Best Family Cars to Buy When Baby Makes Three
Maria Smith
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Car seats, diapers and cribs taking over your life? These cars will help, no minivan required!
Three isn’t crowd in these family cars. It also doesn’t mean you have to drive a minivan. (Though there’s nothing wrong with driving a minivan.) If you are wondering what cars may work best for your family when car seats, diapers and cribs start to take over your life, look no further. Check out the best small family cars on the market today. By the way, these cars also work well when that baby is no longer a baby.
If You Want a Minivan, Try Chrysler Pacifica, the Minivan That Crushes Stereotypes
Four of the Best Family Cars
1. KIA SORENTO
This is one of the small family cars that will grow with you. Photo: Maria Smith
It’s no wonder US News and World Report ranked the Kia Sorento as number one out of 19 midsize SUVs. This family car fits a whole family (with seating up to 7) but it doesn’t look like a mom-mobile at all. The Kia Sorento has some super cool and user-friendly high tech features like adaptive headlights and automatic emergency braking which I really appreciated when driving through Arizona this month. The third-row is great for the times when you need to drive car pool but it can lay flat to create a huge trunk space. The low starting price of around $26,000 makes it especially appetizing to families. I found it to be a sexy car that can continue to grow with your family…if that’s what you decide to do.
2. HYUNDAI VELOSTER TURBO SPORT COMPACT
Look! The Veloster has three doors. Photo: Scotty Reiss
So you want to drive a coupe but you just had a baby? The Hyundai Velostar is the car for you. It’s super sporty and is a car for people who love their cars. For a car with a starting price of $18,000, there are a ton of extras you wouldn’t think would be included like SiriusXM Satellite Radio and Pandora capability. The rear spoiler and 17-inch alloy wheels will have you excited to drive this car. And the best part? It has three doors! There is an extra door on the passenger side for easier ins and outs. This car has the most interior room of the sporty compact cars in its class with room for a kid and all the stuff a kid comes with.
See what A Girls Guide to Cars Founder Scotty Reiss Loved About the Veloster.
3. CHEVY EQUINOX
Photo credit: Mary Moore, A Girls Guide to Cars
The 2018 Chevy Equinox has a higher starting price point than other small family cars at around $31,000, but it can also come with some amazing extras you won’t find in many small family cars. From ventilated front seating for hot summer days to heated rear seating and steering wheel for cold winter mornings, you will be prepared for anything. It includes amazing safety features like vibrating seats to notify the driver of lane departure warning, a rear vision camera, and even a rear seat reminder alert so no kids or animals get left in the car.
Learn More About the Technology in the Equinox.
4. FORD ECOSPORT
The Ford EcoSport is efficient and sexy. Photo: Shannon Entin.
This SUV crossover is for the adventurous couple that doesn’t want to give up their lifestyle when their duo becomes a trio. With a side-hinged rear hatch that some will love, (and others…not so much), this is not a cookie-cutter car. Small family cars don’t always come with a floating touchscreen with connectivity to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The efficient power options mean you can possibly save money while increasing the space in your car.
See What Shannon Entin Thought of the Tech in the EcoSport.
Photo: Maria Smith
Read About Other Cars for New Families
The main thing to remember when you start looking for cars that fit your growing family is that small family cars don’t have to look like small family cars. They don’t have to be drab. They don’t have to be limited. And they don’t have to make you look as uncool as you might feel. In fact, the right car can actually help you get your sexy back. Just be careful, because too much of that sexy could mean you’ll be upgrading to a minivan soon.
