roof racks.
« Last Edit: April 28, 2017, 08:17:48 PM by CargoBiker »

lizzzi

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2150
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #32 on: April 28, 2017, 09:34:59 PM »
As a grandmother who has had to deal with daily chauffeuring of grandchildren ages 2, 4, 5...over the last four years...kids are now 6, 8, 9...plus at times Grandpa and his wheelchair or walker, (Grandpa now deceased), and now the kids plus eight lb. small dog in crate...and sometimes luggage and a large 4 feet tall folk harp (not simultaneously with kids, but usually with dog and crate)  ...I have been more than pleased with my 2012 Toyota Highlander. Roomy, comfortable, reliable. I am 5'4", and Grandpa was 5'10".

englishteacheralex

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3892
  • Age: 44
  • Location: Honolulu, HI
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #33 on: April 29, 2017, 04:53:13 AM »
I can fit a double stroller plus all our beach gear no problem in the Matrix hatchback. It's not as massive as my friend's CRV but it gets the job done and is a lot cheaper. We've used it to haul 9' surfboards inside and a 10' area rug--both without kids, but it worked fine for hauling stuff in that case. Really love hatchbacks now. I think if we had three kids we might consider a minivan at that point, but we're a cross the bridge when we get to it kind of family. We buy our cars so used and so cheap we can afford to just sell them and then buy whatever makes more sense. Not taking a big hit on depreciation, ya know?

a1pharm

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 101
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #34 on: April 29, 2017, 06:57:02 AM »
Hi, I need some advice...

Our current cars:
We also own a 1976 Chevy truck that we use for farm chores and occasional runs to Home Depot.

Does a Matrix do well hauling stuff on a farm?  A van definitely could, but a Matrix (or another hatchback)?  If this family didn't have farm chores to do, a low cost hatchback would be the best option, however, they have other circumstances that preclude its usefulness.

englishteacheralex

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3892
  • Age: 44
  • Location: Honolulu, HI
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #35 on: April 29, 2017, 11:32:34 AM »
But I thought she was trying to replace the Neon? The truck stays? A hatchback seems like a good replacement for the Neon...

Milizard

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 769
  • Location: West Michigan
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #36 on: April 29, 2017, 06:57:29 PM »
We shopped for a Matrix as one of our options last year. The problem is, they aren't made any longer, and people know that they are good cars so they are sold at quite a premium for their age/mileage.

englishteacheralex

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3892
  • Age: 44
  • Location: Honolulu, HI
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #37 on: April 29, 2017, 08:00:27 PM »
The Pontiac Vibe is the same car, btw. We weren't that picky about a Matrix; there are several other hatchbacks that would have suited us. That was just the make/model that fit our needs that came up on Craigslist first.

Paul der Krake

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5854
  • Age: 16
  • Location: UTC-10:00
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #38 on: April 29, 2017, 11:45:16 PM »
Unless you expect to be raising giants, virtually any car with 4 doors will do.

Milizard

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 769
  • Location: West Michigan
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #39 on: April 30, 2017, 08:30:36 AM »
The Pontiac Vibe is the same car, btw. We weren't that picky about a Matrix; there are several other hatchbacks that would have suited us. That was just the make/model that fit our needs that came up on Craigslist first.

Yes, we were aware of that.  Same deal with the Vibes--not made any more and go for a premium for their age/mileage.  Law of Supply & demand.  Also checked out the Focus hatchback, I believe, which were much more available and more reasonable price-wise.  Ultimately found a deal on a privately owned Accord.

meatface

  • Guest
Re: Car advice for soon to be family of 4?
« Reply #40 on: May 08, 2017, 11:33:39 AM »
Posting to follow.

My wife and I currently have a 2-door civic (mine) and a 4-door civic (hers) and are expecting our first child. We have plans to have 3 kids. It's quite likely that I will need to upgrade my 2-door civic as there just does not seem like enough room in the backseat to fit a backwards-facing car seat conveniently. I've considered upgrading my car to a 4-door civic for a few years, and then upgrading her car when we have the 2nd or 3rd. We also would like to eventually have a full-sized dog as well. Needless to say, I'm curious to see where the discussion goes with this conversation.

I had a 2-door 2007 Civic a couple years ago when my first kid was born. We only kept it around because we hardly ever drove. But it is very uncomfortable with the baby seat in the back. You have to put it behind the passenger seat so that the driver is comfortable. The consequence for the passenger is having to sit sideways in the seat. We sold that and got a 2007 Honda CR-V. HUGE difference. We plan on keep the CR-V for up to three kids. If we have more than three, well, we'll have to figure out another solution.