beetlemama
New member
We have been a one car family for 5 years (our beloved beetle 
) but we now live in the suburbs and in Oct DH will need the beetle to commute with. In February we're adding baby 3, so the beetle will officially be too small for our family. Our original plan for this summer of buying a gently used Pilot with a loan did not pan out due to job market woes.
We will have about $2000-2500 to get a family vehicle. Needs to fit 3 seats, either 3 across or on two rows. Since we won't fit in the beetle it needs to be reliable for daily use and road trips. In addition to visiting family within a 4 hour radius every few months plus annual trips from NJ to KY. I would prefer a wagon/sedan or SUV to a minivan for pure vanity reasons 1-2 extra seats would also be good since I'll have a kid in elementary school so I'm sure carpooling will start soon.
DD1 will be 5 in August, DD2 was just 3 and grudgingly is FF because she hit the 1.5" mark on her radian already (my kids are tall and have ridiculously long torsos)! Obviously #3 will be RF in the snugride then radian until the radian is outgrown RF or expires.
Current carseats available, would rather not buy more right now:
2 radians (65 manufactured 08/09 and XTSL manufactured 08/09)
fisher price forget the model, but it's the twin to a britax marathon (manufactured 05/08)
graco comfortsport bought before I knew much (manufactured 09/07)
graco snugride (manufactured 05/07)
britax parkway manufactured 05/11 (bought when my daughter outgrew her radian for harness height, she's a younger booster rider but does perfectly so I don't have a desire to reharness)
So, what model vehicles should I look at?
) but we now live in the suburbs and in Oct DH will need the beetle to commute with. In February we're adding baby 3, so the beetle will officially be too small for our family. Our original plan for this summer of buying a gently used Pilot with a loan did not pan out due to job market woes. We will have about $2000-2500 to get a family vehicle. Needs to fit 3 seats, either 3 across or on two rows. Since we won't fit in the beetle it needs to be reliable for daily use and road trips. In addition to visiting family within a 4 hour radius every few months plus annual trips from NJ to KY. I would prefer a wagon/sedan or SUV to a minivan for pure vanity reasons
1-2 extra seats would also be good since I'll have a kid in elementary school so I'm sure carpooling will start soon.DD1 will be 5 in August, DD2 was just 3 and grudgingly is FF because she hit the 1.5" mark on her radian already (my kids are tall and have ridiculously long torsos)! Obviously #3 will be RF in the snugride then radian until the radian is outgrown RF or expires.
Current carseats available, would rather not buy more right now:
2 radians (65 manufactured 08/09 and XTSL manufactured 08/09)
fisher price forget the model, but it's the twin to a britax marathon (manufactured 05/08)
graco comfortsport bought before I knew much (manufactured 09/07)
graco snugride (manufactured 05/07)
britax parkway manufactured 05/11 (bought when my daughter outgrew her radian for harness height, she's a younger booster rider but does perfectly so I don't have a desire to reharness)
So, what model vehicles should I look at?
