Do you drive a small sedan and have a child? Having a baby and looking for the right car. (lease, vehicle)

[Nadjalou]

I'm having a baby soon and have been looking at compact 4-door sedans like a Corolla. I've been told I should look for a mid-sized sedan or a crossover SUV instead so I'd have enough room for all the stuff that kids require. I'm looking to get input from those who have a baby/child and drive a small sedan - do you feel you have enough room for all the stuff even on vacation or wish you had something bigger?

[NJGOAT]

With only one you can drive pretty much anything you want as long as it has four seats. The biggest issue is usually the first year or so when the baby is in an infant carrier and then a rear facing car seat. They take up a lot of room and can make the front passenger seat uncomfortable for people depending on their height. Any standard trunk will give you plenty of room to take along a stroller and other associated baby gear.

Personally my family spends most of our time travelling around in a Chevy Malibu. It's a midsize car and we have three car seats in the back including an infant carrier (kids are 5, 2 and 9 months). The trunk has plenty of space to hold what we need day to day. For vacations we take my wife's Avalanche which is much bigger, but we also have three kids and all their stuff to take.

When we just had the oldest my wife drove a 2 door 1998 Chevy Cavalier Z24 and I had a 2000 Audi A4 for our everyday cars. The Audi's from that time really weren't much bigger than a Corolla and the wife's Cavalier was pretty small, but both cars worked fine.

Before anyone jumps on me for driving an Audi while my wife was in a Cavalier, you need to know my wife. She loves her Chevy's and would still have that Cavalier if someone didn't run a red light and total the car. It was her first car that was all hers and she loved that thing. It was funny because there was a time when the driveway had an Audi A4, a BMW M3, a Pontiac GTO and...a teal Cavalier Z24 and my wife drove the Cavalier everyday despite me offering her whatever she wanted.

[tstone]

Maybe a Matrix or Vibe might be better. We have one and the rear facing seat fit in the middle, but the front seats had to go up some. It's comfortable if the front passengers are 5'10" or shorter. And a second carseat will only work if both are forward facing.

Otherwise, I think it has enough room for a vacation. The front passenger seat folding down like a table could potentially give you more options.

[fallingwater]

I had a escort when my son was born. Actually I had a two seater Honda Del Sol when I found out I was pregnant. Lucky me I had just leased it so I lost my you know what, when I tried to get out of a lease that early. SO anyway....I got a two door escort cuz that is what I could afford after taking the hit on the Honda lease. My first mistake. Although the room in the backseat was ok but not with the baby seat rear facing. It would jam into the back of the front seat. When he was old enough to turn the car seat around it wasn't bad. I would try to get more of a mid sized sedan. A toyota corolla might not be bad. You could always take a baby seat with you to the dealership and test it out. Then you know for sure. I wish I would have done that.

[Duk123]

We've never had a problem with fitting our daughter and all her stuff into a 2003 Ford Focus. This includes going on week long trips to grandma's house 5 hours away.

[hoffdano]

I think a better choice in the same class is the Mazda3. It is better all around than the Corolla, and can be bought in a 4dr hatchback (they call it a 5 door). The hatch makes it just a bit more versatile carrying kid stuff.

[CMPX2]

Just buy a Suburban now. It will save buying something now that you'll only be trading in a few years for something bigger with kid #2. You'll have plenty of room for kids, friends, the dog, and groceries all on the same trip.


(I had 4 kids in 7 years. Started with a small car and kept upgrading...)

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by CMPX2

Just buy a Suburban now. It will save buying something now that you'll only be trading in a few years for something bigger with kid #2. You'll have plenty of room for kids, friends, the dog, and groceries all on the same trip.


(I had 4 kids in 7 years. Started with a small car and kept upgrading...)

Oh please.

Overbuying is an American disease.

So spend $40K now, 2x in fuel instead of buying a perfectly adequate vehicle for several years?

[Nadjalou]

Originally Posted by hoffdano

I think a better choice in the same class is the Mazda3. It is better all around than the Corolla, and can be bought in a 4dr hatchback (they call it a 5 door). The hatch makes it just a bit more versatile carrying kid stuff.

That's funny that you suggest a Mazda3 because that's the kind of car I was set on for awhile and then decided to expand my options. Because I'm a sports car gal and they're sporty looking even as a 4-door car. I'm not sure if a Mazda3 would have as much room as a Corolla, maybe they're about the same. I've heard that back seat room is an issue with Mazda3s though.

[Moonwalkr]

My friend is a physician, drives a beat up corolla with two car seats in the back. I like a little more room and have a camry with two car seats. If you regularly haul dogs then you might want something bigger. Otherwise any sedan is fine.