by Turo
posted on July 26, 2019
New baby? New ride!
As a soon-to-be first-time parent, you’ve been researching and creating lists of all the things you need to have ready when your baby arrives. Like how many bottles do you need to buy? What’s the safest car seat available? There’s so much to read and so much to worry about.
But perhaps there’s one thing you might have overlooked and that’s the safety of the car you’ll be strapping a new car seat into. Sure your driving record says you’re a safe driver. But is your ten-year-old hatchback the safest car for a new baby? Before looking at your options, consider all your needs as a new parent.
What car features do you need with young children?
Becoming a new parent brings with it lots of concerns beyond how fast a car can speed up from zero to 60. If you’re not familiar with how car safety is tested, that may be a good place to start.
Car blogs often mention ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The NHTSA rates cars on a star system, with five stars being the best, while the IIHS issues four grades: Poor, Marginal, Acceptable, and Good. Here are the factors considered by the NHTSA and the IIHS in giving out their ratings:
NHTSA
NHTSA has three different tests: a front test that looks at the likelihood of injury for the front-seat passenger, two side tests that measure the chance for injury when a car is hit, and a test that examines the risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
IIHS
IIHS puts vehicles through five different crash tests: two front tests, a side test, a roof strength test to determine whether it would quickly collapse in a rollover, and a front-crash-prevention safety equipment test.
Besides reviewing a car’s safety score, there are family-friendly features to consider, like a hands-free liftgate when you’re juggling a baby and a bag of groceries. Or an infotainment system to play a quiet lullaby as you drive around town hoping to put your baby to sleep.
What is the best car for new parents?
Today’s first-time parents have the broadest range of vehicle options to choose from with a model to suit every scenario.
Maybe you’re planning on taking long drives to visit the grandparents a few hours away. A roomy SUV or minivan might be an excellent option to fit your growing family and your weekend bags. Or perhaps your family lives in the city, where a giant Chevy Suburban might struggle to find parking, but it would be a perfect place for a small SUV like the Nissan Rogue.
Here are a few models to consider in the different categories available to you.
The stylish SUV
The SUV has reinvented the image of the soccer mom and made it cooler. Spacious like the minivan, the SUV also has room for cargo, from soccer balls to new furniture for the baby’s room. Plus, modern SUVs and crossovers can be relatively easy to maneuver, whether you’re taking the family to the snow for the weekend or to the beach. Here are a couple of options to try out:
Honda CR-V
The CR-V is a reliable introduction to the world of SUVs, especially if you’re not ready to take the leap to a vehicle the size of a Suburban. It’s affordable to buy and maintain, and has enough cargo space for groceries and a stroller plus a roomy second row for car seats. The CR-V is also on the Kelly Blue Book list of top cars for families.
Nissan Rogue
The Nissan Rogue is another compact SUV that is sure to keep your family safe while on the road. With a list of safety features, including pedestrian detection and lane departure warning plus excellent fuel economy, you’ll be ready to take your family on playdates across town with ease and comfort.
The hipster wagon
The station wagon used to be the car of choice for your parents. With ample storage space and better fuel economy than most SUVs, the wagon is once again the perfect vehicle for a growing family. Here are a couple of the best options:
Subaru Outback
The popular Subaru Outback is rugged and roomy, great for a growing family like yours. The Outback offers solid cargo space and can be optioned up to include a pretty luxurious interior without a luxury-brand price tag. It’s an ideal choice if it snows in your hometown.
Volkswagen Golf SportWagen
The Volkswagen Golf SportWagen is an excellent choice for Volkswagen aficionados who love the Golf or GTI but want a little extra space for the family. The SportWagen is exactly what it sounds like — a Golf, but extended for extra cargo space.
The roomy minivan
The minivan used to be the one vehicle you swore you’d never drive. But you may want to reconsider. Most minivans are equipped with infotainment systems to keep your children entertained from birth to their teenage years. Here are options worth considering.
Honda Odyssey
The Honda Odyssey was made for families. With features like a mini vacuum to clean up Cheerios that almost always fall into the crevices of vehicles, excellent gas mileage, and room cargo and passenger space, it’s no wonder it was named the best minivan for families.
Toyota Sienna
The “other minivan,” the Toyota Sienna, is the only minivan offered with AWD, making it a great choice if snow appears in your neighborhood annually. The Sienna is roomier than most vans and features a long list of safety features, including a rearview camera, automatic emergency braking, and lane departure warning.
The comfortable pickup truck
Today’s truck makers have taken the pickup truck to new levels. Sure, the image of the rugged single-cab truck and rubber floor mats still exists, but modern trucks are often approachable, comfortable, and relatively efficient. When about to add a new baby to your family, here are several pickup truck models to consider:
Honda Ridgeline
The Honda Ridgeline is a good start if you want the functionality of a truck bed but don’t necessarily want a big hulking gas guzzler. It’s especially great for parents worried about safety, scoring an overall five-star rating from the NHTSA. The pickup features a roomy double cab with enough passenger space for five adults, an infotainment system to keep your favorite cartoons on loop, and a comfortable interior that feels less like a truck and more like you’re driving a luxurious sedan.
Ford F-150
The F-150 has been the king of trucks for decades because it can be had in all sorts of permutations for whatever you need a truck for. The F-150 has a roomy interior for long drives and a truck bed perfect for hauling gear for weekend camping trips, making it perfect for the adventure-prone fam.
Each truck comes with trade-offs, of course. You may not win midnight drag races any time soon with most of these family-friendly options. But in a few years, you’ll be the coolest soccer parent in the carpool rotation.
Take a test drive and bring your new car seat with you
Before you go and buy a new car, do your research and test drive your options through Turo. You can try living with each model for multiple days, practice installing a car seat, pick up the grandparents, and see if it generally fits into your life. Because more preparation couldn’t hurt.
