Moms of infants/small kids--need car advice

M

Manmohini

Cathlete
Hello moms,

I'm appealing to wisdom and experience of the forum.

It's time for me to retire my 1987 Honda Civic hatchback. If I were not pregnant with my first child, I would probably go out and buy a Prius or a Civic, a small, reliable car with good gas mileage.

I'm guessing such cars won't be so practical when I'm dealing with a car seat and a little one. Can you give advice on what to look for in a car? Which car has worked best for you? Three things I want in a vehicle: good gas mileage (no SUV's)and the most environmentally light a car can get; reliability; and convenience in moving the kid in and out. Do you think I will find this comibination?

As an expectant mother, are there features in a vehicle that I should definitely avoid? For example, before I found out I was pregnant, I nearly bought a 2-door. I think that would have been a mistake. I can't imagine having to pull the baby out of a well each time I arrive somewhere.
Manmohini
 
I purchased a Hyundai Sonata before getting pregnant. It has served me well. I haven't had any problems with it and it is the perfect size!:)
 
I was pregnant with my first child when I purchased my ford escort.It is a little old(98')but,its good on gas and is four door. And the best thing about it....its paid for:7 !

Take care and good luck!
 
We have a 2 door car with an almost 3 year old child and one more on the way (I'm 22 weeks). It's a little tight sometimes, but it works just fine for now. Getting my daughter in and out of a two door has never been that big of a deal. That said, (since we will soon have a second child), if we got a new car I would go for something with 4 doors.

A friend of mine has a Prius with a 3 year old and has no problems with it - she love it, in fact!
 
Mini-vans are great. As much as I don't like the "soccer mom" lable that goes with them, they are a great purchase. I like being able to get all the kids inside at once, then buckle them in. The sliding doors are great. I can't tell you how many times I've been hit in the school parking lot by other kids getting into their SUV's and whipping their door open and hitting my car. (they just can't judge the distance). If you plan on keeping your new vehicle for awhile (I got mine 6 years ago), it would be nice to have extra room for play dates and other things. Not all car companies have mini-vans anymore but I believe MotorTrend ranked the Sonata quite high and Chrysler is having some great deals. Hope this helps, Good Luck!!

Diane
 
I had a Honda Civic LX sedan for the first 5 years of my daughter's life. It worked fine. If you had more than one child, you'd need something larger.

I ended up moving up to a Subaru Forester 2 years ago because I wanted to take the dog places too, and couldn't with the car seat.

If you don't want an SUV, the Forester is not really one. It's classified as a small SUV. It's not a car, but not an SUV...so I just call it The Subaru. Honda CRV is a really nice vehicle too.

You seriously can't go wrong with a Subaru! The safety features alone make it a fantastic car.
 
I have two boys (age almost 2 & 5) and I love my Mazda 5. It's kind of an unusual car--like a very small minivan or tall wagon. It's got 6 seats (or 4 with extra room when the back seats are put down). It's got sliding doors like a minivan in the back--which is really handy getting kids in and out. Basically it has some of the things I would like in a minivan without actually being a minivan (smaller, snazzier-looking, better gas mileage).

Check it out at http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/displayPage.action?pageParameter=modelsMain&vehicleCode=MZ5!

Also, my hubby has a Mazda 3 hatchback, which is much sportier than mine but still has 4 doors and a little roominess.


***Lainie***

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Man, am I gonna get blasted for writing this but I drive a Durango to haul my 2 preschool-age daughters around in! Yes, the gas mileage is terrible but I LOVE that thing! I've had it for 2 yrs (got it new) and it still feels brand new. The biggest reason we got it was because we thought we were going to have more kids but I couldn't get preg. and now we don't think we want more kids. Also, my 2 sisters are ALWAYS with us and it gives us the room to haul them around with us. We have a Great Dane and she can easily fit inside.

All of that said.........

The cost of gas here is crazy-high (3.68 today!) and I'm paying about $80/week to fill up. The Durango is paid for and I'm thinking about getting a smaller car for our day-to-day errands. But I don't want a car payment! I'm trying to decide if the payment on a smaller car would be cheaper than what I'm apying for gas. And still keep the Durango for big family trips or when we need the passenger space.

So, to answer your question:
Not so sure about features to avoid, but what you do want is lots of cup holders!!!!!!!!!! good luck!
 
Manmohini,
DH and I just bought a Prius recently (to replace our Toyota RAV 4) and I have to say it seems very child seat friendly to me. Much more spacious than I was expecting it to be. And the hatchback feature gives you quite a bit of cargo room, the rear seats also fold down to you can haul a few other things as well :)

I would say take a few test drives and see what you suits you best. Besides, test drives are fun}(

Mattea
 
I have 6 year old twin girls and a 3 year old boy I started with a Durango LOVED IT! LIke the previous poster. I traded that lease in and now have a Truck I Miss my DURANGO and I will Definately Go back next year. I like to take my children to their field trips and I can always help parents out with extra room. The Durango everyone was spaced out now in the truck they are on top of each other (Fighting is more). I will not get the van It is not me. Hubby will not let me drive a car with children besides I personally feel much safer in something a little bigger. I almost went with a Tahoe those are sweet too. My friend just bought a Honda Civic it is great on gas. We only buy USA.

Good Luck with your choice.

beth6395
 
I have a Subaru Forester and have used car seats in it and it is a great car. I can pack my daugher, the dogs, whatever, and I can take it up into the mountains or around town.

My brother has a Ford Escape Hybrid and I must say it is a very nice SUV...I would love to own one, especially since it gets great gas mileage (in the 30's I believe).
 
>Mini-vans are great. As much as I don't like the "soccer
>mom" lable that goes with them, they are a great purchase. I
>like being able to get all the kids inside at once, then
>buckle them in. The sliding doors are great. I can't tell
>you how many times I've been hit in the school parking lot by
>other kids getting into their SUV's and whipping their door
>open and hitting my car. (they just can't judge the distance).
>
>
>Diane




I don't agree with you about SUVs. I drive one and when I pick up my daughter from school, I am careful, and NO, I have never hit anyone with my doors, So, if you are implying that all people who drive SUVs can't judge distance, you are wrong!!!!
 
I nannied for three kids, ages 1.5 to 7 with my Honda Civic four-door. I easily fit two carseats in the back seat, and the seven year old could even squeeze in the middle when needed. With one or two kids it will be fine for you.

My sister has a Forester, and that is great too. Better than the Civic as far as room goes, but again, the Civic was just fine :)
 
Embrace the mini-van.

I am a mom to 7 year old twins. I LOVE having a car with sliding doors for the kids to get in and out of. I highly recommend getting leather seats. You may promise you won't let your kids eat and drink in the car(I did)but eventually, you'll give in. My kids spill everything AND every so often someone gets sick. Cloth seats are tough to clean. I even wish cars came with vinyl flooring instead of carpet so I could just hose it out.

Give it a try . . . . help a friend put their baby in a car with 4 doors in a tight parking place and then try it with a mini van. SO much easier with the van sliding doors.

I always said I would NEVER be a soccer mom, but now, I am so proud to be.

Your car will get filthy. Sometimes, I wish I had leased the car so I could get a new one every few years. Although, mine is now 7 years old and I plan to go at least another 3 with it. I'm sure keeping it awhile has saved us plenty of money.
 
I have a Volvo V70 wagon. It is a very safe car, with heavy doors and drop down airbags along the side of the car (where the kids sit). And it gets decent gas milage, too. It is great for 2 kids, although I think you'd need something different if you had 3. I also love driving it. Good luck!
 
I have a Subaru Legacy Outback (my 2nd one), which I love. We purchased the first one right after our son was born (we both had two door cars at the time and it was a pain getting the car seat in and out). I bought a new one less than two years ago when they had some good rebates going on. The Legacy is on a larger frame than the Forrester, but is a car, not SUV-ish. Since it is not as tall, the Legacy gets better gas mileage than the Forrester. I usually average around 28 mpg. My mother had a Forrester and did really like it. Depending on how much room you may think you need, you may also want to look at the Subaru Impreza wagon (I think it may also be called the outback sport), which may get better mileage yet because it is smaller.

I obviously don't know where you live, but I LOVE the all wheel drive!

Many of our neighbors have rushed out to buy minivans or very large SUV's after having kids. I think the Legacy is great (you can get the wagon or a sedan).
 
I drive a Tahoe, and love it. I have 2 kids, and it is roomy. We use it to travel, and visit our parents, and I use it to tool around town!

Ann Marie
 
From whAt I hear the toyata sienna mini van is the way to go. That being said, I am fearful of driving a mini van and we have 2 honda accords. My kids are 4 and 1 and both cars seats fit comfortably in the back, gas mileage is good and car is reliable.
 
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