Whats the best dad car out there? I know majority of you have Fit's, but if you had to haul around 3 kiddo's, 2 in car seats and one in a booster, what vehicle would you choose?

 

Not too sure considering I don't have any kids, but this post reminds me of the new Nissan Maxima commercial.. lol

YouTube - 2011 Nissan Maxima Commercial - "baby"

 

Toyota sienna se.

 

Honda Odyssey

 

Cadillac Escalade

 

i have 2 boys and i fit them both in the mini odessey a.k.a fit!! with no problems with there toys and all and i have a gd3

 

fit will fit your kids!

 

yeap thats what it says!! lol

 

I wouldn't advise a Fit for kids in the back. CR didn't give the Fit high marks for rear-enders and rear passenger safety. The law of Physics still rule the roads. I have 3 kids though they're all grown now. My youngest drives the Fit more than I do :-( Waaaa... All depends on your budget and what your preference categories are - minivan, SUV, car, Xover. And your personal touch - practical no-none sense, good mileage, safety, bling bling, looking cool, long term, short term...

Just some thoughts from a been-there-done-that point of view... Good luck!

 

Odyssey!

Tons of space for the extra bags, stroller(s), etc.

Easy to configure the interior to accomodate more passengers/cargo.

Sliding power doors are handy when you have the kid in one arm, bags and other crap in the other.

Great marks from the crash tests.

Other drivers don't tend to cut you off that much with the bigger vehicle.

 

Mazda 5, its the closest thing to a Fit without actually being one. Or a Cadillac CTS-V wagon which would be my first and only choice.

 

Audi Avant.

 

i always thought the EP3 looked more like a mini minivan. to answer the question i would probably go with the pilot. i don't know what it is about the pilot, but i like it.

 

Ex-wife had one of these for a few years... with the 5-speed manual. If you don't look at the doors in the rearview mirror, it's basically a slightly heavier Mazda3... Ours had a few minor issues, but they were fixed under recall (first year model back in '06)

A microvan that'll post .80g's on a 200 foot skid-pad and has a man-pedal (i.e. the third pedal for your left foot) is pretty cool by me. It's a bit on the slow side though, especially once it's loaded down with people/stuff.

It's nothing like the Fit though... Way heavier, feels very planted. The downside is that legroom and lateral knee space are VERY, VERY limited. When you squeeze three rows of seats in something the size of a CR-V, seat travel is the first thing to go!

 

I've never been faced with that question but if I were I'd be looking at the yet to arrive Ford C-Max or the Mazda 5 and if that still wasn't enough room maybe an Odyssey, Sienna or Ford Flex. If you think a small SUV would be adequate (I'm dubious) I'd probably opt for the Toyota RAV4.

 

VIP Style Odyssey... end of story :)

 

I personally plan on buying a Honda Ridgeline when I can afford one and gas prices go down again.

They are an awesome truck, and while I agree with everyone else about the Odyssey, it's nice to have 4wd and some ground clearance if you live in an area where it snows a lot. (I'm from New England.)

If you have really young kids that you know are going to tear the car apart with food/toys/stickers etc. you should keep things cheap and try and find a used Pilot or CR-V. I don't think the Fit is bad for kids but it helps to be up a little higher so other people on the road can see you more easily.

 

I actually bought a fit so my kids would have a good amount of room, lol. 3 in all in seats though, I don't know, probably some sort of minivan. My parents had a Toyota Previa when I was a kid and I remember it being pretty awesome, at least from my perspective as a kid. I did hear there is or will be a Prius minivan soon, so you'd be able to get lots of room and great mileage.

 

 

That is hideous... There's just something about the Japanese Market.. they love beating their cars with the Oogly-Stick. That actually makes the not so distant days of plastic cladding on Pontiacs look good.

Dodge Charger maybe? CHrysler 300? I can't think of many other large, roomy vehicles that still have a masculine image, except for a few of the full size SUVs that haven't been turned into mom-friendly crossovers... and even then, the Suburban is pretty feminized these days.