Hellobee Boards

I would not recommend my Mercury Mariner/Ford Escape.

It is beautiful, and I love it in general as far as reliability and gas mileage. But it is too small! If its our mom/dad/dog/baby okay, but there is zero room for anything else like family or another baby if we are traveling somewhere in the car (which we do frequently)

I actually really, really like my Kia Sorento.

I love my Nissan Rogue like crazy. We'll probably go a little bigger next time (though that won't be for 4ish years) and likely to an Infinity FX or JX.

I just bought a Honda Pilot and I love it. I wanted 7+ seats because I have a large family and we travel together several times per year. The pilot is also nice because when its just my husband and I (and baby soon) I can fold down the 3rd row and have tons of seating or a place to put my dogs so they aren't trampling everyone.

I'm on my second RAV4 in 10+ years and I LOVE it. It's been a super reliable car and we are able to pack in so much. It's been an easy car to maintain in terms of overall upkeep and I recommend as a family car for sure. We are even thinking of getting another one when we need to update DH's car.

We have an Escape right now and I do really like it, it's just not big enough for us! We're already at 2 kiddos, looking to add another in the near future so we want to upgrade to a Traverse! It seats more but still isn't huge... I do not want a Tahoe or Suburban (or anything that big).

@mrsjyw: I have the cx5 and love love love it.
My favourite thing about it is the gas mileage.....it does better than our sedan. I fill it up like every 3 weeks.

I love all the tech features, Bluetooth, etc, and I love the backup camera.

I can fit two strollers in the trunk and my recaro proride fits perfectly in the middle seat without obstruction.

The two tiny negatives about the car, is the side mirrors vibrate a lot on the highway, and that because its so light, it can get a bit windy on the highway.

I love love love my car.

@mrsjyw: Do you care about the car's gas mileage?

When I was looking for my compact SUV, I was looking at 4 cylinder cars with good MPG. Top 4 choices were Honda CRV (what I got), Toyota Rav4, Mazda Cx5 and Ford Escape. Oh, there's a Nissan Rouge, too. (My mom has one and didn't want the Rouge.)

I did look at a used Lexus and Nissan Murano but they all were 6 cyclinders and required premium gas. A no go for me. Maybe for my next car. Those two or a Mazda CX7 or 9.

I love my 13' Honda CRV. Love the backup camera.

My Jeep Grand Cherokee is the best purchase I've ever made! I'm actually on my second (this one is a company car) and my sister has had 3!! It is an absolute BEAST in the snow and can handle any type of weather, rain, snow, ice, sleet, you name it. It's so safe!! It's blows my husbands Ford Escape out of the water when it comes to snow, which is important here in New England! I've also never had to bring it to the shop to get it repaired, I've had zero issues. It definitely isn't fuel efficient and I wish they made a hybrid but the reliability and the fact that it's made in America outweigh the gas useage for me.

We have a ford edge and I love it. Oh my heavens, the amount of space we have inside is unbelievable. Lots of road trips, so we need the space. Just packed the three of us along with my either and FSIL in it for a 4 hour trip & was very comfortable, and fit three days worth of all our gear... And we're all admitted over packers!!

It's also a beast in the snow, which is important here in PA!

Mazda cx5 and cx9 are both great!

We have a Toyota Highlander and I love it!

We just got an acura mdx and I luuurve it. TONS of space, and a 3rd row which will probably come in handy in the future.

I'm in absolute love with my Mazda CX-9!! There is not a single thing I don't like about it or a single thing I wish it had!! It's a HUGE car (bigger than some minivans) but it's our only car for our family of four + 2 dogs + the occasional grandparent so it serves our needs perfectly.

I had a Honda CR-V for a long time and I think the CX-5 is similar. I'm a Mazda fan now so I'd vote for the CX-5!!

Another Honda crv fan! I like the Cadillac SUV too but the Mazda was a rougher ride. Just not as comfy. I had one on a business trip and did not care for it at the end. The crv is a nice middle ground SUV between those two. DH loves his '13 Escape. My bigger size up vehicle would be a Highlander

We're likely buying a Subaru Outback, soon. If we were one and done, I'd want a Honda Fit.

@luckypenny: the gas mileage didn't bother us (16-18 usually) but omg, our front blinkers were always going out and needing to be replaced - the dealership wanted $500 just to replace a light bulb (they told us the tires had to be removed). So nuts.

@lioneyes: @hilsy85: This was my second choice (Acura MDX) but we ended up with the Volvo XC90. They are pretty similar. I really love the large back trunk space and full size back seat (car seats fit great).

The other smaller one I had before baby was a Mitsubishi Outlander. It got GREAT mileage and had a good size trunk.