Can Experienced Parents Offer Advice on Purchasing Family-Friendly Car?

I currently drive a Ford Mustang convertible. My first son is due next month and there is no way my car is going to work for him. Our plan is to sell my husband鈥檚 old Ford Explorer (not at all reliable) and buy a new family-type car ASAP. I will get the new car, and hubby will get the Mustang. However, we still owe money on the mustang, so we can only afford to spend about $16,000 on a new car.





We have been looking at the Toyota Matrix. It is kind of like a station wagon, gets approximately 30 miles per gallon, and is right in our price range. Plus, it is a Toyota which is a definite plus.





Are there any other cars we should be looking at and test driving?Can Experienced Parents Offer Advice on Purchasing Family-Friendly Car?
Matrix is kind of small, you'll be able to fit a stroller in there that's about it, try to look for SUV, it's higher from the ground so that means safer.Can Experienced Parents Offer Advice on Purchasing Family-Friendly Car?
Take the baby's car seat with you! I had a Subaru Impreza when I had my second child. The car seat for the older one fit fine, but the baby's ';bucket'; seat had to sit backwards and the only way to get it in the back seat was to scoot the front seat up as far as it would go. Even at 5'2'; it was uncomfortable and there was no way my husband (who was only 5'9';) could even get in that seat. -- I got a mini-van -- uncool in the extreme, but all that space has REALLY come in handy.
Kia Sedona. Yes, it's a mini van, but it has a high safety rating, has a ton of room and comes with plenty of options. When you do go car shopping, bring a big and bulky stroller with you. Make sure it fits in the trunk!!!! ALSO, if you buy used, make sure all seatbelts are shoulder belts and not just lap belts. This will help when baby grows into a booster seat!
I have 2 kids and I drive a Chevy Suburban (Our 2nd car is a VW Passat). Not gas friendly at all but it is roomy. I am trying to convince my husband into getting us a mini van. We have looked into the Kia Sedona and I love it. It's affordable, not too bad on gas and safe (has won several safety awards, has 6 air bags etc). I am not a saleperson but I could be. It still has the room of a SUV but easily to park and drive.


The new ones start off at $21,000 but they have used ones priced for less.


My mom drives a Kia sportage (this is how I was introduced to the mini van) and my kids in their carseats fit nicely in it.


If I only had 1 kid I would consider the Sportage an option also.
The gas mileage is a plus, but as someone stated they are small. If you plan on having more kids I would opt for something a bit bigger. In your price range it does not need to be brand new. I have a mini van and have 2 kids and it is so much easier. Before I had a Saturn Sedan, it was so pretty and my first brand new car, but once we had my second daughter it was just too tight on trips etc. We traded it in on a Toyota Sienna (used) it has been so nice. It is so much easier to get the babies in and out of car seats when you are not reaching in and down. And traveling has been great. And as they have grown (now 7 and 9) the bigger space has been a life saver when transporting friends etc. Or even when family comes to visit, the extra room comes in handy. I never thought I would drive a mom mobile and one of my sister still teases me but she only has one kid, and I could care less now I love the room in the mini van. I would recommend getting one with a slider on both sides. My step dad's only has it on one side and it is a pain to get the second kid in but still fit all of us.
Get a Corolla! I just purchased a 2008 Toyota Corolla S and it is great! The trunk fits a double stroller and STILL has room, its 4 door and a great car on gas and did great on safety ratings. The S stands for Sport which you don't have to get, you can get the regular Corolla and save a buck, the Sport has a body kit and spoiler, really the only difference... my 2 kids fit fine in it and I love it!!





My Dads girlfriend owns a Matrix and its a little small I think.





My husband drives a 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS and it is great size as well, only a little less gas mileage than our Corolla.





By the way - SUVs being high off the ground does not make them safer, they have a much higher roll-over rate.
Saturns are good reliable and dependable cars. I have had 3 already. There was nothing wrong with the cars, I just wanted newer and better and bought yet another saturn. The newer ones get in the upwards of 30 MPG but the older ones get up around 23-25MPG. Good Luck