Best Car when thinking about having kids...

[gwen]

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So, I'm a hospitalist and my hubby is a 2nd year cards fellow and we're thinking of having kids in the next year or two. I have a 3 year old corolla and he has an ancient sentra which we'll drive until it dies.

Any suggestions for what kind of car we should get in anticipation of having kids? He thinks an SUV would be ideal...lots of room for car seats, bags, blah, blah, blah. And he likes Acuras. I have friends who are starting to buy LExus and BMW SUVs and I honestly don't care that much about brand names...but I do want something that is of good quality and won't guzzle up gas like crazy. So are SUVs a good option and what are some good ones? What regular cars would you guys suggest??

 

[Isoprop]

So, I'm a hospitalist and my hubby is a 2nd year cards fellow and we're thinking of having kids in the next year or two. I have a 3 year old corolla and he has an ancient sentra which we'll drive until it dies.

Any suggestions for what kind of car we should get in anticipation of having kids? He thinks an SUV would be ideal...lots of room for car seats, bags, blah, blah, blah. And he likes Acuras. I have friends who are starting to buy LExus and BMW SUVs and I honestly don't care that much about brand names...but I do want something that is of good quality and won't guzzle up gas like crazy. So are SUVs a good option and what are some good ones? What regular cars would you guys suggest??

suvs are one of the worst when it comes to gas milage. with 1 or 2 kids, i recommend a later model midsize sedan. i own a 2002 camry, and the backseat can fit 3 average adults comfortably (the car is pretty wide). there is plenty of trunk space. and the safety rating is pretty good also. the previous owner had 2 preteen kids... sold it to me when she got into an accident... no one on her side got hurt.

 

[deleted126335]

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[The White Coat Investor]

Get a Delorean. That way you're not always banging the car seat on the door on your way in and out. If you have too many kids you can take the flux capacitor out and put them in the back. Better yet, you can use the flux capacitor to go back in time and put a condom on. 🙂

 

[Sol Rosenberg]

Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna. Lots of space for hauling all the kid crap. kid friendly design. Minivans are just about the safest vehicles on the road. Great reliability from these 2 models. Of course lots of people hate the image of the minivan🙂 But they are just too useful.

Agree with this 100%. Minivans have WAY more utility and better gas mileage than SUVs. We bought a Toyota Sienna shortly before we had our first child, and my wife still thanks me quite often for buying her one. Though we preferred the Sienna (We are pretty much a Toyota Family) the Odyssey is a great choice too.

 

[f_w]

The biggest car I have is a honda accord. It has enough space for 1 car-seat and 1 adult in the back, once you have to put a car-seat and a baby carrier in there it gets very tight for the adult. The only vehicle really wide enough for 2 carseats and an adult in the back is a 1992-1999 MB S-class.

Unfortunately, nobody makes nice big-ass wagons anymore. I guess the minivan has taken the place of the Caprice station 😉

Once you are past 2 kids, a minivan is the only reasonable vehicle :cry: By god, don't get an SUV. When it comes to interior space, a minivan beats out all but the largest SUVs. I like the Honda Oddissey. If you have SUV level money to burn, you can get those tricked out pretty nicely, leather DVD etc. They now have a 3.5l V6 with 250hp with selective cylinder deactivation (improves mpg). The Toyota Siena is pretty good as well. In my book, the main advantage of a Siena over the Oddissey is the availability of AWD. I don't like the Toyota styiling, but once you have taken the plunge into the world of minivans, design probably doesn't matter that much anymore.

The only things SUVs are good for is towing sh^t. If you have a boat or several snowmobiles, an SUV or pickup are the only reasonable options.

Oh, and don't buy your car in anticipation of having kids. Buy the car you need right now. And that is probably just a slightly nicer version of what you have right now. And particularly if you are planning on a family, don't burn money on too expensive a vehicle for your current needs. Get a Camry or Accord and save the 20k for a down-payment on a house. 3-4 years down the line when you need that space for the second car-seat, you can still get a minivan 😉

 

[gwen]

thanks guys for all your advice.

the one thing i know for sure is that my husband will never let us buy a minivan! so that option is out.

we have already bought a home, so that downpayment part is not a problem. we do have some loans to pay off...but with my current hospitalist salary and my husband being done with his cards fellowship in 2 years, i think the debt should be ok as well.

i guess what i'm trying to say is that we're ready to buy a nice car...be it an SUV or a sedan (not a minivan though). i'm looking for a used car...as i honestly don't think buying a new car makes any sense...a new car loses so much value the second you purchase it. i want to know what other nice cars (safety/mileage, etc) are out there. someone recommended the bmw z5 and another person the acura TL.

i just want to know if anyone owns cars like these (not necessarily those two, just in that family) and what they think of it.

 

[f_w]

the one thing i know for sure is that my husband will never let us buy a minivan! so that option is out.

He needs to get over himself. Kids will do that.

we have already bought a home, so that downpayment part is not a problem. we do have some loans to pay off...

Or put it in something that earns more interest than your loans. A car is the worst investment you can make.

i guess what i'm trying to say is that we're ready to buy a nice car...be it an SUV or a sedan (not a minivan though).

If sedans are in the mix and procreation space is not #1 priority, look at a Lexus ES350 or an Acura TL (dolled up euro accord).

i'm looking for a used car...as i honestly don't think buying a new car makes any sense...a new car loses so much value the second you purchase it.

I have gone both ways, buying new and 1-2 year old. You do save a lot on the initial depreciation if you buy a 1-2 year old car. The downside is that you buy someone elses maintenance record and potential problems. If buying a 'nice car' is the priority, nothing beats a new car. If you keep a car for more than the customary 3 years, the initial depreciation is outweighed by other factors:
- you will have the full warranty
- some of the premium vehicles come with first years service work included
- you will have 100% reliability
- no need to replace consumables such as brakes, rotors or tires
- if you sell it after 4-5 years of ownership, it is still going to be a 'nice car' and fetch a decent re-sale.

If you now buy a 2 year old SUV, it will be 5 years old when you really need it (the carseat thing). By then you'll be looking for another 'nice car' and the re-sale on fuel-guzzling SUVs will be all the way down in the basement due to $6/Gal gasoline.

i just want to know if anyone owns cars like these (not necessarily those two, just in that family) and what they think of it.

No experience with BMW, I can just tell you to stay away from VW and MB. (breaks my heart as I have worked for MB before, but their reliability is just sub-par these days).

Ricers all the way !

 

[Llenroc]

Get a Dodge Viper.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

If your husband really refuses to go the minivan route, maybe look at a hybrid SUV because that's the only way you'll get decent gas mileage on one of those. I believe the Highlander hybrid gets better gas mileage than the Sienna.

Oh yeah, and how about a Subaru. They make wagons that seem to get better gas mileage than SUVs. They also seem to do pretty good on the safety ratings.

 

[TMP-SMX]

Saturn Aura is pretty popular in Michigan and it's a good value. Malibu looks pretty nice too. Get the 2.4L engines and you'll get great gas mileage. The Malibu looks great in the interior and it's a very competitive price.

 

[f_w]

Malibu looks pretty nice too. Get the 2.4L engines and you'll get great gas mileage. The Malibu looks great in the interior and it's a very competitive price.

Had one as a loaner the other day when my daily driver was in the shop. Looks nice, doesn't drive nice. It had some sort of 3.xl V6. Lots of power, but a drivetrain and suspension not suited to handle it. The 2.4l engine might have decent fuel economy, the V6 got me about 20mpg in pure highway driving.

I'm all for saving on transportation. We doctors die poor (relative to lifetime income). One of the reasons is our obsession with getting 'a nice car' and a big-a$$ house after the years of drudgery in school and residency. As a result, I see people fresh out of residency borrowing 70k to buy an M5, just so they can keep up with the joneses in the hospital parking lot. Right now, I have a whole fleet of vehicles, the value of all of them together ties up less than a months worth of my gross income. All of them are cars nicer than what my old man ever managed to buy in his whole life and they allow me to get from A-->B, if not in style, certainly in a safe and efficient manner.

 

[speeter]

Buy a Yukon Denali. Nothing is safer, more comfortable, or more reliable.

 

[f_w]

Buy a Yukon Denali. Nothing is safer, more comfortable, or more reliable.

Actually, most of the luxury sedans (Audi A8, Lexus 430, E-class wagon, 5-series) will beat the Yuk-on when it comes to passenger safety. Check the IIHS loss data.

 

[shevie]

We have an infiniti fx 35 and its a GREAT family car. room for two car seats, and storage space in the back for trips, groceries, etc. Infitniti is great with service and stuff, theyll give you a loaner car and be like come back whenever its good for YOU to pick up your car. And in terms of it being gas guzzling, I think its pretty good mileage wise, gets like 19 city and 24 highway.

Acura MDX is also pretty nice. You mentioned BMW, and if it were JUST up to me (not my husband too), I woulda gone w/ the X5. Its a bit larger than the infiniti SUV and it drives really well. But within that price range, Id say go w/ Acura, infiniti, and bmw.

We also looked at the Volvo SUV (b/c of Volvo's safety ratings and stuff) but I didnt like the drive.

just my $.02

 

[gwen]

hi shevie,

thank you so much for your post. i was just looking at the volvos and infiniti online today.

we're not planning on buying a car until the end of next year or maybe even '09. so i'm keeping my eye on this year's models so i can buy them used in 1-2 years. its fun to look at all the options right now...

 

[shevie]

hey glen, so today, i signed on to check my email and came across this:
http://autos.aol.com/article/luxury/v2/_a/fuel-efficient-luxury-suvs/20071217101809990003
I never read the stupid articles AOL throws in front of you when you sign on, but since I was just discussing it earlier today...

anyway good luck w/ ur searching! It took us a while too.

 

[gwen]

lol...awesome! thanks again! will send this to the hubby too...

 

[f_w]

Kids are small humans. Why do you need a giant car to accomodate them?

Because they come with giant car-seats 😉

Last night, I fit the second carseat into the back of my main family car. Now my wife is quite slim, but after you have two of those plastic things in there it gets really snug. The only vehicles that can accomodate car seats and additional passengers in the back are minivans and large SUVs.

 

[exgatr]

First off, don't buy a hybrid SUV. The extra cost of the hybrid package will not be offset by your gas savings.

Second, buy one of these three SUVs.

1. Toyota Highlander
2. Honda Pilot
3. Toyota 4Runner

Or your could just buy this for your husband:

http://www.toyota.com/tundra/

I have one and love it.

 

[73BARMYPgsp]

Ford Edge XUV. We love ours.

 

[f_w]

1. Toyota Highlander
2. Honda Pilot
3. Toyota 4Runner

Looked at all of them. Neither had more interior usable passenger space than my Accord or Outback.

 

[mshheaddoc]

great thread. We're thinking about a tahoe right now because I want an SUV but for the gas mileage, there is no difference between the trailblazer/envoy.

Watch out for some of the XUV's like acadia, enclave with the new car model comes new issues.

If you can afford the BMW/Infiniti/Acura I'd go that route. Space is more important to us and we can't afford that route yet. Just do your homework on the net and make sure you come in with NADA wholesale values to play hardball. I expect to see car prices be affected with the recession looming and gas prices up (especially in the SUV market).

I really have to say, I think my husband was COMPLETELY against minivans until I rented one to drive out to see his parents. He wasn't happy with the leg room of the drivers side (he's a tall guy) but it was a great ride and lots of room. I think you should give him your car and take over the minivan 😉 I had one in college and loved it!

 

[Doctor Bagel]

First off, don't buy a hybrid SUV. The extra cost of the hybrid package will not be offset by your gas savings.

Second, buy one of these three SUVs.

1. Toyota Highlander
2. Honda Pilot
3. Toyota 4Runner

Or your could just buy this for your husband:

http://www.toyota.com/tundra/

I have one and love it.

I know I'm going to come off as preachy here, but some of us are interested in more fuel efficient cars for environmental reasons and not just for saving money. Hence the appeal of the Highlander Hybrid instead of another SUV or truck. Of course, if you really cared about that, you'd probably opt out on the whole minivan/suv thing anyway unless you had 3+ kids.

 

[73BARMYPgsp]

Many of you new doctors a too young to remember this, but just about 3 decades ago, all the same "climatologists" were singing doom and gloom songs about "global cooling." The front page of Time magazine read "The coming ice age." I am not kidding about that.

Buy what you want. America is still (thankfully) a free country.

 

[TMP-SMX]

Many of you new doctors a too young to remember this, but just about 3 decades ago, all the same "climatologists" were singing doom and gloom songs about "global cooling." The front page of Time magazine read "The coming ice age." I am not kidding about that.

Buy what you want. America is still (thankfully) a free country.

I would think the whole foreign oil dependence would be a bigger issue in this election than global warming. Using less oil has national, global, and individual importance. Plus it is just going to run out so we need to cut down anyway even as demand increases.

 

[bwang34]

I would think the whole foreign oil dependence would be a bigger issue in this election than global warming. Using less oil has national, global, and individual importance. Plus it is just going to run out so we need to cut down anyway even as demand increases.

I will second that. I am less worried about global warming than about paying $100 a barrel to countries that might support terrorism against the US.

 

[TRAMD]

thanks guys for all your advice.

the one thing i know for sure is that my husband will never let us buy a minivan! so that option is out.

we have already bought a home, so that downpayment part is not a problem. we do have some loans to pay off...but with my current hospitalist salary and my husband being done with his cards fellowship in 2 years, i think the debt should be ok as well.

i guess what i'm trying to say is that we're ready to buy a nice car...be it an SUV or a sedan (not a minivan though). i'm looking for a used car...as i honestly don't think buying a new car makes any sense...a new car loses so much value the second you purchase it. i want to know what other nice cars (safety/mileage, etc) are out there. someone recommended the bmw z5 and another person the acura TL.

i just want to know if anyone owns cars like these (not necessarily those two, just in that family) and what they think of it.

WTF? He is too proud to get a minivan? I truly believe that the suggestion of an Odyssey or Sienna is a great one. Remind him that a real man is comfortable enough with himself to drive a minivan. A BMW 7-series will not give you 7". Wow, I guess I have forgotten how much having kids matures you. Going through medical school doesn't even compare.

BTW, I also think an SUV is a decent choice. The gas-mileage difference isn't THAT great you tree-huggers. You will want the extra space of 3 rows of seats and an area in back for trips where larger items are purchased.

The minivan is probably your best choice but an SUV is right up there if Mr. Insecure won't do the soccer mom thing.

 

[TRAMD]

Get a Dodge Viper.

HAHA!

 

[TRAMD]

Another point: buy a car at the model year-end. This is the only time that you can truly get a good deal on a new car because they want them cleared out for the NEW new cars. The only problem is that you cannot pick out EXACTLY what you want because you will be choosing from what is on their lot. This time is usually late summer to late fall for most dealers.

 

[f_w]

And buy at the end of a model run. Anytime there is a 'revolutionary re-design with all new engines', reliability tends to suffer. Cars are in their best shape at the end of a model run.

 

[Stroganoff]

The minivan is probably your best choice but an SUV is right up there if Mr. Insecure won't do the soccer mom thing.

 

[shevie]

Many of you new doctors a too young to remember this, but just about 3 decades ago, all the same "climatologists" were singing doom and gloom songs about "global cooling." The front page of Time magazine read "The coming ice age." I am not kidding about that.

Buy what you want. America is still (thankfully) a free country.

no way!! do you have links?
then i can put the global warming stuff right in the same category as the "al gore invented the internet" stuff.
3 decades ago is before i was born...i wanna c though!!

 

[TMP-SMX]

no way!! do you have links?
then i can put the global warming stuff right in the same category as the "al gore invented the internet" stuff.
3 decades ago is before i was born...i wanna c though!!

Wiki is often a good start: Wiki Global Cooling

"This article is about the climatological concept of global cooling. For the obsolete geophysical theory about the formation of natural features, see Geophysical Global cooling.
Global cooling in general can refer to a cooling of the Earth. More specifically, it refers to a conjecture during the 1970s of imminent cooling of the Earth's surface and atmosphere along with a posited commencement of glaciation. This hypothesis never had significant scientific support, but gained temporary popular attention due to press reports following a better understanding of ice age cycles and a slight downward trend of temperatures from the 1940s to the early 1970s. Earth as a whole has not been cooling in recent decades, but is in a period of global warming."

 

[f_w]

This hypothesis never had significant scientific support, but gained temporary popular attention due to press reports following a better understanding of ice age cycles and a slight downward trend of temperatures from the 1940s to the early 1970s.

The difference this time is that the people who know more about this than Rush Limbaugh and Dick Cheney are in agreement that global warming is a reality.