A question for the parents (or parents to be).

[CrazyKell]

Did you get rid of your vehicle to get a different vehicle once you had kids or found out you were having kids?

Did you go for something with more seating, easier access for car seats, or safer?

Just curious. :skep: :)

[the chi]

I cant say for me exactly as I dont want ankle biters...but I did have a friend who got married, immediately went and bought a mini van in preparation for the oodles of kids she didnt have yet...:idk:

If i have kids, I plan on being a soccer mom in a sports car or jacked up truck...no mom mobiles...

[Ninjakel]

Nope, I kept my truck.

[Hondahugger]

No, I drove a 2 door compact car and waited 13 years to get a bigger vehicle only because that compact car finally died on me and my (at the time) 13 year old 6' son kept hitting his head every time he got in it. Then I went into something roomier and more comfortable (for my kids).

IMO People who do that are nesting in areas that aren't necessary. Unless they have a 2 seater sports car, there's no need to change from the 4 door sedan to the extended cabin mini-van. The car seat only takes up so much space and the stroller can fit just as easily in the trunk as it can on a luggage rack on the roof or storage space in the back of a minivan!

If you want to do something smart for the kid, save the money and start a college fund!

[Ducati Diva]

I had a sweet 280zx (remember that was 20 years ago). I kept it for a while after my son was born, we rigged a car seat in the hatch. It became to much of a hassle to get him,dad,& me with all the baby things in the car so I sold it:panic: and bought a 4-door Camry.

[Archren]

The ex and I were already driving an SUV at the time, so we didn't really need to buy something different.

Even when I had a sports car, it had a back seat and suicide doors (Mazda RX-8).. two car seats fit just fine in it. I've since wrecked it and bought a Mazda 3, but not because it was more "safe", per se (although that was a nice perk)... mainly because, well, I NEEDED a car, and the 3 got way better gas mileage than the RX-8 did. :shrug:

[Particle Man]

we canned my older SUV in favor of something newer that had the child seat attachments/hooks that come in new cars.

[05svr650]

The car seat fits just fine in my Single Cab Ranger and in her Jeep Cherokee.

I did find out that it will not fit in the backseat of an Eclipse and be able to put 2 adults up front. You have to slide the passenger seat too far forward. It won't go in the middle because there is no seat belt.

Borrow a car seat and try it out if you are concerned.

[Particle Man]

sooooooooooooooooo.... is there something we should know?

:whistle:

[RACER X]

The car seat fits just fine in my Single Cab Ranger and in her Jeep Cherokee.

.depending on whether you have 2 ft airbags a car seat in the ft might not be a safe choice.




we went from a '93 camry w/ 180k to an '05 honda odyssey, for safety convenience and reliability reasons. kept the ody for a 1.5 yrs, decided it was really to much for us and april most of the time (blake is here only 6 weeks of the yr), so we traded and got an '08 accord. and have kept the 03 maz wagon all along.

[CrazyKell]

Borrow a car seat and try it out if you are concerned.

Oh I'm not concerned. No littlies for me! :no: Another thread just got me thinking. :whistle:

[RACER X]

we were contemplating a mini, and even took a demo to kid r us to try baby seats, no go to my dismay.

even the new mini clubman is a tad small for child car seats.

[azoomm]

we were contemplating a mini, and even took a demo to kid r us to try baby seats, no go to my dismay.

even the new mini clubman is a tad small for child car seats.

There isn't an issue with front facing car seats in the Mini Coopers. It's only infant Rear-Facing :wink:

No, I didn't go out and get a new car with the kids. Though, my ex-husband got me a mini-van because women in mini-vans "don't get hit on". And, we got the extended cab on the Tundra to carry normal sized humans that we can't easily transport in the Mini.

[ontwo]

Went from a 2-door to a cool 4-door

Went from a single cab truck to an extended cab

[RACER X]

There isn't an issue with front facing car seats in the Mini Coopers. It's only infant Rear-Facing :wink:

.

in our opinion, it was a prob , and that was w/ a clubman (JCW) within the last 4-5 mos, so a reg. mini woulda been worse. :idk:

[shmike]

in our opinion, it was a prob , and that was w/ a clubman (JCW) within the last 4-5 mos, so a reg. mini woulda been worse. :idk:

What do you guys have now?

An Odessey and ???

For the OP: No kids yet.

However, when the time comes, the wife will be pimping a new minivan about 30 minutes after the doctor confirms pregger status.

[Katana-750_lady]

I got a 4-door sedan while I was pregnant .... my 2-door wouldn't have worked.

Then I got an SUV ... worked WAY better.

[RACER X]

What do you guys have now?

An Odessey and ???

.




'08 accord EX-L
'03 maz protege 5

wanted a mini BAD!

[shmike]

'08 accord EX-L
'03 maz protege 5

wanted a mini BAD!

The Accord replaced the van, right?

[RACER X]

The Accord replaced the van, right?

yeah, the van was a bit much for just 3 of us. we had planned for another kid, and it hadn't come to fruition YET. so we swapped payments basically.

now that we are prego again, seems like a mistake, but i think getting rid of it was the thing that made it happen..........lol

[lauralynne]

I had a 4 door Geo Metro that worked just fine. When that got totalled, I bit the bullet and bought a minivan - someone should have warned me though, Caravans are the devil's car. From that I got a Honda Odyessy (and still can't spell it). I frequently use all 6 seats - and always have. I AM a soccer mom. *sigh*

[Particle Man]

depending on whether you have 2 ft airbags a car seat in the ft might not be a safe choice.



IIRC, the Ranger comes with a feature using the key to disable the passenger airbag for that purpose...

[RACER X]

IIRC, the Ranger comes with a feature using the key to disable the passenger airbag for that purpose...

thats another factor, but alot of older trucks/cars (esp cars) don't have that option.

nowadays, the odyssey and accord we have, have sensors in the pass. seat to determine on/off, and also how much charge to put in the aribag.

[Bluestreak]

We traded in our subaru impreza for an outback wagon just before our first was born. The car seat didn't fit well in the back of the impreza. I couldn't ride in the front seat if the car seat was behind me. The wife is short and had no issues.

[Flexin]

I had a 2000 Oldsmobile Intrigue when we had Jayden so there was no need to switch. When we had Sienna it was still fine, except when we had to take someone else with us. They had to get in between the car seats. But the Olds was a good size so there was some room between them. After a while I had my used car dealers license so we sold the Olds and went car hopping.

We ended up getting a minivan. I was the one that wanted one because we had people with us a lot so it gave us three seats even with the kids there.

We had (for a few months at a time)

99 Ford Windstar
2000 Chevy Venture
2002 Dodge Caravan
2001 Pontiac Montana
2003 Kia Sedona
2002 Chrysler Sebring
2004 Mazda Tribute AWD

We are keeping the Tribute. In between the vans we had a 2000 Hyundai Accent 2 door for 2 days (anyone who has two kids in car seats in a two door compact car are nuts. Plain and simple) and a 2001 Hyundai Accent 4 door which we had for about a week or two.

I liked having the vans (some better then others) because you could walk back if there was a problem with the kids. The space was great in the extended. I don't like the short wheel base vans. They still have the seating but you have no room behind the rear set of seats.

I also still had my R6 when I had Jayden. I sold it later only because I needed the money trying to run my own business.

James

[smileyman]

I had a 2 passenger Nissan 350Z when I fell for this chick who had 2 kids from a previous wreck, umm, marriage. I traded it for a 7 passenger Chevrolet Tow vehicle, umm, uhh huhh, Trailblazer:whistle: Then I had a munchkin of my own and did not have the money to tow my bike anywhere:idk:

[Hondahugger]

I know this is probably going to throw a few on defense and I truly don't mean to disrespect or anything like this with what I'm about to say........... but ............................... we truly are a fat lazy spoiled nation.

Remotes that automatically open doors so our lazy asses don't have to put something down and manually open it like we used to because it's just soooooooooooooo much easier and more convenient.

More cup holders to fit all the sippy cups that the 20 kids screaming in the back of the mini van brings with them.

16 Speaker stereo system, DVD player and LCD Flat Screens installed so the 6 month old can comfortably fall asleep listening to Baby Bop singing behind Barney because baby smiles when she sees Baby Bop on the screen and likes Baby Bop more than Barney.

All the other bells and whistles and trimmings that make our lives easier and more comfortable because we feel that we work hard and deserve to have some of the extra nicer things in life......... And those extra things will bring extra pounds on our asses and a lazier mentality.

The Movie WAL-E is coming to mind right now.


And with all that said, I want the new Suburban!

[Ninjakel]

fuck that. I want an Escalade :lol:

[Bluestreak]

I know this is probably going to throw a few on defense and I truly don't mean to disrespect or anything like this with what I'm about to say........... but ............................... we truly are a fat lazy spoiled nation.

Remotes that automatically open doors so our lazy asses don't have to put something down and manually open it like we used to because it's just soooooooooooooo much easier and more convenient.

More cup holders to fit all the sippy cups that the 20 kids screaming in the back of the mini van brings with them.

16 Speaker stereo system, DVD player and LCD Flat Screens installed so the 6 month old can comfortably fall asleep listening to Baby Bop singing behind Barney because baby smiles when she sees Baby Bop on the screen and likes Baby Bop more than Barney.

All the other bells and whistles and trimmings that make our lives easier and more comfortable because we feel that we work hard and deserve to have some of the extra nicer things in life......... And those extra things will bring extra pounds on our asses and a lazier mentality.

The Movie WAL-E is coming to mind right now.


And with all that said, I want the new Suburban!


I couldn't agree more!

Oh, and I also want the new Suburban, but only if we go for kid #3. :D

[smileyman]

Fuck that I want my Z back!

Nah, I am not lazy. Just couldn't fit 5 people in a 2 seat car is all. Spoiled would be a better characterization of me.:whistle:

[RACER X]

we'll never do a giant SUV nor a small one

seen the mercedes R class :)

[Flexin]

I know this is probably going to throw a few on defense and I truly don't mean to disrespect or anything like this with what I'm about to say........... but ............................... we truly are a fat lazy spoiled nation.

Remotes that automatically open doors so our lazy asses don't have to put something down and manually open it like we used to because it's just soooooooooooooo much easier and more convenient.

More cup holders to fit all the sippy cups that the 20 kids screaming in the back of the mini van brings with them.

16 Speaker stereo system, DVD player and LCD Flat Screens installed so the 6 month old can comfortably fall asleep listening to Baby Bop singing behind Barney because baby smiles when she sees Baby Bop on the screen and likes Baby Bop more than Barney.

All the other bells and whistles and trimmings that make our lives easier and more comfortable because we feel that we work hard and deserve to have some of the extra nicer things in life......... And those extra things will bring extra pounds on our asses and a lazier mentality.

The Movie WAL-E is coming to mind right now.


And with all that said, I want the new Suburban!

People can be lazy with or without any of these items. I like my toys. I hate manual windows and locks. Power mirrors are safer in a car that is used by more then one person. I like the AWD in the Tribute and now that I'm plowing this year I wouldn't have made it to work without it a few times.

I like my remotes, I will spend 20 minutes finding it rather then walk over to the tv to change the channel. I like my electronic thermostat that will turn up the heat before I wake up.

All this and I will park and walk in to buy food rather then use the drive thru, I park on the other side of a parking lot and walk to the store.

People can be lazy without all the tech.

James

[Hondahugger]

People can be lazy without all the tech. I know, and I could go on a whole new rant about all of the other extras we feel we simply can't go on in life without but I was trying to keep it vehicle specific since this is specifically a vehicle related thread.

[Flexin]

I know, and I could go on a whole new rant about all of the other extras we feel we simply can't go on in life without but I was trying to keep it vehicle specific since this is specifically a vehicle related thread.

I can't do without anything I have. I'll die. When the power goes out I lay on the sofa and use a flash light to point out all the shit I own that is fun to use but requires power to use.

James

[Hondahugger]

Go through a Cat 5 Hurricane and you'll quickly discover all that you can live without.

Starbucks on the other hand, better never fucking go bankrupt and close it's doors!

[Ninjakel]

Truth she speaks!!!!!

[Flexin]

Go through a Cat 5 Hurricane and you'll quickly discover all that you can live without.

Starbucks on the other hand, better never fucking go bankrupt and close it's doors!

Couldn't do it. We had white Juan and that was hell. I'm pissed seconds into the power going out.

I want to build a house that has wind and/or solar power so I don't need the power company or don't need them 100%. The power goes out to easy around here.

James

[MILK]

[QUOTE=CrazyKell;135846]Did you get rid of your vehicle to get a different vehicle once you had kids or found out you were having kids?
QUOTE]

No but I did take the MSF course while I was pregnant. A year later bought my first bike. Does that count? :lmao:

[RACER X]

Couldn't do it. We had white Juan and that was hell. I'm pissed seconds into the power going out.

I want to build a house that has wind and/or solar power so I don't need the power company or don't need them 100%. The power goes out to easy around here.

James

or look into backup generators that are Nat. gas powered, we're thinking about it.

[Flexin]

or look into backup generators that are Nat. gas powered, we're thinking about it.

We don't have nat. gas in the area. We have only been getting it around here about a couple of years ago. And its not anywhere near my house.

James

[Hondahugger]

Couldn't do it. We had white Juan and that was hell. I'm pissed seconds into the power going out.

I want to build a house that has wind and/or solar power so I don't need the power company or don't need them 100%. The power goes out to easy around here.

James

White Juan?????????? I live in South Florida, I've never seen a white Juan before!

[Particle Man]

thats another factor, but alot of older trucks/cars (esp cars) don't have that option.

they also don't have airbags ;)

[cbrchick]

I resemble this thread.... :)

My husband leased a 2006 Ford Ranger when we first started dating. He was single with a dirt bike.

I have a 2 door 98 Civic Hatch Back. In 3 years he's only put 30 grand on his truck. He rarely drove it b/c my car got better gas mileage and he thought, compared to his truck, it handled like a sports car :wink:

We took my car on every long drive and basically used to truck to haul stuff and on super shitty snow days.

We changed our minds a million times when it came to a new vehicle to replace the truck when we turned it in. The Volvo was always a top choice based on quality, safety, value, functionality, etc... They are very popular up North and work very well given our environment. We can fit a lot of stuff in it, it handles well, moves quickly, lots of space for people/dogs etc...

And now, our dog is a good distance back from us in case of an accident. We just have to get a really good cage to prevent him from being a 100+ projectile.

I see enough shit at work with "cool" vehicles in MVC's.

I'm fine with buying something safe even if it's not considered cool.

[Flexin]

White Juan?????????? I live in South Florida, I've never seen a white Juan before!

LOL It was a big ass blizzard. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Juan

James

[Flexin]

I resemble this thread.... :)

My husband leased a 2006 Ford Ranger when we first started dating. He was single with a dirt bike.

I have a 2 door 98 Civic Hatch Back. In 3 years he's only put 30 grand on his truck. He rarely drove it b/c my car got better gas mileage and he thought, compared to his truck, it handled like a sports car :wink:

We took my car on every long drive and basically used to truck to haul stuff and on super shitty snow days.

We changed our minds a million times when it came to a new vehicle to replace the truck when we turned it in. The Volvo was always a top choice based on quality, safety, value, functionality, etc... They are very popular up North and work very well given our environment. We can fit a lot of stuff in it, it handles well, moves quickly, lots of space for people/dogs etc...

And now, our dog is a good distance back from us in case of an accident. We just have to get a really good cage to prevent him from being a 100+ projectile.

I see enough shit at work with "cool" vehicles in MVC's.

I'm fine with buying something safe even if it's not considered cool.

Which Volvo are you buying?

James

[RACER X]

she already bought an '01 XC90

kirsty, these are good peeps

http://www.weathertech.com/store/mvproduct.aspx?ItemGroupId=8&VehId=794&Year=2001

check out their all season mats too.

[cbrchick]

Which Volvo are you buying?

James

We bought a 2004 XC 70

[Flexin]

she already bought an '01 XC90

kirsty, these are good peeps

http://www.weathertech.com/store/mvproduct.aspx?ItemGroupId=8&VehId=794&Year=2001

check out their all season mats too.


I hear they are great if you can get them in. I had a customer from my detail shop that wanted them so we contacted the Canadian distributor and it was a pain in the ass. We ended up not getting them in. They would tell us one thing and the customer (he would call himself) another.

But if you can get the product I hear they are great.

James

[CrazyKell]

[QUOTE=cbrchick;136231]I resemble this thread.... :)[QUOTE]


Your thread got me thinking. ;)

Congrats by the way! :dthumb:

[Lamnidae]

we canned my older SUV in favor of something newer that had the child seat attachments/hooks that come in new cars.

Child seats? Fuck, strap 'em to the hood and be done with it.




Actually one of the reasons why we went w/ the Mega Cab was due to the room for A) practicin' for having kids and B) when we do have kids plenty of room. There's more room in the backseat than the frontseat of my truck.

Oh btw, I really need to get some of my truck pictures on here.

[Angee]

I drove a small 2-door when I started having kids...still drive one. I had an 86 Beretta GT when Chris was a baby, it got traded for a Sunbird, then a Toyota, then another Toyota, THEN a four-door Ford for about a minute, then a Nissan Sentra 2-door, and now a Mazda MX6 2-door... I just learned how to pack 'em in. :rofl:

I could never afford a bigger car, so I made do. Now we have the Subaru Legacy GT so we can have the best of both worlds...a family sedan with 4 doors and power when we wanna play. My kids hardly ride in the Mazda anymore.

[Lamnidae]

I drove a small 2-door when I started having kids...still drive one. I had an 86 Beretta GT when Chris was a baby, it got traded for a Sunbird, then a Toyota, then another Toyota, THEN a four-door Ford for about a minute, then a Nissan Sentra 2-door, and now a Mazda MX6 2-door... I just learned how to pack 'em in. :rofl:

I could never afford a bigger car, so I made do. Now we have the Subaru Legacy GT so we can have the best of both worlds...a family sedan with 4 doors and power when we wanna play. My kids hardly ride in the Mazda anymore.

Pack 'em in good and tight. Just means they won't be able to throw shit at one another or get into fights....


Can't punch your lil' sister when you can't move, right?

[Angee]

Pack 'em in good and tight. Just means they won't be able to throw shit at one another or get into fights....


Can't punch your lil' sister when you can't move, right?
HAHA!! Right...'cept it was brothers...even MORE fun...NOT! LOL

It did make it easier for me to reach whichever was the offender...not as far to reach. Unfortunately, when the oldest was old enough to ride up front, the younger one could still reach him! I've pulled over a few times because of that. Then I started threatening to make them walk. That seemed to work after the first time I pulled over and told one of them to get out...straightened 'em right up. Never actually made them walk, though..never had to. The threat was enough. I never would have done it anyway...I just couldn't do that.

[Lamnidae]

holy shit....

if we actually got to the point that dad pulled over...


oh shit, it was on. we'd get our ass worn out by his belt... and then again when we got home for making him stop in the first place....


Yeah Dad didnt' play.

[Angee]

My older sister (by 5 years) and I fought all the time. I punched her in the mouth when I was about 10 while we were both in the fornt seat of my mom's dart...only time I ever saw my mom lose it. She parked in the turning lane and went off. My sster had that punch coming to her though...it was SO worth it..lol

We did eventually grow out of that...

[Amorok]

I've always driven four-door sedans, and Ulu had one when we got pregnant, so not really. I drive an Olds Intrigue which is big enough for a four person family, and she drives a Camry. I do want a minivan though, it would be a lot easier on roadtrips.