New Vehicle

I have the Hyundai Veracruz and really like it. I have been driving it for 3.5 years and have nearly 70,000 mi on it. In fact, I have been considering trading it in for a new one (the only reason I might not is the nearest Hyundai dealership is over 100 mi away). I know that it is a little bigger than what you might need, but if you are camping, etc., the extra room is great! You can put the kid(s) in the second row and lay down the 3rd row for extra stuff, diaper changes, etc.

Good luck!

Hi Mama-
I say that whatever you choose should have 4 doors...but for camping and outdoors, you need something a little sturdier than your basic sedan. While it may be more comfortable, trust me on this one- not for the mountains and the great outdoors. I tried it. Spent more time worrying about the possible damage to my low to the ground car than enjoying the drive to the campsite. And that's no good.
I am currently driving my little sister's Honda civic. She did her homework and (next to a volvo xc60 if I had my druthers) honda's are apparently rated as one of the safest cars available for purchase. They are at the very tip top of safety.However, the Honda sedans and smaller cars are not very high up, and for in and out work and diaper changing, think of your back. They are great for city driving, some distance driving, and kids that don't need constant strapping in and out of the car.
As far as the cars you are looking at, for outdoors, small SUV's are not a bad purchase at all. In fact, I think it's the way to go. It's the huge, honkin' ones that are over the top and too much for even a family of 4. Nothing bigger than a santa fe, tuscon or volvo is perfect. As far as which one is better, you should test drive each one at a dealership and then go and look at the used ones. Driving a new one will let you know how it feels right off the lot and how everything works- or should work.The car that handles the best, feels the best, gets the best mileage, and is safest for your family- that's the one. My co-worker has 2 sons, and she drove a number of different suv's about that size and decided on a Ford Edge - because of the comfort factor. She had to sit in that car every day and it was comparable to the other cars she was looking at. I am not a Ford fan, but she loves her car.
I will say that I do know Honda's are good cars. My husband says Hyundai's are good cars, and I love volvo's.
I say, smaller suv....subaru, honda.....check the safety ratings
here is a website- I checked it out on the santa fe to see if it was user friendly.
http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/safety.aspx?year=2010&a...
Just go to the top left corner and select your make (hyundai) then the model box will be usable and choose your model. Next, go to the right and look a the car. Click on the blue tab that says safety rating.
Then, read customer reviews. It also shows used cars for sale of your selected model.
I hope this helps.
Good luck!
-E. M

I have a 96 Accord. When my son was 6 months we upgraded to a 2006 CR-V. I love both cars. I will always buy a Honda. The newer accords are roomier than the olders - but I like the CR-V because of the cargo space in the back. Our stroller took up almost the entire trunk space in the accord.

When we bought our CR-V, we also test drove the Hyundai, Saturn, and Kia. The Kia didn't have enough power. The Saturn was nice and so was the Hyundai..but we liked the overall look of the honda and the feel of it.

I love my 4WD Ford Explorer. Lots of cargo room, good passenger room for 2 kids and FANTASTIC turning radius. I can turn around better than in any car or suv I've ever driven. Good in snow/mountains. Only complaint is after 7 yrs I'm starting to have a paint problem. I haven't had any major mechanical problems, but that said, Honda is a better brand as far as reliability, as is Subaru. We also have a Civic and know lots of people with Hondas/Subarus and they are great cars. A CRV would be a good choice, particularly with an active outdoor lifestyle. Might get better gas mileage than the Explorer since it's a bit smaller. Changing a child in the car is a small issue-you only do it for a couple of years when you may have the car for 10 or more! Buy what will fit your lifestyle and growing family. Also, if you need a 4WD for your lifestyle, it will be worse gas mileage. 4WD cars just take more gas period- if you don't need 4WD don't buy it. Test drive like crazy. HAppy car hunting!

I'm casting another vote for Subaru. I cannot tell you how much I love my Outback. It's my third Subaru and they've all been very reliable cars. I do wish they had a hybrid, but mine is a PZEV which means it has very low emissions. Plus the company as a whole has a green outlook (their manufacturing plant in Indiana is zero landfill) and they support a number of outdoor causes and events that I enjoy. They also have excellent safety ratings across the board. The AWD decreases your gas mileage a little bit, but I find that I get about 27-28 MPG with a good mix of city and highway driving. This is above the 21 city 26 highway that my model is advertised to have.

Check out the Outback and the Forester, and see if one of them will fit your needs.

Good luck!

I love my Subaru Outback. Lots of cargo space in the back and plenty of passenger space. Sits higher up and is AWD so great for camping. Good gas mileage for the size car. Our other car is a Honda Civic Hybrid and we love that too. My husband's owned nothing but Hondas but we need a second car that's bigger and good for camping, etc. We cannot fit 2 adults in the back seat of the Civic with my 4.5 year old's large Britax Frontier car seat but we can in the Outback if it's in the center position and the adults aren't men with wide shoulders. My only regret is that it's not a Hybrid as using less gas is important to us.

It's kind of a running joke that my husband and I swap cars as often as underwear. In the 12 years we've been together, we've had 16 cars. Some have been company cars, some have been lemons.....there's really no excuse honestly.

But, my best advice is to do a lot of research online on sites such as Edmunds, Car and Driver, MotorTrend, KBB.com, NADA.com

Especially Edmunds, KBB.com and NADA.com allow you to do side-by-side comparisons. Most have both expert and consumer reviews.

In the end, it's all what you like. We had 3 Nissan Pathfinders until right before our second child was born and realized a Pilot offered more room and less hassle getting kids in and out. But, they're both gas guzzlers.

Hyundai has been one of the shining stars in the period post the collapse of the Big 3. Surprisingly, though, the Ford SUVs have been rated some of the best this year. Honda continues to refuse to go beyond their standard 3 yr/36K warranty when other companies have extended to 10 yrs/100K.

Good luck.

I say anything Honda is the way to go :) I have owned many Hondas and have loved every one

I have a Hyundai Santa Fe and really like it, just wish it was bigger. I downsized from a Dodge Durango for financial reasons and really want my big SUV back, but I would recommend a Santa Fe to friends. We have only one child right now and are trying for our second, so 2 carseats in back would make the Santa Fe basically a 2 seater. There is plenty of room in the cargo area for a playpen, stroller, groceries, etc. I like how it drives and Hyundai is a fantastic car company that really stands behind their cars. If I remember correctly, there was more room in the Santa Fe than the Tucson. Good luck!

My BF just bought a Honda CRV for our DD and our new one arriving in December. He said it had the highest safety records and decent gas mileage for being classified as an SUV. His insurance also went down from his previous vehicle which was a Toyota Scion.

He did a lot of research on most mid-size SUVs before he decided on two front runners - the Honda and the Mitsubishi . He test drove the Mitsubishi Outlander but like the Honda better - obviously =)

That being said we have the Britax Frontier and it will easily fit another with some room to spare.

I LOVED my subaru outback... great for outdoors, and good on gas (fairly) and the hatch in the back was great for gear. Dependable and SAFE car as well! Not huge amount of passenger space, but decent. Fine for two kids, we had a third...we now have a minivan!!! Miss the subaru!

My mom bought a Hyundai Santa Fe 10 years ago and we wll fell in love with it. I think the Tucson is smaller cargo area. She just sold that (wish I could have bought it) and purchased anothe Santa Fe. have always had great experience with the Hyundai dealerships and not much work required.

I have a Nissan Rogue and I love it. If you need something bigger, the Murano would be good.