Which Car ?
Parent Q&A
Archived Q&A and Reviews
- Low-maintenance car for a baby, dog and stuff
- Have two old Volvos, want a new car - SUV?
- Which type of car is easiest to get a carseat in and out of?
Low-maintenance car for a baby, dog and stuff
Sept 2011
We are hoping to sell our two cars to get a new or used wagon/minivan/SUV that will fit two adults, a baby (on the way!), a large dog who loves to stick her head out the window, and an average amount of stuff (mostly groceries and baby gear).
We don't drive very much (maybe 600 miles a month) and that is about 1/3 very short drives on local roads and 2/3 longer work related trips on highways.
We care mostly about mileage, reliability, and low maintenance costs (no fancy luxury cars for us) and are the type that keep our cars until they die, so eventually it will probably need to hold 2 or 3 kids total. Ideally, we'd like something with all wheel drive, but we only go to Tahoe 1-2 times a year, so it's not essential.
We have no idea where to start and know lots of you out there have gone through this process and will have great advice. Thanks in advance! - In need of car advice
My husband was a tow truck driver for years, so I value his opinion on vehicles. For mileage, go with a station wagon or minivan (SUVs are pathetic in this regard). I have a 1996 Corolla that regularly gets 40+mpg highway; if you can find this as a station wagon, I'd be jealous. I'd also recommend toyota or honda, though I know some of their newer models haven't been getting as good reviews. Kia and Nissan have some good stuff too. So something a few years old, from a dealer or something you can find out the history on is your best bet. Euro and American cars often make it difficult to do any maintenance yourself (particularly Euro cars) so if you like to be able to jump your battery, or perhaps change your oil, stay clear of those. As far as going to Tahoe, no one NEEDS all wheel drive to do that, and all it will do is suck away your mileage to have it. Get some chains and drive intelligently, you'll be fine. LD
Have two old Volvos, want a new car - SUV?
Dec 2005
We have two old volvos, and want to buy a new car. We recently rented a small SUV Chevy Trailblazer on a trip and loved it, because it was higher off the ground than the volvos, and of course everything worked. We would love some advice about a SAFE car to buy, that also is good mechanically, and not outrageously expensive. Safety of the vehicle is a key issue for us.
in need of auto advise
If safety is your first consideration, buy a minivan. They have the overall highest safety ratings. SUVs are unsafe because they have higher center of gravity and don't handle well. After minivans the safest cars are big sedans. Of course, that's short- run safety. If you're concerned about the world your children will inherit and you therefore care about global warming, you'll want a car with low carbon emissions, which means high fuel efficiency. The Toyota Prius gets excellent mileage and has very low emissions (carbon and otherwise) and has airbags all the way around, with excellent safety ratings as well. However, rear visibility is not so great on the Prius, so you have to be very careful merging and backing up. Note that the SUV hybrids don't actually get good gas mileage at all; they get slightly better mileage than their horribly-inefficient gas-only cousins and are slightly more powerful. (Same is true of Honda Accord Hybrid, which apart from being outrageously-priced is a great car with decent, though not great, fuel efficiency.) The Honda Civic Hybrid gets great gas mileage, has wonderful Honda handling and excellent safety ratings. dr.lapin
We had a Volvo wagon for awhile, and it was an expensive mistake. About 18 months ago, we purchased a new Toyota Highlander. It's been great - the Highlander is built on a Camry chassis, so it handles more like a car than a truck. It's higher than a wagon, so you have good visability, but the interior room is comprable or a bit larger than a full size wagon. It has an excellent safety record, especially if you get side airbags. The maintenance has been inexpensive ($100- 200 for a service, vs. the $800 + we spent every time we took our Volvo in), even when we take it to the dealer for our scheduled services. There is a third row seat, so you can get 5 kids in the back if need be. We've been super happy with it, and would highly reccomend this car. Gas mileage has been good, and Toyota now sells a hybrid Highlander. Good luck in your search!
Happy Highlander Owner
We faced the same decision you are, and we bought a Honda CRV. Key features:
1) it's a real Japanese-made Honda, which to us means reliable 2) it's a certified low emissions vehicle 3) the EX model has side airbags 4) it's not a huge gas guzzler - MPG about the same as my Volvo V40 (2001) 5) comfortable for a road trip
Hope this helps. We've been very happy with ours. I just wish it came with leather seats. Honda mama
Which car is easiest to get a carseat in and out of?
March 2005
i need a new car, which cars are easiest to put infants and toddlers in and out of back seat/car seat? I have a geo prism 4 door and it kills my back and is very awkward to get infant seat in and out.
I hate to say it, but we just love our new (used) minivan and its great for the carseat lifestyle ilona
It isn't a ''car'', but a minivan would solve your problem. We bought a used one when we had our 2nd baby 3 years ago, and now, as mom of 3, I can't say enough good things about it. Height is perfect for getting kids in & out easily, and the space is so convenient, both for storage of strollers & such, and for moving around inside, (great for safety and privacy) when changing diapers & clothes, nursing, etc. Heidi
The Kia Soul can do all of that and at under $19000 it's a pretty great value. I bought one in June and love it!
See Phillip at Hilltop Kia. Cheers!
hi, we test drove and researched a ton of vehicles (I'm a librarian and we had a lot of time to save up and research) and we discovered that the Volvo XC60 is a dream car. We bought both used (5 and 6 years old, bought in 2015 and 2016) and love, love, love them. Great prices on used Volvos. #1 Incredibly comfortable. This really pays off on daily commutes to work as well as long drives. Also very quiet, which is something we really love - it's so much easier to talk in a quiet car. Safe: incredibly safe. I've seen enough accidents to know this matters a lot. Protecting our health is a smart thing to do. Fabulous to drive. Yes, I think you could fit a bike in the back if you put down the back seats. Also racks are pretty cool - we put two kayaks on top pretty easily. Back seats split in 40-20-40 so you have options depending on what you want to haul in the back. All of this is true for pretty much any Volvo - we test drove a few models. I think the Subaru Forester is a decent car (we owned a used one for 2 months before getting rear ended and the car was totaled) however there's a lot of competition ($$$) and not a whole lot of them available, plus it was incredibly uncomfortable and loud. Visibility was excellent, though.
Oh, and Volvo just announced that if you get service done on anything that should last (alternators, etc) (doesnt include tires, batteries, things like that that wear with time), they warranty the repair and labor for life. So if you bought a 1960's (or any year) Volvo and replaced the alternator, you'd never have to pay for a new alternator again as long as you owned the car. It's a pretty incredible deal: http://volvo.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/9411/~/volvo-lifetime…
We tried out a lot of different cars at Buggy Bank in Berkeley which helped us a lot in figuring out what we wanted.
I couldn't begin to assume I know what vehicle will hold your bike (without a bike-carrier) so I'll offer the following advice. Go to the Buggy Bank @ 2821 Shattuck (or any other used car lot that has many different brands.) Bring your bike to see if it fits. Take a test drive. Work a deal with the owner. (The Bank facilitates deals between owner and buyer.) Buy a vehicle. Enjoy it!