Honda Element or Toyota Scion or something else?

[boringmember]

I currently have a two-door car and really want something with four doors for when the baby comes. I was originally thinking of a Toyota Highlander, but now my husband also needs a new car so we need to buy two (hence the budget has come down!). Does anyone have experience with the Element or Scion? Or is there something else I should consider? I'd like good gas mileage, enough cargo space to keep my stroller in the trunk while still getting groceries, a reasonably nice ride, good reliability etc. It would be good if I could keep the same car when #2 comes along too! Thanks in advance!

[Gypsy]

The Element is a PITA to get kids in and out of. It's fine when they can buckle themselves, but you'll have to climb in there to buckle them every time after the infant seat is outgrown. It might appear to have 4 doors, but it's not really, it's more like a 2 door when loading & unloading kids because there is vehicle body NOT door next to the rear seat.

[BookMama]

I wouldn't consider a Honda Element for a rear-facing child. The rear doors are so far forward of the actual rear seat that it's very difficult to put the child in the seat. Maybe not a huge deal if you're used to a two-door, but I'd assume that you're looking for a four-door in part to make it easier to get baby in and out.

I don't have any experience with a Scion other than riding in Jeanum's Scion XB a couple of times. It was reasonably comfy, and she was able to fit two big car seats side-by-side in the back seat. (Can't remember the seats - Regent and Frontier, maybe?)

[abigaylebelle]

I think a Honda Fit would work for your situation. It is very roomy inside and you can put a lot of stuff in it. Nice car for the price!

[mommaon112903]

I think a Honda Fit would work for your situation. It is very roomy inside and you can put a lot of stuff in it. Nice car for the price!

:yeahthat: My hubby had one of the very first Honda Fit's to roll off the lot, we :love: :love: :love: that car!!! We moved, hubby became a SAHD and the Fit was a standard, so it had to go back :( I can not drive a standard even if my life depended on it. Hubby is a BIG man yet the Fit offered SO much room for him :thumbsup:

Now roles are changed, and hubby has an Impala that he HATES with a vengence and I still have my Accord. I feel bad EVERY day that he sold his car back to the dealership since it was my health that made roles turn. Sooner than later, hopefully, he will be back in a Honda :)

Hubby worked at a Honda dealership and cringed every time he would see a family looking at an Element. They are a PITB when it comes to car seats, as others have said. And IMHO they are ugly!

[Jeanum]

I don't have any experience with a Scion other than riding in Jeanum's Scion XB a couple of times. It was reasonably comfy, and she was able to fit two big car seats side-by-side in the back seat. (Can't remember the seats - Regent and Frontier, maybe?)

Yup, you've been kind enough to agree to be seen riding in our geeky box on wheels, lol. :) It's not the most luxurious of cars but the '08 and newer xB models have lots of standard safety features (side curtain airbags, front side torso airbags, stability control) and good IIHS crash test scores for the price tag. And lots of head room for my long torsoed DH whose head touches the ceiling in lots of cars with more swoopy or lower roof lines. :thumbsup: I haven't actually tried the Frontier side by side with the Regent in the xB and I'm a little skeptical it would be workable. We currently have a FF Signo and Regent side by side in the xB. Other side by side configurations I've done in the past include a RF Signo and Regent, RF Signo and FF Radian, and RF Blvd. or Marathon and FF Radian. None of these combinations leave much room for a third passenger or third carseat in the back seat, though.

[boringmember]

Thanks a lot for the feedback! I've been reading the thread below about the Fit, Mazda 5 and Matrix, so maybe I'll investigate those plus the Scion more closely.

[codex57]

While it has more safety features, the new Scion isn't as preferred as the original version. I'm not a huge fan. Price got jacked up, fuel mileage isn't as great as you'd think, isn't quite as fun to drive, etc. I'd stick with the Fit, Mazda5, or the Matrix.

[Jeanum]

Depends on who is comparing xB versions and with all car selections, it's a subjective experience for the individual purchaser. In our case, the improved safety features and crash performance and larger cargo capacity were deciding factors over choosing the previous generation xB without side curtain airbags, frontal side torso airbags, and smaller and less powerful but more fuel efficient engine. It's a commuter car for us, not a race car, so the engine capacity and lower fuel mileage weren't necessarily on the plus side of our checklist of criteria, although Scion just did send us an invitation to an annual meetup where owners have the opportunity to race Scions around a track. :whistle:

[codex57]

Very true. We can't even agree on a "best" car seat.

[boringmember]

Thanks everyone!

[WhatAboutPuppy]

I have to stick up for my little Element. I have a RF BLVD (with 31 pound little boy) and a FN in harness mode. I also live in Oregon. Let me tell you this, I LOVE :love: LOVE having to get in the vehicle to put DSS2 in his seat RF!! I stay dry and I can sit down to do it. After a day of running in and out of stores with DSS2 in our Subaru Outback my back hurts from the weird twisting I do to put him in while standing up and then buckling him in.
I do all the loading from the driver's side, the BLVD sits passenger side so I hop in the driver's side and then buckle in DSS1 on my way out. The doors are WONDERFUL! I usually open both doors, grab the handle to fold the front seat forward and then hop right in!
We used my car during my CPST class and I got tons of comments about how my room there was, there is literally TONS between front and back & the second row is stadium seating (DSS1 can see right over my head and out the front window). From my experience and theirs (in the class) car seat installs are a BREEZE... That's an Element pictured in the Frontier manual even!!

The flooring is made of a polyurethane type laminate and the seats are waterproof and/or stain resistant. With a dog also I've only EVER had to use water on a rag to remove dried muddy paw prints. A trip to the coast is EASY, I quickly vacuum out the sand when we get home... nothing gets ground in to the carpet, there is none. We take the Element camping all summer, including two kids, two adults, a full size dog, tent, pack n play, cooler... yeah you get the idea.

Try it out, install your carseats, put your kids in.

Sorry the pic is so large I didn't upload it with the intent of posting here... But you can clearly see the window of the door and where the frame of the car is, it makes it obvious that you load from the opposite side of the seat.
http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/108/l_f5fc9ba53e9b4f46ba1a1d989428ed64.jpg

I wanted to include a pic of the space also but can't seem to find one already loaded...

[boringmember]

Thanks! I will still test-drive it and see because you're right, I might as well see for myself.

[zj_papa]

I have seen getting a child out of a car seat in a Scion to be a PITA and I test drove one while working for a dealer thast also had Scion and decided against it