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Looking for a kid-safe vehicle- recs?



 
 
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  #21  
Old June 3rd 04, 04:06 PM
Irene
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Default Looking for a kid-safe vehicle- recs?

"Jill" wrote in message om...
"Circe" wrote
And a Volvo is, of course, extremely
crash-worthy and safe in the event you *do* have an accident with one of
those nasty SUVs.
--


Good rec, I hadn't thought of this.


But be forewarned - Volvo parts are relatively expensive. My dh has a
Volvo S60, and he loves it, but the maintenance is outrageous. He's
trying to convince me to get a used Volvo station wagon for my next
car, and we're also considering a Suburu Outback station wagon. (Our
considerations for a station wagon may be different for yours - we'd
like AWD for going on construction sites, and cargo space for trips or
loading it full of mulch, etc.)

Irene
  #22  
Old June 3rd 04, 04:36 PM
Jill
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Default Looking for a kid-safe vehicle- recs?


"Kat" wrote You could also try to get one of the
smaller SUVs. We have a Honda CR-V and
we love it. We aren't mini-van lovers (as of yet:-)) so we opted to get a
small SUV since we didn't have enough room for our large dog and a baby

too
in either of our cars.


My husband is driving me crazy and he needs to just buy something already. I
really can't choose what I want because Hondas etc cost too much. To be fair
to him I am staying at home and in order to do that (stay home with the
baby) we have to budget. He wanted to keep his truck and I repsect that
since he has always had a truck, so for him to be able to afford this on his
salary, we don't have the option of getting anything too new...Hondas are
high. We have never found an Odyssey that we can foot the monthly payments
for. Right now, we have other expenses (we have to have some work done on
our house, maintenance etc)......my dh is just driving me crazy. He isn't
happy that I am not thrilled with what we can afford although I think the
things we can afford are better than what I am driving now and certainly
adequate, but he doesn't want to hear that...he wants me to be truly happy
with the purchase, which I am NOT going to be thrilled or excited. I can't
pretend to be although I AM considering faking it so that he will get off
it!!! I swear...I am getting ready to be all smiles and "Yay!" just so he
will buy something already. He wants to spend $8000 and not much more. Yet
he wants me to REALLY want his picks for vehicles. SO I am going to pretend
to be thrilled. I have never had an expensive car, I've had the same Accord
for 10 years. It was 4 years old when I bought it. I am not complaining
because I am not working and contributing to the purchse! If I was working I
could have whatever I truly wanted, but I'drather be home with my daughter.
And I have never thought it's practical to buy a brand new of anything since
they depreciate so much in the first 2 years. You lose your *ss. Better
value TO buy used.

But my husband is asking the impossible..he wants me to tell him that what
he is picking for me is YAY, exactly what I want! It will be FINE. Not
thrilling, not awesome, but it will get me where I need to go. And better
than what I have. So we are having a stupid marital argument over this and
it is driving me nuts. (We can't even afford used Volvos unless they are
really old)....

But because I am not thrilled he wants to just NOT buy the Explorer, but it
WAS a good deal. He wants me to tell him what I want and I refuse to because
he can't buy what I want so there is no point in even having him think about
that!! I would probably want a Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna. If I was a
single girl, I'd want a lot sportier options. But my husband just needs to
get over it and stop demanding that I tell him what I want. What he can buy
me is FINE and he needs to stop driving me crazy and do it. We HAVE to have
something.........his F150 handles awful, no stopping distance etc.
bumpy.....

This is fun fun debate in the F. household. He doesn't REALLY want me to
tell him what I want, it would make him sick to his stomach.


  #23  
Old June 3rd 04, 04:51 PM
Circe
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Default Looking for a kid-safe vehicle- recs?

Jill wrote:
He wants to spend $8000 and not much more. snio
(We can't even afford used Volvos unless they are really old)....

How old is "really old"? I ask, because a quick search on AutoTrader popped
up at least a half a dozen Volvo sedans in my area for $8,500 that were
model years 1998-2000. They're far cheaper for the year and mileage than
used Odysseys or Siennas.
--
Be well, Barbara

All opinions expressed in this post are well-reasoned and insightful.
Needless to say, they are not those of my Internet Service Provider, its
other subscribers or lackeys. Anyone who says otherwise is itchin' for a
fight. -- with apologies to Michael Feldman


  #24  
Old June 3rd 04, 06:00 PM
Nikki
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Default Looking for a kid-safe vehicle- recs?

Jill wrote:

He wants to
spend $8000 and not much more.


Since you are not buying new I would go vehicle shopping and find some
various things in that price range you like, then come back and plug them
into this website http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/testing/ncap/ to see how they do
with safety and also with consumer reports. There will be nothing but
frustrations to do it the opposite way (as you are finding out :-).

If that was my budget I'd be looking for safe family cars. You'll get more
bang for your buck then when buying vans or SUV's. IME $8000 vans and SUV's
would barely live out their loans because $8000 will buy a newer car then it
will a van or SUV. By the time you have three kids and need the seating
space an $8000 vehicle will likely need to be replaced anyway unless you
plan on having a baby ever year. Also, if you keep the truck you'll be
thankful you have one vehicle that isn't a gas hog.

If it were me I'd drive the Accord until it dies and by then you may be in a
better position to get exactly what you want. Getting a tide me over vehicle
for $8000 will, IME, delay you getting what you really want by about 7
years. You might get what you really want in 3 years if you can put the
cost of the payment in a savings account to put towards the new one. I'm
not particularly worried about the driving a car in the land of the big
vehicle though and I know that is a bigger consideration for others :-)

--
Nikki
Mama to Hunter (5) and Luke (3)


  #25  
Old June 3rd 04, 06:48 PM
KellieGaines
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Default Looking for a kid-safe vehicle- recs?

"Jill" wrote in message . com...

Lol. Well, for me, my husband wanted an SUV so he can do outdoorsy things
and pull a boat or trailer etc, and I hear that minivans are much safer than
SUVs and ride more like cars than a clunky tippy SUV. Room isn't as much of
an issue since we don't need to haul around more than 3 people most of the
time.

I do think SUVs tend to ride bumpier and more tippy etc...but it looks like
my husband is pushing for a Ford Explorer........


If you get a newer Explorer (2002 or newer), it has a much improved
suspension and feels much less truck-like than the previous models.
It's certainly not as smooth/car-like as my Odyssey but way better
than the 93 Explorer we had previously.

If room isn't much of an issue, then I would look at one of the
smaller SUV's/minivans. For us, we have one child (4), one on the
way, and I often cart around three small cousins as well. We have
room for up to 5 car seats (seats 7 total), which is the exact number
that we need. In addition, we do camp and travel by car quite often,
so the storage space is a big deal. AAMOF, we've been building a deck
and all of the lumber has been hauled with my Odyssey - which can fit
up to 12ft long pieces without needing the hatch open. I've been
nothing but pleased with my mini-van, and the mileage isn't much
different that what I had been getting with the Accord.

kellie
  #26  
Old June 3rd 04, 06:51 PM
DeliciousTruffles
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Default Looking for a kid-safe vehicle- recs?

Circe wrote:

DeliciousTruffles wrote:

Circe wrote:

Jill wrote:

I tend to prefer foreign and wish we could afford a Honda Odyssey
minivan....my husband likes Fords for some reason, and wants to
look at Ford Winstar vans or Ford Explorers...I like the really
small SUVs (Ford Escape) but don't feel they are
safe...etc.......any suggestions? van or SUV?

How about a used Volvo station wagon?


That's what I would suggest, too. Also, didn't Ford buy out Volvo?



Yep. Ford also owns Mazda. Still, a Volvo is a Volvo when it comes to the
safety stuff and a Ford isn't (yet, anyway).


Yes but a her DH likes Fords so in a roundabout way he is buying a Ford.
;-)

--
Brigitte aa #2145
http://ca.geocities.com/bironmonger/
Please excuse the quality. It is under construction and I am still
learning. :-)

"To repeat what others have said, requires education; to challenge it,
requires brains."
~ Mary Pettibone Poole

  #27  
Old June 3rd 04, 07:02 PM
Sophie
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Default Looking for a kid-safe vehicle- recs?


"melizabeth" wrote in message
...\
Karen, are you thinking of Consumer Reports? I've always looked to them
with big purchases.

There is a CR service that you have to pay for on the internet. I

declined
that and went to the library instead to look up what I wanted in their
periodicals. It took a bit more time, but it has always been worth it.



Consumer Reports is okay as a basic guide. We took the car, truck, and van
issue with us when we went van shopping. However they hate the Astro and we
love it, have never had problems they claim the Astro has, so go figure.


  #28  
Old June 3rd 04, 07:22 PM
Circe
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Default Looking for a kid-safe vehicle- recs?

DeliciousTruffles wrote:
Circe wrote:
DeliciousTruffles wrote:
Circe wrote:
How about a used Volvo station wagon?

That's what I would suggest, too. Also, didn't Ford buy out
Volvo?


Yep. Ford also owns Mazda. Still, a Volvo is a Volvo when it comes
to the safety stuff and a Ford isn't (yet, anyway).


Yes but a her DH likes Fords so in a roundabout way he is buying a
Ford. ;-)


Ah, I see. You are sneaky g!
--
Be well, Barbara
Mom to Sin (Vernon, 2), Misery (Aurora, 4), and the Rising Son (Julian, 6)

Aurora (in the bathroom with her dad)--"It looks like an elephant, Daddy."
Me (later)--"You should feel flattered."

All opinions expressed in this post are well-reasoned and insightful.
Needless to say, they are not those of my Internet Service Provider, its
other subscribers or lackeys. Anyone who says otherwise is itchin' for a
fight. -- with apologies to Michael Feldman


  #29  
Old June 3rd 04, 08:07 PM
Clisby
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Default Looking for a kid-safe vehicle- recs?



Jill wrote:
My husband and I are looking to trade his truck in for a vehicle better
suited for me to drive Rachel and future kids around in. He has a Ford F150
extended cab, and I have an old (c. 1990) Honda Accord. He is driving my car
for his commute to work, because with everyone else seemingly on the roads
in vans and SUVs, I don't feel my car is safe- it's so small I would HATE
for someone to hit me while I had the baby. The truck is safer but it is so
cumbersome. I am 5'2" tall and the truck feels huge to me, not to mention
it's awkward getting her car seat in and out of- we installed it in the
middle of the back seat - those back seats are tiny in extended cabs.

We can't buy new but I am obsessed with getting something as safe as
possible- I can't decide on an SUV or a minivan. I don't think SUVs are all
that safe really in crashes, but they have to be better than my car. Anyone
have any opinions or happy with the safety of what you are currently
driving?

I tend to prefer foreign and wish we could afford a Honda Odyssey
minivan....my husband likes Fords for some reason, and wants to look at Ford
Winstar vans or Ford Explorers...I like the really small SUVs (Ford Escape)
but don't feel they are safe...etc.......any suggestions? van or SUV?



I guess I don't see why you want either one, with only one child. If I
didn't feel safe in a Honda Accord (not likely, since I feel safe
driving two kids around in a Ford Escort), I'd probably go for a larger
sedan or station wagon (Volvo? Ford Taurus?) When my Escort finally
dies I would like a bigger station wagon, so the Volvo and Taurus are on
my list. Volkswagen also makes a 6-cylinder station wagon (Passat? -
can't remember).

Clisby

  #30  
Old June 3rd 04, 09:38 PM
Mike Burns
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Default Looking for a kid-safe vehicle- recs?

From: "Jill"
I like the really small SUVs (Ford Escape)
but don't feel they are safe...etc.......any suggestions? van or SUV?


My first post in this newsgroup. I was just browsing, and I saw this
thread...

Anyway, I'm a "car guy, and I read a lot about them.

Two resources for everyone to look at:

http://www.nhtsa.gov/

http://www.iihs.org/

These both give results of crash tests for just about all vehicles. It
should definitely be a place that everyone looks before buying any car.

Secondly, just about ANY new car will be safer than a car that's nearly 15
years old. That's not to say that an early '90s Accord is unsafe that that
you should get rid of it right away, but a comparison to a newer car isn't
really fair. Advances in structural integrity have come very, very quickly.

Finally, would you consider a Subaru Forester? It's one of the best
mini-SUVs they have ever tested, if not the best, and it drives more like a
car than the CR-V, Escape, etc. However, any of those are good picks as
well.

Good luck.

Mike


 




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