I've never owned an suv. I usually prefer sedans and only rent an suv when we travel and have luggage. Now with 2 kids our sedans seem so tight and uncomfortable. I am in need a new car asap and plan to take advantage of labor day sales. If you love your SUV can you recommend a good one.
I really like acuras and audis but i think my Pryce range is probably more in the Honda range. I have had 2 Hondas in a row though so i want to try something else
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I really like my Ford Explorer.
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I love my Honda CRV and DH has a Toyota Highlander and it drives like a car. It's a tad big for my solo commute to work but I don't mind driving it when I have to.
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DH has a Mazda CX 5 and it's nice. I'm mostly drive a Corolla (I commute so gas mileage is a big thing for me) and when I have driven his car, it hasn't felt huge like some SUVs do.
DH is over 6ft so he prefers more room
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I love my Ford Flex- it's more of a crossover- big as an SUV but low to the ground- so easy to load.
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Do you want/need a third row? If not, what about a Subaru Outback? Still drives similarly to a sedan but does have comparable (if not better) off road performance than a lot of suvs. Most suvs and crossovers are just plunked on a car frame with a higher center of mass!
The cargo capacity of the outback rivals or bests a most midsize suvs. More than the Audi Q5 and acura equilvalent. Honda CR-V does have a bit more. Also look at the forester!
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I agree with @Littlebit7: - I have a Volvo wagon (XC70) and I have a ton of room and cargo space. No third row, though, so if that's a requirement it won't work. The backseat is pretty wide and I've read it can fit quite a few combos of seats three across. We have a Chicco Keyfit30 and a Clek Fllo in there now and an adult can still sit in the middle (not the most comfortable ride, but we fit!)
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We drove a Hyundai Santa Fe for a couple of weeks and really liked it. It handled like a car but had plenty of room.
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I've always hated SUVs and drove sports cars with big engines. BUT, they were miserable with a car seat. After test driving everything affordable on the market (and my husband's CRV), I ended up with a Mazda CX-5. I thought the handling was closest to a sporty sedan and am still liking it a year later.
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@Mrsbells: Yes! We both have outbacks and we love them. Affordable, functional, fine to look at, and plenty of room for kids and kid-associated crap
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We have a Toyota Highlander. I really like it, but the third row is pretty useless. We've only used it a handful of times. It stays folded down with the stroller and kids' stuff in the back 99% of the time.
Our friends have an Outback, and it's great. The backseat is roomy enough to fit an adult with the two carseats, and the cargo space is as good as/better than a lot of SUV's.
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Thanks everyone!
Yes for those who asked the 3rd row is something DH is very interested in. I dont know if I care about it that much lol . You are all making great suggestions so far so keep them coming and I am doing comparisons online. One is I do have a bit of a commute on the week days so something good on gas will be great -
@Mrsbells: I would suggest checking out the Honda Pilot and the Acura MDX. What I really liked about both of them is that there are three sets of latch hooks in the middle row So you can put two car seats next to each other and still have an outboard seat open. And they both have a 3rd row. The Pilot is a bit roomier than the MDX but obviously less fancy. I think you could get an MDX that it slightly used for about what you'd pay for a new Pilot.
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We have an Explorer and an Edge. I drive the Edge and love it but as we start to think about baby #2, we will need something bigger. I will tell you that I don't love the Explorer for car seats, infant seat was ok and we did choose to transition him to a Diono (which is tall) but it takes away significant leg room from the front seats. The Edge actually fits the rear facing Diono better and is our primary family car because it is more comfortable than the Explorer.
I am already thinking that we will go to a minivan when it is time to get rid of my car. Car seats totally change the game, we intend to rear face as long as possible.
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I have a Kia Sorento that I've really enjoyed for the last 5.5 years. Mine does have a 3rd row, but it would only fit kids back there, no adults unless for a super short trip. Coming from a Honda, I was surprised how much I like driving the Kia. It drives like a tall car, has just the right amount of space for us, and the V6 has a lot of power. Plus the price was right for me.
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I just switched from a cx-9 to an enclave and I love it! The bucket seats are totally necessary in my opinion.
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I have a Lexus RX 350 and really like it. It's smaller, good cargo space, easy to drive and park in small city spaces and streets and is awesome in the snow.
I bought certified pre-owned and the price was very reasonable.
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I love my parent's Outback. If we had 2 kids I could definitely see us getting one. I also really like Honda's for being car seat friendly. CRV is great if you decide to forgo the third row. We have a Pilot and it's huge and the gas mileage sucks but we can fit 3 car seats across easily and have used the third row to go places with extended family. I don't work though so no daily commute. I would not recommend it for a commuting car.
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@Mrsbells: over the summer we moved from a civic to a Prius V. I really love it and the gas mileage is incredible. It feels roomy with the two kids and car seats and gear. It is not an SUV and doesn't have a 3rd row but it is spacious.
I parked next to a Honda CRV the other day and it is almost as big. Just in case bigger but not sic is what you are looking for!
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Love our outback with 2 kids. Might get tight when we have a third but I'm still planning on keeping it for a while with 3. If we went SUV, I was also looking at the pilot and the mdx.
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Like @yoursilverlining: I have a preowned lexus rx350 and I like it a lot. We got it while we still lived in the city with small parking spaces and street parking. It's handled great in the snow (I am super nervous driving in the snow!)
That said it doesn't have a ton of legroom- to fit a rear facing seat behind the driver really limits how far back the driver can sit (DH is barely 5'10" and he cannot comfortably drive with a rf seat behind him). We have the RF seat behind the passenger seat and it's fine though. Fitting a small adult between the nextfit and Britax frontier is very very tight.
Surprisingly DH's Passat has noticeably more legroom in the back seat- I don't even have to push the front seats forward to install the seats and my 4 year old cannot kick the back of the drivers seat. But I much prefer getting the kids buckled in to their seats in the higher SUV. For our next car we will probably consider a 3rd row for when we have guests or car pool.
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I have a Honda Pilot and have 3 kids. Love, love, love it! No complaints.
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@Foodnerd81: ha, I totally understand. Our Volkswagen 4 door gti has more room to install seats that our friends BMW X5 which is so bizarre to me!!
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I had an outback which I loveeeeed but between a tall husband, two convertible car seats and myself (I'm not very tall), it was like driving a clown car. Just got a pilot and it is a total game changer! We love it!
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@Foodnerd81: that's interesting about RF and space! We RF'd, but since LO is an only she was in the middle. Cars and legroom are so unpredictable. My DH (about 5'11") used to drive this tiny little coupe. Which should be perfect for someone short like me; right?? Nope! That thing was not made for short people - I always felt like I was sitting IN the dashboard to drive it
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Thanks everyone, such great responses and good ideas. I think after looking at cars this weekend the Rav4 and CRV are out top two
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Love our CRV; it's safe, big enough for the 4 of us, and DH is a die hard Honda fan.
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@snowjewelz: haha I've had 3 hondas in a row but ended up going for rav4 this time
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@Mrsbells: I do love the look of the Rav4's! Enjoy your car!!
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@snowjewelz: Thanks ! yeah the body has really changed over the years
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