# Tell me why you love (or hate) your car



## MAveggiemom (Feb 26, 2008)

Hi mamas,

DH and I are shopping around for a new car for me, and besides the industry ratings, I'm interested in some real parent testimonials. So if you L-O-V-E your car, please tell me why. Also, if you hate your car and wouldn't recommend it to another parent, let me know!

For some background, I obviously care about safety and reliability first, followed by emissions/gas mileage. It needs to fit two car seats comfortably and have a large, easily accessible trunk. Specifically, if you are under 5' and were able to drive straight through pregnancy, PLEASE tell me what car you have!! I am 4'9" and had to stop driving when I was 6 1/2 months pregnant with DS, because if I moved the seat back to make room for my belly, I wouldn't be able to reach the pedals with my feet.

I'm open to all types of cars (sedan, hatchback, SUV, minivan, etc.) and am not brand-loyal. I'll buy whatever is safest, most affordable, and user-friendly.

Thanks in advance for your highly valued opinions!


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

I've had 2 cars I LOVE. First was my outback, but if you're going to ever have more than 2 kids, don't get one. The vehicle I love more is my Sienna. Nice and roomy, tons of trunk space, etc. I'm 5'4" and drove our Sienna at 30 weeks pregnant for 3 1/2 hours straight and it was very comfy.


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## pastrygirl (Jul 21, 2006)

I'm on my second Subaru Forester. Where I live, I need AWD -- and Subaru's AWD is fantastic. I just got my second one a few weeks ago and thought about switching brands (to a Ford Taurus-X), but I couldn't pass up the reliability of Subaru's AWD. That's the top issue for me. I can't get up/down my ice-covered driveway in the winter without it!

My previous Forester (2001) was a little tricky for car seats because it had long seat belt buckle stalks. This one (2009) is MUCH better, plus it has LATCH. The downfall is that the middle seat is completely useless, for humans and car seats. I can't install anything in that position. So I've resigned myself to this being a 4-seater car, which is fine since I'm only planning on having two kids.

The cargo space is fantastic! I specifically love the cubbies that are underneath the cargo area floor. I keep an extra stash of diapers/clothing there, and the headrests that I had to take out for forward-facing car seats. As for driving, the model I have allows you to raise/lower the driver's seat, as well as move the steering wheel to/from your body. I was able to get enough room for my pregnant belly without being too far from the accelerator and brake... but I'm 5'7.

I really love my car!


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## jspring0308 (Jul 24, 2008)

I have a Volvo XC90 and I love love love it. It holds 5 kids easily (I only have 2 but I carpool a fair amount) and I can get groceries in the back even with the 3rd row up. All the seats move around and collapse easily for a multitude of configurations. We can get 6ft 2"x6" lumber in the car and still shut the rear hatch. I love the way it drives and it is ultra comfy. I am 5'1" and drove throughout my pregnancy no prob. I live in a very flat area so I get as good as gas mileage as possible but it's not great. If you don't want/need the 3rd row I'd look into the new XC60. Very comfy, safe and plenty big but gets way better gas mileage!


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## Flower of Bliss (Jun 13, 2006)

My DH and I have owned nothing but Honda Civics! I love them. I'm 4ft 10in and drove my 2000 4 door sedan through my pregnancy with DD without issue. I'm now 32 weeks (measuring 36 weeks) and still driving it just fine.

We have DD RF in a Boulevard in the middle in my 2000 and we both fit comfortably in either front seat. DH's 2005 Civic 4 door sedan fits her seat on the passenger side just fine, but the head of the seat was a bit too close to his head for our comfort when it was in the middle. We've checked, and we can definitely fit both a RF Boulevard and a Snugride in the back seat with both of us comfortably in the front (DH is 5ft 10in).

The trunk isn't huge. It is a sedan afterall. I can easily fit my Macleran stroller and 2 weeks worth of groceries in there, but I often wish we had a bigger vehicle when we want to buy bigger items. We also do regular road trips to see family. We've done fine fitting a week or so worth of things (including cloth diapers, toys, an ice chest with snacks, all of our Christmas gifts, etc) with just DD in the back seat. It'll be much tighter with 2 in the back. We're discussing buying a minivan in the next year or so for the extra space.

Civics are very dependable, hold their value well, and have good gas mileage. I'm not up on their safety ratings as it's been so long since we bought a car.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

First- the background that I have NEVER cared about cars







Previous to this I wanted a cheap reliable car with a/c.









I have a Sienna 8 pass and LOVE it. Seriously. Makes me happy. I'm a goof.

I can carry anything and anyone I need. It's comfy. The doors open when I push a button. Life is good.

-Angela


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## georgiegirl1974 (Sep 20, 2006)

I love my Honda Odyssey. It is so convenient (with the doors and back gate that open with a push of the button). Car seats are easy to install, and I love being able to jump into the car, close the doors, turn on the AC or heat, strap DD in, and then walk to my seat in the front w/o leaving the car. I also LOVE LOVE LOVE the rearview camera. I feel so much safer knowing I'm not running over anyone (or anything) when backing up.

I had a Honda CR-V before, and although it was good, I knew I wanted a minivan by the time #2 arrived.


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## mamalemon (Mar 25, 2008)

Another Subaru lover here! We looooooved our 2005 Forester but had to say goodbye when we decided to have a third child. It is possible to fit three carseats in the Forester but it was HARD and it reminded me a bit of one of those snake-in-a-can gags that jump out when you take off the lid.

Now we have a Honda Odyssey and it is my 2nd favorite car that we have ever had. While it isn't standard on all models, I am gaga over the leather seats and rubber floor mats. I can pull my rags out of the hidden floor storage and wipe up spills so easily. We recently were able to fit a 7 ft. sofa and a twin mattress in it too (second row seats removed and third row folded flat) which is better than we could do when we had a truck! I am also excited about our upcoming camping trip where we are going to experiment with sleeping in the back.


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## nerdymom (Mar 20, 2008)

Toyota Matrix! I can fit two car seats in the back (I have a friend who goes shopping with me sometimes, and she brings her baby), the Graco MyRide 65 rf fits great, so I'm pretty sure almost any other seats would too. Plus there's a big trunk, the back seats fold flat if you need extra cargo space to move furniture or something.

I was in the car business for years and DH was for a year. We both love the Matrix because it's reliable, good warranty (buy certified used please! better warranty + roadside assistance), GREAT gas mileage for it's size, easy to maintain, reputable manufacturer, easy and fun to drive, good safety ratings, inexpensive, side curtain air bags, stability control, of course LATCH, and roomy (DH is 6' and I am 5'8") enough for long road trips.

That being said, if I had more $ to spend, I'd buy either a Subaru Forrester or Outback. If I was looking at vans I go with Toyota Sienna. ALWAYS certified used. Let someone else take the initial equity hit. Then you get a great, pristine condition car, low mileage, better warranty than new, and most offer roadside assistance. DH and I both love cars, so we talk about this subject a lot.


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## polyhymnia (Jan 6, 2007)

I love our Subaru Impreza wagon. It's like the outback but shorter. We prefer it over the outback because we don't need the extra trunk space and prefer the shorter length for parking reasons. It's fantastic, there is tons of room, Subaru's AWD is the best (we drive in the snowy mountains all winter and never need chains) and the car is really safe.


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## GradysMom (Jan 7, 2007)

We have a Corolla and I hate to say I hate it but it feels like a tin can... I just don't feel like it is enough car to protect ds.

My fantasy car right now is the Mazda five, which is suppose to get 27mpg and is like a miniture minivan... don't know if the minature part would get annoying but the safty features seem good and it seats 6, with fold down back seats that were easy to use....

ahhhh well ... I don't own it, but we teased ourselves and went lookign one night.


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## FtMPapa (Nov 13, 2006)

I have a '99 Subaru Outback wagon, and let me tell you, there's a reason these are probably the most common cars in Western Mass! (at least, where I live, near Northampton)

Also - a '99 is old, but not particularly old, I see my exact same car almost every time I try to find it in a parking lot, usually I see two or three of the same vintage, so I know they LAST, unlike the '99 minivan I used to own, I rarely see them around, minivans on the whole just don't seem to hold up well.

I love the AWD. I can fit three adult passengers, me, and my Great Dane and my little dog and a few packages, though the back seat is a little tight for leg room behind the driver (I'm 6' and long legs, so that's probably my fault).

I have owned two minivans, both Chevies, and both were mechanically unreliable, and proved to be complicated and expensive to figure out what was wrong, nevermind to fix, and neither crashed well.

Yes, I have crashed (or been crashed) in all three of my cars. I got rear ended in the Subaru and it was fixable, and fine after. I hit a telephone pole in the snow with the first van and it was never the same after that - not to mention, I slid right off the road. The other van, I totalled in poor conditions on a rural mountain road.

I haven't tried fitting carseats in mine (hopefully soon!) except for a friend's baby bucket once, but I've seen lots of people with the Britax seats around town, but usually only one or two, I'm not sure if three would fit.

I get what I consider to be good gas mileage, for a car this size, typically 30 mi/gallon on the highway, and about 25 around town, though when the car is fully loaded, like for a two week+ roadtrip, it's a challenge to get up to highway speed in a hurry because it's only a 4 cylinder.

I cannot say enough good things about my car. I bought it about a year ago, and I mostly drive around town, but I've taken it on several 1 or 2 week road trips, through western mass and upstate New York and up through Vermont through Canada and home again and it's always been great in all kinds of snow, rain, whatever.

I also feel incredibly safe in it, it's a heavy car, and I like that it sits solidly on the road. It's not hard to park, definitely easier than a minivan, but it has a HUGE turning radius, I'm not sure why, but it's almost impossible to U-Turn on all but the widest roads.

It also holds A LOT of stuff, though not in the most organized way - there are very few places to put things where you can't see them, other than in a big but shallow hidden compartment under the back storage area where I keep map books, a few emergency supplies, a first aid kit, etc.

Finally, I find that there is a good degree of adjustability in the seats and such - the mirrors are great, the seat goes up and down a fair bit, the wheel adjusts a fair bit, though not as much as most minivans I've driven. When I was driving a rental for three weeks when mine was in the shop for the accident, I noticed that the seats just didn't go where I wanted them to. My Subaru has a lot of nice "fancy" features, too, like heated seats - love that in New England.


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## Maluhia (Jun 24, 2007)

LOVE my Prius - and you can get them used now for even cheaper! There is more internal room to it than my last SUV (Liberty) and I get *45 mp*g on a bad day









The trunk is SO big as a hatchback it is a little low for me (5'11") but might be perfect for you for diaper changing.


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## Everrgreen (Feb 27, 2007)

I love our Dodge Magnum (station wagon). It was my husband's choice (after I vetoed getting an SUV). It has so much space in the back seat and tons of trunk space. My husband is pretty much the only one who drives it (and at 6'4" has lots of space), but I have no problems when I do drive (I'm 5'3"). I'm not sure what the safety ratings - I think pretty good as I would have looked into that when we bought it, can't remember now though. It is just a nice comfortable and smooth ride. This is our only car so we needed something that fit everyone. If I were just getting a car for myself to use I probably would get something smaller (I used to have a Jetta and *loved* it, but that was pre-baby, so I'm not sure how it would be with a carseat, etc.)


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## Kagrish (Jun 8, 2009)

I have an Aztek from Pontiac. I love it because it is not too low or high to get in/out of. It is the perfect height and super nice to put in and take out the LO


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## kirstenb (Oct 4, 2007)

I love my Nissan Altima! It's very roomy- I have our Britax Marathon rear facing behind the driver seat and both DH and I have plenty of room to adjust the seat when driving. It fits another carseat in the back no problem. I'm not sure about three carseats but there's a ton of room- I would guess that we could arrange them to get three back there. The trunk is huge for a sedan. I can fit so much back there. It drives well, gets decent milage, and isn't super expensive. I have 65k miles on it and it still runs great and we haven't had to do any major repairs on it other than normal maintenance.


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## loon13 (Dec 2, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *georgiegirl1974* 
I love my Honda Odyssey. It is so convenient (with the doors and back gate that open with a push of the button). Car seats are easy to install, and I love being able to jump into the car, close the doors, turn on the AC or heat, strap DD in, and then walk to my seat in the front w/o leaving the car. I also LOVE LOVE LOVE the rearview camera. I feel so much safer knowing I'm not running over anyone (or anything) when backing up.

I had a Honda CR-V before, and although it was good, I knew I wanted a minivan by the time #2 arrived.









:

Ditto to all of the above. We LOVE our Odyssey. It's also got an "ECO" feature. When you are driving at a steady speed it uses only some instead of all the cylinders and so uses less fuel. We were even able to fit all 3 kiddos in the middle row when we needed to put down the 3rd row seat and use all that space for lots of luggage. Although the back has ample storage to begin with.

We do have a Cr-V as a second car because we are so impressed with Honda overall. I wouldn't really put all 3 of my kiddos in the CR-V together though until they are in booster seats (slimmer and easier to put all in the back seat.)

ETA: Since you mentioned height, I'm 5'3" ...


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## pumpkin (Apr 8, 2003)

I love my Nissan Murano.
First off the intelligent key. Its a fob I keep in my purse. You never have to get it out. If I have any choice in the matter every car I own for the rest of my life will have this feature.
Its holding up really well. The front and back seats are comfortable. Its an easy and smooth drive.


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## mbhf (Jan 8, 2005)

How many kids do you plan to have? I have loved all three of my "mom" cars. I started out with a subaru outback sport (impreza outback) when I was pregnant with my first. It was such a fantastic car, plenty of room for us and all of our stuff, two carseats and myself in the back seat, nice roomy trunk that worked great for diaper changes. Good gas mileage and fun to drive.

When we decided to have more than 2 kids, we bought a Subaru Tribecca. I loved it with two kids, and I still really enjoy driving it. It just didn't work with my kid's spacing. I had to climb over somebody to get someone else buckled every time. If my older two had both been FF I could have worked it out and if one or more could have buckled themselves it would have been perfect. It was really nice and roomy with just two kids, got good gas mileage and drove really nicely. my dh drives it now.

Now I have an odyssey. I love it. It's perfect. I wouldn't have gotten a minivan with only two kids but I think it's practically a must for 3 young kids. I get good gas mileage and it's so easy.


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## MAveggiemom (Feb 26, 2008)

Wow, THANK YOU everyone for your responses. I have long considered a Subaru (New England winters...) but based on these responses, I think we'll be test driving the Honda Odyssey and Mazda 5 as well.

I can't say for sure how many kids we'll have, although it's certainly possible there will be more than two. For the moment, a car for two kids would be adequate, since DH will need a new car in the next few years too, so we could get a minivan at that time if we don't get one now.

We're out and about A LOT, and I want a roomier car than my current Ford Focus 4-door (which is the opposite of reliable). And being very short, the seat adjustability is important, and also the height of the cargo area and the ease of putting DS in and out (especially since he's not overly cooperative about it).

Thanks again for all of the detailed responses. I welcome further opinions!


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## SomedayMom (May 9, 2002)

I love my Sienna. With 2 kids and planning a 3rd a minivan just made sense. I was down to Honda or Toyota. Can't go wrong either way. What tipped me over was that the Toyota was a quieter ride and I was able to get AWD (which is a really great AWD) since we live out in the woods (icy windy roads). AWD makes it less fuel efficient though. Really other than that I'm kind of a car person and I like sleek speedy cars and this is a minivan, I have no complaints.


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## Oliver'sMom (Jul 17, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *polyhymnia* 
I love our Subaru Impreza wagon. It's like the outback but shorter. We prefer it over the outback because we don't need the extra trunk space and prefer the shorter length for parking reasons. It's fantastic, there is tons of room, Subaru's AWD is the best (we drive in the snowy mountains all winter and never need chains) and the car is really safe.

I second the subaru impreza wagon! I got mine when I was in college (2001) and it's still running strong. I've had to do nothing except routine maintenance. It even has its original brakes! I drove it across country 3 times for moves during my military days and was very comfortable. It's really quiet inside. It's super easy to install carseats in as well. I've put three seats across while travelling with ds and my nieces without a problem. I just can't say enough good things about this car!


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## Sonneva (Jun 12, 2008)

We had a Subaru Legacy Wagon and loved it.... until we had kids! I'm 5'6 and couldn't fit behind the steering wheel past 7 months pregnant. It is also a PITA to install carseats in!

We traded it in for a Dodge Grand Caravan. I miss the great handling and reliability of the Subaru... but man, it is sure nice to be able to change a diaper inside the car, or stretch out across the whole third row seat to nurse!


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## kay4 (Nov 30, 2004)

I don't know how it would work with your height and it is not the most earth friendly...but with 4 kids I LOVE my suburban. It is my fave out of all the vehicles we've owned.


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## AAK (Aug 12, 2004)

We just got a different ride about 6 months ago.

If looking at Sienna VS Odyssey, I vote Sienna. It is SOOOO much quieter than the Odyssey and the arm rests in the Odyssey were too high for me. I also liked the access to the third row better.

Even if you plan on having only two kids, I suggest getting something that is big enough that you CAN carpool with. But maybe I am the only one insane enough to allow my dd to be in theater productions and another in sports at the same time.

We eventually got a Toyota Sequoia because we found a GREAT deal and we also wanted the towing capacity. It has poor gas mileage, but I figured out (yes, did the math) and found that I would use approx 100 more gallons/year with it vs the Sienna. But we do LOVE this car and thought it was worth it. If you don't need the towing though, go for the Sienna.

Amy


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## MAveggiemom (Feb 26, 2008)

Whew! I knew I could count on you mamas to help out. We'll definitely be test driving a Sienna as well. We haven't quite decided if we need to get a "Mommy Shuttlecraft" at the moment, but if we don't, then whatever we get now will become DH's commuter in another year or two. Obviously for a long-term commuter, fuel efficiency is a top priority, but I'm not sure I can stand squeezing into a small car for another year, even with one kid! I'm tiny and still feel squashed trying to nurse in the back seat, and with a RF TrueFit, no one BUT me can sit in the front passenger seat, which means DH has to drive whenever we go anywhere as a family (and we do some long road trips sometimes). So I'm sort of leaning toward a minivan now, even though we could probably squeeze by without one for another year or two.

Anyway, if I think of more specific questions, I'll continue to post here. I really appreciate all of your help. DH couldn't believe I had solicited over 20 opinions within 24 hours of him saying, "Why don't you start looking at what type of cars you want to test drive?". Thank you!!!


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## Megan73 (May 16, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nerdymom* 
ALWAYS certified used. Let someone else take the initial equity hit. Then you get a great, pristine condition car, low mileage, better warranty than new, and most offer roadside assistance. DH and I both love cars, so we talk about this subject a lot.









ITA. I have to bite my tongue when I see a friend buy a new car. WHYYYYY??? I saved thousands on my barely used Civic. I adore it.
OP, I have many friends with one or two kids who also drive a Civic (or a Toyota Matrix).
If you really need a bigger car, I'd check out the Honda CRV. It gets top safety ratings (and includes electronic stability control) and has better mileage than many sedans.


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## mumkimum (Nov 14, 2006)

Well, I've got a Subaru Impreza - but I'd give a rec for the new Forester. The extra room makes a big difference in the backseat, and it's just as comfortable & well priced (had a loan of one during a repair). Subarus run nicely & are a lot of fun to drive. (the repair was a new windshield, nothing real serious or wrong with the car FYI)

Also, being 5'3" some cars are really uncomfortable if you're shorter than average and I've never had that problem with Subarus.

(My dh has a scion xB, while it's much better for city-type driving it does have a lot of space, is cheap, and lots of room for 2 carseats. I don't know if you need a long-distance driving car, but it's not bad either)


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## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

I have a 2006 Kia Optima, purchased used in 2008. I neither love it nor hate it. I'm not really a car person. It was extremely affordable, still under warranty, and it does what I need it to do without a lot of hassle.


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## jeminijad (Mar 27, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kirstenb* 
I love my Nissan Altima! It's very roomy- I have our Britax Marathon rear facing behind the driver seat and both DH and I have plenty of room to adjust the seat when driving. It fits another carseat in the back no problem. I'm not sure about three carseats but there's a ton of room- I would guess that we could arrange them to get three back there. The trunk is huge for a sedan. I can fit so much back there. It drives well, gets decent milage, and isn't super expensive.

Yes to all of this! I have a Marathon RF behind the driver's seat in my 2006 Altima, too, and room is no problem. I've had the MA, and a Titan back there with plenty of room to spare. I know I could puzzle 3 seats back there, too.

I don't know what the official safety ratings look like, but before this car I had a 2003 Altima. I was tboned making a left @ 50mph and we were barely bruised. I ran right back out and bought another one!

Cars I HATED: Ford Taurus. Piece of crap, needed work every time I turned around. Dodge Neon: See Ford Taurus, plus tiny back seat.


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