Help!! My wife and I just had a child (now 10 months old) and are having car problems — we have three cars and only two drivers. We thought we got away with no kids for 13 years, but alas, now we have a kiddo. I need to know what car will replace the versatility of my new-ish Dodge pickup, the fun of my 10th AE Miata and the usefulness of my old ’99 Saturn SL2?
That’s a tall order, Greg. Let me get your dilemma straight before answering: You want a vehicle to replace two or more of your three current cars now that you have a child? I assume the two two-seaters — the truck and the roadster — will have to go. We could give you a better recommendation if there were a price as well, but will go with what we have.
For the versatility aspect and fun-to-drive factor, there are a few SUVs on the market that might fit the bill. The Mazda CX-7, Toyota RAV4 and Mitsubishi Outlander all offer SUV utility with a more sporting nature. You could also consider the Mazda6 wagon or the turbocharged Subaru Outback XT.
Others you might consider, taking out the fun-to-drive factor, would be the Honda CR-V, 2008 Saturn Vue, non-turbo Subaru Outback, Volvo V50 and Hyundai Santa Fe. All of these vehicles scored well in crash tests.
There are many other vehicles. We’d suggest trying the Cars.com Vehicle Recommender, which assembles a list of cars based on certain criteria, like if you want AWD, stability control and a sunroof in the same car, or any of dozens of other possibilities. You can also check out our Buying Guides, which include Cars.com’s Best Bets, our top recommended picks in each segment. Feel free to email us back with more specifics, and good luck with your car shopping.
Obviously, Greg had specific needs for his new car purchase that aren't the same as every new parent out there. If you have different criteria feel free to submit your own question.
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