Sunday, May 31, 2009
Car shopping...
We need advice. What do you drive and do you like it? We're beginning our search for a new (to us) car. We'll be moving soon and will probably need to become a 2 car family. This car will serve as the "family car" which means I (Jill) will be driving it most of the time. We are leaning towards getting a full size sedan (maybe a Camry?) but are looking into smaller SUV's and maybe vans. That's a big maybe and I will have to swallow my pride for that one... but seriously they seem so practical. Anyway, any advice?
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15 comments:
Oh Jill....we will be reading the comments on this one...I am trying to resist the van, too!
My eyes teared up a little when I read what Kate said about moving to Utah. That is a great idea, Kate! We really miss you guys! Hope all is well!
We have a 08 camry and love it. The ride is smooth and the power is good for it only being a 4 cylinder...and it's really good on gas. The back seat is spacious enough for the car seat aspect. Just thought I'd give my two cents. But probably check with other parents of two for better advice :)
Okay Jill...I know that you don't know me all that well, but you do know Clint so keep that in mind when I give you our suggestion. We just bought a 06' Honda Odyssey and we love it. I know it is a minivan and like you we said we would never get one, but then we had a kid and a dog and even a cross-over midsize SUV wasn't big enough. It is so easy getting Bailey in and out of, there is tons of storage, and it is so roomy and nice to travel in. The Honda has some nice features that from inside make you forget that you are driving the minivan. It is great when family comes now, because we have room to pick everyone up at the airport and my parents don't have to get a rental car anymore. Let's just say there were more pros then cons in this fight and so far we love it. Even Clint likes driving it! Good luck in you search and let us know if you need any other info!
We love our Camry, but we will be looking for a bigger car with baby # 3.
I love my 4runner!
We have a minivan and we LOVE it!
Love the smooth drive and gas mileage, but our favorite part is all the ROOM!
Room for every member of the family, plus all the luggage, or the groceries, or all the bikes...whatever your hauling around that day. Our van, and I think a lot of different vans, have built-in carseats for the kids which aren't big and bulky, which is really convenient. They don't have the status symbol of an SUV, but in my opinion a mnivan is the smartest choice. I am a firm believer in minivans!
We have a subaru, and I will have a subaru for the rest of my life the new subaru tribeca is amazing or even the outback legacy. nice thing is they both seat 7 comfortable but they are small suv/wagon style. hope things are going good. oh and where are you guys moving to?
Grant loves his Camry and it's pretty spacious. My sister has a Mazda CX-7 and she really likes that too- it's in that smaller SUV range. Let us know if we can help at all!! Congrats on Paul's graduation!
Don't get a full sized car... you will find it's too small. We are hardcore Nissan Maxima fans and LOVE ours but decided (just today actually) that we need a bigger vehicle (and we only have one child!) I have to move the fronts seats up to fit the rear facing carseat in the base in the back seat. And bending over all the time gets annoying... I think with 2 you'll be cramped. We are thinking 4runner although Daniel really wants a 4 door Tacoma. We'll see. Good luck on your search... I'll be reading your comments to help us decide what we are going to get, too. Love you!
It is definately a hard - mostly mental - adjustmemnt to a "mini van" and all the stigma that comes with it.I'm sure you will feel like you are driving your "mothers" car. How can we ever forget the "sandee8" or as the boys called it the MAV....but all that aside, it is a smooth ride (and easy parking) like a car - with all the extra room of a van....also easy to get in and out of with the sliding doors on both sides.....nothing beats it for a small family !! I think I just gave you about 10 cents (:
If you're leaning toward a sedan, I definitely recommend the Camry. Ours is only a 99, but is in great shape and aside from regular maintenance, we've had absolutely no problems. It's only a 4-cylinder, but has plenty of power and gets great gas mileage. From my experience, it is also much roomier, more comfortable, and drives much smoother than an Accord. We plan to drive it until the wheels fall off, which at this rate will be another 20 years down the road, and after that we'll probably stick with Toyota. My mother-in-law has the Highlander and loves it if you do want something bigger. Good luck!
I drive an Armada and love it, manily because we finally have it paid off and it is big enough to fit the kids and strollers and all the stuff needed with the kids. Plus there is a space inbetween the two carseats, so I don't have to stop Logan from abusing his brother. Kyle is trying hard to get a minivan which I really wouldn't mind. Never thought I would get one when I was a too cool teenager, but now I would love one. We would sell our armada and get a minivan but don't want the car payment. I say go for a toyota odyssey...that's what we want, so it must be pretty cool, right!!!:)
I meant honda!
We have a Hyundai Tucson and love it. It is a 4 cylinder, but it has a shift tronic, which gives it power when you need it. It was totall fine going up hills in New Haven. They make 6 cylinder ones, but we like the 4 because it gets better gas mileage. Hyundai has come a long way. Can't beat the warranty, and the base models have a lot more than others. It fits our family well now, but when we go on trips, it gets tight. We should be able to fit 3 skinny carseats next to each other when we have another kid, but trips will be hard with stroller and suitcases. For that reason, I kind of wish we had a minivan. My sister had a Camry with 3 kids, but one was in a booster seat and one was not in a carseat. She liked it, though. Again, if you do a lot of traveling by car, you may want something bigger, especially if you will have another kid in the next few years. Also, not sure where you are looking to buy a car, but if it is in CT, we recommend LFS auto in Branford. They buy /sell repossessed cars, and so you can get a good deal. We went right when they were closing and told the lady we had all night. She wanted to go home, so we didn't go back and forth. She told us as low as she could go, which was lower than we expected so we bought and have been happy ever since. Anyway, good luck!
Jill...This is Dara. I had to leave a comment on this one. My whole life I said I would never own a minivan for probably most of the same reasons you have. But I have to say I absolutely love my Honda Odyssey and I am so glad I decided on it. I looked and looked for what I thought would for sure be a better option...Suburban, Sequoia, etc. but the minivan was just so much more convenient. Not only do I have Hallee's wheelchair, but Jake can just jump in and get in his chair by himself and Baylee can now too. I have to help her up to her car seat but the car is so much lower to the ground that it's much easier. And going on little trips is great because there is plenty of room for everyone and everything. I just love it and trust me I NEVER thought I would say that! Good luck with car shopping :)
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