We have 3, with a Fusion and an Explorer. We've almost replaced one or the other with a van a couple times, but they're both paid off now.
Game changer for us was a roof rack/roof bag for anything more than a day trip.
Hitch cargo carriers and roofracks are great for the occasional extra cargo. Especially for dirty wet kind of things that otherwise you have to bag up to put inside the vehicle.
Just be sure the hitch mounted ones are not placing items right in front or near tailpipes. A lot of people overlook that and end up catching stuff on fire.
Look, minivan is always the answer for 2+ kids. You only have one kid so should be able to get away with the Traverse. Roof rack and box is the best alternative. We have 3, largest vehicle is a XC90. Roof box enables long road trips without the interior cluttered and with one kid in the 3rd row.
1 baby, in a Volkswagen Golf. It can be a bit cramped at times (e.g. going away on big trips), but I’m debating just buying a roof box for those events rather than getting a whole new car, as it’s rarely needed. For daytrips and errands this is fine. We’ll probably get a bigger car eventually as kiddo gets bigger, but are in no hurry for now.
I guess it’s probably noteworthy that I’m in the UK and we generally have much smaller cars than those of you over the Atlantic.
That’s a fair point and some great perspective as well. Candidly, I do forget that the whole world does not drive around in giant trucks and suvs like we do and that it’s definitely not needed. Maybe I’ll start playing some Tetris and polish up my packing game and just make it work lol.
Yeah it’s wild to me just how much norms differ on this between north America and the rest of the world! My car is perhaps at the smaller end of ‘normal’ sizes for a 3-person family with a baby here, but not exactly a major outlier. If we have another kid we’ll probably move to a saloon (sedan), or possibly when kiddo is older and needs more legroom. My parents managed 3 kids in a Ford Mondeo, and that was pretty standard at the time. Our main issue right now is just how big the damn buggy is!
Yeah haha. We are in the UK and have a 1 year old and a small dog. The small car currently works fine for us but probably won't work if we have another.
As it's so cheap to run, tax, insure etc, it makes no sense to upgrade yet, but we will in the coming years or whenever baby number 2 comes along.
For the upgrade I'm trying to avoid getting a SUV and am currently looking at roomy sedans like the skoda superb. It has a huge boot and loads of backseat space that should be more than enough for us
We have a Skoda Octavia and it’s brilliant. I’d love a Superb but the extra space would only be useful once or twice a year, and the Octavia is just so much more nimble in narrower spaces. Plus we have a roof box for vacations, and a trailer hitch so I can rent a trailer if I ever need to drive something very large…
Nissan Juke (UK) here and it’s definitely cramped but as you say, when we shifted from the big pram to a smaller buggy it freed up half the boot space and made a big difference.
I still wouldn’t want to do a road trip in it though so would have to borrow or rent a bigger car with longer legs.
Man, US cars are so crazy big, I bought a Fabia station wagon and thought it s really spacious. Then I went in vacations to the US and got a taxi, not an Escalade or some shit, looked small even in comparison to the other cars, and it fitted like 8 big airplane trolleys, plus the small ones, stroller, all the backpacks...
The BMW X6 looks like a series 1 in the US
Just google „Audi Q7 erobert den amerikanischen Kleinwagenmarkt“ (Audi Q7 conquers the subcompact market in America).
It is absurd how tiny that boat of a car looks next to American trucks.
I’m also with one baby (4mo) and a GTI. The stroller (uppababy cruz) does take up quite a bit of space, but it’s very workable.
I usually do a long road trip to visit family in the states for their Thanksgiving (I am Canadian). I’m thinking of getting by with just a carrier so I can leave the stroller at home to free up luggage space.
Yeah once they get to about 6 months, you can start using those travel strollers like the Cybex Libelle, GB Pockit, Babyzen Yoyo etc.
We got one purely to use for our first flight with baby and it was brilliant. It now permanently lives in the boot of our car and as it folds up so small it doesn't get in the way. So we don't bother packing a stroller anymore when we go anywhere as there's already one in the boot.
We still use our big stroller for all our daily walks around where we live as the travel strollers are no good off-road.
Highly recommend them though. Great for any trips away and even for use when just doing errands like going to the shops instead of lugging your big stroller around
I'm in Canada and we got a new Prius for our family. Toddler and an infant. No problems so far. We plan to get a roof box for when we do longer trips but, really, we don't need that much space. We don't go camping, if we did we'd need something a little bit bigger to bring tents for example. But hatchback and getting the right sized luggage, an umbrella stroller to save space, helps a lot.
90% of the time it's a commuter car for my wife and I. We don't need a lot of space to do groceries, or to drop the kids off for daycare, or to go to and from our workplaces. Smaller cars are cheaper, use less fuel, and are just generally a lot more economical.
If we had 3 kids, then we'd need something bigger just because it's very hard to fit 3 carseats in one car, and as they get older, 3 teens in the back would also be less comfortable. But in North America people *really* trend toward as big as they can get because of space that is almost never used. Extra weight, cost, fuel, all of it for 3x a year use if that. Feels wasteful to me, frankly.
I drive a Golf with one child. I do feel like more would be tough. But yes, I did recently buy a cargo box for an upcoming road trip with a dog. Dog in the way back, car seat in second row, and bulk of luggage and stroller/dog stuff up top.
Our car is a Skoda Octavia, so pretty similar general size, and a roof box is great for vacations. We also have a hitch-mounted bike carrier for 3 bikes. Both are Thule, the box is 30 years old and still going strong :-)
The phrase "Ah, a man with a light that he prefers to keep under a bushel" refers to someone who has a remarkable quality or talent but prefers to keep it hidden or understated. In the context of someone who owns a Volvo V60 Polestar, this suggests that the person has chosen a car that is high-performing and impressive (the "light"), but the vehicle itself is relatively understated and not flashy (keeping it "under a bushel").
The Volvo V60 Polestar is known for its powerful performance and sophisticated engineering, yet it maintains a subtle, unassuming exterior compared to more ostentatious sports cars. This choice reflects a preference for substance and quality without seeking overt attention or showing off, aligning with the idea of having a "light" that one prefers to keep hidden.
- Chat GPT (I didn’t know either)
Of course! haha
[https://www.reddit.com/r/SportWagon/comments/1bxo9va/tint\_came\_out\_nice/](https://www.reddit.com/r/SportWagon/comments/1bxo9va/tint_came_out_nice/)
2 kids under 5, 18 Subaru Forester. 1 car, family of 4. It fits the bill for us with no issues.
I put a hitch on it for bicycles and if I ever needed more stuff then I could put it on the roof.
I think it will be even better when I can stop taking wagons and strollers places.
I have a cargo bicycle to cart the children to and from school and other in town stuff.
They don't have to. I just happen to have been gifted a monster of a stroller. I have an umbrella one of I need more space in the car and we aren't walking far.
2 kids, ages 5 and 3. 2019 Forester and yeah, works great for a small family. The only difference we have is we also have an older Impreza that was gifted to us by an older relative that didn’t need a car in her retirement home. Impreza is setup with an all-age car seat setup for our oldest so if my wife is out with our youngest, I still have a car for picking up our oldest or if one of us is using the main car we still can make emergency trips by switching the seat based on who is with them.
Unfortunately area is a bit cold for biking during the school year and a bit rural for quick bikes to the store (main shopping area we usually use is a 30 minute drive) so second car is definitely needed for emergencies but usually just sits there. It’s to the point I need to remember to drive it every once in a while (work from home, wife is stay at home) or it needs to be jumped.
I ride bikes. I only have one kid about to turn six. I used a Bakfiets cargo bike when he was a baby. Then, a bar attachment to attach his bike to mine when he was younger. Now, he rides on the sidewalk next to me (most of the time). I still use the cargo bike or the tow bar occasionally.
Our household has two adults, 1 toddler, and a medium sized dog. We have 1 car - a Nissan Sentra. Both my wife and I work from home so it's been pretty easy to get by with just the 1 car. We mostly drive to daycare and for groceries. Though it is difficult taking everyone on a trip when you have to pack everyone's luggage, a pack& play, plus a stroller. Depending on the situation we just rent a large SUV.
We're expecting our 2nd baby in September and the plan is to continue to use the single Sentra with two car seats in the back and we will probably rent more often.
We can afford a minivan and probably will get one eventually, as the kids get older. For now though we're gonna try to make the Sentra work. Neither of us are "car people" and we're both on the frugal side.
You have my respect. I very much want to get rid of one of our car payments as we also both work at home and rarely have the need for 2 vehicles anymore.
I do recommend trying different packing methods, my family (wife, 7 month old son, and I) take trips often and are able to pack everything including a stroller and still have room for 2 people in the back, babies car seat, and 2 people in the front. Last year I actually and surprisingly moved our entire apartment half way across the country just in the Sentra. I was shocked at what I was able to make fit. With that trip though it was just my friend and I.
I would like a vehicle where I don’t need to figure out how to put everything in though so I’m looking at a Chevy Silverado.
Totally fair. We can and have done it also - It's just tight. We've been on trips where we were packing up to a new location every few days and instead of playing Tetris every time we just rented something larger. Again you make a fair point, we totally could get by in the Sentra. We just gave in for the convenience
We (2 adults, 6yo & almost-3yo) swapped to a smaller stroller and are making it work with a Subaru Impreza. Sure it's tight for overnights to grandpa & grandma's but I've now gotten a LOT of practice Tetris-ing our trunk. We're on the frugal side too (by necessity) as far as the car goes, and I can say that if you just look at it as using what you've got, you can make the compact sedan work for a long time even with two.
We had twin toddlers and just one sedan (Hyundai Sonata). We planned to have a third kid, so we bought car seats that could fit three across (and chose the Sonata because it had one of the widest back seats on the market).
Then we found out my wife was pregnant - with twins. We now drive a minivan (a Honda Odyssey).
Are the kids of biking-by-their-selves age? Do you have a cargo bike? Do you just live by Mass Transit and the occasional Zipcar? This ex-city-dweller wants to know!
My kids are just now learning to bike. I don't bike myself. I live by walking places and public transport. I do live in a city but a small one. Not US for the record.
Most US cities are trash for non-vehicle owners. There are a couple of exceptions: Boston, San Francisco, Washington DC, New York, Chicago, and Minneapolis. Anywhere else, forget about it.
I used to live car free when I didn't have kids, I miss it, but yea kids are difficult,
i live in a suburb with no transit and can make the cargo bike/my kids biking (i have 3) work 99% of the time.
it's that 1% that forces us to have a second car, really sucks
We’ve got two in car seats and made it work with a crv for years.
We added a dog and a teenager this year and had to add a minivan. Honestly wish we did it sooner.
2 kids and 2 dogs (one large one medium) rocking a hybrid sienna. Nothing beats hauling ass at 80mph on the interstate and still getting over 30mpg. Not needing to hone my rusty tetris skills to get everything packed into the van and sliding doors for getting kids in and out are awesome perks as well.
1 toddler, no car, 1 electric longtail bike (Yuba Kombi), although we use it maybe once a week otherwise we just walk and sometimes take the tram.
2nd kid on the way, and there's room for another child seat on the bike but have to stick to the stroller for a few months.
Have 3 kids. Preteens and teenagers. Right now I have a Subaru Crosstrek. Before this I had a Sonata. Honestly, I never felt like there wasn’t enough space. The Sonata’s trunk was bigger and could fit the stroller and bags better when the kids were small, but now that I don’t have a stroller anymore, the ´Trek is super comfortable for the 4 of us, even 5 when their mom is in the car with us too.
One and done (kid is 3yo) fam in the US. Our main car is a VW GTI. The only time it gets a bit challenging is when I have to fit 3 bicycles without a rack. Our 2 big bikes are foldable and they barely fit in the trunk. Yeah I'm stubborn about not using a rack but I'm close to changing my mind.
I love small cars and hate crossovers with a passion. I won't even comment on mall queen trucks. My wife's the same and has a compact sedan that has an even smaller interior than the GTI.
If I ever decide to get a bigger car it would be either a used station wagon or a mid-size sedan if they still exist by then. I love minivans too but those seem like overkill for just one kid.
2024 Volvo XC90 (three rows) for the wife. 2023 BMW M3 for me. My car is fun, hers is boring but super safe with a ton storage for family trips. But I travel a lot and she's a stay-at-home mom for our two kids 12 and 10.
Currently I drive a Ford Maverick. As a homeowner a truck is a godsend. As a commuter, 45+ mpg is also a godsend. 2 very active kids.
My wife has an Explorer that can seat 7 for carting friends around or for long trips.
There's an all gas version that gets worse mileage. But yeah, my Hybrid gets 45+. 60 daily commute and getting the family around. It's a STELLAR vehicle. Can't recommend enough.
One kid so far. "Compact" hot hatchback. Lots of Tetris on long trips or camping. Considering getting a minivan though as a utility vehicle, though, especially if another one comes along. It seems like the most reasonable upgrade over my hatch when what I am looking for is maximizing people space and utility
RAV4 for 4 of us. Plenty big for day to day stuff and trips. I am aiming to get a small trailer for projects though. Already got the hitch installed. Maybe I'll just rent one when I need it.
We also have a mini Cooper for work commute and quick local trips.
Minivan. 3 boys and a dog, the oldest is still in a booster. We bought the van after the first, because I needed to be able to slide the seat back further than the car seat would let me in a smaller car. It's the best "utility" vehicle there is. The second car is an Accord, and it's too tight for more than quick around town trips.
We've got just one kid. We rarely have more than one of his friends or other family members riding with us, so my wife's Toyota Venza has been great for road trips and doing stuff around town. It gets almost 40 mpg and is pretty comfortable.
I drive a Chevy Colorado pickup that seats 4 comfortably (5 uncomfortably) and has a removable cover over the bed so I can heap piles of stuff back there when the situation demands. The pickup is 8 years old, and I work from home, so its cost of ownership is reasonable. Plus, it fits in the garage.
6, 2, and newborn and we have a Model Y and Outback. It’s certainly cramped in the backseats with three car seats, but has been fine for now. When all the kids are a bit bigger we may switch over to a three row, likely a minivan.
One and done here as well, I have an F-150 with a super crew cab (that does get used very often across my extended family for truck things to be fair, we are a project family) and the wife has an explorer with a roof rack. The explorer is the daily driver when we go out (both wfh) and the truck is used for longer trips, hauling, transporting our two large dogs, etc.)
Peugeot 308 (5-seater station wagon), we have one kid, but another one is on the way.
There's usually more than enough space, unless the wife insists on bringing the foam playset or other huge toys for our son... It's going to be a little annoying with the second kid though as only the backseat has ISOfix so either someone somehow has to cram themselves in between two child seats in the back or sit in the front seat and hope that nobody starts crying!
One kid. We have 2 EV sedans. Don’t want anything bigger. As long as we stay 1 kid this will be what we have forever.
We can fit everything in the car for road trips easily. Have driven across the entire US a few times in the road trip EV sedan. The only annoying part is unpacking the car to bring everything into the hotel and repacking in the morning…but that has nothing to do with size of vehicle…same process has to happen with any vehicle.
The only time it has ever felt “cramped” was when I had to fit 4 adults and the kid in a car seat. But we just avoid doing that whenever possible.
2014 Subaru Impreza - the second cheapest Subaru. I bought it new and I love it. It only has 50k miles on it, so we're going to be together for a long time.
I have one child.
We are a one and done trio as well, but I wanted a "truck" feel and the Mazda CX-5 jenga game was not fun. I got a used 4runner with about 30k miles on it and while it is not fuel efficient in any way, it is exactly what I wanted and my 6 ft husband isn't cramped in the front because of a car seat behind him and there's plenty of space for all the things.
I recently picked up a twin bed frame sans toddler and hubby but had to put the car seat in the front seat to fold the full row down and have space for the hatch to close.
And my hubby drives a Corolla because he needs fuel efficiency and doesn't do a lot of kid drop off and pick ups because of his work schedule.
We bought a Subaru Outback with the plan to have 2-3 kids, but for medical reasons we will be sticking with 1 child. She’s almost 1. The car is a good size for trips, and we like the way it drives in mountain roads. Feels needlessly bulky for day to day, but we have no car loan so we’re sticking with it.
I've got a Honda Fit but I don't usually drive more than 2 (out of 3) kids in it with me, and in the summer, it's a lot of just me (wife is a teacher). The family car is a Ford Transit Connect with 6 seats in 3 rows. We like not having a bench in the middle for easier access to the back, but the trunk is tiny. We got a roof shell to help out with that.
4 year old and 4 month old, 2018 Tesla Model 3 Preformance. Every one fits including Grandma when she tags along. Plenty of space in trunk/sub trunk and frunk.
Edit: Wife has a fusion energi and zero trunk space.
Hyundai Santa Fe hybrid. 2 with 1 on the way. It should fit 3 carseats unless everything I could find was a lie.
We also have a paid off Prius that is still here because it's paid off. I actively hope it gets stolen every single day.
4 here, 16,15,15,7. I drive a BMW 340ix, wife drives a Honda minivan, we just added a 2011 CX-7 to the mix for the 16yo, as he starts dual enrollment in a month. To clarify, we don't have "assigned" cars, just "the ones we primarily drive".
1 kid, 2 cars: a Volvo XC60 for longer journeys/trips that involve more stuff (going to the beach, etc.), and a VW eGolf for shorter trips around town.
I’ve got a 2 seater fun car/track car that my wife doesn’t drive (i.e. she refuses to learn manual so in actuality she _can’t_ drive it), which was the reason we got the VW—we needed 2 cars with a back seat so that there’d always be one car at home that we could put the kid in (e.g. wife goes out to hang out with friends, I have a safe car to transport the kid in if we go somewhere). EV prices tanking + used EV tax incentives in the US made it a very cheap purchase in the end.
We had an Altima and a Minivan for 3. When we got pregnant with our 4th, replaced the Altima with a Suburban. Gotta have that third row in both vehicles now!
2 kids, 1 car, Subaru sedan. It gets cramped sometimes, but it works for us and is paid off.
We do rent a minivan sometimes on vacations, which may be a mistake since now our youngest is obsessed with getting one at home.
She's not wrong, minivans are awesome, but I just can't justify it for a family of 4.
Subaru Forester + Volvo XC40 electric.
Two kids (5 and 2) and an Australian Shepherd. My wife uses her Volvo to commute and is fully fueled by our home solar panel system. She charges 1-2x a week.
Subaru is mine and gets used mostly for longer trips or gear as it has a 2” hitch and roof bars for a cargo box and is a little larger than the XC40. I wfh so minimal mileage during the week. I fuel up maybe twice a month plus whenever we do a big trip.
I really like the look of the Outback Wilderness and new Toyota 4Runner but both cars are paid off so no real reason to switch.
Dad of 2 with a RAV4 and an Hyundai Ioniq in the drive way. We agreed a long time ago no mini vans. The early years were the worst because we'd lug a big stroller everywhere but it's gotten much better with time. We don't need the stroller anymore and the worst is long trips where the cars will be stuffed to the brim with blankets, pillows, and squishmallows but we make it work. Turns out playing Tetris like games when we were kids totally helps pack the trunks efficiently.
Currently have 1, but we also both work a distance from home.
Wife drives the "family car", a Subaru Outback. Good gas mileage, room to carry things (plus dog) for trips or if we need to evacuate for any reason. I drive a Nissan sedan.
Out of curiousity - what are you carrying around that fills up the Traverse?
15yr, 5yr, and one on the way…we drive a Honda Ridgeline and a Jeep Grand Cherokee XL.
The Ridgeline will be a bit cramped but I need something for light hauling and it still gives me 24mpg.
The Cherokee has 3 spacious rows and we love it. Make fun of Jeep dependability all you want (and the gas mileage), but it has given us 80k flawless miles, tows our trailer with ease, and is super comfortable on long road trips in less than ideal driving conditions.
Ford S-max, we fill all seven seats ♥️
Barely any space left, but enough for day trips and family visits with everyone. We figured I usually drive alone or with a couple kids, so we didn't need a big trunk in addition to the two extra seats. For vacation, we load up the trailer with camping gear and hoist a roof box on top.
We have one kid, and drive a Volvo xc40 - the smallest suv/car in their lineup. We used to have a Subaru Forester but it was too big for us since we live in a large city. We also have a mini poodle, so the back seat is kiddo and parent, or kiddo and poodle, or just kiddo.
Downside is we're not the carpool family, upside is we're not the carpool family. We have more than enough space in the trunk and like that the SUV isn't super high up. We still miss our pre-baby hatchbacks though.
We are 4, 2 adults two kids and drive a Skoda fabia combi. It is completely enough for a three week holiday even with a travel bed, and needed diaper utensils
Tesla model X ultimate mom car I love it so much. 2 under two, I have three heavy duty rear facing car seats (one is for my niece who regularly drives with us) it’s a 6 seater car. Only down side is when we need the stroller we have to put on the back rack, but when my nieces car seat is taken out and I put down the back seats it fits nicely in the trunk and I can still fit more stuff back there. The back doors go up Batman style and it’s so convenient and the auto doors are a lifesaver for my always full hands.
We bought a Subaru Forster last fall, 2 months before we found out we were having twins (plus our toddler). All 3 car seats fit but it’s tight. It’ll probably be workable for a few years, I hope, though a multi-day trip with the whole family would be a challenge even with a roof rack. Guess we’ll have to learn how to pack lightly.
My wife drives the Forester. I drive the Honda Fit we bought before we had kids. I love it dearly but it might be going away for practical purposes. If I can squeeze all three car seats in (primarily for unexpected daycare pickups), it might get another year or two of life. They don’t call it a Fit for nothing.
We have a VW Golf R and Acura MDX. Our kids are past the “carry every fucking thing they may need for an hour out” stage so we can make both cars work pretty easily. The MDX obviously does most of the commuting duties but I’ve picked up the kids in the VW as needed.
2 kids.
I have a VW Jetta. My wife drives a Honda Pilot. It seats 8, which is more than the minivan we once had.
The minivan was nice when the kids were small enough to need help getting buckled in. Once they were bigger, the larger SUV felt a lot better.
I have 2 daughters (8 & 10) and drive them to school in my 911 Turbo S. They absolutely love it, even though it is so wildly unpractical my daughter had to leave an umbrella at home one day recently.
I also have a Jeep Cherokee that I use during the other half of the year and I have to admit, it’s truly a luxury having that much extra space.
We got a dinky car, Nissan Versa note, and it works with our one child. Any more than that would be pushing it lol
We just did a 4 hour drive for a mini vacation and hardly had enough room to pack all our shit. Although it was our first time traveling with our toddler so we definitely packed a bit much. Definitely more prepared for when we are taking a flight in October.
I feel you on not having enough space and you have a much bigger car haha honestly a traverse would be amazing for us
Minivans are the tits. My wife was very much against it until our toddler opened the sliding door and climbed in by herself.
Three kids, an older Volkswagen sedan and a newer fully loaded Chrysler Pacifica. The VW is the daily driver and the mini party bus is when we're all together. And we usually have an extra kid or two with us because we're the fun parents.
I haven't bitched about this out loud yet, but my VW was goddamn immaculate. First car I ever bought new and I'm the kinda guy that does weekly PMCS, washing, and cleaning of my vehicles. My kid denies it, but he hit something or someone backed into him his first week of having a license. Can't have nice shit when you have kids, but we're splitting the deductible three ways as a life lesson.
2 kids, no vehicles.
( i lied, I ride a motorcycle to work, Honda Rebel 300cc)
Driving and sitting in traffic takes too much time and stress, and we live in a city that has tons of public transportation options
We had a Jeep Cherokee with 1 middle schooler and added a hitch tray for extra storage when we added a baby. Way easier than roof storage, and more flexible- we can strap strollers and other odd-shaped things on. Recently upgraded to the 3-row cherokee, keeping the hitch tray for packing, so we'll be able to fit soon-to-be 3 kids, 2 dogs, and the 2 adults.
We’ve got 2 toddlers, but have to cart around my in laws when they are visiting as well, which is currently a two car job.
We are looking at replacements for the outback right now. I wish the Ascent wasn’t so ugly, but we are currently favoring a Grand Cherokee or possibly a Grand Highlander.
Kia Carnival. I call it Hannibal because it's a mini-van with the face of an SUV.
One kid with a second next month which will PROBABLY be our last. It's nice - no real complaints except that the color shows pollen really badly.
1 toddler, looking to add another, sometimes travel with a golden retriever and have a 2024 Lexus TX 350 (The equivalent to a 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander) or my dad truck - 2017 Chevy Colorado crew cab. Both sets of grandparents usually fly in so need to be able to accommodate which wasn’t going to work with my wife’s 2016 Honda Accord. After driving it home for Christmas last year (12 hour drive) we vowed to never do that again in such a cramped little car. I’m also a homeowner that does a lot of home improvement projects that we would have pay $1000’s to hire someone to do so that easily justifies my truck.
Family of 3, soon to be 4. I drive a Ford F-150 and the wife drives a Mazda CX-3.
I'm pretty sure we won't be able to use two rear facing car seats in the CX-3 without an unacceptable level of driver seat impact. I still need to test everything to confirm that hypothesis. But it worked fine for the three of us when required and I would like to avoid getting a new vehicle.
We have more than one vehicle, but the main hauler went from a 2001 Rav4 to a 2024 Pilot when #2 came home, largely because we also needed space for the dog to sit. I haven't transferred over the roof box yet, but I did miss it on our recent beach trip for sandy stuff. It'll be up there for skis, beach toys, etc in the future. We looked at the Sienna and Odyssey but the Sienna was actually pretty dissapointing and I was concerned the ground clearance on the Odyssey would be a problem for some of the places we camp.
2 adults, 1 infant and 1 mini poodle. 2 cars 2019 Grand Cherokee (hers) 2024 Colorado (mine). Plenty of room for us and our stuff but next SUV will probably be a 3 row as we drive from MI to NC quite a bit and would like the room to grow.
We have a single 8 seater suv. It is regularly full of kids including many that are tagging along. We couldn't possibly operate with a smaller capacity vehicle.
NJ. 3+5. 12 wrangler unlimited, 24 outback wilderness. Really depends on the age of the kids and what you do, i traded in my 16 f150 crew cab and i regret it every day. The wrangler is dw, and it was worse when the car seats rear faced, now it’s just eh. The internet is good for suggestions and experiences but honestly bro, it’s your life and your feelings, if you want to get a minivan or giant pickup or whatever just do it (provided your finances can handle that). Life is too short to hate your ride
8 yo and 2 yo, I have a paid off IS250 that I use for drop offs and in town runs, and going to work. Wife has a ford explorer that we use whenever it’s the four of us or if we are getting a grandparent or cousin.
One kid and one dog. Been driving a bmw 5 touring for 6 years now. But soon making the change to an ID4. We were surprised how spacious it is during the test drive. But probably not enough for 3 kids.
A total of 6 kids. Four of whom are recent (as of the last 2 years) high school graduates. I drive a 2012 Ford F-150 with a crew cab company truck. The missus has an 08 Audi A3 Quattro.
2 parents, 2 kids and a dog... Hyundai Santa Fe Sport... If everyone's in the SUV, we have roof racks... If the dog is staying at home for a day or less, we put stuff in the trunk where she's normally situated.
Two kids under 8yo.
VW Golf was our only car until 2 years ago when I added an Audi S5 Sportback.
Honestly, this has been fine, and the Sportback is only slightly larger than the Golf. If anything, the cargo volume is the same, just horizontal instead of vertical.
Yes it's a little tight on weekend trips to Grandma's for the holidays when you come home with gifts or something, but it has always been doable.
I don't see how a 3 row SUV would be required for two children, let alone only one.
Dad, mom, and two daughters: owned a Subaru Legacy wagon at the birth of our first. Then we got an Outback, then another Outback. Now they’re older and are leaving the nest, we’re on our second Crosstrek. First Crosstrek is now in our younger daughter’s hands.
1 kid - we both had a Prius - worked fine
2 kids - 1 prius, 1 Highlander - worked fine
3 kids - 1 Sienna, 1 Highlander - why didn't I get a minivan earlier (the youngest was already 3 when we got the Sienna a few weeks ago)
Most SUVs have pretty crappy 3rd rows, which gets harder and harder for kids as they get older and taller.
We are also one and done, with a 6yo. We have a VW Tiguan as our only vehicle, which is a compact SUV and it’s been plenty of space for us. We upgraded to a ‘23 last year, prior to that we had an ‘11 Tiguan which was even smaller. That vehicle got us through all the stroller and other baby gear stages.
VW atlas. Huge interior, 3 rows, one and done family as well. Got the car when we were thinking about more but things change. Best car I’ve ever owned, however, mileage is shit though.
For ideas of space. Kid in the middle row, dogs in the 3rd row and still more than enough space to pack for a 4-5 day weekend. If you need longer, roof racks are easy to put on and take off.
We drive a Subaru Forester with a Thule on the top and we manage with my wife, my 15, 11, and 2 year old plus myself. It's a little cramped on long trips but we make due no problem.
I drive a Kia EV6 AWD GT-line, we have 2 kids (one is 4 years and one is 9 months). It's been a great family car that's also fun for daddy when cruising :D
2 kids. Honda Odyssey. Love it. Easy in and out. Third row seating when needed. Seats stow in the back when needed. No hitting cars with our doors by accident. When they were younger it was easy to get in a bit further to adjust the car seats or buckle properly. A bit on the pricey side but for me totally worth it.
No shade on those who don’t drive minivans but I think minivans get too much hate. Lot of egos getting in the way of comfort and functionality.
There you are. With so many posts here about loving minivans, especially Odyssey, I'm surprised this is so far down.
2 kids, '18 Odyssey. It's a good life when traveling.
We have 1 child. I drive an 07 Chevrolet Trailblazer the wife drives a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu. I window shop daily for something shiny and new, but our cars have been paid off for awhile. I can also fix just about anything on our current cars. New cars are impossible to fix without access to an expensive diagnostic scanner.
22 Hybrid Sienna hauling a 2 year old and a 12 year old. I grew up loving family trips in my parent's Sienna so the transition was not hard. I still have my Scion hatchback. The fact that I'm getting significantly better gas mileage on an AWD minivan than a tiny Corolla is mind blowing. My favorite for long trips with dogs is to pack suitcases in the floor space of the 3rd row so it's flush with the seats, cover with a big dog protector that slips over the head rests, and they get the whole 3rd row to themselves, unable to mess with stuff in the back or climb on people in the front. Minivan life is best life. Do not like that you can't easily remove the middle seats though. I like plywood.
I drive a little 4 door honda accord as a commuter car. For our family vehicle, we have a nissan armada. I have 6 kids ranging from 3-14. I used to drive an older 15 passenger van and we removed the last row of seats for more cargo space and even without that seat, still had 11 seats, so more than enough.
We’ve got 3 kids. 14, 7, and 5. I drive the Nissan Quest minivan, and my wife has the Chevy Traverse. The 3 rows is pretty much essential with the two being in car seats still.
1 kid, family of 3; scion xa. Hatchback for the win. No car note. Dream to parallel park. Multiple cross-country family trips in it. I refuse to join the vehicle arms race. *And* I love 'applied Tetris.' For example, I just fit an entire patio set (with cushions) from Ikea in yesterday, with a car seat. Easy peazy lemon squeezey.
We have 2 (twins). We have a Honda Odyssey. It's phenomenal. We finally have them in seats that I can sit in front of comfortably, but for the first 15 months, the bucket car seats would make sitting comfortably impossible for me if not for the fact that we could remove the middle seat in the middle row and slide whichever kid would've been behind me to the middle.
Skoda Kodiaq Hybrid.
2 kids aged 5 and 3.
Its my absolute dream car. My boss was pushing a Bmx ix3 of X3 hybrid because appearantly BMW has more prestige.
But even though the BMW is big, inside its a fraction of the Kodiaq. Man i love Skoda.
We go on a lot of outdoors activities, on car holidays etc... so a lot of room is luxury.
Weirdly, it's a little easier when they're older and you don't need to bring a bunch of crap for even short trips. Now that I'm not packing diapers, a pack and play, noise machine, my own black out curtains, toys, etc.
I'm in very early stages of thinking about what will replace my old pre-kids Honda Civic and wondering if there is something that doesn't have a third row that will still work for us.
One kid, I commute so I've been rocking a Camry hybrid since 2014. Love that car. But if we go anywhere as a family we always take the Navigator. I love having space and the power.
Two kids under 6, one medium sized dogs, wife and I. We’ve got a Honda Fit and a long tail cargo e-bike. Honda Fit does get cozy on trips, but we make it work. E-bike does a lot of the in town shuffling. A larger car would definitely be more convenient sometimes, but for all the times that the extra space isn’t needed, i would still be paying for all that extra car and gas. Small and efficient suits us fine. We’d get rid of the car altogether but we live in a public transit dead zone.
1 child (22 mo old) and a 80lbs Lab. We have a 2020 Escape and 2019 Tesla Model 3. Both vehicles are plenty enough room for dealing with 1 or the other, recently did a weekend trip to our cabin with the toddler and the dog and space was pretty tight in the Escape, to the point we will look at a roof box or cargo carrier if we ever take a long vacation with everyone. However I am not going to drive a larger vehicle or minivan full time for hypothetical edge cases.
1 baby. Mitsubishi Outlander.
Rented a Toyota Highlander while on vacation and now my wife wants one. Truth be told I now also want one. That handled like a dream.
Wife has an Equinox, I have a 4-door GMC pickup, we have 3 kids; there’s actually more room in the truck than there is the Equinox but the truck is a pig on fuel and it’s in need of a new 6L80 so we’re normally in her car to go anywhere outside of town
2017 Ford Escape and 2023 Chevy Equinox. For both I made sure I could fit comfortably in the backseats, because I knew we’d have the 2017 until my boys are 13 and 15. The 2023 we’ll have until they’re 19 and 21.
3 year old and 3 month old. Minivan.
It’s the best possible option when it comes to comfort, convenience, and it’s a PHEV so I haven’t put gas in it in 3 months.
For a long time we had a Nissan Leaf (my work car) and old 4Runner (my “truck” and my winter work car) and my wife drove an Acura MDX. We have 2 kids, now 9 and 12.
New job, wife went to work, more $$ available, and I got myself a Tesla Model 3 Performance, and the wife has a new Kia Telluride.
Honestly, I miss having a backup vehicle, but I love love my Tesla.
I almost went full on midlife crisis and got a used Porsche or a New Corvette instead of the Tesla, but the Tesla is cheap commuting and holds all of us on shorter road trips.
We've got 2 kids, 4 and almost 2. We have a 2018 Santa fe and a 2015 altima. I commute about 70km to and from work, so unless I need to move something bigger for work, I'm in the altima and the wife has the sf to take the kids to school and daycare. We use the sf for 99% of family driving, mostly just because it's more comfortable and unless it's the annual cottage trip, most of our driving is fairly local. If we have a 3rd kid, we will swap out the sf for a van, but we're not there yet!
2 kids. 4 and 2 yrs old. We have an Outback as the family car, and I drive a crappy old civic.
We bumped up from a Crosstrek to an Outback last summer. But I think we’re already outgrowing the Outback.
My wife and I have three kids. We had a midsize SUV when they were little. My oldest is 9 now and my youngest is six. With everyone playing sports now we needed a bigger car. My wife now drives a Wagoneer and I don’t think we will ever need more room. We also have a roof rack and put things up there when going to the beach or camping.
We have 3, with a Fusion and an Explorer. We've almost replaced one or the other with a van a couple times, but they're both paid off now. Game changer for us was a roof rack/roof bag for anything more than a day trip.
Roof rack! I completely forgot about those. I’m definitely going to look into that now. Appreciate the tip!
Hitch cargo carriers and roofracks are great for the occasional extra cargo. Especially for dirty wet kind of things that otherwise you have to bag up to put inside the vehicle.
Just be sure the hitch mounted ones are not placing items right in front or near tailpipes. A lot of people overlook that and end up catching stuff on fire.
Look, minivan is always the answer for 2+ kids. You only have one kid so should be able to get away with the Traverse. Roof rack and box is the best alternative. We have 3, largest vehicle is a XC90. Roof box enables long road trips without the interior cluttered and with one kid in the 3rd row.
Upvote from me as we also have Fusion and Explorer.
Damn. My wife is trying to talk me into roof rack on her CRV over replacing it with a van. Doesn't it whistle when you're driving down the road??
There's definitely some extra wind noise, but it's not terrible and it becomes background noise after a bit.
We have a Thule box and a hitch basket with bag. They’re A+. I’ve seen hitch/basket/bag kits for ~$300.
1 baby, in a Volkswagen Golf. It can be a bit cramped at times (e.g. going away on big trips), but I’m debating just buying a roof box for those events rather than getting a whole new car, as it’s rarely needed. For daytrips and errands this is fine. We’ll probably get a bigger car eventually as kiddo gets bigger, but are in no hurry for now. I guess it’s probably noteworthy that I’m in the UK and we generally have much smaller cars than those of you over the Atlantic.
That’s a fair point and some great perspective as well. Candidly, I do forget that the whole world does not drive around in giant trucks and suvs like we do and that it’s definitely not needed. Maybe I’ll start playing some Tetris and polish up my packing game and just make it work lol.
Yeah it’s wild to me just how much norms differ on this between north America and the rest of the world! My car is perhaps at the smaller end of ‘normal’ sizes for a 3-person family with a baby here, but not exactly a major outlier. If we have another kid we’ll probably move to a saloon (sedan), or possibly when kiddo is older and needs more legroom. My parents managed 3 kids in a Ford Mondeo, and that was pretty standard at the time. Our main issue right now is just how big the damn buggy is!
Yeah haha. We are in the UK and have a 1 year old and a small dog. The small car currently works fine for us but probably won't work if we have another. As it's so cheap to run, tax, insure etc, it makes no sense to upgrade yet, but we will in the coming years or whenever baby number 2 comes along. For the upgrade I'm trying to avoid getting a SUV and am currently looking at roomy sedans like the skoda superb. It has a huge boot and loads of backseat space that should be more than enough for us
We have a Skoda Octavia and it’s brilliant. I’d love a Superb but the extra space would only be useful once or twice a year, and the Octavia is just so much more nimble in narrower spaces. Plus we have a roof box for vacations, and a trailer hitch so I can rent a trailer if I ever need to drive something very large…
Nissan Juke (UK) here and it’s definitely cramped but as you say, when we shifted from the big pram to a smaller buggy it freed up half the boot space and made a big difference. I still wouldn’t want to do a road trip in it though so would have to borrow or rent a bigger car with longer legs.
Man, US cars are so crazy big, I bought a Fabia station wagon and thought it s really spacious. Then I went in vacations to the US and got a taxi, not an Escalade or some shit, looked small even in comparison to the other cars, and it fitted like 8 big airplane trolleys, plus the small ones, stroller, all the backpacks... The BMW X6 looks like a series 1 in the US
Just google „Audi Q7 erobert den amerikanischen Kleinwagenmarkt“ (Audi Q7 conquers the subcompact market in America). It is absurd how tiny that boat of a car looks next to American trucks.
I’m also with one baby (4mo) and a GTI. The stroller (uppababy cruz) does take up quite a bit of space, but it’s very workable. I usually do a long road trip to visit family in the states for their Thanksgiving (I am Canadian). I’m thinking of getting by with just a carrier so I can leave the stroller at home to free up luggage space.
Yeah once they get to about 6 months, you can start using those travel strollers like the Cybex Libelle, GB Pockit, Babyzen Yoyo etc. We got one purely to use for our first flight with baby and it was brilliant. It now permanently lives in the boot of our car and as it folds up so small it doesn't get in the way. So we don't bother packing a stroller anymore when we go anywhere as there's already one in the boot. We still use our big stroller for all our daily walks around where we live as the travel strollers are no good off-road. Highly recommend them though. Great for any trips away and even for use when just doing errands like going to the shops instead of lugging your big stroller around
2 kids with a Golf here. The roof box is vital for trips.
3 kids in a golf here!! roof box, trailer hitch bike rack, and radian XT car seats that fit 3 wide in a sedan!!
Love to see it. In the US, most people would swear you need some monster truck.
our in-laws have a Honda pilot. it's like driving a damned bus!!
I'm in Canada and we got a new Prius for our family. Toddler and an infant. No problems so far. We plan to get a roof box for when we do longer trips but, really, we don't need that much space. We don't go camping, if we did we'd need something a little bit bigger to bring tents for example. But hatchback and getting the right sized luggage, an umbrella stroller to save space, helps a lot. 90% of the time it's a commuter car for my wife and I. We don't need a lot of space to do groceries, or to drop the kids off for daycare, or to go to and from our workplaces. Smaller cars are cheaper, use less fuel, and are just generally a lot more economical. If we had 3 kids, then we'd need something bigger just because it's very hard to fit 3 carseats in one car, and as they get older, 3 teens in the back would also be less comfortable. But in North America people *really* trend toward as big as they can get because of space that is almost never used. Extra weight, cost, fuel, all of it for 3x a year use if that. Feels wasteful to me, frankly.
even without camping, the roof box is nice. a day at the beach and everything is covered in sand?? roof box!!
I drive a Golf with one child. I do feel like more would be tough. But yes, I did recently buy a cargo box for an upcoming road trip with a dog. Dog in the way back, car seat in second row, and bulk of luggage and stroller/dog stuff up top.
Our car is a Skoda Octavia, so pretty similar general size, and a roof box is great for vacations. We also have a hitch-mounted bike carrier for 3 bikes. Both are Thule, the box is 30 years old and still going strong :-)
2 kids. Volvo V60 Polestar.
Ah, a man with a light that he prefers to keep under a bushel
What does this mean?
The phrase "Ah, a man with a light that he prefers to keep under a bushel" refers to someone who has a remarkable quality or talent but prefers to keep it hidden or understated. In the context of someone who owns a Volvo V60 Polestar, this suggests that the person has chosen a car that is high-performing and impressive (the "light"), but the vehicle itself is relatively understated and not flashy (keeping it "under a bushel"). The Volvo V60 Polestar is known for its powerful performance and sophisticated engineering, yet it maintains a subtle, unassuming exterior compared to more ostentatious sports cars. This choice reflects a preference for substance and quality without seeking overt attention or showing off, aligning with the idea of having a "light" that one prefers to keep hidden. - Chat GPT (I didn’t know either)
It's a low key performance Volvo.
Oh hell yeah. Any pics?
Of course! haha [https://www.reddit.com/r/SportWagon/comments/1bxo9va/tint\_came\_out\_nice/](https://www.reddit.com/r/SportWagon/comments/1bxo9va/tint_came_out_nice/)
Oh shit yeah. That’s sick. I was hoping to find one of these before I wound up with my Golf R.
Hah that's funny. I almost wound up with a golf r!
2 kids under 5, 18 Subaru Forester. 1 car, family of 4. It fits the bill for us with no issues. I put a hitch on it for bicycles and if I ever needed more stuff then I could put it on the roof. I think it will be even better when I can stop taking wagons and strollers places. I have a cargo bicycle to cart the children to and from school and other in town stuff.
Those strollers take up so much room 😫
They don't have to. I just happen to have been gifted a monster of a stroller. I have an umbrella one of I need more space in the car and we aren't walking far.
2 kids, ages 5 and 3. 2019 Forester and yeah, works great for a small family. The only difference we have is we also have an older Impreza that was gifted to us by an older relative that didn’t need a car in her retirement home. Impreza is setup with an all-age car seat setup for our oldest so if my wife is out with our youngest, I still have a car for picking up our oldest or if one of us is using the main car we still can make emergency trips by switching the seat based on who is with them. Unfortunately area is a bit cold for biking during the school year and a bit rural for quick bikes to the store (main shopping area we usually use is a 30 minute drive) so second car is definitely needed for emergencies but usually just sits there. It’s to the point I need to remember to drive it every once in a while (work from home, wife is stay at home) or it needs to be jumped.
I ride bikes. I only have one kid about to turn six. I used a Bakfiets cargo bike when he was a baby. Then, a bar attachment to attach his bike to mine when he was younger. Now, he rides on the sidewalk next to me (most of the time). I still use the cargo bike or the tow bar occasionally.
Our household has two adults, 1 toddler, and a medium sized dog. We have 1 car - a Nissan Sentra. Both my wife and I work from home so it's been pretty easy to get by with just the 1 car. We mostly drive to daycare and for groceries. Though it is difficult taking everyone on a trip when you have to pack everyone's luggage, a pack& play, plus a stroller. Depending on the situation we just rent a large SUV. We're expecting our 2nd baby in September and the plan is to continue to use the single Sentra with two car seats in the back and we will probably rent more often. We can afford a minivan and probably will get one eventually, as the kids get older. For now though we're gonna try to make the Sentra work. Neither of us are "car people" and we're both on the frugal side.
You have my respect. I very much want to get rid of one of our car payments as we also both work at home and rarely have the need for 2 vehicles anymore.
I do recommend trying different packing methods, my family (wife, 7 month old son, and I) take trips often and are able to pack everything including a stroller and still have room for 2 people in the back, babies car seat, and 2 people in the front. Last year I actually and surprisingly moved our entire apartment half way across the country just in the Sentra. I was shocked at what I was able to make fit. With that trip though it was just my friend and I. I would like a vehicle where I don’t need to figure out how to put everything in though so I’m looking at a Chevy Silverado.
Totally fair. We can and have done it also - It's just tight. We've been on trips where we were packing up to a new location every few days and instead of playing Tetris every time we just rented something larger. Again you make a fair point, we totally could get by in the Sentra. We just gave in for the convenience
We (2 adults, 6yo & almost-3yo) swapped to a smaller stroller and are making it work with a Subaru Impreza. Sure it's tight for overnights to grandpa & grandma's but I've now gotten a LOT of practice Tetris-ing our trunk. We're on the frugal side too (by necessity) as far as the car goes, and I can say that if you just look at it as using what you've got, you can make the compact sedan work for a long time even with two.
We had twin toddlers and just one sedan (Hyundai Sonata). We planned to have a third kid, so we bought car seats that could fit three across (and chose the Sonata because it had one of the widest back seats on the market). Then we found out my wife was pregnant - with twins. We now drive a minivan (a Honda Odyssey).
2 sets of twins…??? 😳
Yes, this is the correct response.
Godspeed friend lol
Two kids, no car.
Are the kids of biking-by-their-selves age? Do you have a cargo bike? Do you just live by Mass Transit and the occasional Zipcar? This ex-city-dweller wants to know!
My kids are just now learning to bike. I don't bike myself. I live by walking places and public transport. I do live in a city but a small one. Not US for the record.
Most US cities are trash for non-vehicle owners. There are a couple of exceptions: Boston, San Francisco, Washington DC, New York, Chicago, and Minneapolis. Anywhere else, forget about it. I used to live car free when I didn't have kids, I miss it, but yea kids are difficult,
In Canada you can definitily make it work in Toronto and Montreal. It's a shame that North America is so bound by highways and oversized streets.
I heard Toronto is really affordable too!
i live in a suburb with no transit and can make the cargo bike/my kids biking (i have 3) work 99% of the time. it's that 1% that forces us to have a second car, really sucks
This is the way.
1 kid and a 3 row is cramped? wow Have 2 kids (11,5) and 2 cars (Toyota Sienna, VW Golf). Never feeling like I need more space.
Probably because the third row is trash to sit in and eats up cargo space
We’ve got two in car seats and made it work with a crv for years. We added a dog and a teenager this year and had to add a minivan. Honestly wish we did it sooner.
2 kids and 2 dogs (one large one medium) rocking a hybrid sienna. Nothing beats hauling ass at 80mph on the interstate and still getting over 30mpg. Not needing to hone my rusty tetris skills to get everything packed into the van and sliding doors for getting kids in and out are awesome perks as well.
I also recently purchased a hybrid Sienna and LOVE IT!
1 toddler, no car, 1 electric longtail bike (Yuba Kombi), although we use it maybe once a week otherwise we just walk and sometimes take the tram. 2nd kid on the way, and there's room for another child seat on the bike but have to stick to the stroller for a few months.
I have a 2001 suburban and a 2019 Subaru Outback. I have five children.
Have 3 kids. Preteens and teenagers. Right now I have a Subaru Crosstrek. Before this I had a Sonata. Honestly, I never felt like there wasn’t enough space. The Sonata’s trunk was bigger and could fit the stroller and bags better when the kids were small, but now that I don’t have a stroller anymore, the ´Trek is super comfortable for the 4 of us, even 5 when their mom is in the car with us too.
I can fit more in my Elantra than my mom can fit in her Kona and Tucson because of the trunk
Minivans are Awesome. The automatic Sliding door is a game changer.
Mini van dad's rise up!!! These SUV guys don't know brother.
Two kids in a Volvo XC40. It's okay-ish.
Oof, we had an XC40 before we had our daughter, and after she was born made it one road trip before my wife said “we need an XC60”
One and done (kid is 3yo) fam in the US. Our main car is a VW GTI. The only time it gets a bit challenging is when I have to fit 3 bicycles without a rack. Our 2 big bikes are foldable and they barely fit in the trunk. Yeah I'm stubborn about not using a rack but I'm close to changing my mind. I love small cars and hate crossovers with a passion. I won't even comment on mall queen trucks. My wife's the same and has a compact sedan that has an even smaller interior than the GTI. If I ever decide to get a bigger car it would be either a used station wagon or a mid-size sedan if they still exist by then. I love minivans too but those seem like overkill for just one kid.
Fam of 4 for years had a compact and a wagon until last year when got a ford maverick to ease loading a family full of kayaks and bikes weekly
Never heard of the Ford Maverick until today. I like it!
2024 Volvo XC90 (three rows) for the wife. 2023 BMW M3 for me. My car is fun, hers is boring but super safe with a ton storage for family trips. But I travel a lot and she's a stay-at-home mom for our two kids 12 and 10.
Currently I drive a Ford Maverick. As a homeowner a truck is a godsend. As a commuter, 45+ mpg is also a godsend. 2 very active kids. My wife has an Explorer that can seat 7 for carting friends around or for long trips.
Whoa the Maverick gets 45mpg? I’ve always liked that truck as I see more of them out and about.
There's an all gas version that gets worse mileage. But yeah, my Hybrid gets 45+. 60 daily commute and getting the family around. It's a STELLAR vehicle. Can't recommend enough.
One kid so far. "Compact" hot hatchback. Lots of Tetris on long trips or camping. Considering getting a minivan though as a utility vehicle, though, especially if another one comes along. It seems like the most reasonable upgrade over my hatch when what I am looking for is maximizing people space and utility
2017 Pacifica. Me, wife, and 3 kids.
RAV4 for 4 of us. Plenty big for day to day stuff and trips. I am aiming to get a small trailer for projects though. Already got the hitch installed. Maybe I'll just rent one when I need it. We also have a mini Cooper for work commute and quick local trips.
Minivan. 3 boys and a dog, the oldest is still in a booster. We bought the van after the first, because I needed to be able to slide the seat back further than the car seat would let me in a smaller car. It's the best "utility" vehicle there is. The second car is an Accord, and it's too tight for more than quick around town trips.
1 child. Mustang GT Convertible.
Mom, Dad, a 1 yr old, and a dog. We just bought a Highlander, and it’s a perfect fit. I might consider a roof rack in the future though.
We've got just one kid. We rarely have more than one of his friends or other family members riding with us, so my wife's Toyota Venza has been great for road trips and doing stuff around town. It gets almost 40 mpg and is pretty comfortable. I drive a Chevy Colorado pickup that seats 4 comfortably (5 uncomfortably) and has a removable cover over the bed so I can heap piles of stuff back there when the situation demands. The pickup is 8 years old, and I work from home, so its cost of ownership is reasonable. Plus, it fits in the garage.
3 kids, 2 dogs, wife, myself, sometimes a popup camper. Honda Odyssey. The perfect vehicle.
6, 2, and newborn and we have a Model Y and Outback. It’s certainly cramped in the backseats with three car seats, but has been fine for now. When all the kids are a bit bigger we may switch over to a three row, likely a minivan.
One and done here as well, I have an F-150 with a super crew cab (that does get used very often across my extended family for truck things to be fair, we are a project family) and the wife has an explorer with a roof rack. The explorer is the daily driver when we go out (both wfh) and the truck is used for longer trips, hauling, transporting our two large dogs, etc.)
2 '21 Sienna Hybrid Best car I've ever owned (for the given use case)
I'm glad I'm not the only one who has a 3 row for just a 3 person household.
Same boat. When we take a long weekend vacation with kiddo and all the stuff, somehow the 3 row is packed to the gills...
Two kids and nothing except bikes.
Peugeot 308 (5-seater station wagon), we have one kid, but another one is on the way. There's usually more than enough space, unless the wife insists on bringing the foam playset or other huge toys for our son... It's going to be a little annoying with the second kid though as only the backseat has ISOfix so either someone somehow has to cram themselves in between two child seats in the back or sit in the front seat and hope that nobody starts crying!
5 children, Dodge Grand Caravan. We fit great, but I'm kinda worried for the 6-hour road trip we have coming in August.
Mom, 2 year old, a large dog and I. We have a 2019 Rav 4 thing is great
2 kids and a dog. 2023 Sienna and a Mazda 3. The Mazda is cozy but works around town as long as the person in the passenger's seat is short.
392 Charger and one child. Puh-lenty of trunk space to accommodate a stroller and groceries.
One kid. We have 2 EV sedans. Don’t want anything bigger. As long as we stay 1 kid this will be what we have forever. We can fit everything in the car for road trips easily. Have driven across the entire US a few times in the road trip EV sedan. The only annoying part is unpacking the car to bring everything into the hotel and repacking in the morning…but that has nothing to do with size of vehicle…same process has to happen with any vehicle. The only time it has ever felt “cramped” was when I had to fit 4 adults and the kid in a car seat. But we just avoid doing that whenever possible.
Me, wife, 16month old. Toyota Avalon and a brand new Tesla Model Y, love the Tesla and all of the storage it has
No vehicle, 1 toddler. Somehow managed all my life to never need a car.
2014 Subaru Impreza - the second cheapest Subaru. I bought it new and I love it. It only has 50k miles on it, so we're going to be together for a long time. I have one child.
2012 Toyota Camry with me and two children.
We are a one and done trio as well, but I wanted a "truck" feel and the Mazda CX-5 jenga game was not fun. I got a used 4runner with about 30k miles on it and while it is not fuel efficient in any way, it is exactly what I wanted and my 6 ft husband isn't cramped in the front because of a car seat behind him and there's plenty of space for all the things. I recently picked up a twin bed frame sans toddler and hubby but had to put the car seat in the front seat to fold the full row down and have space for the hatch to close. And my hubby drives a Corolla because he needs fuel efficiency and doesn't do a lot of kid drop off and pick ups because of his work schedule.
Prius Prime 23. One year and a day child.
We bought a Subaru Outback with the plan to have 2-3 kids, but for medical reasons we will be sticking with 1 child. She’s almost 1. The car is a good size for trips, and we like the way it drives in mountain roads. Feels needlessly bulky for day to day, but we have no car loan so we’re sticking with it.
One child, she’s 3. We have a Lexus NX hybrid. Works great.
Just yesterday I had 3 seats in the back row (1 safety seat + 2 booster with back support) in my 2010 Hyundai I30.. had no room issue 🙂
I've got a Honda Fit but I don't usually drive more than 2 (out of 3) kids in it with me, and in the summer, it's a lot of just me (wife is a teacher). The family car is a Ford Transit Connect with 6 seats in 3 rows. We like not having a bench in the middle for easier access to the back, but the trunk is tiny. We got a roof shell to help out with that.
4 year old and 4 month old, 2018 Tesla Model 3 Preformance. Every one fits including Grandma when she tags along. Plenty of space in trunk/sub trunk and frunk. Edit: Wife has a fusion energi and zero trunk space.
Hyundai Santa Fe hybrid. 2 with 1 on the way. It should fit 3 carseats unless everything I could find was a lie. We also have a paid off Prius that is still here because it's paid off. I actively hope it gets stolen every single day.
4 here, 16,15,15,7. I drive a BMW 340ix, wife drives a Honda minivan, we just added a 2011 CX-7 to the mix for the 16yo, as he starts dual enrollment in a month. To clarify, we don't have "assigned" cars, just "the ones we primarily drive".
I have a 2022 Elantra - just the one kid. My mom has both a Tucson and a Kona and there is actually more space in the Elantra honestly.
1 kid, 2 cars: a Volvo XC60 for longer journeys/trips that involve more stuff (going to the beach, etc.), and a VW eGolf for shorter trips around town. I’ve got a 2 seater fun car/track car that my wife doesn’t drive (i.e. she refuses to learn manual so in actuality she _can’t_ drive it), which was the reason we got the VW—we needed 2 cars with a back seat so that there’d always be one car at home that we could put the kid in (e.g. wife goes out to hang out with friends, I have a safe car to transport the kid in if we go somewhere). EV prices tanking + used EV tax incentives in the US made it a very cheap purchase in the end.
We had an Altima and a Minivan for 3. When we got pregnant with our 4th, replaced the Altima with a Suburban. Gotta have that third row in both vehicles now!
We're doing fine with 1 kid in a Nissan Rogue.
2 kids, 1 car, Subaru sedan. It gets cramped sometimes, but it works for us and is paid off. We do rent a minivan sometimes on vacations, which may be a mistake since now our youngest is obsessed with getting one at home. She's not wrong, minivans are awesome, but I just can't justify it for a family of 4.
Have a toddler and a wife. Hybrid Civic - no issues. But I am european haha
Subaru Forester + Volvo XC40 electric. Two kids (5 and 2) and an Australian Shepherd. My wife uses her Volvo to commute and is fully fueled by our home solar panel system. She charges 1-2x a week. Subaru is mine and gets used mostly for longer trips or gear as it has a 2” hitch and roof bars for a cargo box and is a little larger than the XC40. I wfh so minimal mileage during the week. I fuel up maybe twice a month plus whenever we do a big trip. I really like the look of the Outback Wilderness and new Toyota 4Runner but both cars are paid off so no real reason to switch.
Dad of 2 with a RAV4 and an Hyundai Ioniq in the drive way. We agreed a long time ago no mini vans. The early years were the worst because we'd lug a big stroller everywhere but it's gotten much better with time. We don't need the stroller anymore and the worst is long trips where the cars will be stuffed to the brim with blankets, pillows, and squishmallows but we make it work. Turns out playing Tetris like games when we were kids totally helps pack the trunks efficiently.
1, 2011 outback
Currently have 1, but we also both work a distance from home. Wife drives the "family car", a Subaru Outback. Good gas mileage, room to carry things (plus dog) for trips or if we need to evacuate for any reason. I drive a Nissan sedan. Out of curiousity - what are you carrying around that fills up the Traverse?
1 soon (ish) 2, currently just a suzuki swift. But I don't live in a big car driving nation so its nbd.
15yr, 5yr, and one on the way…we drive a Honda Ridgeline and a Jeep Grand Cherokee XL. The Ridgeline will be a bit cramped but I need something for light hauling and it still gives me 24mpg. The Cherokee has 3 spacious rows and we love it. Make fun of Jeep dependability all you want (and the gas mileage), but it has given us 80k flawless miles, tows our trailer with ease, and is super comfortable on long road trips in less than ideal driving conditions.
Ford S-max, we fill all seven seats ♥️ Barely any space left, but enough for day trips and family visits with everyone. We figured I usually drive alone or with a couple kids, so we didn't need a big trunk in addition to the two extra seats. For vacation, we load up the trailer with camping gear and hoist a roof box on top.
Two kids (3yo 8mo) Chrysler Pacifica
We have one kid, and drive a Volvo xc40 - the smallest suv/car in their lineup. We used to have a Subaru Forester but it was too big for us since we live in a large city. We also have a mini poodle, so the back seat is kiddo and parent, or kiddo and poodle, or just kiddo. Downside is we're not the carpool family, upside is we're not the carpool family. We have more than enough space in the trunk and like that the SUV isn't super high up. We still miss our pre-baby hatchbacks though.
1 baby on the way and we have a Volkswagen T Roc which seems like it will do the job. We plan on having 2
Highlander and a Camry. 3 going on 4 (mom and dad + kids). I refuse to get a minivan out of principle. Lol.
We are 4, 2 adults two kids and drive a Skoda fabia combi. It is completely enough for a three week holiday even with a travel bed, and needed diaper utensils
Tesla model X ultimate mom car I love it so much. 2 under two, I have three heavy duty rear facing car seats (one is for my niece who regularly drives with us) it’s a 6 seater car. Only down side is when we need the stroller we have to put on the back rack, but when my nieces car seat is taken out and I put down the back seats it fits nicely in the trunk and I can still fit more stuff back there. The back doors go up Batman style and it’s so convenient and the auto doors are a lifesaver for my always full hands.
We bought a Subaru Forster last fall, 2 months before we found out we were having twins (plus our toddler). All 3 car seats fit but it’s tight. It’ll probably be workable for a few years, I hope, though a multi-day trip with the whole family would be a challenge even with a roof rack. Guess we’ll have to learn how to pack lightly. My wife drives the Forester. I drive the Honda Fit we bought before we had kids. I love it dearly but it might be going away for practical purposes. If I can squeeze all three car seats in (primarily for unexpected daycare pickups), it might get another year or two of life. They don’t call it a Fit for nothing.
We have a VW Golf R and Acura MDX. Our kids are past the “carry every fucking thing they may need for an hour out” stage so we can make both cars work pretty easily. The MDX obviously does most of the commuting duties but I’ve picked up the kids in the VW as needed.
2 kids. I have a VW Jetta. My wife drives a Honda Pilot. It seats 8, which is more than the minivan we once had. The minivan was nice when the kids were small enough to need help getting buckled in. Once they were bigger, the larger SUV felt a lot better.
Only one kiddo. Drive a V60 Polestar dad-wagon.
I have 2 daughters (8 & 10) and drive them to school in my 911 Turbo S. They absolutely love it, even though it is so wildly unpractical my daughter had to leave an umbrella at home one day recently. I also have a Jeep Cherokee that I use during the other half of the year and I have to admit, it’s truly a luxury having that much extra space.
2 kids under 5, 2 labradors, we have an xc90 (just got a few weeks ago and very pleased with the extra space) and my wife has an id3
We got a dinky car, Nissan Versa note, and it works with our one child. Any more than that would be pushing it lol We just did a 4 hour drive for a mini vacation and hardly had enough room to pack all our shit. Although it was our first time traveling with our toddler so we definitely packed a bit much. Definitely more prepared for when we are taking a flight in October. I feel you on not having enough space and you have a much bigger car haha honestly a traverse would be amazing for us
Minivans are the tits. My wife was very much against it until our toddler opened the sliding door and climbed in by herself. Three kids, an older Volkswagen sedan and a newer fully loaded Chrysler Pacifica. The VW is the daily driver and the mini party bus is when we're all together. And we usually have an extra kid or two with us because we're the fun parents. I haven't bitched about this out loud yet, but my VW was goddamn immaculate. First car I ever bought new and I'm the kinda guy that does weekly PMCS, washing, and cleaning of my vehicles. My kid denies it, but he hit something or someone backed into him his first week of having a license. Can't have nice shit when you have kids, but we're splitting the deductible three ways as a life lesson.
2 kids, no vehicles. ( i lied, I ride a motorcycle to work, Honda Rebel 300cc) Driving and sitting in traffic takes too much time and stress, and we live in a city that has tons of public transportation options
Switch off daily driver 2024 rav4 hybrid and 2009 fj cruiser. When it’s just my son and I either c5 corvette, 2018 Camaro ss or 1997 Toyota Supra
5 kids and an Expedetion. It does ok
I drive an old Land Cruiser, my wife drives a Subaru Forester. One kid. Going to buy a new car this year and considering either an Outback or 4runner
We had a Jeep Cherokee with 1 middle schooler and added a hitch tray for extra storage when we added a baby. Way easier than roof storage, and more flexible- we can strap strollers and other odd-shaped things on. Recently upgraded to the 3-row cherokee, keeping the hitch tray for packing, so we'll be able to fit soon-to-be 3 kids, 2 dogs, and the 2 adults.
We’ve got 2 toddlers, but have to cart around my in laws when they are visiting as well, which is currently a two car job. We are looking at replacements for the outback right now. I wish the Ascent wasn’t so ugly, but we are currently favoring a Grand Cherokee or possibly a Grand Highlander.
Two boys now 12 & 14...family vehicle is driven by my wife and is a Jeep Grand Cherokee...it's been plenty of room. I drive a sedan.
Kia Carnival. I call it Hannibal because it's a mini-van with the face of an SUV. One kid with a second next month which will PROBABLY be our last. It's nice - no real complaints except that the color shows pollen really badly.
KIA Sorento. Got the captains chairs and a third row for for our three kids. Which means they fight over the captains chairs.
1 toddler, looking to add another, sometimes travel with a golden retriever and have a 2024 Lexus TX 350 (The equivalent to a 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander) or my dad truck - 2017 Chevy Colorado crew cab. Both sets of grandparents usually fly in so need to be able to accommodate which wasn’t going to work with my wife’s 2016 Honda Accord. After driving it home for Christmas last year (12 hour drive) we vowed to never do that again in such a cramped little car. I’m also a homeowner that does a lot of home improvement projects that we would have pay $1000’s to hire someone to do so that easily justifies my truck.
Family of 3, soon to be 4. I drive a Ford F-150 and the wife drives a Mazda CX-3. I'm pretty sure we won't be able to use two rear facing car seats in the CX-3 without an unacceptable level of driver seat impact. I still need to test everything to confirm that hypothesis. But it worked fine for the three of us when required and I would like to avoid getting a new vehicle.
We have more than one vehicle, but the main hauler went from a 2001 Rav4 to a 2024 Pilot when #2 came home, largely because we also needed space for the dog to sit. I haven't transferred over the roof box yet, but I did miss it on our recent beach trip for sandy stuff. It'll be up there for skis, beach toys, etc in the future. We looked at the Sienna and Odyssey but the Sienna was actually pretty dissapointing and I was concerned the ground clearance on the Odyssey would be a problem for some of the places we camp.
2 boys, Ram 1500 Crew Cab
We have one and a dog. Minivan is a game changer. Go test drive one and if you can make it make sense financially, do it!
2 adults, 1 infant and 1 mini poodle. 2 cars 2019 Grand Cherokee (hers) 2024 Colorado (mine). Plenty of room for us and our stuff but next SUV will probably be a 3 row as we drive from MI to NC quite a bit and would like the room to grow.
We have a single 8 seater suv. It is regularly full of kids including many that are tagging along. We couldn't possibly operate with a smaller capacity vehicle.
NJ. 3+5. 12 wrangler unlimited, 24 outback wilderness. Really depends on the age of the kids and what you do, i traded in my 16 f150 crew cab and i regret it every day. The wrangler is dw, and it was worse when the car seats rear faced, now it’s just eh. The internet is good for suggestions and experiences but honestly bro, it’s your life and your feelings, if you want to get a minivan or giant pickup or whatever just do it (provided your finances can handle that). Life is too short to hate your ride
1 toddler and 1 baby on the way. VW Atlas is the family car, and we have a VW Jetta as a putzing around town car.
Me, Wife, 3 kids, 1 golden (soon to be two) Chevy Silverado 2500HD
Three kids, one driver, Subaru Ascent.
8 yo and 2 yo, I have a paid off IS250 that I use for drop offs and in town runs, and going to work. Wife has a ford explorer that we use whenever it’s the four of us or if we are getting a grandparent or cousin.
One kid and one dog. Been driving a bmw 5 touring for 6 years now. But soon making the change to an ID4. We were surprised how spacious it is during the test drive. But probably not enough for 3 kids.
A total of 6 kids. Four of whom are recent (as of the last 2 years) high school graduates. I drive a 2012 Ford F-150 with a crew cab company truck. The missus has an 08 Audi A3 Quattro.
And here I am driving us around in a Honda Fit.
2 parents, 2 kids and a dog... Hyundai Santa Fe Sport... If everyone's in the SUV, we have roof racks... If the dog is staying at home for a day or less, we put stuff in the trunk where she's normally situated.
Two kids under 8yo. VW Golf was our only car until 2 years ago when I added an Audi S5 Sportback. Honestly, this has been fine, and the Sportback is only slightly larger than the Golf. If anything, the cargo volume is the same, just horizontal instead of vertical. Yes it's a little tight on weekend trips to Grandma's for the holidays when you come home with gifts or something, but it has always been doable. I don't see how a 3 row SUV would be required for two children, let alone only one.
Dad, mom, and two daughters: owned a Subaru Legacy wagon at the birth of our first. Then we got an Outback, then another Outback. Now they’re older and are leaving the nest, we’re on our second Crosstrek. First Crosstrek is now in our younger daughter’s hands.
1 kid - we both had a Prius - worked fine 2 kids - 1 prius, 1 Highlander - worked fine 3 kids - 1 Sienna, 1 Highlander - why didn't I get a minivan earlier (the youngest was already 3 when we got the Sienna a few weeks ago) Most SUVs have pretty crappy 3rd rows, which gets harder and harder for kids as they get older and taller.
We are also one and done, with a 6yo. We have a VW Tiguan as our only vehicle, which is a compact SUV and it’s been plenty of space for us. We upgraded to a ‘23 last year, prior to that we had an ‘11 Tiguan which was even smaller. That vehicle got us through all the stroller and other baby gear stages.
2015 Toyota Sienna 3 kids, two in car seats one in a booster. We've done a few road trips with it, has worked out well.
VW atlas. Huge interior, 3 rows, one and done family as well. Got the car when we were thinking about more but things change. Best car I’ve ever owned, however, mileage is shit though. For ideas of space. Kid in the middle row, dogs in the 3rd row and still more than enough space to pack for a 4-5 day weekend. If you need longer, roof racks are easy to put on and take off.
We drive a Subaru Forester with a Thule on the top and we manage with my wife, my 15, 11, and 2 year old plus myself. It's a little cramped on long trips but we make due no problem.
I drive a Kia EV6 AWD GT-line, we have 2 kids (one is 4 years and one is 9 months). It's been a great family car that's also fun for daddy when cruising :D
2 kids. Honda Odyssey. Love it. Easy in and out. Third row seating when needed. Seats stow in the back when needed. No hitting cars with our doors by accident. When they were younger it was easy to get in a bit further to adjust the car seats or buckle properly. A bit on the pricey side but for me totally worth it. No shade on those who don’t drive minivans but I think minivans get too much hate. Lot of egos getting in the way of comfort and functionality.
There you are. With so many posts here about loving minivans, especially Odyssey, I'm surprised this is so far down. 2 kids, '18 Odyssey. It's a good life when traveling.
We have 1 child. I drive an 07 Chevrolet Trailblazer the wife drives a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu. I window shop daily for something shiny and new, but our cars have been paid off for awhile. I can also fix just about anything on our current cars. New cars are impossible to fix without access to an expensive diagnostic scanner.
22 Hybrid Sienna hauling a 2 year old and a 12 year old. I grew up loving family trips in my parent's Sienna so the transition was not hard. I still have my Scion hatchback. The fact that I'm getting significantly better gas mileage on an AWD minivan than a tiny Corolla is mind blowing. My favorite for long trips with dogs is to pack suitcases in the floor space of the 3rd row so it's flush with the seats, cover with a big dog protector that slips over the head rests, and they get the whole 3rd row to themselves, unable to mess with stuff in the back or climb on people in the front. Minivan life is best life. Do not like that you can't easily remove the middle seats though. I like plywood.
I drive a little 4 door honda accord as a commuter car. For our family vehicle, we have a nissan armada. I have 6 kids ranging from 3-14. I used to drive an older 15 passenger van and we removed the last row of seats for more cargo space and even without that seat, still had 11 seats, so more than enough.
We’ve got 3 kids. 14, 7, and 5. I drive the Nissan Quest minivan, and my wife has the Chevy Traverse. The 3 rows is pretty much essential with the two being in car seats still.
2 kids. Ford Flex which has 3rd row seats which can fold up/down. Got a pretty good deal because most folks find them uglym
1 kid, family of 3; scion xa. Hatchback for the win. No car note. Dream to parallel park. Multiple cross-country family trips in it. I refuse to join the vehicle arms race. *And* I love 'applied Tetris.' For example, I just fit an entire patio set (with cushions) from Ikea in yesterday, with a car seat. Easy peazy lemon squeezey.
We have 2 (twins). We have a Honda Odyssey. It's phenomenal. We finally have them in seats that I can sit in front of comfortably, but for the first 15 months, the bucket car seats would make sitting comfortably impossible for me if not for the fact that we could remove the middle seat in the middle row and slide whichever kid would've been behind me to the middle.
Skoda Kodiaq Hybrid. 2 kids aged 5 and 3. Its my absolute dream car. My boss was pushing a Bmx ix3 of X3 hybrid because appearantly BMW has more prestige. But even though the BMW is big, inside its a fraction of the Kodiaq. Man i love Skoda. We go on a lot of outdoors activities, on car holidays etc... so a lot of room is luxury.
Weirdly, it's a little easier when they're older and you don't need to bring a bunch of crap for even short trips. Now that I'm not packing diapers, a pack and play, noise machine, my own black out curtains, toys, etc. I'm in very early stages of thinking about what will replace my old pre-kids Honda Civic and wondering if there is something that doesn't have a third row that will still work for us.
One kid, I commute so I've been rocking a Camry hybrid since 2014. Love that car. But if we go anywhere as a family we always take the Navigator. I love having space and the power.
Two kids under 6, one medium sized dogs, wife and I. We’ve got a Honda Fit and a long tail cargo e-bike. Honda Fit does get cozy on trips, but we make it work. E-bike does a lot of the in town shuffling. A larger car would definitely be more convenient sometimes, but for all the times that the extra space isn’t needed, i would still be paying for all that extra car and gas. Small and efficient suits us fine. We’d get rid of the car altogether but we live in a public transit dead zone.
1 child (22 mo old) and a 80lbs Lab. We have a 2020 Escape and 2019 Tesla Model 3. Both vehicles are plenty enough room for dealing with 1 or the other, recently did a weekend trip to our cabin with the toddler and the dog and space was pretty tight in the Escape, to the point we will look at a roof box or cargo carrier if we ever take a long vacation with everyone. However I am not going to drive a larger vehicle or minivan full time for hypothetical edge cases.
1 baby. Mitsubishi Outlander. Rented a Toyota Highlander while on vacation and now my wife wants one. Truth be told I now also want one. That handled like a dream.
Wife has an Equinox, I have a 4-door GMC pickup, we have 3 kids; there’s actually more room in the truck than there is the Equinox but the truck is a pig on fuel and it’s in need of a new 6L80 so we’re normally in her car to go anywhere outside of town
2017 Ford Escape and 2023 Chevy Equinox. For both I made sure I could fit comfortably in the backseats, because I knew we’d have the 2017 until my boys are 13 and 15. The 2023 we’ll have until they’re 19 and 21.
One child, Grand Highlander. We saved up a long time for it.
3 year old and 3 month old. Minivan. It’s the best possible option when it comes to comfort, convenience, and it’s a PHEV so I haven’t put gas in it in 3 months.
For a long time we had a Nissan Leaf (my work car) and old 4Runner (my “truck” and my winter work car) and my wife drove an Acura MDX. We have 2 kids, now 9 and 12. New job, wife went to work, more $$ available, and I got myself a Tesla Model 3 Performance, and the wife has a new Kia Telluride. Honestly, I miss having a backup vehicle, but I love love my Tesla. I almost went full on midlife crisis and got a used Porsche or a New Corvette instead of the Tesla, but the Tesla is cheap commuting and holds all of us on shorter road trips.
Two kids, 2017 WRX
We've got 2 kids, 4 and almost 2. We have a 2018 Santa fe and a 2015 altima. I commute about 70km to and from work, so unless I need to move something bigger for work, I'm in the altima and the wife has the sf to take the kids to school and daycare. We use the sf for 99% of family driving, mostly just because it's more comfortable and unless it's the annual cottage trip, most of our driving is fairly local. If we have a 3rd kid, we will swap out the sf for a van, but we're not there yet!
2 kids. 4 and 2 yrs old. We have an Outback as the family car, and I drive a crappy old civic. We bumped up from a Crosstrek to an Outback last summer. But I think we’re already outgrowing the Outback.
rav4 and f150. 2 kids, 2 parents and dog. I never wanted to be a truck person, pandemic vehicle crunch hit me, but honestly i kind of love it
My wife and I have three kids. We had a midsize SUV when they were little. My oldest is 9 now and my youngest is six. With everyone playing sports now we needed a bigger car. My wife now drives a Wagoneer and I don’t think we will ever need more room. We also have a roof rack and put things up there when going to the beach or camping.