Suggestions on New Car

We traded in a Yukon Denali XL in February for a 2012 Camry Hybrid. I LOVE my Camry. All 5 of us fit in it for short trips (anything that doesn't require us to bring a week's worth of luggage) and just the kids and I can do it for a week. My gas bill has gone from about $100 per week to about $25 per week. I drive a lot, so that's amazing!

I have 3 kids, and only one is still in a booster, and they all fit fine in the back

The vehicle I was driving before is a Nissan Armada. We kept that and use that for long trips. When we're in it I miss the room and space everyone has, but not the gas. We took it to ATL last week and we had to stop twice going up and back. I could have made it all the way there on one tank in the Camry.

Our motto is: NO CAR PAYMENTS!
Is your Hyundai payed off? If so, sell it outright. Don't trade it in.

Look for a nice 4 dr sedan or SUV or van that you can pay for with cash.
(If that means saving for awhile, then start saving!)
Something about 2-3 years old ideally. What about a Ford Fusion?

Love our Honda accord and Honda pilot.

Is this a company car or are you using your new raise to get a car?

Are your current cars paid off... NO CAR PAYMENTS here.... it is not worth it.

I would keep he cars I have and use the money from my raise to fund my savings, retirement and college funds.

If you still go with a car and plan more children, go with a minivan.

If you are thinking about have more kids, I would consider a minivan. I love our Pontiac Montana. I would really love to have a Honda Odyssey or a Toyota Sienna (as I've always had great experiences with Honda and Toyota), but they are much more expensive.

I agree with selling your car on craigslist (or private sale) and they paying cash for whatever you get. If that's not realistic (and it isn't always - we have a car payment, so I don't mean to be a hypocrite), buying something that's at least 3 years old, as cars depreciate the most in the first 3 years.

Good luck! Have fun shopping!

I bought a Chevy Equinox in January and LOVE it! My kids are teens, but have plenty of leg room and I can still get the two dogs in the back. Gas mileage is better than our van. My brother has a three year old and infant and is buying one this summer after seeing mine.

Have fun car shopping!

our first family car was a toyota camry I LOVED IT. as soon as the kids are grown im going back to it. we had a 4 cyl it was GREAT on gas it was quiet and easy to get in and out of. i now have a toyota sienna mini van LOVE it since we had 2 kids and they had friends it was the only way to go. my hubby keeps trying to talk me into a new honda minivan but im not giving up my toyota yet!

Maybe a little out of your price range, but I love the Honda CRV. It's quite roomy, drives great, gets good gas milage (25mpg). I've been told they last forever.

I don't know how much toyota camery is, but that's also a good car. As well as the honda accord.

I'm not in the market for a new car, but I've seen lots of ads for 0% or extremely low finance rates. Very important to keep in mind as this effects the total cost of the car.

I just got a dodge journey and LOVE it.

As a parent I would recommend a mini-van! My mini-van is an older Ford Windstar (2000), but it has served me very well. My next mini-van will probably be a Dodge Caravan. I don't know how any parent can live without one. They make life so much easier. They are sure easier on the back when having to buckle little ones into car seats. Especially if you plan on having any more kids, the third row seating is a must. I can take my two boys on an outing, and they can each bring a friend. I can do a big grocery shop, pack up to go camping, throw the bikes in the back to take them to a park. I can purchase furiture at a yard sale and throw it in the back. Many of these things I couldn't do with a car or SUV. Our other car is newer and smaller. It is a Dodge Caliber. It's cute and I love to drive it. I did have a peek at a Dodge Journey the other day in a parking lot and noticed a third row of seating. It was smaller than a van, but looked like a good compromise between the two. I hope you meant a new "used" car. Buying a brand new car is a waste of money. Try to get a one year old lease return, much better value.

mymom just got a mazda 3 and i love driving it, its a 4door but not a giant boat of a car .. her lease payments on her acura were way too high.. the mazda3 sounds like its right up your alley

If you are considering a minivan I would recommend the Toyota or Honda, as they last forever. I couldn't bring myself to get a minivan. We have 2 kids and we're done. We bought a 1 yr used Acura MDX and love it. We've had it 3 1/2 years now and it's the best car we've owned in 20 years. We've had 7 other new cars in those 20 years too. I would recommend a 3-4 year old MDX to get the price range you are looking for. It's got tons of room, especially with the 3rd row down. It handles great and the dealership experience is the best we've ever had. (other new cars are Toyota- 2 cars 1 truck, Ford- 2 trucks, Jeep-1 wrangler, Nissan-1 Truck) Acura surpasses them all.