Starting Your Car Research When You're Not Sure What You Want
I recently spoke with some friends who are about to have their third child. They're shopping for a new car that can accommodate the seating requirements of a newborn, a 2-year-old and a 6-year-old to prepare for the new arrival and asked me what I'd recommend. I was all ready to start singing my Honda Odyssey/Toyota Sienna/Hyundai Entourage love song, when the wife blurted out, "No minivans." Seems that, as the youngest of seven children, my friend had her fill of boxy peoplemovers as a passenger and a teen driver in the 1980s and had made a solemn vow to herself never again with the minivan. OK, so no minivans. After I stifled my sob and put aside my own minivan-fan feelings (though I don't share her aversion, I can respect it), I suggested the Chevrolet Traverse (pictured above, courtesy of General Motors) or one of its corporate siblings, all excellent and relatively affordable large crossovers. I also recommended the Hyundai Veracruz, a stylish but reasonably priced three-row crossover with a luxury-quality interior.
The jury's still out on what they're going to buy, but if you're considering buying a new car in the short term (and there are lots of great reasons to buy now, if the time is right for you) and you're not sure what vehicles to look at, check out our Buying Guides for a list of recommended models in the segment you're interested in, and then read a great overview of each vehicle on our newly redesigned model reviews page. I won't even mind if you totally ignore the minivan recommendations. Really, I'm fine with it.
- Posted by
- Bryn MacKinnon January 7, 2009, 12:00 PM
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- Categories:
- Car Buying, Family Cars and Concerns
- Technorati Tags:
- Buying, child safety seat, Crossovers, family car, minivan, Shopping
How about a Ford Flex?
What shutter speed did you use for that picture?
She may not want a minivan, but the GM triplets and the Hyundai are generally thousands more... I know because I checked for myself at one point. (Though I'm sure there deals aplenty on the GM cars now, and a loaded Odyssey is pretty pricey.) The minivans have power-opening doors and rear hatches, and I can't imagine a better vehicle for someone with three kids six and under. What she loses in style and prestige, she'd make up in terms of less frustration and sheer sweat.