Trading in for a used SUV

Wife has an 18 Outback, tons of room for my big ass driving w/ plenty of room in the back seat - hauled 4 adults & my 8 year old. Three rode 10 hours to FL panhandle with all the goodies, no problem

MIL has an 11 Edge, I chauffeured around the in-laws to airports, appointments, etc. Her dad was my size, plenty of room w/ walker, etc.

Some minivans are fun as hell to drive, plenty of room.

Best option on a vehicle....have the title, aka paid for.
 
paradisePWoffrd said:
I know the carrier is convenient, esp when they are newborns.... but consider looking at a fixed rear facing seat, or maybe just leaving the carrier in the car, most of the time. I found that it was much easier getting just the kid out, vs wiggling the whole carrier out the door.
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That is where the minivan wins hands down. Sliding door, unclick baby carrier while child is still asleep and bring inside, while sleeping the whole time.
 
drkelly said:
That is where the minivan wins hands down. Sliding door, unclick baby carrier while child is still asleep and bring inside, while sleeping the whole time.
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Works exactly the same for drunk friends too.
 
paradisePWoffrd said:
I know the carrier is convenient, esp when they are newborns.... but consider looking at a fixed rear facing seat, or maybe just leaving the carrier in the car, most of the time. I found that it was much easier getting just the kid out, vs wiggling the whole carrier out the door.
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I dunno man, That click and go baby carrier is just awesome! I love being able to lift that thing out and click it right in the stroller and go.
 
RatLabGuy said:
Bingo.
Keep in mind the kid will only be in a cradle style carrier a little while. Not long until they want to walk on their own.
And that also means, climbing into the car on their own.
Aaaaand THAT is when you learn the meaning of patience, b/c it will take 10 minutes to get in and out of the car.
every.
single.
time.
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x1million... and when they can open the door on their own, you will need to learn quickness with that patience... unless you get a minivan ofcourse o_O.
 
Cherokeekid88 said:
I dunno man, That click and go baby carrier is just awesome! I love being able to lift that thing out and click it right in the stroller and go.
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well i cant speak to that... i was too cheap to buy a fancy stroller like that, and also why i wouldnt even consider getting rid of your mazda. The carrier is convenient, until they get very big.... by 6-8months i wasnt carrying that extra weight around. My wife liked to wear our kids most of the time, also, so the carrier stayed in the car, other than to go in the house.
 
Problem solved.

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It’s convenient too. No need to worry about squeezing into the back seat.
 
I've always thought they should make an SUV with a sliding rear door. Getting kids in and out of a car in a parking spot beside another car is so much easier with a sliding door like on a van.

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ncsutj said:
I've always thought they should make an SUV with a sliding rear door. Getting kids in and out of a car in a parking spot beside another car is so much easier with a sliding door like on a van.

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Hence - Mazda5.
Basically a Mazda3 with van doors. The car equivalent of your situation.
 
paradisePWoffrd said:
well i cant speak to that... i was too cheap to buy a fancy stroller like that, and also why i wouldnt even consider getting rid of your mazda. The carrier is convenient, until they get very big.... by 6-8months i wasnt carrying that extra weight around. My wife liked to wear our kids most of the time, also, so the carrier stayed in the car, other than to go in the house.
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Bingo.
Also, re" space - our experience was that the fancy 3-piece car seat base- carrier- strollers we re also the biggest and bulkiest strollers. Those things are freaking huge and take up the whole trunk.
Meanwhile, a normal stroller is 1/2 the size and 1/2 the price. Yeah, it's convenient to not wake the kid up transitioning, but after awhile you get good at doing it anyway, and like mentioned, its not long before they'll just be carried or start walking on their own and you can leave the stroller in the car or at home
 
We bought the wife a 2013 Camry 5 years ago. Every time we go on a trip I curse myself for buying it instead of an SUV because the trunk is lousy. But the other 99% of the time I drive it I love it.
 
ncsutj said:
I've always thought they should make an SUV with a sliding rear door. Getting kids in and out of a car in a parking spot beside another car is so much easier with a sliding door like on a van.
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What then is the defining characteristic of a Minivan (Or Full Size Van) I've owned Minivans (When Kids were older, and activities usually involved freinds riding too), Full size Conversion Vans, (When Kids were younger, but we hauled lots of camping gear), and full size SUVs (When Towing, gear and people hauling are a concern) But if you put a sliding door on it, to me that says it's a Van of some sort, And yes, the Mazda 5, Ford Transit Connect, and all there ilk are mini-vans, maybe they should be called micro vans?

But in the end, no one should be embarrassed to drive a vehicle that fits there lifestyle!
 
zuke said:
And yes, the Mazda 5, Ford Transit Connect, and all there ilk are mini-vans, maybe they should be called micro vans?
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The M5 is literally classified as a microvan by Car & Driver etc. Here in MD, we have different registration taxes for car, van and SUVs. They classify it as a car. Which is great b/c its 50% less.
Which may be another thing to consider, if keeping costs low really is an issue - reg, tax and insurance difference.
 
paradisePWoffrd said:
well i cant speak to that... i was too cheap to buy a fancy stroller like that, and also why i wouldnt even consider getting rid of your mazda. The carrier is convenient, until they get very big.... by 6-8months i wasnt carrying that extra weight around. My wife liked to wear our kids most of the time, also, so the carrier stayed in the car, other than to go in the house.
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Yeah, I am learning to divert the conversation whenever she brings up trading the Mazda in. I am all about keeping the wife happy, While I don't really want to trade in the Mazda, I wouldn't mind having something bigger and keeping mama happy.
I will try to hold off for as long as I can, but I know eventually she is going to get what she wants.
 
If you drive a cherocar, then whoever takes the baby more often drives that. When you go anywhere all together, you drive the Cherokee. Keep the Mazda until it's paid off, maybe even keep some of the miles off it. Enjoy not having a car payment and save that money for when you decide you can't live without something else bigger or you have a second kid and wifey wants to stay home.
 
Cherokeekid88 said:
I have done a good job, keeping the miles low (2013 and only has 43k miles) and keeping it in good condition, because I had the intention on keeping it and paying it off.
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Should have let her drive it cause its a mazda and they have terrible trade in value.
 
We had a Tahoe for years, loved it, fuel milage blew. Bought my wife a Mercedes E320CDI when she went back to work, it gets 40mpg, she never drove the Tahoe again and I sold it. She then needed something to haul crap in, take kids to pool, generally trash over time. I got her a Honda Element, 5spd ,all wheel drive,26mpg, awesome little car does everything we need it to do and less than $4K in it. Do not go get a car payment if you can avoid it.
 
trailhugger said:
If you drive a cherocar, then whoever takes the baby more often drives that. When you go anywhere all together, you drive the Cherokee. Keep the Mazda until it's paid off, maybe even keep some of the miles off it. Enjoy not having a car payment and save that money for when you decide you can't live without something else bigger or you have a second kid and wifey wants to stay home.
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x2. Even if you are picking up the kid from school/sitter/etc, how often is it more than you and the kid? I drive the same car, basically, and carseats dont fit well, so they go behind the pass seat. Normally it is just me and the kids, or me and another adult. If i need more room, take the seat out and throw it in the back. If its me, the wife (or another adult), and kids, we take her car.
 
BIGWOODY said:
they've gotten better...but they've also had shit motors for years. How about now?
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As far as I know Expies/Navis have been 100% 3.5 EcoBoost for a couple years now. Personally, haven't seen anything more alarming out of an EcoBoost than any other manufacturer recalls/common problems. 10hp/40tq more out of the base 3.5 EB than the 5.3 in Tahoe's/Suburban's...check the right box for an upgraded 3.5EB, pushes that to 50hp/100tq. Regardless of Expedition/Navigator/Tahoe/Suburban...they all get 15/16mpg city, 20/21hwy.
 
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