https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 04 Aug 2026 19:28:27 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talking-dh-into-a-bigger-car#post-2765923 Tue, 08 Aug 2017 12:21:25 +0000 lioneyes 2765923@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@periwinkle that is VERY interesting about zipcar. when we lived in NYC we used it all the time but not so much now, but I do see a lot of vans in our closest zip lot (which is a smart idea, but in addition to, not INSTEAD of cars).</p> <p>Also, I just looked at the cars parked on my street (there are a bunch of young families in this neighborhood) and there are a few Priuses, a few smaller sedans, and a lot of small/midsize SUVs (CRVs, Audi Q5's, Subarus). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talking-dh-into-a-bigger-car#post-2765885 Tue, 08 Aug 2017 10:20:25 +0000 periwinklebee 2765885@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PinkElephant: Yeah, I wondered about outdoor parking. I have some friends who swear it's mostly the salt that kills cars, and if you're not commuting with it a ton in the winter it won't be so bad, but I still wince a bit to think of a nice car covered in snow. I grew up in the south where it was dry and everyone had garages and in my mind think of cars as lasting forever, but I'm sure it's less true in the Northeast. </p> <p>@lioneyes: @looch: Thank you for the suggestions! </p> <p>@bluestriped bee: Thank you, great suggestions! Zipcar used to have smart cars and we drove them some then, but that was like five years ago and I barely even remember how they were. They got bought out by Budget a few years ago, and at least in my area it's really sad how much they've gone downhill since then. We've had frequent issues with cars that need maintenance (oil light on, etc), that are badly dinged up (we just don't want to be blamed), or that, worst of all, wreak of marijuana. Plus they've been slowly replacing all the cars with moving vans - we live near two college campuses, and I think they figure with Uber their business model now isn't in cars but in helping students move. I have several friends in other areas who've had similar experiences recently - such a shame, as Uber/Lyft are not really suited to going to outdoor places, like hiking trails where there might not even be cell reception at destination. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talking-dh-into-a-bigger-car#post-2765851 Tue, 08 Aug 2017 08:40:10 +0000 BSB 2765851@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Finfan: When I bought my CRV, we took it on a 7 state road trip with my two dogs. It was pre-baby, but it was a great trip. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talking-dh-into-a-bigger-car#post-2765850 Tue, 08 Aug 2017 08:32:43 +0000 BSB 2765850@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If he is worried about gas consumption (which sounds like it since that's the appeal to smart cars). I would look into compact SUV or crossovers. I love my Honda CRV. It's a 4-cylinder. I've always had 4 cylinders and always felt cars with more was more power than what I need. My husband does have a Toyota Highlander (which drives like a car!) and I don't mind driving it when I have to, but I do prefer my smaller car over his. Some other compact SUVs are the Toyota Rav4, Mazda makes the one and others. Just look up compact SUVs. I have twins and it's big enough for the 4 of us. If we need to go out of town with our 2 dogs, we will take DH's highlander. We aren't having anymore kids. My car is almost paid off so if we were to have a surprise 3rd child, I would just wait to upgrade. I don't like bigger cars (minivans felt too big). Oddly enough, DH said if we had to get a minivan, he wouldn't mind driving one.</p> <p>ETA: Oh, sad to hear about zipcar going down hill. I lived in Seattle a few years ago and I loved Zipcar.</p> <p>Oh, CRVs can fit 3 car seats across. I would have to look into which seats allow that configuration.</p> <p>Oh, my CRV has realtime AWD. So AWD when I need it.</p> <p>Lastly, has your DH driven a smart car? In Seattle, they had Car2go smart cars. While I didn't mind driving it around town and it felt cute. I don't know how comfortable I would feel on the freeway with it. It's just so tiny. I would be curious about the safety and how it do in an accident with another SUV or tractor trailer. I know my CRV isn't perfect (safety wise) but I would feel a bit safer if I hit another SUV. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talking-dh-into-a-bigger-car#post-2765839 Tue, 08 Aug 2017 07:33:55 +0000 looch 2765839@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If you're looking at a Subaru, you should also look at the Toyota Venza. It's a hatchback and for a single car seat and cargo space it is fantastic. I loved that car (we gave it up when we went electric). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talking-dh-into-a-bigger-car#post-2765838 Tue, 08 Aug 2017 07:21:36 +0000 lioneyes 2765838@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We live in a city and have the same transportation setup as you- I walk everywhere with the stroller, and take Uber or the bus when necessary. We have a small sedan we street park that we use 1x a week, either for longer trips or for suburban errands. Honestly that size is perfect (for now with 1 kid). We can always for the giant stroller plus some bags in the trunk, and his convertible seat is still in the middle seat, RF. In the city a larger car can be a huge pain, so while I agree a SmartCar isn't the best choice, a van or 3 row SUV might not be the best fit now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talking-dh-into-a-bigger-car#post-2765806 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 22:50:38 +0000 PinkElephant 2765806@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@periwinklebee: I've found that outdoor parking, even if it's not true street parking, can be hard on a car (especially when there is snow/salt involved). with this in mind, you may not want to invest in a car for the future, since by the time you have more kids/ really "need" a larger car, this one might be a little worse for the wear. </p> <p>I have three kids, five and under, in an Acura MDX. We bought it certified preowned while living in NYC with two kids for regular trips to visit family outside the city, and really never used it in the city to run errands or take outings. Even if we had parking at home, there often wasn't parking on the other end. With two kids, it felt like a huge car - so much so that even now that we have a house in the suburbs and three kids, I'm not really interested in something bigger. I feel like a big trunk just encourages us to haul things we don't really need on trips. So personally, in your case, I'd put off buying a car, or would buy something compact for now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talking-dh-into-a-bigger-car#post-2765801 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 22:33:16 +0000 periwinklebee 2765801@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@gingerbebe: @nana87: @lady baltimore: @Anagram: @threeplusme: @avivoca: @Finfan: Thank you guys - these are all great suggestions that I'm going to look more into! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talking-dh-into-a-bigger-car#post-2765790 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 21:18:43 +0000 Finfan 2765790@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Love my CRV! Perfect for getting away for the weekend or shorter trips. We also have taken it across the country with 2 kids under 6 and it was a bit tight but we made it.<br /> We also have a dog (who did not join us cross country) but does for weekend trips to the lake. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talking-dh-into-a-bigger-car#post-2765788 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 21:07:04 +0000 avivoca 2765788@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am currently driving a Nissan Versa hatchback with two kids and it's a clown car situation every time we need to travel now. We've got stuff coming out of our ears and there is no place for the dog. It was fine with just one kid but it's ridic with two. I love my car but we def. need something bigger. Since you are in the city, I'd probably go with a Rav-4 or a CR-V if you need 4wd. We also love the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. It is zippy but has a lot of cargo room. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talking-dh-into-a-bigger-car#post-2765785 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 20:41:21 +0000 threeplusme 2765785@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think a Subaru is a great option if your just having one or you'll just be a famIlya of three for a bit. Though I had a Subaru Legacy wagon when we first had our Twins and while I love Subarus it was a tight fit for a family of 4. We had a car seats behind the driver and passenger seat and my husband could not drive the car and he's only 5'10. Fortunately I'm petite but it stunk that I had to drive everywhere. At about a year we traded my Subaru for my parents volvo wagon which was roomier. About two weeks before our third arrived I convinced my husband we needed a minivan and we got a chrysler town and country which I love. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talking-dh-into-a-bigger-car#post-2765778 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 20:19:38 +0000 Anagram 2765778@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@periwinklebee: I don't think they have the best repair records, but what about a Mini Cooper Countryman? I think they are so cute and zippy and they are 4 doors. 2 people with kids and car seats in my building have them.</p> <p>You can either get bucket seats or a bench seat in the back. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talking-dh-into-a-bigger-car#post-2765777 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 20:17:52 +0000 lady baltimore 2765777@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@periwinklebee: My husband and I are sort of the opposite of you and yours when it comes to the kind of cars we are drawn to. My car was recently totaled, and while I was looking at things like the Honda Fit and the Prius C, he thought something like the CR-V or Rav-4 would be a good choice (he has a Highlander). While I was shopping, I discovered the new(ish) Honda HRV, which is between a sedan and a CR-V in size. One of the things that impressed me most about it was the storage space (along with the great visibility). That's what I ended up going with, and our family of three just took it on a ten-day road trip with plenty of space to spare.</p> <p>@PawPrints: The car I had to replace was a Corolla, so maybe look at the HRV as a future choice for your family. I have LO's rear-facing convertible behind the driver's seat which I could not do in the Corolla, but the overall body is not much longer (which I appreciate because we have street parking). It felt huge to me at first because I sit a lot higher than I did in the Corolla, but when I park it next to CRV, I appreciate how much more compact it is. Toyota also has a new small crossover that is comparable (I think it's the CHR) , but I didn't find the visibility as good in that one. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talking-dh-into-a-bigger-car#post-2765774 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 20:02:22 +0000 nana87 2765774@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're in NYC and have a small sedan and wish it was bigger. With 2 car seats, there's basically no space in the backseat. We also have 2 dogs, so even though we have a car we rent a minivan if we're taking a trip that we drive to and are taking them. And our trunk barely holds any luggage if we bring a stroller. Our car was free (hand me down when a parent moved to the city) and we're moving in about a year so it doesn't make sense to buy a new one now, but with more than 1 kid, we def need a bigger car for our needs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talking-dh-into-a-bigger-car#post-2765770 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 19:31:36 +0000 gingerbebe 2765770@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@periwinklebee: we are generally cash buyers and go for 2 year certified used vehicles but with the Prius we got the rebate with the lease and DH wasn't sure of the technology enough to drop $30K on it. It was quite affordable to buy after the lease was over - way cheaper than if we bought a used Prius at that mileage from a dealer.</p> <p>Also please don't get a smart car - they are deathtraps. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talking-dh-into-a-bigger-car#post-2765743 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 17:49:37 +0000 periwinklebee 2765743@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Shantuck: @Littlebit7: We fortunately have a space in a parking lot behind our building that comes with our condo, so can avoid street parking. There can be tons of snow, though, that's a good point about 4 wheel drive. </p> <p>@youboots: @birdofafeather: @SweetiePie: @Littlebit7: @gingerbebe: @mdf106: These are all great suggestions - I'm making a spreadsheet to look more into all of these! :wink: </p> <p>@SweetiePie: @gingerbebe: I hadn't thought about a lease - neither of us has ever owned a car so we have enough money saved from all those years without a car payment that we could in principle pay cash, but I should look into this more. I guess I always just kind of assumed the terms wouldn't be great. </p> <p>@PawPrints: I definitely agree that cars can be less necessary than people often assume. I've actually never had one, including during a year of living in an area w/o public transit and just using uber pool. I'm sure we could get by without one, but we've had increasing problems with zipcar poor maintenance issues lately and they've gone to specializing primarily in moving vans in our area. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talking-dh-into-a-bigger-car#post-2765741 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 17:48:56 +0000 SweetiePie 2765741@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Shantuck: are you guys tall? My husband is 6'2", maybe a little more. And very long legs. That's why he has a hard time. Though I'm sure it's a tiny bit exaggerated :silly: Like he could sit with less room he just doesn't want to. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talking-dh-into-a-bigger-car#post-2765732 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 17:10:23 +0000 PawPrints 2765732@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm totally with your husband on this. Owning a car is such a waste of money the vast majority of the time. When you think of it in terms of money spent per hour of use, you're paying to have this (possibly enormous) vehicle for way more time than you use it, once you factor in auto insurance and gas/maintenance. So if you must own a vehicle, it's best to keep it as small as you can. We currently own a Corolla and that's it for us, with a kid in a rear-facing convertible seat plus two big dogs. Kid #2 is on the way and I'm wrestling with the reality we'll need a bigger car if we have any hope of transporting the whole family anywhere, so I'm reluctantly opening up to the idea of a CRV or RAV4. Those seem huge to me. </p> <p>If you happen to need a bigger vehicle, you can always Zipcar. I can't imagine the hassle of having a huge SUV on city streets. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talking-dh-into-a-bigger-car#post-2765731 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 17:09:24 +0000 mdf106 2765731@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would probably compromise and try to go with a mid-sized sedan, but this is my general preference anyways. I have a Hyundai Sonata which I really like, and it easily fits two rear facing car seats. A smaller SUV could also be a good compromise. If you buy a used car, especially if you buy directly from someone, there is not much transaction cost to upgrading vehicles. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talking-dh-into-a-bigger-car#post-2765730 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 17:08:15 +0000 gingerbebe 2765730@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We live in the burbs and have 2 cars. A minivan, which we love, and plug-in Prius. In our state, we get a cash rebate for plug-ins and a sticker to get us in the HOV lane at all times, so it was an easy decision to get the Prius.</p> <p>DH and I are both tall and we have 2 slim convertibles in our Prius for our kids in that car (Cosco Scenera Nexts). They take much less space front to back than our infant bucket seat did and we have no issues with leg space in that set up. (Full disclosure, our every day carseats are two Chicco NextFits which are not slim, but they live in the minivan). </p> <p>We use a Mountain Buggy Nano as our travel stroller, which is super compact, so that in addition to the kids gear fits just fine in the Prius. I admit I haven't tried trying to put our monster double or anything back there, but I would imagine we could figure something out if we had to. </p> <p>Mileage is awesome in the Prius, its super comfortable for everyone, and I think if we lived in a city, we'd go that route until we needed a bigger car.</p> <p>We initially got the Prius on a 3 year lease (we got the rebate whether we leased or purchased) and liked it so much we decided to just buy the car outright after the lease was over. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talking-dh-into-a-bigger-car#post-2765728 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 17:03:52 +0000 2littlepumpkins 2765728@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@birdofafeather: we are squeezing our 3 into our CRV too. It's just not really in the budget to upgrade and I love how easy it is to drive, park, etc. I recommend it all the time, haha! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talking-dh-into-a-bigger-car#post-2765725 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 16:44:59 +0000 Littlebit7 2765725@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What is your parking situation? I think that changes things as well. We have a vw gti which has one of the largest cargo areas for a car its size. It is shocking how much we fit in there. We've added a yakima skybox cargo carrier which allows us to take the car on long trips. It's a breeze to park in tight spots (hello NYC) fun to drive, gets over 33 mpg, and easily fit our infant and now our convertible. It had more backseat space front to back than our friends X5.<br /> The cargo carrier is $ but way less than a larger car payment. </p> <p>If you want to fit 2 car seats and an adult just make sure you get two narrow convertibles (I don't know how many kids you have) That's a lot cheaper than a huge suv and more practical if you don't need a third row every day.<br /> I also like the idea of a Subaru Outback or Forrester. Tough, capable and loads of cargo space.<br /> We are having our second and we are going to try to make our gti work. If we need more space for a week (taking a big road trip) we will rent an SUV. Again, on a cost basis, much cheaper to that occasionally then sell our car and shell out for a larger suv and thus, larger car payment. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talking-dh-into-a-bigger-car#post-2765722 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 16:40:53 +0000 Shantuck 2765722@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SweetiePie: We have the X3 so smaller than the X5 and we didn't have much of an issue with our convertible (Maxi Cosi Pria). Maybe it's smaller than others? I've also heard good things about the Diono Radian taking up less space... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talking-dh-into-a-bigger-car#post-2765721 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 16:37:10 +0000 Shantuck 2765721@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Will you be parking your car on the street? Does your urban area get snow? If so, I would definitely consider a car with 4 wheel drive. I live in Chicago and had a Toyota Corolla that I would street park and it would take forever to dig it out in the winter. If you are street parking on a crowded urban street, though, I'd recommend considering something on the smaller side since finding a spot to park on the street can be challenging. We ended up going with a smaller SUV and that has worked well since it has trunk space, has 4 wheel drive, and can still fit in smaller spots. I actually hate driving my husband's Jeep Grand Cherokee because it's so hard to squeeze into parking spaces. Just a thought... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talking-dh-into-a-bigger-car#post-2765720 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 16:35:19 +0000 SweetiePie 2765720@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Agree with above that you're both wrong :silly:<br /> I live in NYC and we also use mostly public transport, cabs, uber in our daily lives. We have a car that we use to get outside of the city or for further travel within the city (one end to the other), places that aren't close to subway, etc.<br /> We have one LO and one on the way. We have an X5 which isn't huge (only 2 row) but isn't small either. We think it's perfect size for our soon-to-be 2 kid family. If we had a 3rd we'd then get a bigger car with 3 rows (that's a huge IF, lol).<br /> We actually lease, which Id highly recommend for your situation. 1) you can get a low mileage lease since you don't drive daily or super often 2) you are only committed for say 3 years. It's not likely to have 3 kids in 3 years, so you could easily get an SUV that is very suitable for 2 kids and then reconsider the next car when that lease is up.<br /> This is what we do and we have been very happy with it. Our current lease has 2 years left, so our 2nd LO will be about 18 months. We'll have a better idea of our family plans by then and can decide what car to get for our family. </p> <p>I definitely wouldn't get a huge car for a family that doesn't exist yet. Or a super small car if you're planning to have at least 2 kids in the next 3-4 years. The suggestions above are all good ones, and even just a regular 2 row SUV. That should definitely fill your needs. </p> <p>And ditto a few people above who said that convertible seats take up a ton of room. My sons is behind the passenger seat and if my son is in the car my husband can't possibly sit in the passenger seat. Actually, that has me thinking I'm not sure what we'll do when LO2 is in a convertible! Lol. Guess it's still a ways away. Maybe we will get something bigger sooner :-) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talking-dh-into-a-bigger-car#post-2765716 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 16:22:18 +0000 birdofafeather 2765716@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had two friend of mine with 3 kids that loved their CRVs and they actually had some good storage space. I was shocked!</p> <p>We love our outback and hopefully will have a third and keep it for a bit! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talking-dh-into-a-bigger-car#post-2765712 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 16:11:53 +0000 youboots 2765712@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What about a highlander hybrid?</p> <p>We loooove our Ford Flex. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talking-dh-into-a-bigger-car#post-2765711 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 16:10:58 +0000 periwinklebee 2765711@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@CarDad: @petitenoisette: @2PeasinaPod: @travelingnanny: Thanks for the suggestions on compromise cars - I'm definitely going to check these out. Super helpful, as I'm sure we'll compromise somewhere in the middle!</p> <p>@skinnycow: @raspberries: @danda: Great point on the carseats and gear! We're planning to start out with an infant seat but I will get measures on convertibles and take that into account too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talking-dh-into-a-bigger-car#post-2765708 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 16:05:21 +0000 travelingnanny 2765708@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think you're both wrong :silly: I'm thinking something like a Subaru Forester or similar would be good. The bigger the vehicle the pain to park in the city. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talking-dh-into-a-bigger-car#post-2765701 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 15:58:40 +0000 2PeasinaPod 2765701@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would go with a compromise like the other said above. I don't think you'd have much of a need for a car that has 3rd row seating until you do have a 3rd child, and you won't know that until you have the first 2. Getting a small car just seems silly. I had a Mazda 3 when we had LO1 knowing that we would eventually get rid of it and get a new family car. The rearfacing car seat took up so much room that the passenger had their knees in the dashboard which also isn't safe. I'd go with a Subaru Impreza or Outback...or a smaller SUV like a Rav4 or CRV. This way, you could fit the family easily if you are expanding, and if/when you decide on if you want a 3rd, by then, you'll be looking to trade in and get a bigger car anyway. </p>