Nice! I had a corolla around 2010, and traded it in when I needed a bigger car. Life comes full circle and now I'm looking for a Corolla-sized car again!
Haha I got the 2022 Corolla Hybrid. I drive 40 miles each way for work, and I average 55-60 mpg. The car isn't fun, but it's reliable, comfortable and extremely efficient.
2009 Corolla, paints all faded on hood and roof, some body damage from work parking lot. 75k miles. Everything works on it. We use it to commute to work, a tank lasts us over a month (short commute).
Our issue currently is everything that comes along with us. Our girls pack heavy - instruments, school projects, sports equipment, etc. And with our little one there's always a stroller and sometimes a booster seat with us. I've always made due in the past with sedans or small SUVs, but we're maxed out in our mid-sized SUVs now and need to go bigger.
The Toyota Camry from 2010 has more storage space for "odd sized" equipment than most midsize SUVs -- when I put the back seat down and put instruments and things from trunk to dash I can fit objects up to 8ft long easy. Maybe an option for something cheaper there.
I mean, yeah, but good gear is a hell of a lot cheaper than a car. A balaclava, ski goggles, a helmet with no air vents, and Bar Mitts that go over your hands (it’s a brand, I’m sure there are others) go a really long way.
Especially since you will have a car, this is just a second vehicle, right?
(Do make sure you can take the battery off the bike so you can store it inside in the winter though.)
Seriously, I grew up in the Midwest and still commute in 15° weather occasionally. If you’re looking at minimum 20mile rides to get anywhere, i can’t tell you an ebike is your best option. But if you live nearby where you’ll be going, you’d be amazed at how little you’ll think about using your car.
I ride all winter in Manitoba. Our little guy was way too small to ride in the cargo bike over winter (he came home in November at just under 4lbs after 100+ days in NICU) but he'll be in the box this coming winter.
You do have to watch out for frostbite, and winter can be tough, but it's nice not driving everywhere and dealing with car seats.
Seconding bikes. We got 2 e-bikes and 1 car. We were contemplating getting a second car but decided to try bikes. My commute to work is only 10 k and my partners is only like 5 k. So it makes sense for us. Winter is a bitch though and this year i will buy some winter tires for my bike.
The car is in the drive most days and the lease is up in 6 months. Im tempted to try no car for a time. But i think it will make life a bit to inconvenient. Especially with a second baby coming in december.
Small electric car! Chevy Bolt EV/EUV would be great for you. Super cheap to run, basically no maintenance costs, 5 seats if needed. You might even find that you always want to take it.
I have the Bolt EUV now, but beforehand we had a 2016 Fiat 500e, if you are strictly looking for a commuter car, it is wonderful and super cheap, nice ones under $8k. Only downside for you is that it's just 4 seats so you couldn't take the whole family in a pinch.
Soooo I have been toying with the idea of an electric. Not sure where you live, but the concern I have in my area would be charging options. Public charging stations are hard to come by unless you're at a new Costco or random grocery store parking lot.
Home charger!! Most (if not all) come with a basic "trickle" charger that you can keep on at the house.
But, upgrading to a wall mounted unit (500-1k + install, if you're not doing it yourself) is completely worth it.
We have a Kia EV6, and I couldn't be happier pairing it with my Kia Stinger. Not quite your situation, but it's worth it
We are renting a home, so unfortunately I don't think an install is feasible. We looked at a Kia, and the "time to fully charge" was about 12 hours! I have to imagine you don't need a full charge for most trips, but that limitation made me nervous for sure.
So, range anxiety is a thing for sure.
But, if you get, say an Ioniq 5...221 mile range...where are you going *routinely* that is more than 100 miles one way??
You said you're working from home, so in a months driving...what's the issue? If you need to go..even say...150 miles round trip, you're taking the other car just for peace of mind, and the 3 car seats are fine in the back in case of emergency.
If you only take the 10-15 mile round trip here and there to grab a pizza, run to the store, whatever 3 times a week...you'll have no problem keeping that charge (and the ioniq is a lower ranged option, I just like the way they look :) over 80 percent throughout the week.
Thanks for putting it in these terms - it does honestly help. Work (on the rare occasion that I go for an in-person meeting) is 19 miles away. And almost anywhere else I go consistently is closer than that.
I'll admit, it's a slight change in thinking about how your process you "fuel". My wife ran out of charge twice in her first 3 weeks of owning hers, literally 3 miles from home because she was used to hitting up the stations on the way. You *have* to remember to charge it as well. Accompany it with closing the garage door lol.
Also, If you do have a garage, and the breaker is out there...there honestly shouldn't be an issue installing one. All you do is run a 220v outlet next to the car. Buy charger, plug into outlet. Plug charger into car. Not many landlords are upset about you simply putting a new outlet somewhere.
We do have a garage and truth be told there might even be a 220 out there, I'll have to double-check.
I think knowing myself and my ADHD ways, staying on top of charging could be a real - adjustment - for me.
As an ADHD-Brain owning EV owner.. plugging the car in is not a big deal for me, I know everyone's different but I've been honestly fine with it. It's not really different to remembering to fill your car with gas when it runs low, it's not like you just have to remember on your own, you have a battery meter and you'll be hyper-focussed on range for the first several months anyway :)
As a landlord, pretty much every landlord I know would say yes to "Hey landlord, we want to put a car charger in the garage. We will hire and pay for a licensed electrician to install everything. Or you can use your guy and we will pay for it. Are you cool with that?"
If it helps… I drive 85 miles per day in my 2021 Hyundai Kona EV. I only trickle charge it because we don’t have 220 in our garage. I plug in every night to charge. I start Monday at 100%. Tuesday morning I’m at 90%… Wednesday 80%, etc… by Friday afternoon in the warm months I’m at around 10-15%… in the cold months I need to stop on my way home for a 10 minute fast charge.
This system has worked perfectly for me and I LOVE my car. Based on your comments and how you use your car I think an EV would be a perfect option for you.
Thanks for such a wonderful reply! TheGratitudeBot has been reading millions of comments in the past few weeks, and you’ve just made the list of some of the most grateful redditors this week!
You can often get a dryer-style plug installed and charge off that 40 / 50 amp 240 volt outlet. That’s actually all that the electrician installed for us - our car already came with a charging cable for the plug.
Our car charges ~25 miles per hour with that setup so even if you forget overnight you’re pretty quickly ready to run errands next day.
Totally get it, it’s a new thing to deal with and sometimes there’s just enough going on already.
But also, no one in our family has been to a gas station in a few weeks. So that’s fun!
I have a Bolt, Midwest as well, I only use trickle charging in my garage. My commute is about 20 miles round trip, and I usually just plug in on the weekends. I have taken it on 150 mile trips, use it to take both kids to softball and soccer games, do almost all the grocery shopping. Small cars can be surprisingly family friendly!
I absolutely love my electric cars, but if you don't have the ability to charge at home, I wouldn't recommend them. Even a 110v outlet in a garage can restore 40 miles or so in 10 hours.
Our second car is a VW ID.4. I LOVE it, but I do have a 350 KWh charger within walking distance. Tons of speed, perfect for a family, and super comfortable. I do acknowledge that it’s not going to work for everyone though.
as long as you keep it plugged in and it's not too cold I'm talking freezing temperatures, having an EV as a daily driver to commute to and from the store is a very viable option. Just know that if you're going to go on family trips with it you kind of have to stick to the main roads and you can only go as far as the next charger and then you're still looking at staying at that charging station or a few hours until it's charged. not to mention a lot of places are starting to really destroy the cost savings with EVS, with increased licensing prices.
Don't assume EVS are maintenance free they still need their services done on time, And just be warned if it's out of warranty and your battery pack goes bad you're pretty much buying a new car to replace the battery pack.
> Don't assume EVS are maintenance free they still need their services done on time
Both my EV's only maintenance before 100k or 150k miles is to rotate tires and change cabin air filter, neither of which is actually needed in the same way an oil change is.
At 100k/150k they are supposed to have a coolant flush.
Yes that's absolutely true but it also completely depends on The manufacturer The OP is worried about money I highly doubt he is going to drop 100 Grand on a Tesla.
That's the same maintenance schedule on my bolt, with the $4k rebate you can get one of those pretty close to $10k. Even Tesla isn't that expensive, New model 3s in the $30k range. Only the high end S and X are that much now.
Just remember fast charging your battery lowers its lifespan. Even Tesla knows as much and only allows you to do it so many times. And from somebody in the US a thousand miles is not that long. I drive over double that one way to see my family.
That just doesn't seem to be nearly as true as most people thought it was going to be. Recurrent has done a study and found cars that are almost exclusively (70% plus of the time) fast charged don't have any more degradation than ones that almost never fast charged.
This isn't right. Electric vehicles work very well in very cold temperatures, and the wait at a fast charging station is more like 15-20 minutes and certainly not several hours.
A battery pack isn't guaranteed to fail any more than the engine in your car is.
Yeah, because that never ever happens with gas stations
[https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=hurricane+%2B+gas+station+out+of+gas](https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=hurricane+%2B+gas+station+out+of+gas)
never said it didn't, You get bad gas your car is not going to go nowhere. You don't do maintenance your car is not going to go nowhere or if it does it's not going to get to the end. But blindly believing that an EV is going to somehow magically never break is also blindingly naive.
I'm not one of those crazy die hard anti-ev people. But I am also a realist and know their limitations.
also just to add block heaters exist for a reason. If you live in a cold climate you get a block heater my Subaru has a block heater and a battery warmer, so does my wife's.
Yeah, you did. A busy charging station went offline. It's no different than a gas station ran out of gas, or the power went out since they also run on electricity. If anything it's an indication that we need more charging options since those people wouldn't have had any problems if they had an alternate station to go to.
Everything else you wrote doesn't make any sense so you're on your own with that. I'd encourage you to stop by r/electricvehicles to see how they're being used in real life. You may be surprised.
what are you talking about? If the charging station goes offline then it goes offline if a gas station runs out of fuel Because it wasn't delivered on time they'll eventually get more power will eventually come back on I don't understand where I said any of this. nor did I say EVS are not a practical option they have limitations just like most everything.
I'll never understand people who just go all in on one form of discussion. No I won't check out electric vehicles because I don't want one that's my choice. I like the ability to go out into the wilderness with extra fuel and do whatever I want I like being able to go off the beaten path and go where I want to go. I don't like being limited or forced to travel only certain routes. In a pinch you can use a diesel generator to charge a ev.
trains use electric motors that are powered by diesels way more efficient than just having a straight diesel. there are many uses for EVS just none of them are convenient for me.
Don't know why you are so hung up on that. nothing I said was misinformation If it's too cold it won't charge because the battery still has to be warm. it was all over the news this winter daring Chicago's deep freeze.
That's why I have a garage and if I can't park it in my garage that's why I have block heaters so my engine can start more efficiently.
America is a large place in fact in the very early 1900s electric cars were commonplace there were charging stations like there's parking meters in New York City. But they didn't last because they were inefficient at the time they're very efficient now they're just not efficient enough. I don't want to take 20 minutes waiting for my vehicle to fuel up. I don't want to have to rely on the power grid to keep my car charged. My house has a backup generator. In this day and age it's very important to make sure you have power or the ability to make it relying too much on an overstressed grid Is a death sentence.
I hope this helps You see where I am coming from if you can't or refuse to not my issue I don't know what to tell you. I didn't tell the guy not to buy them I said be cautious because depending on what you do or want to do they may not be for you.
I'm not telling you to buy one. I'm just saying that you've just fallen victim to the disinformation that's out there. If even half of what you said is true then the past four years of my driving an electric vehicle in Minnesota, along with the millions of other EV drivers out there, would have been impossible. It just doesn't match up with reality.
I know you're not doing it on purpose; there are a lot of deep pockets that are putting a lot of effort into spreading this effectively. I used to do it, too, until I stopped and started over and approached these things like I knew nothing about them. And now I've got two of them.
It's great. I've had a Model Y for a while now and my wife just got an i4. She's able to keep it topped off using a 120V outlet in our garage, so we only ever hit fast chargers when we go on road trips.
I almost never have to charge my car away from home unless im road tripping. Its much cheaper than gas and people are mystified by the car (Ioniq 5). Its a ton of fun to drive and my kid LOVES it
Minnesota EV owner here. Bolts are kinda shit for public fast charging (50kw max, so an hour+ for a full charge), but if you can swing a legit home charging setup and it’s your town car, it’s a good move. The battery recall is over so no worries about car fires anymore. Any dealer sold bolt will need to clear recall, so I’d steer clear of private parties. If you want a bit of extra space/comfort, I’ve heard good things about the EUV as well. Same car, just more “subcompact suv” than hatchback.
If public charging is a significant concern, get a used model 3. Tesla is still the king of public charging despite what Reddit idiots will tell you. I’ve been daily driving a M3 RWD in southern minnesota for the past 2 years and there’s only been a couple days (<5) where it was either really cold and the battery suffered or I wished I had AWD.
If you can swing a L2 home charger you’ll never need to worry about local public charging. 50 amps on a 240v line will give you a full charge every night. Plus look into your local utility, they may offer rebates on the install plus time of use rates might save money if you’re exclusively charging overnight.
as a car guy, and i don't really see EVs as sustainable thing or even as an only car. but if you need something to go to town and pick something up and just be a second car that is rarely used, an EV on a deal could be something worth looking into. regarding snow, set of winters goes a very long way considering most EVs come with eco tires that are crap in general. regarding charging, depends on how far you'll be going and how often. could just an around town and charge at home.
but depending on what you use it for and how far you need to go, i'd get a cool wagon, or something like an older ford ranger or tacoma. easy to work on, last a long time. you can throw things in the bed when you have to do dirty work or hauling things around and 4wd. a lot of a vehicle choice depends on what you do for fun, your area, and your wants.
we have a volvo xc60 as our second car. it was our main car as our old vw jetta had issues and we sold it. now we have an f150. we live in central ontario (north of toronto), so we see our fair share of snow here. skiing is a weekly or bi weekly thing for us so skis in the bed are much better then skis in the car. goes with the beach and camping trips as well. there is a car for everything. what will you do with it?
I was thinking the other day that my fleet is just about perfected and it wasn't expensive.
2016 Honda Pilot. My daily and family, dog, big stuff hauler.
2016 Honda Civic. My wife's gas mileage commuter. She drives 140 miles a day.
1977 International Scout. Topless 4x4 SUV, four seats, classic car, makes V8 noises, rough and ready.
1992 Mazda Miata. Everyone needs a Miata.
2017 Kia Sorrento for her and a 2016 Mercedes GLC 300 for me. They’re both great cars but I spent my whole life driving pieces of shit so it was finally time for something nice.
No offense to the Kia owners - but too many recalls for me as of late.
We went practical after the recall - Toyota Truck. The bed is plenty of room for anything sports related. They are built to last after all.
I have an e-bike for getting around here and there for errands.
We have also been looking at getting the Corolla Crossover. More spacious than a regular Corolla, great gas mileage and under $22k with the factory rebate.
Of all the options I've heard, this is where I started in my mind. Well, close to this. I thought a used Subaru Crosstrek or Outback would be the way to go. Affordable, durable (depending on the year), and decent in the snow for its size.
Our first family car was a 2011 Forester. I *loved* that thing. It did great in Michigan winters, even on gravel/dirt roads. Tight turn radius, easy to park. I am looking forward to having one again some day.
My wife has a 2021 VW Atlas. Plenty of space, room with the seats down in the back for the dogs, and works perfect for our family.
I drive a 2002 ford ranger to work. Me and the dogs are the only ones who ever sit in it lol.
We have a 2014 VW Passat wagon as our family car. It swallows up all the crap our 8 YO needs for his activities, mainly soccer.
Non family car is my work truck (company car). It’s a Mazda BT50 space cab. It has little jump seats in the back so can take 4 people in a pinch.
Wife drives 2023 Subruban RST.
I drive 2012 Mercedes E63 AMG Wagon/2013 Range Rover Sport Supercharged. I love sleeper V8 cars/wagons. Not practical and I have a problem.
By the way congrats on the baby boy! We have 3 kids too. I absolutely love driving them for now… lol I have a car cycling problem. Don’t keep em for too long and always searching for something new.
I get it, that's my problem too. We're in a situation now after moving unexpectedly where we need to switch both vehicles up and keep finances in line. Traditionally I've always had a 'wandering eye' for vehicles. I think this is why it's hard to decide what the 2nd vehicle will be. I'm between a fun used 2-door Wrangler, a zippy little Audi or Lexus, or just go electric for the convenience of it.
Currently my wife drives a 2019 Subaru Legacy, but we just had our 2nd 10 days ago and likely will be trading it in for a Subaru Ascent in a year or so. Hoping rates come back down by then.
We have an "assortment" of cheap old cars, a 2005 Honda Odyssey that I use for work, a 2007 GMC pickup I also use for work and to tow our camper, and the true extra vehicle is a 2006 Ford 500 that also has AWD which I find to be a great kid and dog hauler with an enormous trunk for the stroller and more
Ascents are great - we’ve got a 2021 that we bought new and it’s been great.
Our ‘other’ car is a 2018 Outback I got a few years back that’s been modified for soft/off-roading and camping too so it’s a good bit of fun and practical when needed.
Honestly, Ford Maverick XLT. It's AWD, so if you have to run out in a snow storm, you know you're not going to get fucked with a proper set of snow tires. It has 4 seats for your kids and wife if you ask ever needed to pile in the car. It has remote start, heated seats and steering wheel for a little bit of convenience and with the a small pickup bed, that is great for 90% of home owners making a Home Depot run. Since it's not a primary vehicle and something that you can run around in in case your wife has the SUV you don't need something luxurious, but something with some nice amenities that can get you from point A to point B. It gets good gas mileage, and is small enough that your wife isn't going to complain if she has to drive it.
You can find 2022 models, Ford certified pre owned with a 100,000 mile warranty for low 30s and used for mid to upper 20s with less than 30,000 miles on them and your payments would be in the high 200-350 range with 20% down (5-6k)
Thanks for this. the math helps me see the full picture. I can honestly say I have no business getting a pickup truck, but that doesn't mean that I don't want one real bad!
Yeah, most people don't, but with a 4 foot bed, it's great to go grab some bags of salt for a water softener, rock salt, mulch or maybe you have a big package that you need to bring somewhere it's helpful to have. It's the smallest pickup you are going to find on the market today, next to the Hyundai Santa Cruise since they are competitors
Our family never **needed** a pickup truck, but now that we have a Maverick we use the bed all the time. It's really nice having the capability to do things we couldn't previously due to having the bed.
The idea of a 2-wheel drive car is what makes me nervous. Clearly plenty of people in snowy areas drive them year-round, but after having 4WD vehicles most of my life it makes me anxious to have one again. Glad to hear this works for you - maybe I just need to get over it.
FWD does far better in snow, etc. than people ever give it credit.
I grew up with 4x4s, but have only had FWD for ten years now. No regrets on avoiding that premium.
I've never gotten into a situation where 4wd would have made a difference. I'd love to say that's because of my advanced situational awareness, but then there's the time I took on a 2' berm with my Mirage. No number of drive wheels would have saved me there, given the 6" of clearance that thing has.
> after having 4WD vehicles most of my life it makes me anxious to have one again. Glad to hear this works for you - maybe I just need to get over it.
You just need to get over it. Snow tires are what you need, now 4WD
How often are you actually driving around in the winter with 4WD engaged? If you're like 99.5% of people.... the answer is never. Or, maybe like once per winter or something if you need to get up a deeply snowed-in driveway.
I live in the lake effect snow belt in Michigan. I drive 25,000+ miles a year... in a Prius. And when I'm not in the Prius, i'm in a FWD minivan. I have never had a single issue with snow, and I drive in near-whiteout conditions to and from work, along one of the worst sections of highway for snow-related crashes. My secret? Snow tires.
MOST of the issue with snow/ice is stopping in time, not getting going. 4WD and AWD don't help you stop. They help you go.
The proper tires are much more important than the drive train for getting around in slick conditions. Think about it this way... Usain Bolt is the fastest man alive. But I would absolutely smoke him on a hockey rink if he had tennis shoes and I had shoes with ice cleats
I'm regularly going down the highway and see SUVs and trucks in the ditch, while I cruise on past with no issues in my Prius with snow tires
I sold u my f150 and wife’s explorer for an expedition. Drove my 2000 Jeep Wrangler for a year. Very impractical with kids but allowed us to consolidate payments to pay her car off. Now I have a Tacoma and the jeep is a fun weekend car again.
We’ve just got two large vehicles that work in any scenario. Three row grand Cherokee L and a lifted gladiator. The GCL is roooooomy and rides nice, while the gladiator is cramped with two car seats but I’m never worried about weather or getting stuck anywhere. I will say prior to the gladiator I had a model 3 and it was a great vehicle for both riding solo and having fun and carrying the kids around in.
Front-loader pedal-assist cargo ebike. There are some really good options, so shop around and do some test rides. We just ordered a Bunch Bike and are going to sell one of our cars; our other finalists were Urban Arrow and Cube.
It's a big investment, to be sure, but the initial cost is going to be rapidly offset by the savings in fuel, maintenance, and insurance, not to mention the fact that riding a bike is just way more fun than being stuck in traffic.
I like the idea of a bike or ebike, I really do. Other Redditors pointed out some cool options as well. But right now I think we need a second car. There are situations where my wife or I go out of town with a car, leaving the other parent responsible for transporting the kids to school or activities, doing the shopping etc. And, we live in an area where a bike won't get us to those places based on how spread out they are.
Whatever electric car is currently priced the best. The floor fell out of EV prices recently (sob, I already own one).
Short trips is perfect for it and electricity is much cheaper than gas these days.
They require almost no maintenance, so you can pick between them pretty simply. Just don’t buy one from (1) too small of a company and (2) that’s had a battery recall in the last year or two.
Well I'm a car (well, truck) guy, so I probably am not the target audience for this, but my wife has a Subaru Ascent which is the main "family" vehicle and I have a crew cab GMC Sierra which fits us all and is new and safe enough that it's a good secondary family rig, especially for camping or overnight trips, when we tow, etc. I also have a 1986 K5 Chevy ex-military Blazer, a 1984 Chevy K20 pickup, and a 1994 Ford pickup that I use as a farm truck/beater. All of these are definitely not family friendly although my hope is that my son picks up my truck bug and wants to wrench with me as he gets older.
We both bought new cars after finding out we were having a baby. I had a high mileage hyundai sonata, and she had a not so high mileage Kia soul. Both descent vehicles that were also pieces of shit at the same time.
I picked up a 2021 4runner off road premium, and she picked up a hyundai Tucson limited.
Our third car isn't as family-friendly. A 1930 Ford Coupe with a v8, and suspension and brakes from 1936 and steering from 1955. My wife won't let our daughter ride with me in that one.
It's a pretty big point of contention in the household. When asked when she can ride in it my wife's respons eis "when she's an adult weight", and that doesn't fly with me.
I toyed with idea of picking up a 50s station wagon or an old sled for a family car but wife doesn't even want her riding in that. In her defense. I severely wrecked a 51 chevy and probably should have died if it weren't for luck and/or Devine intervention so she's a bit apprehensive over my hobby.
I mean, I get where your wife is coming from. While I grew up spending summers on a family farm and bouncing around in the back of a 30-year old pickup truck, I’d have a hard time putting my kid in a car without a 3-point seatbelt. Being a dad is stressful ammirite?
We have a Hyundai Sonata hybrid as our smaller car. It gets like 50 mpg on average. We are down to one booster seat, so all five of us can fit it in fairly comfortably. The trunk is surprisingly large. It's quiet, smooth, and fun to drive.
Our family car is a Honda Odyssey. Seats up to 8, but if I fold down the back row we can haul bikes, the dog, an Ikea run....
We have a 2020 RAV4 Hybrid, 2014 Nissan Frontier crew cab and a 2015 Honda Fit (pre child car). We haul the fam (wife, myself, 7 year old son, our golden retriever and German shepherd and at times my wife’s 80 year old grandma) mostly with the RAV4 or the truck. Trying to talk my wife into selling the Fit as we’ve outgrown it. The RAV4 is a fantastic vehicle, excellent mileage and fun to drive.
Q50 Red Sport 😬
Wife likes to take it out when she doesn't have all the kids but it's my daily. It may not be the most practical thing in the world but it's a hell of a lot of fun to drive
Our effective fleet is a 2012 Honda Pilot, a 2018 Nissan Leaf, and a Honda NC700x motorcycle.
Since OP probably can’t charge an electric car, I’d pick for a cheap, reliable beater a Toyota matrix with awd. Pretty efficient. Toyota reliability. Pretty big for a small car and can hold a stroller for the littlest.
My wife drives our 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe (traded my 2015 Subaru Outback in it to avoid costly repairs)
I drive a 2017 Subaru Impreza sedan that was paid off earlier this year.
The plan is to reassess when the Santa Fe is paid off. Then we might go to a three row SUV (probably a Subaru Ascent) or a crew cab pickup. Depending on how the use case develops.
Personally I’m a fan of Subaru. But that Hyundai is perfect for what we need right now and in the foreseeable future
Our main family car is a small SUV that we're also looking to upgrade to a 7 seat now we have two kids and ageing parents. My commuter and daycare dropper-offer is a 2021 Corolla Hatchback. I love it - it's pretty light on gas, an 'everyman' car that doesn't put anyone's nose out of joint at work but is still fun (I have the manual) and I think looks good. It's pretty modern, has all the tech you need etc. I'm up in Canada and get by with the 2WD and winters, but if that's a concern I'd buy an Impreza. I should say that I wanted a hybrid or EV ideally but when I bought last year that wasn't really an option for the roughly C$30k OTR I had budgeted. We'll ideally go hybrid for the big vehicle.
Right now I have a right hand drive imported Evo 5, a Cadillac ct4 blackwing, an '83 jaguar xj6 and my "family" Subaru outback. Then my wife has a m240i convertible and her Prius.
I have 2022 WRX. Wife drives a 2013 CX-5. FIL is gifting us his 2006 Tacoma. In a few years, wife will trade both CX-5 and Tacoma for a new car that is preferably electric
2013 Mazda 3 hatch
Been totally dependable, manages chicagoland winters just fine with good all seasons, decent mileage, fun to drive, hatch makes packing stuff easier than a sedan
Both of our cars are family cars. Mine is a 2006 Subaru Outback and my wife’s is a 2006 Toyota Highlander. My wife doesn’t like riding in the Subaru, so when we all go somewhere together we always take the Highlander.
We *upgraded* from two cars, a small SUV and a dual cab ute/pick-up, to a 7 seater SUV and a cargo bike each that fits both kids. I put about 2000km on my bike last year, and I only ride it when with the kids.
Honestly, it's completely revolutionised the way we spend time with the kids and explore our city.
2003 convertible E46 BMW. Twice I thought it was going to go but twice it’s had an unexpected stay of execution and my wife’s car has got the chop, first because her sensible corsa couldn’t fit a pram then her Mitsubishi ASX was a diesel and recently banned by local authorities from many areas due to diesel emissions (the e46 due to a loophole however is legal). Wife now has a Kia estate and unlikely that will go before the BMW, but not complaining!
Live in northern Iowa! One kid but my wife has a 2016 Toyota RAV4 and I drive a 2017 Honda Civic. Hers is our main car, mine is the in town car, or the short drive where we don't have to pack much because mileage. Although her car is more comfortable for longer trips. We trade between the two. Eventually I'll be trading out the civic for something a little better for multiple kids because admittedly it sits low and the space isn't the best for more than what we have in my opinion. Could fit a second car seat comfortably if we're honest, but we just don't prefer it personally. Plus the civic on a long trip over shitty road conditions isn't as reliable as the rav.
My wife drives a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu that we take everywhere.I drive a 2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer that is going under the knife next week (transmission).
I guess it would be my truck, a 2017 Chevy Colorado. However, I do keep a car seat in it and pick up from daycare with it occasionally.
We recently upgraded to a 2024 7 seat Lexus TX 350. We love it. For those that don’t know it’s the same thing as a Toyota Grand Highlander which is what we we’re in the market for but the availability and wait times were crap. Meanwhile the Lexus version snuck in under the radar and there were some on the lots.
Hyundai Kona EV for me and my long commute. Wife works part time locally and just traded her Subaru Impreza in for a Toyota Sienna hybrid. I think we’re finally in the sweet spot for cars.
The answer is minivan plus family sedan. The kids are still going to be in the "other" car sometimes, so it needs to hold carseats in a pinch. I have a 10th gen Accord, because it was the most fun in my price range that would still hold multiple carseats.
Both of mine are family cars, just one is a 2005 Buick with a shade over 100k miles, and the other is a 77 Chevy Chevelle sedan, that I’m about to put an engine in it. I do my own repairs, and my son likes to help.
I’ve been looking for something newer than the Buick. Just haven’t found anything that strikes my fancy.
Palisade for the do all vehicle. The other is a bit the other way. My car that I squeeze right next to it is a ‘17 Shelby GT350. It’s usually the car my son wants to take out over the other or the work car.
2024 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid with AWD(brand new, got it in April) and 2022 Toyota Corolla Hybrid. The Corolla is paid off now and has about 22k miles on it. Love both of them and the MPG is pretty crazy to where gas is basically a non-factor expense nowadays.
My wife has a 2017 BMW 118i that we use for family trips as it’s the newest car and most reliable, I have a 2009 Civic Type R with a 3 seat rear bench installed, we use this for family days not too far away as it’s modified and loud. To get to work I have a 2002 VW Passat diesel estate, this gets used for family days out that need the space or are going to be messy
Our 2nd vehicle is a small collection of bicycles. My kids are young still but it works great for us.
My partner can bike to work and does most of the time. We can get to everything in town by bicycle and mostly dedicated bike trail.
We have personal bikes, but also a cargo bike (not electric) to haul kids and groceries and such. The older kid bikes to the park and such.
When my kids are older, we live walking distance to the high school and biking distance to all schools.
2012 Mustang. It’s my daily for work or quick runs. It’s paid off. It’s just my wife and 3yo daughter. I got her a 2024 Bronco 2 weeks ago to be our family car. Working on kid #2
Both my wife and I have vehicles, but we also have a 2004 F150 that we use for camping and towing our small travel trailer, but we've also used it when one of our cars is in the shop or like last week when our garage door broke and we couldn't manually open it and my wife's vehicle couldn't be moved out of the garage. Unfortunately both of us have commutes and need reliable vehicles.
'13 Toyota Tacoma, all paid off. I keep looking at the new models and they're pretty, but I'm probably going to run this one into the ground. Only 100k miles on it. I do a lot of home DIY so having a light pickup is crucial.
The family car is a leased Honda Odyssey and it's fabulous. 3 kids.
2003 Corolla, baby! Literally can't kill it lol
2005 Accord for us. Our family car is a 2024 Sienna, and it feels so futuristic in comparison.
We're trying to get a new Sienna now. Apparently, it will take about a year
2004 Accord checking in here
Nice! I had a corolla around 2010, and traded it in when I needed a bigger car. Life comes full circle and now I'm looking for a Corolla-sized car again!
Haha I got the 2022 Corolla Hybrid. I drive 40 miles each way for work, and I average 55-60 mpg. The car isn't fun, but it's reliable, comfortable and extremely efficient.
2009 Corolla, paints all faded on hood and roof, some body damage from work parking lot. 75k miles. Everything works on it. We use it to commute to work, a tank lasts us over a month (short commute).
1998 Avalon. 150km/day commute and it just keeps going.
Two kids. Always made due with one car, always used. Toyota Rav 4. Had a Subaru Forester for a time.
Our issue currently is everything that comes along with us. Our girls pack heavy - instruments, school projects, sports equipment, etc. And with our little one there's always a stroller and sometimes a booster seat with us. I've always made due in the past with sedans or small SUVs, but we're maxed out in our mid-sized SUVs now and need to go bigger.
I said made due, but I should have said sacrificed. We did have to make choices/beg rides from time to time.
Good to know, we're doing one car fine now, but imagine we'll need a second someday.
The Toyota Camry from 2010 has more storage space for "odd sized" equipment than most midsize SUVs -- when I put the back seat down and put instruments and things from trunk to dash I can fit objects up to 8ft long easy. Maybe an option for something cheaper there.
Ebike. You’re welcome.
I'll just have to watch out for frostbite in the winter.
I mean, yeah, but good gear is a hell of a lot cheaper than a car. A balaclava, ski goggles, a helmet with no air vents, and Bar Mitts that go over your hands (it’s a brand, I’m sure there are others) go a really long way. Especially since you will have a car, this is just a second vehicle, right? (Do make sure you can take the battery off the bike so you can store it inside in the winter though.) Seriously, I grew up in the Midwest and still commute in 15° weather occasionally. If you’re looking at minimum 20mile rides to get anywhere, i can’t tell you an ebike is your best option. But if you live nearby where you’ll be going, you’d be amazed at how little you’ll think about using your car.
This is good to know. Honestly, an ebike has been an attractive idea to be able to get around the suburb we live in.
Also, your baby/toddler/kid will fucking love it.
Have you been introduced to r/cargobike ?
more fun between your legs!!!
Ha nice. That should be the official slogan
No such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.
I ride all winter in Manitoba. Our little guy was way too small to ride in the cargo bike over winter (he came home in November at just under 4lbs after 100+ days in NICU) but he'll be in the box this coming winter. You do have to watch out for frostbite, and winter can be tough, but it's nice not driving everywhere and dealing with car seats.
Seconding bikes. We got 2 e-bikes and 1 car. We were contemplating getting a second car but decided to try bikes. My commute to work is only 10 k and my partners is only like 5 k. So it makes sense for us. Winter is a bitch though and this year i will buy some winter tires for my bike. The car is in the drive most days and the lease is up in 6 months. Im tempted to try no car for a time. But i think it will make life a bit to inconvenient. Especially with a second baby coming in december.
Small electric car! Chevy Bolt EV/EUV would be great for you. Super cheap to run, basically no maintenance costs, 5 seats if needed. You might even find that you always want to take it. I have the Bolt EUV now, but beforehand we had a 2016 Fiat 500e, if you are strictly looking for a commuter car, it is wonderful and super cheap, nice ones under $8k. Only downside for you is that it's just 4 seats so you couldn't take the whole family in a pinch.
Soooo I have been toying with the idea of an electric. Not sure where you live, but the concern I have in my area would be charging options. Public charging stations are hard to come by unless you're at a new Costco or random grocery store parking lot.
Home charger!! Most (if not all) come with a basic "trickle" charger that you can keep on at the house. But, upgrading to a wall mounted unit (500-1k + install, if you're not doing it yourself) is completely worth it. We have a Kia EV6, and I couldn't be happier pairing it with my Kia Stinger. Not quite your situation, but it's worth it
We are renting a home, so unfortunately I don't think an install is feasible. We looked at a Kia, and the "time to fully charge" was about 12 hours! I have to imagine you don't need a full charge for most trips, but that limitation made me nervous for sure.
So, range anxiety is a thing for sure. But, if you get, say an Ioniq 5...221 mile range...where are you going *routinely* that is more than 100 miles one way?? You said you're working from home, so in a months driving...what's the issue? If you need to go..even say...150 miles round trip, you're taking the other car just for peace of mind, and the 3 car seats are fine in the back in case of emergency. If you only take the 10-15 mile round trip here and there to grab a pizza, run to the store, whatever 3 times a week...you'll have no problem keeping that charge (and the ioniq is a lower ranged option, I just like the way they look :) over 80 percent throughout the week.
Thanks for putting it in these terms - it does honestly help. Work (on the rare occasion that I go for an in-person meeting) is 19 miles away. And almost anywhere else I go consistently is closer than that.
I'll admit, it's a slight change in thinking about how your process you "fuel". My wife ran out of charge twice in her first 3 weeks of owning hers, literally 3 miles from home because she was used to hitting up the stations on the way. You *have* to remember to charge it as well. Accompany it with closing the garage door lol. Also, If you do have a garage, and the breaker is out there...there honestly shouldn't be an issue installing one. All you do is run a 220v outlet next to the car. Buy charger, plug into outlet. Plug charger into car. Not many landlords are upset about you simply putting a new outlet somewhere.
We do have a garage and truth be told there might even be a 220 out there, I'll have to double-check. I think knowing myself and my ADHD ways, staying on top of charging could be a real - adjustment - for me.
As an ADHD-Brain owning EV owner.. plugging the car in is not a big deal for me, I know everyone's different but I've been honestly fine with it. It's not really different to remembering to fill your car with gas when it runs low, it's not like you just have to remember on your own, you have a battery meter and you'll be hyper-focussed on range for the first several months anyway :)
Yep, treat it like plugging in your phone every night and it becomes second nature!
For your needs you dont even require a 220 a regular 110 would be fine. Youll get 50-60 miles a day on a 110
As a landlord, pretty much every landlord I know would say yes to "Hey landlord, we want to put a car charger in the garage. We will hire and pay for a licensed electrician to install everything. Or you can use your guy and we will pay for it. Are you cool with that?"
If it helps… I drive 85 miles per day in my 2021 Hyundai Kona EV. I only trickle charge it because we don’t have 220 in our garage. I plug in every night to charge. I start Monday at 100%. Tuesday morning I’m at 90%… Wednesday 80%, etc… by Friday afternoon in the warm months I’m at around 10-15%… in the cold months I need to stop on my way home for a 10 minute fast charge. This system has worked perfectly for me and I LOVE my car. Based on your comments and how you use your car I think an EV would be a perfect option for you.
Thanks for such a wonderful reply! TheGratitudeBot has been reading millions of comments in the past few weeks, and you’ve just made the list of some of the most grateful redditors this week!
You can often get a dryer-style plug installed and charge off that 40 / 50 amp 240 volt outlet. That’s actually all that the electrician installed for us - our car already came with a charging cable for the plug. Our car charges ~25 miles per hour with that setup so even if you forget overnight you’re pretty quickly ready to run errands next day. Totally get it, it’s a new thing to deal with and sometimes there’s just enough going on already. But also, no one in our family has been to a gas station in a few weeks. So that’s fun!
I have a Bolt, Midwest as well, I only use trickle charging in my garage. My commute is about 20 miles round trip, and I usually just plug in on the weekends. I have taken it on 150 mile trips, use it to take both kids to softball and soccer games, do almost all the grocery shopping. Small cars can be surprisingly family friendly!
I absolutely love my electric cars, but if you don't have the ability to charge at home, I wouldn't recommend them. Even a 110v outlet in a garage can restore 40 miles or so in 10 hours.
Our second car is a VW ID.4. I LOVE it, but I do have a 350 KWh charger within walking distance. Tons of speed, perfect for a family, and super comfortable. I do acknowledge that it’s not going to work for everyone though.
as long as you keep it plugged in and it's not too cold I'm talking freezing temperatures, having an EV as a daily driver to commute to and from the store is a very viable option. Just know that if you're going to go on family trips with it you kind of have to stick to the main roads and you can only go as far as the next charger and then you're still looking at staying at that charging station or a few hours until it's charged. not to mention a lot of places are starting to really destroy the cost savings with EVS, with increased licensing prices. Don't assume EVS are maintenance free they still need their services done on time, And just be warned if it's out of warranty and your battery pack goes bad you're pretty much buying a new car to replace the battery pack.
> Don't assume EVS are maintenance free they still need their services done on time Both my EV's only maintenance before 100k or 150k miles is to rotate tires and change cabin air filter, neither of which is actually needed in the same way an oil change is. At 100k/150k they are supposed to have a coolant flush.
Yes that's absolutely true but it also completely depends on The manufacturer The OP is worried about money I highly doubt he is going to drop 100 Grand on a Tesla.
That's the same maintenance schedule on my bolt, with the $4k rebate you can get one of those pretty close to $10k. Even Tesla isn't that expensive, New model 3s in the $30k range. Only the high end S and X are that much now.
well that's good to know thanks for the info. I wonder what the licensing fees are in his area...
My HI5 can go from 10%-80% in about 20 min at a 350kw charger. I just took a 1000mi round trip and had no issues at all.
Just remember fast charging your battery lowers its lifespan. Even Tesla knows as much and only allows you to do it so many times. And from somebody in the US a thousand miles is not that long. I drive over double that one way to see my family.
That just doesn't seem to be nearly as true as most people thought it was going to be. Recurrent has done a study and found cars that are almost exclusively (70% plus of the time) fast charged don't have any more degradation than ones that almost never fast charged.
then by all means fast charge it. https://youtu.be/4dartx7EoaQ?si=FPinRDNZ7oUhzegA
This isn't right. Electric vehicles work very well in very cold temperatures, and the wait at a fast charging station is more like 15-20 minutes and certainly not several hours. A battery pack isn't guaranteed to fail any more than the engine in your car is.
The fact people couldn't charge their Teslas in Chicago during the cold snap proves you wrong. https://youtu.be/cz59h7aA_uE?si=CexjQ1HWEZU8KxHt
Yeah, because that never ever happens with gas stations [https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=hurricane+%2B+gas+station+out+of+gas](https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=hurricane+%2B+gas+station+out+of+gas)
never said it didn't, You get bad gas your car is not going to go nowhere. You don't do maintenance your car is not going to go nowhere or if it does it's not going to get to the end. But blindly believing that an EV is going to somehow magically never break is also blindingly naive. I'm not one of those crazy die hard anti-ev people. But I am also a realist and know their limitations. also just to add block heaters exist for a reason. If you live in a cold climate you get a block heater my Subaru has a block heater and a battery warmer, so does my wife's.
Yeah, you did. A busy charging station went offline. It's no different than a gas station ran out of gas, or the power went out since they also run on electricity. If anything it's an indication that we need more charging options since those people wouldn't have had any problems if they had an alternate station to go to. Everything else you wrote doesn't make any sense so you're on your own with that. I'd encourage you to stop by r/electricvehicles to see how they're being used in real life. You may be surprised.
what are you talking about? If the charging station goes offline then it goes offline if a gas station runs out of fuel Because it wasn't delivered on time they'll eventually get more power will eventually come back on I don't understand where I said any of this. nor did I say EVS are not a practical option they have limitations just like most everything. I'll never understand people who just go all in on one form of discussion. No I won't check out electric vehicles because I don't want one that's my choice. I like the ability to go out into the wilderness with extra fuel and do whatever I want I like being able to go off the beaten path and go where I want to go. I don't like being limited or forced to travel only certain routes. In a pinch you can use a diesel generator to charge a ev. trains use electric motors that are powered by diesels way more efficient than just having a straight diesel. there are many uses for EVS just none of them are convenient for me. Don't know why you are so hung up on that. nothing I said was misinformation If it's too cold it won't charge because the battery still has to be warm. it was all over the news this winter daring Chicago's deep freeze. That's why I have a garage and if I can't park it in my garage that's why I have block heaters so my engine can start more efficiently. America is a large place in fact in the very early 1900s electric cars were commonplace there were charging stations like there's parking meters in New York City. But they didn't last because they were inefficient at the time they're very efficient now they're just not efficient enough. I don't want to take 20 minutes waiting for my vehicle to fuel up. I don't want to have to rely on the power grid to keep my car charged. My house has a backup generator. In this day and age it's very important to make sure you have power or the ability to make it relying too much on an overstressed grid Is a death sentence. I hope this helps You see where I am coming from if you can't or refuse to not my issue I don't know what to tell you. I didn't tell the guy not to buy them I said be cautious because depending on what you do or want to do they may not be for you.
I'm not telling you to buy one. I'm just saying that you've just fallen victim to the disinformation that's out there. If even half of what you said is true then the past four years of my driving an electric vehicle in Minnesota, along with the millions of other EV drivers out there, would have been impossible. It just doesn't match up with reality. I know you're not doing it on purpose; there are a lot of deep pockets that are putting a lot of effort into spreading this effectively. I used to do it, too, until I stopped and started over and approached these things like I knew nothing about them. And now I've got two of them.
It's great. I've had a Model Y for a while now and my wife just got an i4. She's able to keep it topped off using a 120V outlet in our garage, so we only ever hit fast chargers when we go on road trips.
I almost never have to charge my car away from home unless im road tripping. Its much cheaper than gas and people are mystified by the car (Ioniq 5). Its a ton of fun to drive and my kid LOVES it
Minnesota EV owner here. Bolts are kinda shit for public fast charging (50kw max, so an hour+ for a full charge), but if you can swing a legit home charging setup and it’s your town car, it’s a good move. The battery recall is over so no worries about car fires anymore. Any dealer sold bolt will need to clear recall, so I’d steer clear of private parties. If you want a bit of extra space/comfort, I’ve heard good things about the EUV as well. Same car, just more “subcompact suv” than hatchback. If public charging is a significant concern, get a used model 3. Tesla is still the king of public charging despite what Reddit idiots will tell you. I’ve been daily driving a M3 RWD in southern minnesota for the past 2 years and there’s only been a couple days (<5) where it was either really cold and the battery suffered or I wished I had AWD. If you can swing a L2 home charger you’ll never need to worry about local public charging. 50 amps on a 240v line will give you a full charge every night. Plus look into your local utility, they may offer rebates on the install plus time of use rates might save money if you’re exclusively charging overnight.
as a car guy, and i don't really see EVs as sustainable thing or even as an only car. but if you need something to go to town and pick something up and just be a second car that is rarely used, an EV on a deal could be something worth looking into. regarding snow, set of winters goes a very long way considering most EVs come with eco tires that are crap in general. regarding charging, depends on how far you'll be going and how often. could just an around town and charge at home. but depending on what you use it for and how far you need to go, i'd get a cool wagon, or something like an older ford ranger or tacoma. easy to work on, last a long time. you can throw things in the bed when you have to do dirty work or hauling things around and 4wd. a lot of a vehicle choice depends on what you do for fun, your area, and your wants. we have a volvo xc60 as our second car. it was our main car as our old vw jetta had issues and we sold it. now we have an f150. we live in central ontario (north of toronto), so we see our fair share of snow here. skiing is a weekly or bi weekly thing for us so skis in the bed are much better then skis in the car. goes with the beach and camping trips as well. there is a car for everything. what will you do with it?
I literally just typed this too, lol - should have scrolled more!
Mains are 23 3500 gmc and 23 jt The nons are 11 ultraglide, 67 impala, 13 gmc 1500. 03 dodge 3500. Sorta all over.
If I had those cars I would pay $3000/mo in car insurance where I live.
Damn that's a fleet!
I was thinking the other day that my fleet is just about perfected and it wasn't expensive. 2016 Honda Pilot. My daily and family, dog, big stuff hauler. 2016 Honda Civic. My wife's gas mileage commuter. She drives 140 miles a day. 1977 International Scout. Topless 4x4 SUV, four seats, classic car, makes V8 noises, rough and ready. 1992 Mazda Miata. Everyone needs a Miata.
You sound like my kinda guy.
2017 Kia Sorrento for her and a 2016 Mercedes GLC 300 for me. They’re both great cars but I spent my whole life driving pieces of shit so it was finally time for something nice.
Good for you - you deserve a nice ride!
No offense to the Kia owners - but too many recalls for me as of late. We went practical after the recall - Toyota Truck. The bed is plenty of room for anything sports related. They are built to last after all. I have an e-bike for getting around here and there for errands. We have also been looking at getting the Corolla Crossover. More spacious than a regular Corolla, great gas mileage and under $22k with the factory rebate.
2020 Subaru Impreza base model. Got it 16k brand new from the factory with 4.2 miles on it and a true 0.0% loan. Has AWD and super cheap.
Of all the options I've heard, this is where I started in my mind. Well, close to this. I thought a used Subaru Crosstrek or Outback would be the way to go. Affordable, durable (depending on the year), and decent in the snow for its size.
Our first family car was a 2011 Forester. I *loved* that thing. It did great in Michigan winters, even on gravel/dirt roads. Tight turn radius, easy to park. I am looking forward to having one again some day.
My wife has a 2021 VW Atlas. Plenty of space, room with the seats down in the back for the dogs, and works perfect for our family. I drive a 2002 ford ranger to work. Me and the dogs are the only ones who ever sit in it lol.
We have a 2014 VW Passat wagon as our family car. It swallows up all the crap our 8 YO needs for his activities, mainly soccer. Non family car is my work truck (company car). It’s a Mazda BT50 space cab. It has little jump seats in the back so can take 4 people in a pinch.
Wife drives 2023 Subruban RST. I drive 2012 Mercedes E63 AMG Wagon/2013 Range Rover Sport Supercharged. I love sleeper V8 cars/wagons. Not practical and I have a problem.
It sounds like you have a good time driving those!
By the way congrats on the baby boy! We have 3 kids too. I absolutely love driving them for now… lol I have a car cycling problem. Don’t keep em for too long and always searching for something new.
RS6 when?
I want a Cadillac CTS V Wagon next before I go RS6. That always has been my dream wagon.
I get it, that's my problem too. We're in a situation now after moving unexpectedly where we need to switch both vehicles up and keep finances in line. Traditionally I've always had a 'wandering eye' for vehicles. I think this is why it's hard to decide what the 2nd vehicle will be. I'm between a fun used 2-door Wrangler, a zippy little Audi or Lexus, or just go electric for the convenience of it.
Currently my wife drives a 2019 Subaru Legacy, but we just had our 2nd 10 days ago and likely will be trading it in for a Subaru Ascent in a year or so. Hoping rates come back down by then. We have an "assortment" of cheap old cars, a 2005 Honda Odyssey that I use for work, a 2007 GMC pickup I also use for work and to tow our camper, and the true extra vehicle is a 2006 Ford 500 that also has AWD which I find to be a great kid and dog hauler with an enormous trunk for the stroller and more
Ascents are great - we’ve got a 2021 that we bought new and it’s been great. Our ‘other’ car is a 2018 Outback I got a few years back that’s been modified for soft/off-roading and camping too so it’s a good bit of fun and practical when needed.
Honestly, Ford Maverick XLT. It's AWD, so if you have to run out in a snow storm, you know you're not going to get fucked with a proper set of snow tires. It has 4 seats for your kids and wife if you ask ever needed to pile in the car. It has remote start, heated seats and steering wheel for a little bit of convenience and with the a small pickup bed, that is great for 90% of home owners making a Home Depot run. Since it's not a primary vehicle and something that you can run around in in case your wife has the SUV you don't need something luxurious, but something with some nice amenities that can get you from point A to point B. It gets good gas mileage, and is small enough that your wife isn't going to complain if she has to drive it. You can find 2022 models, Ford certified pre owned with a 100,000 mile warranty for low 30s and used for mid to upper 20s with less than 30,000 miles on them and your payments would be in the high 200-350 range with 20% down (5-6k)
Thanks for this. the math helps me see the full picture. I can honestly say I have no business getting a pickup truck, but that doesn't mean that I don't want one real bad!
Yeah, most people don't, but with a 4 foot bed, it's great to go grab some bags of salt for a water softener, rock salt, mulch or maybe you have a big package that you need to bring somewhere it's helpful to have. It's the smallest pickup you are going to find on the market today, next to the Hyundai Santa Cruise since they are competitors
Our family never **needed** a pickup truck, but now that we have a Maverick we use the bed all the time. It's really nice having the capability to do things we couldn't previously due to having the bed.
2023 Civic Hatchback. Love it. So roomy and basically functions like a small crossover.
2010 Dodge Grand Caravan & 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage. We're in the upper Midwest, and it works well enough.
The idea of a 2-wheel drive car is what makes me nervous. Clearly plenty of people in snowy areas drive them year-round, but after having 4WD vehicles most of my life it makes me anxious to have one again. Glad to hear this works for you - maybe I just need to get over it.
FWD does far better in snow, etc. than people ever give it credit. I grew up with 4x4s, but have only had FWD for ten years now. No regrets on avoiding that premium.
I've never gotten into a situation where 4wd would have made a difference. I'd love to say that's because of my advanced situational awareness, but then there's the time I took on a 2' berm with my Mirage. No number of drive wheels would have saved me there, given the 6" of clearance that thing has.
> after having 4WD vehicles most of my life it makes me anxious to have one again. Glad to hear this works for you - maybe I just need to get over it. You just need to get over it. Snow tires are what you need, now 4WD How often are you actually driving around in the winter with 4WD engaged? If you're like 99.5% of people.... the answer is never. Or, maybe like once per winter or something if you need to get up a deeply snowed-in driveway. I live in the lake effect snow belt in Michigan. I drive 25,000+ miles a year... in a Prius. And when I'm not in the Prius, i'm in a FWD minivan. I have never had a single issue with snow, and I drive in near-whiteout conditions to and from work, along one of the worst sections of highway for snow-related crashes. My secret? Snow tires. MOST of the issue with snow/ice is stopping in time, not getting going. 4WD and AWD don't help you stop. They help you go. The proper tires are much more important than the drive train for getting around in slick conditions. Think about it this way... Usain Bolt is the fastest man alive. But I would absolutely smoke him on a hockey rink if he had tennis shoes and I had shoes with ice cleats I'm regularly going down the highway and see SUVs and trucks in the ditch, while I cruise on past with no issues in my Prius with snow tires
2017 Durango AWD and a 2016 Focus. Wife drives a fair bit to work each day so the focus is key.
1999 Cavalier. Haven't been able to kill the thing yet.
I feel like the late 90's was the Cavalier sweet-spot
2004 Ford Explorer and an ebike
Wife doesn’t drive, so our only car is a 2019 Hyundai Tucson. I love it, but fully intend it to be the last ICE vehicle I buy.
Give it 20 years and people will double-take when they hear a gas-powered vehicle pass them on the sidewalk.
I sold u my f150 and wife’s explorer for an expedition. Drove my 2000 Jeep Wrangler for a year. Very impractical with kids but allowed us to consolidate payments to pay her car off. Now I have a Tacoma and the jeep is a fun weekend car again.
We’ve just got two large vehicles that work in any scenario. Three row grand Cherokee L and a lifted gladiator. The GCL is roooooomy and rides nice, while the gladiator is cramped with two car seats but I’m never worried about weather or getting stuck anywhere. I will say prior to the gladiator I had a model 3 and it was a great vehicle for both riding solo and having fun and carrying the kids around in.
We had a minivan with a payment and a 4 door pickup truck that was paid for.
2015 BMW 3 series wagon with x-drive. Loads of space, AWD, good on gas, drives like a dream.
The stroller is the main family vehicle. The 'other' one is the car. It's mostly for my commute.
This guy knows what it is to 'Dad'. I hear you!
Oddly, a minivan. We have just one kid and use our Crosstrek for family transport. I bought a 2019 Grand Caravan for the cargo space for my business.
Makes sense for what you need right? I like it.
Front-loader pedal-assist cargo ebike. There are some really good options, so shop around and do some test rides. We just ordered a Bunch Bike and are going to sell one of our cars; our other finalists were Urban Arrow and Cube. It's a big investment, to be sure, but the initial cost is going to be rapidly offset by the savings in fuel, maintenance, and insurance, not to mention the fact that riding a bike is just way more fun than being stuck in traffic.
I like the idea of a bike or ebike, I really do. Other Redditors pointed out some cool options as well. But right now I think we need a second car. There are situations where my wife or I go out of town with a car, leaving the other parent responsible for transporting the kids to school or activities, doing the shopping etc. And, we live in an area where a bike won't get us to those places based on how spread out they are.
A crusty Supercycle
Sorry, no Canadian Tire near me.
Whatever electric car is currently priced the best. The floor fell out of EV prices recently (sob, I already own one). Short trips is perfect for it and electricity is much cheaper than gas these days. They require almost no maintenance, so you can pick between them pretty simply. Just don’t buy one from (1) too small of a company and (2) that’s had a battery recall in the last year or two.
Well I'm a car (well, truck) guy, so I probably am not the target audience for this, but my wife has a Subaru Ascent which is the main "family" vehicle and I have a crew cab GMC Sierra which fits us all and is new and safe enough that it's a good secondary family rig, especially for camping or overnight trips, when we tow, etc. I also have a 1986 K5 Chevy ex-military Blazer, a 1984 Chevy K20 pickup, and a 1994 Ford pickup that I use as a farm truck/beater. All of these are definitely not family friendly although my hope is that my son picks up my truck bug and wants to wrench with me as he gets older.
We both bought new cars after finding out we were having a baby. I had a high mileage hyundai sonata, and she had a not so high mileage Kia soul. Both descent vehicles that were also pieces of shit at the same time. I picked up a 2021 4runner off road premium, and she picked up a hyundai Tucson limited. Our third car isn't as family-friendly. A 1930 Ford Coupe with a v8, and suspension and brakes from 1936 and steering from 1955. My wife won't let our daughter ride with me in that one.
She won't let your daughter ride in that one... yet.
It's a pretty big point of contention in the household. When asked when she can ride in it my wife's respons eis "when she's an adult weight", and that doesn't fly with me. I toyed with idea of picking up a 50s station wagon or an old sled for a family car but wife doesn't even want her riding in that. In her defense. I severely wrecked a 51 chevy and probably should have died if it weren't for luck and/or Devine intervention so she's a bit apprehensive over my hobby.
I mean, I get where your wife is coming from. While I grew up spending summers on a family farm and bouncing around in the back of a 30-year old pickup truck, I’d have a hard time putting my kid in a car without a 3-point seatbelt. Being a dad is stressful ammirite?
We have a Hyundai Sonata hybrid as our smaller car. It gets like 50 mpg on average. We are down to one booster seat, so all five of us can fit it in fairly comfortably. The trunk is surprisingly large. It's quiet, smooth, and fun to drive. Our family car is a Honda Odyssey. Seats up to 8, but if I fold down the back row we can haul bikes, the dog, an Ikea run....
2016 sienna is the mothership, and my 1998 Mercedes e320 is the "other car". It's got 230k on it but it won't die.
We have a 2020 RAV4 Hybrid, 2014 Nissan Frontier crew cab and a 2015 Honda Fit (pre child car). We haul the fam (wife, myself, 7 year old son, our golden retriever and German shepherd and at times my wife’s 80 year old grandma) mostly with the RAV4 or the truck. Trying to talk my wife into selling the Fit as we’ve outgrown it. The RAV4 is a fantastic vehicle, excellent mileage and fun to drive.
My mom had a RAV4 and I’m considering this as an option - checks all the boxes for me.
Def go for the hybrid if you do, it gets amazing mileage and the electric motors give it sweet instant torque when you need it.
Kids have a 2021 VW Tiguan. I have a 2012 Accord
Transit van (7 passenger and camper) and RAV4 Prime (plug in hybrid). RAV4 for around town. Van for road trips, camping, skiing, etc.
Q50 Red Sport 😬 Wife likes to take it out when she doesn't have all the kids but it's my daily. It may not be the most practical thing in the world but it's a hell of a lot of fun to drive
Our effective fleet is a 2012 Honda Pilot, a 2018 Nissan Leaf, and a Honda NC700x motorcycle. Since OP probably can’t charge an electric car, I’d pick for a cheap, reliable beater a Toyota matrix with awd. Pretty efficient. Toyota reliability. Pretty big for a small car and can hold a stroller for the littlest.
I just got a crosstrek to supplement our pathfinder. Like it so far.
Alfa Romeo Guilia
Audi S5 sportback
Family of four in PNW, we have a 2011 Prius and a cargo e-bike
My Rav4. But everyone still fits. It’s just small.
2005 Kia Sportage. But I commute to work via bicycle as much as possible so the Kia gets very little use.
My wife drives our 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe (traded my 2015 Subaru Outback in it to avoid costly repairs) I drive a 2017 Subaru Impreza sedan that was paid off earlier this year. The plan is to reassess when the Santa Fe is paid off. Then we might go to a three row SUV (probably a Subaru Ascent) or a crew cab pickup. Depending on how the use case develops. Personally I’m a fan of Subaru. But that Hyundai is perfect for what we need right now and in the foreseeable future
Our main family car is a small SUV that we're also looking to upgrade to a 7 seat now we have two kids and ageing parents. My commuter and daycare dropper-offer is a 2021 Corolla Hatchback. I love it - it's pretty light on gas, an 'everyman' car that doesn't put anyone's nose out of joint at work but is still fun (I have the manual) and I think looks good. It's pretty modern, has all the tech you need etc. I'm up in Canada and get by with the 2WD and winters, but if that's a concern I'd buy an Impreza. I should say that I wanted a hybrid or EV ideally but when I bought last year that wasn't really an option for the roughly C$30k OTR I had budgeted. We'll ideally go hybrid for the big vehicle.
Right now I have a right hand drive imported Evo 5, a Cadillac ct4 blackwing, an '83 jaguar xj6 and my "family" Subaru outback. Then my wife has a m240i convertible and her Prius.
I have 2022 WRX. Wife drives a 2013 CX-5. FIL is gifting us his 2006 Tacoma. In a few years, wife will trade both CX-5 and Tacoma for a new car that is preferably electric
2017 Chevy Spark
2013 Mazda 3 hatch Been totally dependable, manages chicagoland winters just fine with good all seasons, decent mileage, fun to drive, hatch makes packing stuff easier than a sedan
Both of our cars are family cars. Mine is a 2006 Subaru Outback and my wife’s is a 2006 Toyota Highlander. My wife doesn’t like riding in the Subaru, so when we all go somewhere together we always take the Highlander.
We *upgraded* from two cars, a small SUV and a dual cab ute/pick-up, to a 7 seater SUV and a cargo bike each that fits both kids. I put about 2000km on my bike last year, and I only ride it when with the kids. Honestly, it's completely revolutionised the way we spend time with the kids and explore our city.
Older Subaru wagon. Safe, reliable and practical.
2003 convertible E46 BMW. Twice I thought it was going to go but twice it’s had an unexpected stay of execution and my wife’s car has got the chop, first because her sensible corsa couldn’t fit a pram then her Mitsubishi ASX was a diesel and recently banned by local authorities from many areas due to diesel emissions (the e46 due to a loophole however is legal). Wife now has a Kia estate and unlikely that will go before the BMW, but not complaining!
Electric cargo bike
1994 toyota supra because I am still a child
Live in northern Iowa! One kid but my wife has a 2016 Toyota RAV4 and I drive a 2017 Honda Civic. Hers is our main car, mine is the in town car, or the short drive where we don't have to pack much because mileage. Although her car is more comfortable for longer trips. We trade between the two. Eventually I'll be trading out the civic for something a little better for multiple kids because admittedly it sits low and the space isn't the best for more than what we have in my opinion. Could fit a second car seat comfortably if we're honest, but we just don't prefer it personally. Plus the civic on a long trip over shitty road conditions isn't as reliable as the rav.
Used Tesla. Or new one with tax rebate. Car will be warm when you get in, no more gas or oil changes
We only have 1 car. It's a 2008 Mazda3 I think you can make do with whatever car you've got, you don't need to feel locked into an upgrade path.
My wife drives a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu that we take everywhere.I drive a 2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer that is going under the knife next week (transmission).
i technically still own a mazda ranger. it sits at my parents and gets regular truck use and maintenance.
2004 BMW M3 has been working great for daycare. I also have a Fiesta ST if I really need 4 doors and some hatch space.
I guess it would be my truck, a 2017 Chevy Colorado. However, I do keep a car seat in it and pick up from daycare with it occasionally. We recently upgraded to a 2024 7 seat Lexus TX 350. We love it. For those that don’t know it’s the same thing as a Toyota Grand Highlander which is what we we’re in the market for but the availability and wait times were crap. Meanwhile the Lexus version snuck in under the radar and there were some on the lots.
A 2nd minivan
Hyundai Kona EV for me and my long commute. Wife works part time locally and just traded her Subaru Impreza in for a Toyota Sienna hybrid. I think we’re finally in the sweet spot for cars.
The answer is minivan plus family sedan. The kids are still going to be in the "other" car sometimes, so it needs to hold carseats in a pinch. I have a 10th gen Accord, because it was the most fun in my price range that would still hold multiple carseats.
Both of mine are family cars, just one is a 2005 Buick with a shade over 100k miles, and the other is a 77 Chevy Chevelle sedan, that I’m about to put an engine in it. I do my own repairs, and my son likes to help. I’ve been looking for something newer than the Buick. Just haven’t found anything that strikes my fancy.
2018 leaf best purchase I ever made.
Palisade for the do all vehicle. The other is a bit the other way. My car that I squeeze right next to it is a ‘17 Shelby GT350. It’s usually the car my son wants to take out over the other or the work car.
2024 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid with AWD(brand new, got it in April) and 2022 Toyota Corolla Hybrid. The Corolla is paid off now and has about 22k miles on it. Love both of them and the MPG is pretty crazy to where gas is basically a non-factor expense nowadays.
My wife has a 2017 BMW 118i that we use for family trips as it’s the newest car and most reliable, I have a 2009 Civic Type R with a 3 seat rear bench installed, we use this for family days not too far away as it’s modified and loud. To get to work I have a 2002 VW Passat diesel estate, this gets used for family days out that need the space or are going to be messy
Our 2nd vehicle is a small collection of bicycles. My kids are young still but it works great for us. My partner can bike to work and does most of the time. We can get to everything in town by bicycle and mostly dedicated bike trail. We have personal bikes, but also a cargo bike (not electric) to haul kids and groceries and such. The older kid bikes to the park and such. When my kids are older, we live walking distance to the high school and biking distance to all schools.
Brompton, Citibike, Electric Dutch bike, and cargo bike without the kid.
Fiesta ST, 1965 Beetle
Our older RAV4.
2012 Mustang. It’s my daily for work or quick runs. It’s paid off. It’s just my wife and 3yo daughter. I got her a 2024 Bronco 2 weeks ago to be our family car. Working on kid #2
Both my wife and I have vehicles, but we also have a 2004 F150 that we use for camping and towing our small travel trailer, but we've also used it when one of our cars is in the shop or like last week when our garage door broke and we couldn't manually open it and my wife's vehicle couldn't be moved out of the garage. Unfortunately both of us have commutes and need reliable vehicles.
'13 Toyota Tacoma, all paid off. I keep looking at the new models and they're pretty, but I'm probably going to run this one into the ground. Only 100k miles on it. I do a lot of home DIY so having a light pickup is crucial. The family car is a leased Honda Odyssey and it's fabulous. 3 kids.
Get you a Smart just for putting around town if you don’t have the kids with you
We're running with a Honda CRV and Fit.