I heard that the Mazda5 is built on a stretched Mazda3 platform. Oh yeah, and the 5 does have a MANUAL option, which is highly unusual for a modern minivan.

I semi-regularly drive an xB as a customer shuttle at work, and while I don't necessarily find the car cheap, the seating position annoys the hell out of me. It's like a mid-point between car and minivan, which is what they were probably going for, but for someone who primarily drives "traditional" passenger cars it might not feel right in that aspect.

CR-V. The best family car hands-down.

do not get Sedan

SUV/mini van, easier to move baby/stroller, in and out of car

this thread will end up naming almost every car in the market.

We have a child on the way and have been looking at various wagons/CUVs. Here's my thoughts so far:

1) How tall are you? I'm 6'1 with longish legs, so for me, while our A4 is okay, there's very little space in the back. With the rear-facing car seat, it's basically butting right against my seat back. So for all of you wanting to use an A4 Avant from the B6-B7 model years, they're not that big. The trunk though is enormous.

2) Test various cars of different height. I'm tall and my wife is short, so we're trying to find a compromise. A lower trunk floor will allow easier loading of the stroller and other things...this seems to be better on CUV's than on sedans with their high lift-over.

Anyhow, we've looked at the CR-V, CX-5, Rav4, RVR, Q5, Murano, RDX, and the Sportage.

The CR-V so far is the best combination of space, ergonomics and value. It just feels so much bigger than it's competitors inside. Good fuel mileage.The drive is meh, but it's for shuttling kids and in-laws around so it's not like I'll be going canyon carving in it.

CX-5: This needs the diesel powerplant badly. The engine was the only thing holding it back as the handling, steering and interior was great. I'm not looking to purchase right away, so hopefully the new powerplant will come overseas.

RAV4: Great engine, but everything else about it felt cheap. A new one is on the way so, maybe that will impress more.

RVR: Too small and the ride was too harsh for what we wanted. Good sound system though.

Q5 2.0T: Great motor, fantastic interior, but it was a little more money than what we ideally wanted to spend on. Downsides were iffy fuel-economy if always in boost and takes premium gas. Could use a bit more room in the trunk as well. Money no object, this is the one we would pick.

Murano: Good interior and seats, smallish trunk and I found the styling dated on the outside. Hated the CVT and the poor fuel economy. Replacement should be better.

New RDX: I liked the power from the V6 and the interior layout. A good compromise of sport and comfort in the suspension tuning. Very composed inside, with none of the previous model's harshness and noise. No deals really since it's new, but the RDX is one of the front runners for us.

Sportage: Fast and can handle decently, albeit trading off ride quality (it feels almost as harsh as a Countryman, but without the steering and handling). Interior is okay, a bit cheapish but very functional. Needs more sound deadening as it's really loud on the highway.

Finally, a common sense response. Are you buying the car for yourself (someting sporty or cool) or are you buying something safe for your future kid(s)?

I bought a pair of the best car seats on the market (unfortunately, since I used to test car seats I can't make a public recommendation - but you can search and find things out for yourself).

There are a new batch of car seats that are now rated to 65lbs (seats used to be limited to around 40lbs). These are the best since your child can ride in a seat until they are larger/older. The worst (least safe) time for a child are those in-between years when they are too big for a car seat, but not big enough for a regular adult seat. My one daughter is 9 and still well within the height/weight limits for her car seat. So instead of sitting on a booster and relying on the vehicles seat belt, she's in a padded car seat wearing a full 5-point harness.

After I bought the seats I went vehicle shopping for my wife. Already knew I wanted a small SUV. Long story short, got her a 2010 Jeep Patriot. The rear seats can be reclined partially, which is a big deal as I can get the car seats at the right angle so the kids are both comfortable and safe (you'd be surprised how many cars I tried where these seats would not sit at the right angle in the back seat). It has an excellent safety rating and is also among the vehicles being built with roofs to a higher standard to perform good in rollovers.

Sure the interior is cheap and plasticky, but who cares? This is a vehicle to take the kids around in, and for me safety was the #1 priority. It's reasonable on gas, was dirt cheap to buy (on sale) and I got 0.9% full term financing.


It's time to swallow your pride. If you can afford two cars, get something practical for the kids and something nice for yourself. If you can only afford one, make the right choice and think of your kids first. Trust me, this won't be the first time you're going to have to make a tough decision and give up something you really want in favor of your kids.

Curious, what makes it not fun to drive?

Cant thank u guys enough for your input! Your saving me so much time reading up and researching my options. Ive narrowed it down to a few suv/cuv's. Im going to see whats out there as far as god deals on financing. Im looking to get new but ill keep my options open for used certified. Im going to test drive a bunch of cars this week. Im going to test drive the crv and cx5 tomorrow. Ill let u know how it goes!

Well i mean, you cant really say it isnt fun to drive. What i meant was that it wasnt going to be as fun as some of the other suggestions (WRX, A4 Avant, GTI etc...) My uncle has both a 09 TL SHAWD and a 08 MDX SHAWD and comparing those two driving the MDX is like driving a boat.

I've driven it a couple times aswell and holy hell its wide.

Agreed... I've got a 2.5 year old daughter and a 3 year old dog.. getting them both anywhere in a car of any kind sucks. SUV/Crossover is better than any car, plus the height makes it much nicer getting in and out of. When you're old like me, your back will start to appreciate it.

Ford Escape, Jeep Cherokee (just don't swerve for a moose), Rav4, Element, etc.. my wife settled on an Equinox, and it's great. Good for camping trips, hauling crap, etc.. but still small enough to park easily in every strip mall.

i was in the same situation and we traded in my gti for a golf wagon. loads and loads of room in the trunk. interior quality was what we were used to from the gti. we only drive in the city mostly so the TDI wasn't the right choice for us but the 2.5L is surprisingly peppy.

does anyone know who uses TL 4th gen as a main family car(no 2nd car, van etc)? i'm worried about cargo room.

sti hatch is definitely an option but i would like to consider acura for its refinement and reliability.

2008-present mitsubishi lancer gts/se or if you have the money raliart or even evo

I got an 07+ MDX for my baby carrier .
it can sit 7 comfortably, but in 5 seater mode, it can outclass most of its competitors.. i can chuck the stroller in horizontally and diagonally with no problems.. bmw x5 can only do it diagonally.
i can put 2 baby seats in there with no problem.. though i recommend having one seat on each row so the babies wont fight.

because of the height of the SUV, the wife can easily lodge the baby in place without crouching..

fuel is moderate.. drives like all the other honda's and it is fairly reliable. the cost of maintenance is more compared to my honda civic though.

SH-AWD is very similar to Mitsubishi SAWD

I'd get something new as to not have to having to worry (too much) about repairs etc. (plus the warranty). And within your budget I think the Honda Accord is a great choice! I've had mine for 10 years and it's been bullet proof and still drives like new. :D

If you already have a stroller bought, be sure to bring it to the dealership and try loading and unloading it to the car, making sure there is plenty of space left over diaper boxes and stuff on the side etc. Some strollers are HUGE even when folded up, so if you get one of those, you have to be aware of the trunk space available.

If your wife is of a smaller frame, see if she can load/unload the stroller easily (some SUV/CUV's trunk floors are higher than others) especially if the stroller is heavy.

If you're planning to have more than 1 baby, check if it's easy to get the baby in and out of the car seat when they're installed on the outboard seats, versus the middle where you can climb in then strap the baby on. My wife who's 5'3 has trouble getting our twin boys in & out of the car seats in the outboard position for SUVs that have a high back seat.

Again when having more than 1 kid, the car seat you select also needs to be considered. If you get a 5-seater and you use two very wide car seats such as the Britax Advocate, no one will be able to sit in the middle seat even for short trips. Two Advocates will have problems being installed in the 3rd row of most 7-seater SUV's as well. But this is usually more of a problem for parents with multiples than singletons.

Have fun with fatherhood! :)

i vote for the latest gen CAMRYYYY

im daily driving a 2012 camry LE 4 cylinder base right now, and its a super nice car i was surprised.

For a base model, its nice, lots of features and overall a great car
The dash/cockpit is nicely designed compared to previous camry's, stitched dash design, touch screen color monitor for audio, easy to read speedo/controls, soft but not too bodyroll-ish suspension, super super quiet cabin (since you got a baby on the way this might be a factor to consider), rear leg room is like sitting in a Lexus LS, HUGE trunk and a 6spd auto 178hp 2.5 is quite peppy as well, never driven the v6 so don't know how those perform, but as oppose to my other car, a torqueless s2000 this thing moves off the line pretty quick

the exterior might not be for everyone though, at least for the base model, its very "normal" as oppose to sleeker looking sonatas, optimas, newer altimas etc, but you can always get the SE sport model if your concerned about looks as well :)

Something that hasn't been mentioned yet. Drove a B200T recently, it is surprisingly fun to drive and lots of room. Don't know about reliability but a used one can probably fit in your budget.

Just bought a 2012 accord 4cyl ex-l with our first child on the way. With the cash purchase incentive, it was just too good a deal to pass on. Just over $30k out the door. Fully loaded minus the navi.

I have a 2005 Honda Pilot - tons of storage/trunk space, decent power, and average on fuel consumption. Great for road trips.

My son's 4 now, and we started with a Peg Perego infant car seat (with base), and moved up to a Britax Marathon. Both of these car seats are massive, but we fit them in the middle rear seat without any problems. Still have ample space for two adults in the rear on either side. Just beware of the car height if you or your spouse are short because it's a SUV after all.

QFT. :okay:

Actually diesel would be the way to go for city because of the stop and go traffic... *In theory* because of the lower combustion temperature of diesel, idling is more efficient for a diesel... and most of the soot will be taken care of by a the DPF.

Honda Accord
VW Passat/Passat Wagon
Mazda 5
Nissan Sentra (The new ones actually have impressive trunk space and rearseat legroom)

All can be bought for under your price range and relatively new. All are also decently priced on gas. (Passat can be had in Diesel aswell IIRC)

Why are you against minivans? A Sienna would have been my top choice. You might be underestimating the convenience of giant sliding doors.

Mitsubishi outlander sport.

minivan might be too big for 1 kid. Maybe in the future when we have another one. Most Minivans are gas guzzlers and have bad resale value. My wife also has a hard time driving big cars around. Most importantly Minivans are just plain ugly and lacking the "coolness" factor ..lol