Here's a good place for new Dads (and Moms) to check out what makes a good family car, and what doesn't.

Post up your ride. Why you like it, or perhaps why you hate it.

We're rollin' a 2000 Outback. I LOVE IT! Very comfy to drive, and finally I have a car with cruise control (an absolute must for roadtrips). I've not driven it on snow (yet) but the AllWheelDrive gets great reviews, as does the AntiLockBrakes. Great stereo sound (always important). Ours has leather seats which should make for easier clean up of Dad, er, I mean kid messes. Heated seats are nice, but go from barely starting to get warm to Sweaty McAssCrack fairly quickly. But it is nice in the cold. I don't have the magnetic flames on it like DaddyTroys minivan, but am seriously considering a giant skate logo on the hood. (Yes, really.) Spare tire is hidden in the back under the floor very nicely with a tool tray over it, yet still under the floor.

The family spin: Plenty of room for all the baby chit. (One kid so far.) Without the kid, the seats fold down and allow for easy hauling for those HomeDepot shopping sprees. Built in luggage rack for when ya got even more gear. And it's not that tall like an SUV, you can actually REACH the roof fairly easily.

Edit: The 2000s don't have the LATCH system, but the seat belts have an auto lock feature that works with various carseats. The seats just fit behind the drivers seat (I'm 5' 11), so if you're taller, ya might be wedgin' in the kids carseat just a bit, until the kid is older and has less seat bulk. The back door opens fairly wide, so putting the kid (or car seat) in and out is easy. 2001 and newer supposedly have all the LATCH connections as a standard. And back seat has shoulder belts and headrests for all three spots, including the dreaded middle seat. I've taken out the middle headrest on mine, as it does block the view out the back in the rearview mirror.

And I love it even more after we wrecked the first one. Plowed into someone who turned left in front of us (from the opposite direction) and the car took the hit. All family members were AOK, the car even still runs (though has no radiator and such). The frame and body crumpled right where it was supposed to and really saved us from serious injury I believe. It was totaled, but that's alright. We kept it, for spare parts, as I was determined to find another Outback. I lucked out and found one even the same color. I switched out the stereo and the leather, and have spare parts to sell or use if necessary.

Prices: The Outback is weird. Prices are all over the place. Even for the older ones. Less than 100K miles, you'll pay $6-8K for a 2000. Once over that 100K mark, prices start to drop. In my research, people talked of driving them for 300-350K miles. So that 100 mark must be a psychological thing. Though, I didn't see very many with super high miles for sale. Guess people are keeping them and driving them into the ground.

Newer models seem to be holding around $10-12K, with the latest 3 years staying in the high teens. (Based on Craigslist and eBay searches I did while looking for mine.) I got another 2000 with 150K miles, for $4800 (shipped). That was pretty good deal. Considering BlueBook value was around $7500.

The bad: Better gas mileage would be nice. (about 20-22 highway) And I'd much rather have a tail gate (horizontal split) rear door, rather than the big lift, but that's no big deal. Haven't bumped my head yet, but I know that's coming. I test drove one with a grip bar across the bottom of the lift gate, which was very cool. Just seemed to make opening and closing it easier, but I haven't found that particular part, yet. I also do not have a tow hitch yet. 'Tis rated to tow 2000 pounds. Plenty for anything I'm gonna tote along. Aftermarket bolt on hitches are available.

Feel free to ask me any questions about the Outback. I'll try to help if I can.

So what you rollin'?

We're an all-Mazda clan -- with a 2003 MPV and a 2006 3. Love the MPV. It's paid off now. It's small enough to have a more carlike ride than most minivans. So practical that I really just don't understand the minivan stigma. So easy to get in and out of. Drop the seats and have room to haul anything Ikea can dish up. And we hardly ever use it. My wife and I walked to work the first four years we owned it, so the thing only has 36K miles on it. New rubber and brakes -- I'm planning on turning the thing over to Bubba in about 6 years. I'm a clean car FREAK, sad to say. Leather is key or a family vehicle. Love driving it.<br><br>My Mazda 3 is like a hometown girlfriend visiting you after you've gone off to college. She's really hot. Fun, sure. But you've matured. The 3 is clearly the best of its class on the market. Read the auto press; it's the standard. Super fun to drive, well appointed inside. Good mileage (though it could be better). Perfect commuter car. But starting this fall, I'm taking Coop to his pre-K. Suddenly I'm highly aware of the lack of ABS and side-curtain airbags. When he's strapped into his Graco Nautillus, his feet rub against the back of my seat, it's so tight. It's a bit tough getting in and out.<br><br>In the current environment, my thinking has perversely veered toward the fuck saving, I'm getting a new car school of thought. I find myself strangely drawn to family sedans. The new 6 looks cool, but is de-tuned and heavy. Accord -- butt ugly. Camry -- please. What if I took what a new Accord would cost and went on the used car market. I could go import. I could go 2004/5 5 series BMW. Yes. *Shakes head, wakes up, goes back to work*

We're a Volvo family. Sedan for me, wagon for the wife. Name any safety feature, Volvo has it (and probably even invented it). And if you appreciate a car that drives well with tight handling, the Volvo sedans deliver (not so much on the wagon).<br><br>We're big fans of Volvo, generally, but we do have some complaints:<br><br>(1) People think you are a Democrat if you drive a Volvo (mortifying!!)<br><br>(2) The cost (I buy 'em used with lotsa miles)<br><br>(3) The maintenance. Despite their reputation for being robust, these things need as much maintenance as any other car on the road, and the parts are much more expensive.

The guys are just back from the Test Oval at Ford's shop in Dearborn where they got to drive the new S80, which I guess is pretty sweet, but I wouldn't know *grumble, grumble*. I leased a V70 for 3 years and absolutely loved it. My wife was less enthusiastic.

We just bought a brand new 2007 Honda Odyssey minivan about a month ago. Leather, heated seats, DVD player, TONS o' room & rides smooth as can be. I LOVE IT! We saved for a year to be able to get it so that we could put a significant down payment on it. Bith of us are kind of against buying a used minivan if you can help it. I mean, c'mon-think of what they go through with those kids?! However, the Odyssey is definately not a cheap car, so I could understand avoiding the 30k+ price tag if possible!<br><br>I just sold my 2001 Mazda Tribute SUV on Friday. We were also a Mazda family & in a heartbeat would have went for a new MPV, if they still made them. The Tribute was an awesome car. It really did have that Zoom-Zoom feel. The new models have even more horsepower, so if I was going to get just a new 'car', I would happily have got a new Tribute. We have also made several trips to Ikea with the Tribute, but that was BB (before baby). I am happy to know that I'll have all this extra space now to lug even more crap.<br><br>How is it that a toddler needs 4 times the stuff that my husband & I need combined?

I bought a 2002 Trailblazer LT back when I was on top of the world and was about to shorten my commute by marrying my wife. I used to live about 300 miles away. Now it mostly sits in the parking strip behind our house and comes out for a short trip around town or to tow our camper. I really do like it for the family transport. It's high enough that I don't screw up my back lifting the kid in and out. There's still enough room to have another four people in the back even with the car seat and it's got more cigarette lighters than I have things to plug in, which is a major plus as I'm a GPS freak. Also having independent climate controls for the front and back as well as the driver and passenger sides seems like it will be a big plus down the road. And once he's big enough to really trash it, I'll have been using it as a truck to haul mulch, compost, and manure for a few years. I'm sure we won't notice much.<br><br>My wife drives an Equinox. I like that the back seat adjusts and has all of the LATCH anchors. We haven't had a lick of trouble with it. She used to drive a Forester until her lease was up a couple years ago. That went through something like 6 O2 sensors in her four year lease. For a while there it was every six months that she's have to take it in for a new one.<br><br>We just happen to have a GM household right now. (My motorcycle is a Honda, but it was made in my hometown, so it's special.) It could have been because when she was UAW up to six months ago and on strike 11 months ago, the union hall didn't permit non-rep manufactured vehicles in their parking lot. But it had nothing to do with that.

Well, When one is transporting 11 people there aren't many choices....<br>I am the proud owner of a used 2004(I think) White Dodge 15 passenger RamVan 3500, that's how we roll.<br>It is fully equipped: Stained cloth seats, 1 baby carrier, 1 car seat, 1 booster seat, 2 trash cans, 1 rolling ice chest (with built in cup holders between the front seats), 2 strollers, tinted windows, tow package, dual zone (front & rear) heat & air, power windows & locks, cruise control, a 'check engine light' that is constantly illuminating the dash & an after market stereo with iPod® connector.<br>Don't be hating me 'cause your all jealous!!

We have a winner!!!

Wow! Yikes! Rollin' with a posse indeed. I think I'd need a limo divider thing installed behind the front seats...

We have a 06 GMC Canyon Crew Cab pickup. It's a smaller pickup so is pretty good on gas. I like having the open bed for carrying all the garden crap my wife wants and it makes the ikea trips pretty easy too. With the crew cabs full backseat there is room for the car seat and two dogs (1 australian shepherd and 1 german shepherd). I have the 4x4 for the canadian winter and have pulled a couple out of the ditch. We only have the one vehicle as my wife doesn't drive yet.

We have a 2008 Toyota Rav4.<br><br>We quickly realized (driving home from the hospital with our knees up to our necks) that the Jetta just wasn't going to cut it anymore. LOL<br><br>We love love LOVE the Rav, can't say enough good things about it. We got the luxury edition which included leather seats and tow package and 3rd row seat. It's a V6 yet gets excellent gas milage. The 2008 was given the highest ratings for small SUV's in Consumer Reports. We looked at the Highlander, but it didn't accomidate the rear-facing car seats and double stroller the way the Rav did. Plus it was more expensive and in our opinion not really worth the extra cash.

Subaru Legacy wagon for us. You would not believe (actually you probably would) the amount of stuff we need to transport for just one night away from home <br><br>Long wheel base, All wheel drive, loads of room, good fuel economy (non turbo model) and good handling.

Up until this past March, I still drove a 1996 Toyota RAV4. Loved that car. It was just a 4-banger, but low maintenance and decent mileage made for a happy boy.<br><br>But when we knew baby was on the way we wanted to get a new car. We know the deal about dropping a few K in value driving off the lot, but we wanted a new frickin' car.<br><br>We also have a 2003 Saturn Ion. Saturn's have been really good to my wife and to both of us, so we test drove a 2008 Saturn VUE and a Toyota RAV4. (We did our homework on Consumer Reports as well on both these models.)<br><br>What ended up selling us on the Saturn VUE was the horrid sales experience we had at Toyota. The double-team insulting sales schtick was enough for me to punch both of them in the face (which I thankfully didn't do). Gas mileage was better in the RAV but still didn't wash the acidic taste from my mouth.<br><br>Our Saturn rocks - thanks to XM radio and a iPod dock!

Oh my goodness! Yeah, I think if we had a horrible sales guy we probably would have walked out too. No car is worth being treated that way IMO.<br><br>Thankfully I have 3 family members who work at the local Toyota dealership. So I was able to work with someone I already knew and trusted. I actually called them on the phone, told them everything that I wanted in a Rav4, they ordered one specifically for me, and had the paperwork completely ready when I got there so all I had to do was sign and get my keys. Perfect way to go for a couple with twin newborns along for the jaunt!

We were rolling in our '03 Honda Element long before becoming parents, but it works out as great for hauling kiddo as it does for cargo! It's got incredible headroom and there's no bullking center console chewing up space needlessly. The flooring is a rubbery-plasticy material so cleanups are a cinch. The back seat has truckloads of legroom, so the carseat fits easily. Loading & unloading are a little trickier due to the suicide doors, but once you're used to it, it's pretty manageable. And it's very decent on fuel efficiency at around 22-24 mpg.<br><br>For hauling cargo, the rear seats folding and flip up to provide a cavernous space!

We were not quite ready for a minivan, but our cars were way too small to take our baby and all her stuff with us. So a couple of weeks ago we bought an 07 Chevy Equinox. We have been looking at them for a long time. We wanted a small SUV to have storage space, but also have the better gas mileage. We also wanted a small SUV to pull a small camper. We don't have one now, but we enjoy camping and would like to eventually get a pop up camper so we needed a V6 to have a better chance at pulling.<br><br>We actually like it more now that we actually have. We have now seen all the features. I didn't even know that the back seat moves back and forth to make more leg room. It also has some great backseat room. I can sit back there and not touch my knees to the seat. We also enjoy the iPod connector because we use it constantly. We are probably both most excited because we've never gotten such a new car before.<br><br>I know for now it will be really good and we can even have another kid and it would work. However if a third one ever came along we may need to go to something else that would work better for more people.

I'm seriously thinking about going to the dealer today and trading my Mazda3 for a Mazda6. I'm getting tired of wedging Coop into his booster, and driving his to school in a car w/o antilocks or rear curtain airbags. Good time to make a deal. Downside: becoming a family with a minivan and a mid-size sedan. Wow. I'm that guy.

Yea, but you ARE that guy... your job/company is all about being THAT guy... It's ok DC, just wait a few more years, and your oldest is gonna be askin' for a set o' wheels, as that ripstick ain't gonna cut it... HA!

Okay, I got a new car today, and I need to practice my justification in preparation for going home to my wife. I sold my Mazda3 and leased a Mazda6. From a car standpoint: new one has the following safety features the old one did not -- antilock brakes, traction control, side-curtain airbags that cover the back seat. Five-star crash worthiness. There is room in the back seat for Coop in his Graco Naultilus booster without mashing his feet into the seat in front. All this is of increased significance because I take Coop to school every day now.<br><br>It's also clearly an old man's car with auto tranny and four-banger engine. Family sedan and minivan man. Please pass the Geritol.<br><br>From the money side: factory lease program means my payment is only about $10 more than it used to be. Got a good price for the 3, so I walked away with some significant cash in my pocket. So , I pulled some equity out of the car segment and put it into the bank segment, and in the process, got a more family-friendly ride. In 3 years,I'm SOL because it's a lease and I have no down payment. But hey. Our van is paid for. And DadLabs will be HUGE by then.

Congrats! And good luck with the wife.

Maybe you could tell your wife that you were just attracting too much attention from other hot mommy's when you drove your sporty Mazda 3. Tell her that this attention made you uncomfortable, and you needed a vehicle that clearly signaled your status as a mature and unavailable father. That should work.

Glad it's roomy, 'cause I'm sleeping in it.

Ouch! That's hilarious. I mean, sorry man.

My first post!!<br><br>Expecting my first in April. I currently own a 2000 Infiniti QX4 SUV. About the size of a Ford Explorer. Leather, power, etc... The wife drives a 2000 Toyota Solara two door. We will probably be replacing the Solara with a 4-door sedan within a year. Thinking Mazda or Nissan but we'll be shopping around.<br><br>And, I have a pearl 2006 Nissan 350Z. Loaded. Expecting my first (yes, I said it again) and selling my current Baby to make room for this new addition to the family.

Biggest mistake I ever made was not buying a 350Z before I became a father. Now all hope is lost.