most economical family vehicle

[hopeforchange]

if i wanted to get a vehicle for 4 kids, 2 adults with 3 RF car seats and 1 FF car seat and i wanted it to get the best gas milage possible and just all around the most economical car...without sacrificing safety, what would you recommend?

thanks!

 

[Melanie]

If you don't need cargo space, Mazda 5. I think Ford is supposed to be coming out with something similar soon too.

 

[hopeforchange]

i just need room for my double stroller. and it's not huge b/c it comes apart in 3 pieces. we don't make any road trips so we don't have to worry about luggage or anything.

 

[kittykate]

Most double strollers (or even single strollers) will not fit in the back of the Mazda5 with all 4 rear seats up. You can fit a very compact umbrella stroller and that is about it.

I love my 5 and think that with 3 kids in carseats it will be doable, but on the few occasions I have had 4 kids in car seats in the back it has been an utter fiasco!

ETA: Links to some pics

http://www.car-seat.org/showpost.php?p=1420613&postcount=6

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/show...ility-photos&p=3368021&viewfull=1#post3368021

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f1013b6/303#MSG303
(Warning, put carseat usage blinders on before reading/viewing this post!)

 

[teekadog]

I'll have 4 harnessed seats in the 5 full time later this year. I think we're going to have to leave the rooftop cargo box on full time and I'll use the rear "storage space" for a folding step stool so I can load and unload groceries. But I do love my car.

 

[SafeDad]

I'm writing up a blog about fuel efficient new models that have 3 rows of seating. One that might meet your requirements is the Kia Sorrento LX with the 2.5L I4 an the Third Row package. The 2012 Mazda 5 should be a good option, once it has a full set of crash tests and such, or maybe you can still find a 2010 or used one!

 

[hopeforchange]

i was watching some videos of cars and i don't think a mazda5 would work. there's just too little room in the back with the 3rd row seat up. and with 4 car seats that would be jam packed!

i did look at the new kia sorento. CR rated it the top family SUV this year, but i can't find any good pics/videos of the cargo space. CR messed up by not including that in their video.

 

[SafeDad]

i was watching some videos of cars and i don't think a mazda5 would work. there's just too little room in the back with the 3rd row seat up. and with 4 car seats that would be jam packed!

i did look at the new kia sorento. CR rated it the top family SUV this year, but i can't find any good pics/videos of the cargo space. CR messed up by not including that in their video.

I've looked at all these options and unfortunately, cargo space behind the third row is going to be small in anything with good fuel economy. If you need cargo space and all 3 rows in use, a minivan is by far the best option for reasonable gas mileage.

Another option would be to add a roof or hitch cargo carrier for luggage on a smaller SUV like the Sorrento. I have a Highlander Hybrid that is a bit bigger than the Sorrento and it has minimal cargo space behind the third row, too. I'll be looking at a hitch tray and cargo bag for long trips if we have an extra passenger.

 

[Defrost]

i was watching some videos of cars and i don't think a mazda5 would work. there's just too little room in the back with the 3rd row seat up. and with 4 car seats that would be jam packed!

Yeah, basically the only way to get better gas mileage in a vehicle that seats 6 is to give up cargo space. I know one member here has posted about fitting a double stroller in the Mazda 5's rear glove box, but I forget which stroller. He said something about just needing to take the wheels off? If you can't find another vehicle that suits your needs, it might worth taking another look at the Mazda 5 and just buying that stroller.

ETA: I can't find the post, but I think it was a Maclaren stroller.

 

[scariestone]

http://www.kia.com/#/sorento/explore/interior/ There are a couple pictures there that show the cargo space. It looks only marginally larger than the cargo space in the mazda 5.

 

[Defrost]

http://www.kia.com/#/sorento/explore/interior/ There are a couple pictures there that show the cargo space. It looks only marginally larger than the cargo space in the mazda 5.

Oh wow - yeah, it doesn't actually look ANY larger than the Mazda 5's.

 

[amyd]

Yeah, basically the only way to get better gas mileage in a vehicle that seats 6 is to give up cargo space. I know one member here has posted about fitting a double stroller in the Mazda 5's rear glove box, but I forget which stroller. He said something about just needing to take the wheels off? If you can't find another vehicle that suits your needs, it might worth taking another look at the Mazda 5 and just buying that stroller.

ETA: I can't find the post, but I think it was a Maclaren stroller.

It was Coty and she got her Baby Jogger City Mini double in the rear glove box of her 5 with the wheels popped off.

Sent from my iPhone using Car-Seat.Org

 

[hopeforchange]

well i have the baby jogger city select, so it already comes apart in 3 pieces. if i took the pieces from the doubles kit off (and possibly the rear wheels), it might fit in the back of a mazda5. i guess i'd have to see it in person. we could definitely check it out.

 

[Rebelnicky04]

The Ford Flexs seem nice and have a lot of room on the interior

 

[SafeDad]

The Flex is definitely roomier, but with that comes a higher price tag and worse fuel economy. Basically, you can get the same or better fuel economy and more convenient storage at the same price point with a minivan!

 

[Guest]

Yeah, once you get beyond compact car size (and not too many 3 row vehicles fit this category; RAV-4 is another option), a minivan just kills the competition. It's not even close. Since OP is going for most economical, if she doesn't want to step up to a minivan, there aren't too many choices and they're not gonna have much room at all behind the 3rd row as they're so small.

 

[Admin]

http://carseatblog.com/9785/minivan...zle-gas-2011-toyota-highlander-hybrid-review/

 

[JasonDallas]

The Flex is definitely roomier, but with that comes a higher price tag and worse fuel economy. Basically, you can get the same or better fuel economy and more convenient storage at the same price point with a minivan!

As the owner of a 2011 Sienna, and a 2010 Flex, I will say that if you are interested in anything American made, you can't compare the sticker prices at all when comparing prices. Our Flex was much cheaper than the Sienna, and is more decked out and much more luxurious ride. My wife and I fight each other to drive the Flex.

I went through the buying process on the 2011 Oddy (backed out at the end) and 2011 Sienna, and the Flex kills them both on price. Not only is it the visible incentives, you have to consider the full purchase price including how much they offer you for your trade. I just about fell out of my seat when I heard how much Ford was going to give me for our Rav4 trade in. I'm used to haggling for 1 to 2 hours on a trade in, but I took the first Ford offer. If you factor that extra $ in over what Honda/Toyota would have given me, I saved about $9,000 off the sticker. The true cost in the end deals with depreciation as well. At the time, according to the Honda web site, the Flex had a better resale value than the Oddy or Pilot so I think it was a good value.

Jason

 

[chay]

Watch for the number and placement of top tethers. Many of the SUVs with 3rd rows don't have TT in the 3rd row.

If you eventually plan to have 3 FF seats and you don't have TT in the 3rd row then you have to have them all in the 2nd row (which in itself can be a challenge getting a combo that fits) which makes accessing the 3rd row somewhat challenging. (I'm in Canada where TT is mandatory for all FF seats - you guys have a bit more flexibility if you're willing to go without).

I drive a Mazda 5 and occasionally have 4 car seats in it (3 RF (Radian,MA,MA) and 1 FF (Nauti)). If you want 3 RF then you'll want 2 of the RF seats to be able to be pretty upright (and compact) if you want legroom in the front seat in front of it. I don't use a stroller so I'm no help there. A big reason we went with the 5 is that it has 4 TT (this was before the higher weight RF seats came out so I was anticipating the need for 4 FF kids for a few years - the oldest 2 won't hit 40lbs until at least 6 at the rate they're going and one is pretty hyper so I'll want him harnessed for a LONG time).

 

[SafeDad]

Honda and Toyota, especially now, do tend to have fewer incentives, with the main exception being at the end of the model year and calendar year when there are often some cash back and financing offers. Siennas and Odysseys have generally been quite plentiful and had been selling at or below invoice in general, nowhere near the sticker price numbers commanded by the Odyssey many years ago. I find that trade-in values are pretty negotiable to about the same value regardless of brand, especially if you are armed with a few values and perhaps an independent quote or two from something like a Carmax. I find it really depends a lot more on how motivated the salesperson and manager/dealer are, rather than the brand of the dealership.

With the exception of low supply models, I think savvy buyers can get pretty good deals on most popular vehicles. There are plenty of buying services and fixed price dealers to use for negotiations and if you use a service like Carwoo, CarsDirect or one provided by a credit union or warehouse store, through a Zagg affiliate like American Express or Consumer Reports or from more than one of these sources, you can really shop around from your computer to get a pretty good idea on pricing before you do final haggling at the dealer.

I recently went through this on my Highlander Hybrid. Even as supplies dwindled, I had a ton of email/website offers and ended up negotiating a price near invoice and a far better value on my trade-in than my nearest Toyota dealer. I was happy that they actually honored the deal once I arrived, too!

The Flex is a very nice, roomy family vehicle. Another option to consider that is more heavily discounted is the Dodge/Chrysler minivan. They get 17 city, 25 highway and 20 overall (lower on E85). That tends to be just a bit higher than most midsize SUVs with a V6. I rented a 2010 model recently for a week. I found the interior to be somewhat dated it is not quite as fuel efficient or family friendly as the new Honda Odyssey (though the Odyssey really sets the standard there). On the other hand, compared to my Highlander and most midsize SUVs, it is roomier and even more convenient and flexible for family seating and cargo space. Plus, you can get the base trims for under $25k sticker price, even before discounts below invoice price and cash incentives!