The lease on my Ford Explorer will be up soon and I am interested hearing other peoples suggestions for a new car. While I have liked the Explorer it has always felt like a little too much car for me. I am looking to buy either another SUV or a crossover. I am on the fence about getting a third row. I have a 5 year old who is in a 5 point harness booster and a 7 month old who will be in a regular car seat (instead of a carrier) by March. The car needs to have enough room in the back seat to accomodate these car seats as well as a regular booster for my son's friends (it's okay if it is a tight squeeze). Obviously safety and good in snow and ice are my priorities, but have to take price into consideration as well.
Some cars I am thinking about test driving are the Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander and the Subaru Forester. Love to hear what cars others like.
Thanks,
W.
As a huge Dave Ramsay fan, I'd say buy whichever O. you can afford to buy outright--with cash--and I'd never lease a car--always bad deal.
Look into a Ford Flex. Not a small car, but we love ours!
My next car will be a Ford Edge. Unfortunately, we can't afford to get a new one so we are waiting for the dealer that my DH works at to get one in as a trade in.
I don't know how the car seats will fit but the back seat seems like it would have enough room.
I used to have 2 Acura MDX 's and a Saab SUV. My lease ended on all of them and I just got the Toyota Venza in July.. It's a crossover.. At first I didn't want a crossover. I LOVE being up high in an SUV but I actually REALLY like the Venza... It's soooooooooooooo roomie inside!!!! you would NEVER think that by looking at it.. The price is GREAT and you can get all the bells and whistles to upgrade everything. The gas mileage is SO much better in the Venza then my SUV's ( my suv's got about 13 miles and my venza gets 20). the only complaint I can say is that I wish it was a SUV because I like being up high but besides that, I love it!!!
Go with the Honda Pilot!! My hubby is a mechanic and swears by that vehicle! We don't own one, but once our Explorer is paid off next year, we definitely plan on looking into either the Pilot or the Honda Odyssey. He swears by all Hondas in general. They last the longest, are very reliable, and are just the best value for the money. Like I said, I don't personally own one, but if he thinks that way, there must be a reason!
Oh, and I believe with the Pilot you can get a basic with just 2 rows, or there is also a 3rd row option (I think).
I love my Honda Pilot. I only have one child myself, but typically have one or two extra in tow. Mine has the third row, which I love because you can put up only half of it if you need an extra seat. I rarely have to use it, but it has been great when I have needed it.
We have a britax car seat and it fits perfectly. Had two britax seats in yesterday and there was room inbetween the two, but not sure it was enough for a booster, but that is where the third row comes in great. I usually put one of the car seats back there then the booster in the second row.
The gas mileage is ok, but not the best. I think I get somewhere between 18-22, depending on the kind of driving I am doing. There is lots of space in the back to put stuff. We had a dog(RIP) and it was great for her. I love all the compartments it has in the front for stuff. I will probably never buy another brand of suv because I love it so much. I have had the Durango and the Chrysler pacifica and I love the Pilot so much more.
The other car we considered that was similar in options, size and pricing was the Subaru Tribeca. We almost got that instead but the dealer was such a jerk that I walked out of the place, called Honda dealer and told he we would be right over.
I love Denise's answer that appeared on here first because she is RIGHT! Having said that, I currently own an SUV Crossover...an Infiniti FX35. Pricey and luxurious but worth every penny! Plus, I inherited the car from a family member who passed away so it is mine without payments. A good deal. Other great crossovers to look at are the Mazda CX-7 or CX-9, the Nissan Murano, Ford Edge, and Honda Pilot. These cars not only look great but drive beautifully as well. I must say that three cars that impressed the hell out me lately on the road were the Kia Sportage, Kia Sorrento, and the Hyundai Santa Fe. I have friends who own these vehicles and every time I ride in them, I am blown away. My Infiniti is supposed to knock your socks off but these other cars did too. I would buy one in the future for sure. Good luck car hunting and may the best car win!
We have an Acura MDX and I absolutely LOVE it. We have three kids (2, 6 and 8) and have had this car since our oldest was a baby. It has third row seating and is quite roomy to fit all three. You can't put adults in the third row, but it's great for when we are driving other kids around or when our neices and nephews are with us.
Good luck with your decision!
I LOVE my Chevy Traverse (seats 8) and my Dodge Magnum (3 fit across the back and there's tons of room in the hatchback for sporting equipment).
Go with the Edge. My step mom has one and she LOVES it. She moved from the explorer as well.
The Mazda 5 is also a good one but it's a bit small for me. I have a Freestar it's a mini van never thought I 'd drive a mini van but I love it, it's big enough to fit all our stuff and the dog crate.
My husband and I just traded in our 4 door car for something bigger in May. We looked for months and months, but finally decided on a Chrysler Pacifica. Ours has a 3rd row, which we keep folded down. Even if we have it up we can still fit our Combi double stroller in the back. It gets great gas mileage, we recently took a 750 mile trip and only used 3 tanks of gas. The second row is split, we have two toddlers.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Pilot! I have 2 kids, one of them being in a booster. I tote them and their friends everywhere. I love having the 3rd row, with the option to put it down for extra room (dogs) It is a very reliable car. We test drove cars for MONTHS and as soon as I got in the Pilot, it was the car for me. They hold their value well. Most of the used ones were the just about the same price as a new. It is great in snow. Has great safety rating. It is very reliable.
this summer i was split between the pilot and the highlander. i test drove both. i ended up with the pilot and LOVE it!
I agree with Denise or buy used I love the Saturn Outlook it drives like an suv but seats like a car. and it is quick with ample room.
I don't know about the other two, but the Subaru Forester is a great small SUV. We had one (1999) right after our first child was born. But unless they have drastically increased in size, you will NEVER get 3 car seats/boosters at a time in the back seat. You could fit a car seat and a booster on opposite sides of the seat, (we did) and could squeeze a small 3rd person in the middle (we did that too), but they won't be comfortable for more than a few minutes; and you won't be able to access the seat belt buckles well enough to fit a 3rd seat/booster there. So only a person old enough that they don't need that. If that doesn't work logistically for you, then I would skip looking at the Foresters.
