looking for a safe, reliable and cheap vehicle

i am currently driving a 1997 ford aerostar and have 3 kids in car seats. i would love to get a newer car that has latch and tethers and is safer. but i don't have a lot of money and i just filed bankruptcy in january of this year, so my credit is shot.

i have a 4yo that is FF in a radian and twin 1yos that are RF in ETAs. we are not sure if we want another child but if we have another one, it won't be for a while. after recently installing car seats in some newer cars and seeing how much easier it was and how much more comfy my kids were (especially dd...the aerostar has flat seats that make her radian SO upright when installed FF and SO reclined when installed RF), i really started thinking about the possibility of getting a new (to me) car.

so....any suggestions?

What is your budget?

at the moment, this is more theoretical than anything, lol. if i can come up with some good options, i will talk to dh about it. we might could afford $300 a month, max on a car payment

Remember when you're looking at adding a car payment, your car insurance will also likely go up. You should be able to call your insurance provider when you find a car you're considering, and ask them for an estimate. :thumbsup:

There are a lot of newer vehicles that might work for you - I'm guessing you probably want a van? I know with something as old as yours, just about anything seems like a huge improvement, but if you tell us more about what features you like, it's easier to narrow it down.

well i don't know if i want a van or not. my current van has TONS of cargo room, which i need with my double stroller and all the groceries i buy, etc. i think a car trunk might have more room in it than the tiny cargo areas that mini vans have? i'm just not sure if we're gonna have another kid or not...i'm open to any and all suggestions.

Well, 3-across is quite do-able in many vehicles, particularly since one of your seats is a Radian. And some of them do have quite a lot of trunk space. But buckling kids in a 3-across set-up is often a bit more work than with a van. It also just "feels" crowded, yk?

I'd start by looking at some of the used full-size cars, like the Impala, but also some used minivans. Then do some test-drives and see which you like best.

A 2006 sedona has great crash test ratings, good with seats, and shouldn't run more than 8-9k, so well under a $300/month payment, even with crappy credit.

bobandjess99 said:

A 2006 sedona has great crash test ratings, good with seats, and shouldn't run more than 8-9k, so well under a $300/month payment, even with crappy credit.

Click to expand...

dh is a little hesitant about the sedona b/c consumer reports says that it is sub par in reliability. but we're going to look into it.

what do y'all know about the rondo?

Rondo is nice, it's built on the same platform as my car their mid-size sedan, the optima, but where my trunk is they have a hatchback and an extra optional row of seats. IT's okay, but NOT a car I'd want to drive 3 or more passengers in daily. The problem is, if you flip up the back row of seats to use them, you have ZERO space to put anything else...forget hauling a stroller or groceries. Which means you need to fit 3 across the middle row, same as in any other sedan, if you want cargo room. At first, I thought the Rondo was the answer to my prayers...but alas, when we actually LOOKED at it, it was clear the sedona was far superior. Gas mileage is actually about the same...they use a V6 engine in the Rondos that have the 7 passenger seating, so it gets only 1-2 mpg better than the minivan - newer ones might be better, I was looking at older ones... The minivan has TONS more space. PLUS..the awesome walk-through capability that I prefer over the SUV-style "must fold down second row seats (which you cant if there are seats installed on them) to access the 3rd row" or else put people in through the back hatch. Plus, it's cold and rainy where i live..I can be INSIDE the van, standing/kneeling in the middle area while i buckle in my kids in 10 degree weather, instead of outside, hunched over leaning in through a door. Or for diaper changes on the go, etc.

New gen Kias, starting with 2006 model years??, are MUCH more reliable than the first gen, which gave the company is bad name. Once Hyundai bought them out, you're getting the same good vehicles, but at a better price.
Also, when pricing used ones, be VERY careful, the 3rd row seating was an OPTION on the first few years production..and MOST used ones do NOT have the 3rd row seating, just a station-wagon like cargo area, but NO seats....and the ones that do usually run $3k+ MORE than the ones that do not..the 7 pass seating was only an option on the highest trim model back then. It eventually became standard..but not until recently....09 model year? im not sure...double check.

If you like the rondo concept, go for the mazda 5. It does a much better job of being a "mini-minivan", and this is coming from a Kia lover/driver

So..while I thought the Rondo was going to combine the best of all that i wanted, it actually sort of combined the worst. It doesnt get better gas mileage, has way less space, has a much higher resale value.....why would i get one when i can get the sedona, more space, same gas mpg, and cheaper? Both are safe.
But,..those are my conclusions based on my own priorities and evaluations.

bobandjess99 said:

If you like the rondo concept, go for the mazda 5.

Click to expand...

This is what we just did. We considered the Rondo (although never test drove it). We ruled it out once we realized there aren't any tether anchors in the 3rd row. We just bought a 5 and we love it so far. It has tether anchors in all 4 backseat positions. It is roomier than I expected it to be. We only have 1 child now & 1 on the way, but I'd be happy with it for 3 kids, I think. When DH & I were deciding on what vehicle we wanted (we basically narrowed it down to the 5 or the Toyota Sienna), we thought about how long we would be able to keep the 5 as a family vehicle and we figured that we'd be fine without a van until we had 4 kids. As long as one third row seat is folded down, there's room for a stroller, groceries, diaper bag, etc. We purchased a roof rack & box for ours because we knew that we wouldn't have enough space for going on vacation with it without the box.