The Hunt for a Family Car

Pre -pregnant me drove a Nissan 300 Z which was absolutely fun for the nights out in the city. Things changed when I hit my sixth month of pregnancy and my belly was too big for cruisin’ around in a sports car. Shortly after, it was a bitter sweet sale of the car and farewell to my carefree days.

For the past year, I’ve shared a 1994 Honda Accord with J. I’m not super high maintenance but it was a shift for me. Everything is manual…the transmission, windows, and locks. Since I suffer from momnesia, I tend to leave a door unlocked by accident. I struggle to roll down the window while driving and the trunk never seems to have enough space for baby gear and groceries.

So now what? We’ve decided to upgrade with hopes to make our driving life simple. But somehow the hunt for the perfect family car is hard especially on a budget. There’s no reason to buy a spanking new car since Kai’s shoes will leave marks, cheerios will find their way to the floor, and more toys will be shuffled from one place to another.

We want functionality but a bit of style too. When I went to used car lot yesterday, the sale guy tried to pitch a mini van to me. I don’t see one in my future. Hmmm…a Cross over? Mini SUV? Hybrid? What’s best for 12K or less?

We test drove the Honda element. Very boxy but it has some cool components like the massive trunk space that allows two bikes to roll in easily. Who knows… I’m still waiting.

Maybe while shopping for a family car, I shouldn’t expect the “wow” factor anymore. Looks like I might need to get over style and go for function. What do you drive?