Please Help Us Choose New Family Car (Newborn Coming Soon) - Budget $45,000

Lovemydeals on 12/06/2022 - 12:41
Last edited 16/06/2022 - 19:44 by 1 other user

Hi everyone,

We will soon be welcoming our first child in November this year.

We are looking at getting a family car with the purpose of fitting pram, basinet etc in the boot & for easier access.

The cars mentioned in the poll are ones we are considering and we were looking for any advice, experience or alternatives to the cars mentioned.

Our budget is around $45,000 and this will be our sole family car. For context, we currently do not have a car (we used to have a Honda Accord & never have had an SUV) and my wife is 5-foot.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

UPDATE:

First off I wanted to apologise for not responding earlier to this thread and being a bit MIA. Thank you all for taking the time to share your suggestions, it has helped a lot and made us think of alternative options that we initially thought would not suit our situation (expected bub) + when factoring in that what we want may not be available right now.

I think that we initially got caught up in the "Keeping up with the Joneses" so to speak thinking we NEED a mid-SUV.

Yes, it is an exciting time for my wife and me. We recently went to the baby event that was held in Olympic Park, NSW and was tbh overwhelmed with all the different products being sold. So that will be another journey in itself.

We will definitely check the cars mentioned throughout the thread and thanks to those that have shared their experiences with the different cars and provided alternatives and other cars to consider. The next step is visiting the dealers to get timings on delivery etc

Which cars generally have the better fuel economy and lower service costs?

Some more cars that we are considering from your comments and advice that we are going to check out & maybe test-drive:
Mazda: 3 & 6 wagon

Subaru: XV, Forester, Outback, Liberty, Levorg

Toyota: Rav-4 (our favourite at the moment), Camry (hybrid)

Kia: Cerato (hatchback)

Hyundai: i30n (hatchback)

Honda: HR-V, CR-V (medium) HEV L

Skoda: Octavia, Superb, Fabia

VW: Passat

Poll Options

  • 20
    Kia Seltos
  • 16
    Hyundai Tuscon (base model n-line)
  • 152
    Mazda cx-5
  • 56
    Kia Sportage
  • 177
    Toyota rav-4
Automotive

Comments

  • 87percent on 12/06/2022 - 12:44
    +8

    We had a CX5 (this was a couple of years ago) when we had a newborn, and found the boot space to be quite small. Once you put in the stroller, and a few other things, there’s no much boot space.

    • dmcneice on 13/06/2022 - 11:45
      +4

      We went for the CX-8 for this reason. The third row can be used in a pinch for extras, but most often is used for a good amount of boot space.

      • gups on 14/06/2022 - 08:29
        +1

        I think this is a good option, it's only a little bigger and the base model is cheaper than the base AWD cx-5, which has the same engine https://www.mazda.com.au/compare/?cars=Mazda%20CX-5,Mazda%20…

        • dmcneice on 14/06/2022 - 09:40

          yep, its basically a stretched CX-5. That and it took about 6 weeks to arrive, which in the current climate, was the main reason i pulled the trigger on it after i lost both cars in the floods.

    • TheAussieTim on 13/06/2022 - 17:04
      +1

      Yes, we were looking at the CX5 back at the time we were buying (2016) and ended up going to the Forester. My wife's friend bought the CX5 and we've since found that when you have a rear-facing capsule and then child seat in the back the front passenger has their knees pressed against the CX5 dash, whereas our Forester is a bit more spacious.

      However, same problem you described - we put a pram in the boot and whoops there's no boot left. If I had my time again I would opt for a second hand Kluger or Santa Fe, as a 7 seater means you can use all of the 5 seat space, and have a much more spacious boot to accommodate that third row of seats.

    • [Deactivated] on 14/06/2022 - 12:53
      +2

      RAV4 Hybrid

      • Lovemydeals on 16/06/2022 - 19:45

        How is the car with fuel economy?

        • [Deactivated] on 16/06/2022 - 20:15

          4.5L/100km

  • Archi on 12/06/2022 - 12:47
    +8

    or second hand santa Fe, would be a good choice

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 12/06/2022 - 13:10
      +2

      After 10 years of dual cab utes with lockable canopy, every other car feels like no storage space :(

  • MS Paint on 12/06/2022 - 12:56
    +27

    Take all of your baby accessories to the dealership and shove them in the demo car.

    You will soon have your answer.

    • slowcoach on 12/06/2022 - 16:10
      +1

      That's what we did. Ended up getting x-trail for more space

      • Chandler on 13/06/2022 - 09:36

        Likewise, except for us it was child seats! From memory only had one dealer that wouldn't let us put it in the car (not properly installing, just sitting it on the seat)

        • WhyAmICommenting on 13/06/2022 - 22:59

          I’m surprised this can be such an issue. We went i30 to Kia Rio and no dramas with child seats. (Although maybe we were done with rearward facing by then.)

  • SBOB on 12/06/2022 - 12:58

    Seltos is a good car but the boot is not that sizeable.
    RAV4 would be a much better choice for a primary car where that is an important feature.

    • yokel on 13/06/2022 - 13:19

      Same with Kona, it would work but it’s gonna be so painful through the newborn phase.

  • p1 ama on 12/06/2022 - 13:04
    +74

    Any reason you're only looking at SUVs? Family car =/= SUV.

    I can fit everything I would ever need to fit for a baby (pram, shopping, plenty of luggage space for roadtrips) in a Kia Cerato hatchback, so I would avoid buying something bigger than you need just for the sake of other people telling you that's what a family needs.

    We are looking at getting a family car with the purpose of fitting pram, basinet etc in the boot & for easier access.

    Why are you driving a bassinet around?

    Our budget is around $45,000

    I wouldn't buy a car for $45K right now, but that might just be me. Cars are moving to electric fairly quickly and the firm I work for recently did a study into EV adoption, finding that EVs will overtake ICE in terms of sales within the next 5 years (we were looking at it from the perspective of purchasing, not selling cars, so we don't have any conflict of interest to say that EV adoption will be more rapid than what the models suggest). This means if you buy a "fairly expensive" ICE vehicle now, you're going to hit a double-whammy in terms of depreciation, firstly because cars right now are overpriced, and secondly because ICE cars will see a big hit as people desert them for EVs.

    I would really suggest two things:

    (1) Buy an EV now - something like a Hyundai IONIQ is a really good choice for your budget - around $55 - 60K, and you'll make back the difference vs. an ICE car soon enough with how high petrol prices are right now (and expected to stay - look at futures prices if you don't believe that they're going to stay really high).

    (2) Or if you're not ready to buy an EV for whatever reason, go with a cheap ICE car that won't have much more to depreciate, I would target the ~$15k price bracket and get something like a Hyundai i30, Kia Cerato or the like that you can drive for 2 - 3 years before getting an EV. You might be better off this way because you'll probably cop around ~$5K in depreciation of your car, and EVs will likely be more than $5K cheaper than they are now in 2 - 3 years (plus better vehicles too!)

    The choice is yours, but I would really strongly caution against buying an ICE vehicle for $45K right now. But completely understand if that's your choice.

    • boomramada on 12/06/2022 - 21:49
      +5

      Most parents with new born or toddler prefer to have SUV as it has the height advantage, easy to strap the baby without bad back.
      And with a collision, their precious cargo save against car (thats what most believe).
      And If you into EV, at least get a Tesla, IONIQ are pain in the butt to charge when you travelling interstate, perhaps good as second car.
      Ozb all about EV and Tesla,but plenty of people still buy ICE vehicles, infact most are on 6month+ waiting list.

      • p1 ama on 12/06/2022 - 23:16
        +34

        Most parents with new born or toddler prefer to have SUV as it has the height advantage, easy to strap the baby without bad back.

        How much of this is actually real vs. just people repeating it again and again until it seems to be lore? I'm pretty tall, never had any issues putting baby in with any car I've used.

        And with a collision, their precious cargo save against car (thats what most believe).

        There's no evidence to suggest that this is true.

        And If you into EV, at least get a Tesla, IONIQ are pain in the butt to charge when you travelling interstate, perhaps good as second car.

        How often do you travel interstate? Seems silly to make your purchasing decision on something you do once or twice a year. If it's that much of a pain for you, there's always the option to hire a car.

        Ozb all about EV and Tesla,but plenty of people still buy ICE vehicles, infact most are on 6month+ waiting list.

        Again, you do what makes you happy, but you should be aware of the direction the market is moving in. If you like driving an ICE vehicle, then go for it, but you should at least be completely aware of the fact that now is not a good time to be buying a brand new, expensive ICE car. As stated in my original post, cars are already overpriced right now (so not a great time to buy a new car), and on top of that, ICE cars are going to face significant depreciation as people are moving towards electric. Don't look at the market today, look at the market in 3 - 5 years time, when you might want to sell your car.

        I'm not even being an evangelist, I don't even drive an EV, but it's at least clear to me that this is where the market is heading and I wouldn't want to be the hold-out. If you really want to get an ICE car, at least get something that has some character and will hold its value. SUVs depreciate like hotcakes, only made worse by the fact that a bunch of new electric SUVs are hitting the market - Tesla Model Y, Hyundai IONIQ, Audi eTron…etc. Days are numbered for ICE SUVs IMO.

        • boomramada on 13/06/2022 - 12:47

          Good on you for been taller and not having issue with kid or toddler. I had to deal with mine and it wasn't easy with a car. Unfortunately I couldn't able to buy a SUV at that time.

          Go visit your local kids drop off, all you see is SUVs, perhaps following the sheeps, but if you have money, why not, very convenient.

          I work closer to Emergency, car vs SUV, most of the time SUV wins, side impacts are the worst. Could be coincidence, but that's what I noticed, need stats on that. And the motorbike, that is just a death wish.

          About the none Tesla, too hard to find fast charge https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSdnmu9jc/?k=1

          I'm not sure about others, I do drive interstate much often and electric not the option, maybe 5+ years time. Just for work, perfectly fine. In my opinion, there are long way to go before enter in to electric car in Australia. Maybe as a second car one day.

          Definitely SUV have other advantages, spacious, bigger boot, perfect for kids, good visibility. If you have two kids, I would definitely go for ICE SUV.

          • p1 ama on 13/06/2022 - 17:45
            +10

            @boomramada:

            Good on you for been taller and not having issue with kid or toddler. I had to deal with mine and it wasn't easy with a car.

            This doesn't make sense - as others on this thread have pointed out, if you are taller it actually makes it more difficult (supposedly) to put a kid in a car.

            Go visit your local kids drop off, all you see is SUVs, perhaps following the sheeps, but if you have money, why not, very convenient.

            I'm not arguing the semantics - if you believe that an SUV is the best vehicle for you, then you should get it. If you read my post again, I never said "don't get an SUV", I simply said to question whether you need an SUV. I think this is a reasonable question right?

            To be honest, I think your attitude is the "sheep" attitude you're talking about - if you want to drive an SUV, that's great, but no need to evangelise.

            I work closer to Emergency, car vs SUV, most of the time SUV wins, side impacts are the worst. Could be coincidence, but that's what I noticed, need stats on that. And the motorbike, that is just a death wish.

            Here is your research: https://theconversation.com/ive-always-wondered-are-suvs-and….

            "Overall, the move to SUVs is problematic for road safety in the case of large and small SUVs, as well as commercial utes. This is because these vehicles, while not improving crashworthiness overall, put other road users at a higher risk of severe injury. Therefore overall road trauma will be higher with a shift to these vehicle types."

            In other words, SUVs are no safer than other cars, but are more likely to put other road users in danger. The safety argument is moot. There are determinants of safety far beyond what car you drive and if you really cared about safety as your first priority, there are better ways to spend your money. Starting with a defensive driving course would be my suggestion.

            If you have not done a defensive driving course and invested in your safety, then any pro-SUV argument about safety is just a disingenuous fake argument to cover up for other reasons why you might want an SUV.

            In my opinion, there are long way to go before enter in to electric car in Australia. Maybe as a second car one day.

            So your "opinion" matters more than what the numbers say? EVs are already accounting for ~10% of new sales in 2021, up from around 5% in 2020. I recently put together a report which shows EVs accounting for ~25% of new sales by 2025, and over 50% of new sales by 2027. But yes, your opinion matters more than the actual numbers.

            Source: https://electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/02/EV-gl…

            Definitely SUV have other advantages, spacious, bigger boot, perfect for kids, good visibility. If you have two kids, I would definitely go for ICE SUV.

            More fuel consumption, more difficult to drive in tight spaces, feels like an elephant on the road, leads to more congestion, worse visibility in some areas (remember all the kids getting backed over by SUVs?)…etc.

            Again, I'm not saying you should / should not buy an SUV, but please don't be a hack. You are exactly the type of mindless NPC type of SUV driver that just make the entire group ridiculously annoying.

            • boomramada on 14/06/2022 - 11:00
              -1

              @p1 ama: Car vs CX9 , failed to stop https://pasteboard.co/xTFGNdTlaVCA.jpg
              And you really want to put your child at the back seat ?

              https://www.michelin.co.uk/auto/tips-and-advice/advice-auto/…

              Anyway this thread got enough information for both side of the coin, good luck OP, if you have the money go for it.

              • p1 ama on 15/06/2022 - 01:05
                +7

                @boomramada:

                Car vs CX9 , failed to stop https://pasteboard.co/xTFGNdTlaVCA.jpg
                And you really want to put your child at the back seat ?

                This is silly - "here's a scary picture of an accident" is the oldest appeal to fear.

                Cars are designed to crumple. The fact that the car crumpled is a good thing. The frame has done its job in dispersing the kinetic energy into deforming metal rather. This is a good thing.

                As I said before, don't be a sheep. If you want to improve your safety, then go do a defensive driving course, improve your skills, get better tyres. How many of these things have you done?

                Zero? Yes it's because this whole safety thing is a fake rouse. If you want to drive an SUV, fine, but don't pretend like you care about safety.

                • Jackson on 16/06/2022 - 13:20
                  +2

                  @p1 ama: I agree with you @p1 ama on basically all points, and I would add a few in also, like the fact that parents feel some sort of paternal need to buy an SUV when the baby arrives, despite the kid being so small they can come out of a you know where. This totally had to do with keeping up with the Joneses, people are often buying SUVs that are no bigger than a hatch internally, just because everyone else is doing it, or because they "feel" it's safer, or some sort of guilty parent syndrome.

                  The one thing that should be considered as fact though which @boomramada is making a point of is that a larger mass, when colliding with a smaller mass, will typically come off better. This is just a scientific fact, but doesn't take into consideration the myriad of other variables. Unfortunately people do know this and so it's a case of making themselves marginally safer at the expense of the safety of the population generally. It's a greedy attitude actually, but one that often prevails.

                  I would also think someone is mad not to consider the BYD Atto 3 and the MG ZS EV, which are both in this price range and EVs. OP could really just endgame right now and get the best of all worlds (if they are stuck on an SUV). Aside from that a Jap Import Nissan Leaf would easily do the job for a family of 3 for 20-30k depending on the size of the battery hey wanted

          • filmer on 14/06/2022 - 09:17
            +1

            @boomramada: There are non-tesla max chargers all along the interstate routes. They aren't cheap, but still 30% the price of petrol.

            • boomramada on 14/06/2022 - 11:07

              @filmer: There are , usual issue is that they are occupied, not working or not easy to access. This is between SYD to CBR. Hopefully it gets better in years to come.

        • pizzapock3t on 13/06/2022 - 20:12
          +1

          Excellent points and very illuminating, bought a mid size suv early 2020 right before covid took off so thankfully got an amazing price. Anecdotally also purchased due supposed ease of use for a new born/family car.

          Plan is too ditch the car 6 months before warranty expires and jump over to ev in mid 2024 to avoid most of the points you made. The information you provided crystallised what I felt was going to happen over the next 5 years.

      • serpserpserp on 13/06/2022 - 11:15
        +12

        Most parents with new born or toddler prefer to have SUV as it has the height advantage, easy to strap the baby without bad back.

        Most parents just want an SUV to keep up with the Joneses. Nothing to do with their back. Put my kids into small hatchbacks, big sedans, no problems and I am taller than most people.

        • Euphemistic on 13/06/2022 - 12:17
          +2

          I hated putting my kids into lower cars. Either reach in blind with your head outside the door or head in leaning over and squirming around wth your arms up against your body.

        • dji1111111 on 13/06/2022 - 18:56
          +7

          I never understood this theory. I've never come across someone who actually considers an SUV as a staus symbol. Who in their right mind thinks someone is well off just because they drive an SUV vs a hatchback?
          Everyone i know get it because of height making it easier to get in and out of the car and strap their babies in the seats.

          • serpserpserp on 13/06/2022 - 19:55
            +3

            @dji1111111:

            I've never come across someone who actually considers an SUV as a staus symbol.

            No one thinks they are rich. Its like people that move to regional centres and think they need a landcruiser because they are in the "country" now. It is just thinking you need a certain car for stage of life and lots of people buy SUVs for a newborn.

            • dji1111111 on 13/06/2022 - 20:01
              +7

              @serpserpserp: Well you said they buy it to keep up with the Joneses. Maybe you should read up on what that actually means.

              to show that one is as good as other people by getting what they have and doing what they do. people trying to keep up with the Joneses by buying expensive cars and clothes that they can't afford.

        • Brumby92 on 14/06/2022 - 10:51
          +1

          Its mostly keeping up with the Joneses. SUV's are worse as you are lifting higher. Your lifting almost to your shoulders. With a Sedan, its easy to go from a side carry to a slightly lower position than a higher one. There's kind of an awkward head dodge to get in and out but its fine.

          The disadvantage is now the front passenger seat has to go one click forward, so keep rear passenger legroom in mind when looking.

          Have a look at a Subaru Outback.

          • dtc on 14/06/2022 - 11:43
            +1

            @Brumby92: Outback is the answer. Lots of space, great visibility, slightly raised. Basically does everything an SUV does and everything a 'proper' car does

            Do people not think about what happens when the kid is 2.5 and tries to get out of the car by themselves from a great height? Or how they cant get into the car because its too high, so while you 'saved' your back lifting out a 10kg kid/kid plus carrier, now you are forced to lift a 25kg kid into the car because s/he cannot climb into or out of the car

            • Rupture on 16/06/2022 - 17:36

              @dtc: I mean anecdotally 2.5 year old kids are plenty mobile and physically capable of getting in and out of a car. Secondly, what 25kg child needs to be lifted into a car?! That’s the weight of an average 6 year old.

              Not all SUV’s have insane ground clearance. In fact I’d wager most suburban suv’s have very low ground clearance that most children can get in and out of with ease. Your examples sound very niche if not entirely unrealistic.

    • Sendthegoods on 14/06/2022 - 10:13
      +4

      Also recommend Kia Cerato. You could get the top of the line model with all the bells and whistles for $45k. Boot space is amazing.

    • Hangryuman on 14/06/2022 - 13:53
      +2

      and with the higher centre of gravity in an SUV, the likelihood of rollovers is much higher

      'SUVs also had the highest rollover rate for passenger vehicles in injury crashes — 12 percent, as compared to 7 percent for pickups, 4 percent for vans and 3 percent for passenger cars.' - https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/rollover/

      https://www.avrek.com/blog/how-does-a-rollover-happen-and-wh…

      so make sure baby is well-strapped in for a rollover - wheeee ! eee ! (silence … !?!?!?)

      but hey you're much more likely to kill the other driver (or crush a tiny kid at primary school pickup) first, so what's not to like ? -
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_sport_utility_veh…

    • ChatCPT on 15/06/2022 - 10:52

      when you say EV - do you think the rav4 hybrid is one? and it will help futureproof?

      • Euphemistic on 15/06/2022 - 12:25
        +1

        Unless you can power it from a power point, it’s not an EV. RAV4 is just a slightly more efficient petrol vehicle.

        IMO buying a hybrid is something I might consider if buying a new car now (assuming they had a suitable model). Otherwise I’d hang onto whatever I have and wait for an EV to be available. (Yes, you might find in other threads I’m not purchasing a hybrid despite upgrading, but they don’t make hybrids in the vehicle style I want)

    • DuBistKomisch on 15/06/2022 - 19:29

      Also have a Kia Cerato hatchback and just had our first baby a few months ago, no problems fitting everything so far. I don't see why everyone thinks they need an SUV.

    • Lovemydeals on 16/06/2022 - 19:48

      Thank you and a lot of things to consider.

      In regards to the Kia Cerato Hatchback, was it comfortable for people sitting next to the baby seat?
      I forgot to add that would likely have periodically 2x adults (grandparents similar height to my wife) in the backseat.

  • oscargamer on 12/06/2022 - 13:18
    +10

    Atto 3

    • Charmoffensive on 13/06/2022 - 14:02
      +1

      100% best option if you can get stock.

  • spackbace on 12/06/2022 - 13:33
    +1

    RAV4 petrol (you won't get a hybrid in that space of time), or put your name down for a Corolla Cross

    • nuttapillar on 13/06/2022 - 11:13
      -1

      why not second-hand?

      • spackbace on 13/06/2022 - 11:23
        +6

        Sure, if you wanna pay more than the price of a new one…

    • ferguson on 13/06/2022 - 18:51

      Not worth settling for a RAV4 petrol when the Hybrid is only a tad more expensive.

      Better to just order the "good" one and wait.

      • spackbace on 13/06/2022 - 19:59
        +2

        Not really considering OP has time constraints, plus a price rise around $3k later this year for updated model. If petrol model is current spec, you're talking around a $6k price increase

        • Caped Baldy on 14/06/2022 - 10:21

          My work is going to towards hybrids and eventually EVs. Apparently Toyota has a 18 to 24 month wait time. Not sure how accurate this is though.

          • spackbace on 14/06/2022 - 11:17

            @Caped Baldy: Yep, that's about the predicted wait time currently

          • Hackney on 14/06/2022 - 13:26
            +1

            @Caped Baldy: @Caped Baldy, relative of ours waited 15 months for his!Quite ridiculous really.They can stick it.No way i would be waiting that long.No vehicle is worth waiting that long for, no matter how good it is.

        • Lovemydeals on 16/06/2022 - 19:49

          We were considering placing the order for the car now and if needed, maybe long-term rental until the car is available.

    • Hackney on 14/06/2022 - 05:43

      @spackbace,of course you would say that, your a Toyota salesman,nuff said!

    • chriise on 19/06/2022 - 22:14

      Can you actually pre-order a corolla cross in Australia now?

      • spackbace on 19/06/2022 - 22:27

        You can join the queue, yes

        • chriise on 19/06/2022 - 23:35

          Hmm, looked recently and could not find any reference to it on their AU website

          • spackbace on 19/06/2022 - 23:56
            +1

            @chriise: Talk to your local dealer to join a queue with them

            Like the LC300, we were taking orders months before release

  • Rako on 12/06/2022 - 13:43
    +22

    Check out Subaru Forester

    • redvaldez on 13/06/2022 - 11:38
      +5

      Was going to say the same thing. I bought my first Subaru a few months ago, a 2018 Outback 3.6R. It's a well built car that's nice to drive. The Forester would definitely be worthy of a test drive.

    • Lovemydeals on 16/06/2022 - 19:50

      Thank you for the suggestion. How do you find the fuel economy?

  • onetwothreefour on 12/06/2022 - 13:55
    +3

    Camry

  • 2jzzzz on 12/06/2022 - 14:00

    Dual cab ute or wagon

  • bataleon on 12/06/2022 - 14:07
    +3

    I recently bought a Mazda CX8 (base model) for $45k and it has been very good. I'm still amazed that it only cost $45k tbh. It has much more boot space than the CX5 which is nice.

    The Mazda interior is far nicer than the Toyota's fwiw. I can't speak for the Hyundai and Kias.

  • Euphemistic on 12/06/2022 - 14:15
    +1

    The reality is all the vehicles listed are decent. Go and visit some dealers and check out the actual space available in each. Then drive whatever you think is ok and make up your mind.

    Don’t forget to consider the wait times for delivery on new cars.

  • Domicron on 12/06/2022 - 14:23
    +7

    5 foot, roughly 150cm.

    Might struggle in the SUVs when trying to put a newborn/capsule or toddler (in the future) in there. They are over rated as family vehicle. Odyssey is your friend if you don't mind a boring car. It will swallow whatever is thrown at it, comfortably.

    • Euphemistic on 12/06/2022 - 14:53

      For one child an odyssey is a bit of overkill, but true it’s a great option for interior space.

      • Domicron on 12/06/2022 - 15:10
        +1

        Nothing beats the captain chair. Then enough space for a big pram, some unrestricted shopping trip, portable cot for a weekend getaway, the list goes on.

        Having said that, we have a Ford Focus lz and it worked well as cheap runabout. In fact, it fits the pram better than the is350 being a hatchback.

        Thinking of replacing that with a model y, or the new WRX wagon. Had it not for the shonky NA engine, Odyssey is a possibility.

        • serpserpserp on 13/06/2022 - 11:17

          Then enough space for a big pram, some unrestricted shopping trip, portable cot for a weekend getaway,

          Don't even need a massive car for that.

      • mirz on 13/06/2022 - 13:01
        +1

        It’s not about using all 8 seats. Odyssey is low just as regular car. Boot entry from the back is low and makes it very easy to load kids stuff and groceries.

        With one kid, they can keep 3rd row down all the time. It’ll offer larger room to fit all baby related items.

    • MS Paint on 12/06/2022 - 16:20
      +1

      Nothing boring about this Odyssey

      • Domicron on 12/06/2022 - 18:47

        Well. Au doesn't even have the V6 to start with. :)

        • mirz on 13/06/2022 - 13:02

          V6 people movers are very thirsty on fuel. Even Toyota failed to sell many V6 tarago in Australian market.

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 12/06/2022 - 15:04
    +18

    Your kid will be 1 or 2 before you receive delivery of some of those options….

  • sajidmib on 12/06/2022 - 15:38
    +6

    Mitsubishi Outlander 2022 - Base model $37K

    Its 7-seater.

    • spackbace on 12/06/2022 - 16:16
      +3

      7 seater, for the 1st kid…?

      Tad excessive

      • MS Paint on 12/06/2022 - 16:22
        +2

        And the fact that it's an outlander 🙂

      • ThePasserby on 14/06/2022 - 00:38

        Have you heard of the second child syndrome?

    • hdog on 13/06/2022 - 11:34
      +1

      Got one when we levelled up from one baby to two babies - two car seats and double pram would have left zero space for anything else in our previous smaller suv.
      It’s economical, easy to drive and park, with huge boot space if the third row is down. We share a car, husband is very tall and I’m very short, but we’re both happy with it. The ten year warranty and seven seats (in case more kids, god forbid!) made it a clear choice for the price in 2021.

    • theantipop on 14/06/2022 - 08:35

      Agree with this. We have the 2019 model, 7 seater - have 2 kids and works perfect, plenty of boot space. Definitely worth going the Outlander - new model looks to be the same size, but with a nice face lift and new tech.

    • antonthenet on 14/06/2022 - 09:24

      We bought an Outlander before our first baby arrived.

      Was at around $10,000 cheaper than the other options we were looking it.

      It's fine. It has everything we need. Might still be doing the 10 year warranty as well.

      I think with new cars you get so excited for them anf then in two months it gets dirty or gets a scratch and then you don't care.

  • plmko on 12/06/2022 - 15:50

    The correct choice is a used 2018 Subaru Levorg.

    • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 12/06/2022 - 18:08
      +1

      6 month service intervals = 💩

    • ferguson on 13/06/2022 - 18:55

      The "savings" for buying a Levorg second hand (or almost any other car right now) just isn't worth it.

  • Noy on 12/06/2022 - 16:52
    +1

    I would consider a Honda HRV or Toyota Camry. Try the wife opening the doors and baby stuff access. Folding stroller and car seats so that the window height will be ok for the baby to see out the window as the seat will be needed for quite a few years.

  • [Deactivated] on 12/06/2022 - 17:16
    +18

    Our budget is around $45,000 and this will be our sole family car. For context, we currently do not have a car (we used to have a Honda Accord & never have had an SUV) and my wife is 5-foot.

    We are looking at getting a family car with the purpose of fitting pram, basinet etc in the boot & for easier access.

    what?

    you don't need an SUV. get a station wagon. if your wife is 5 foot, not only do you not need an SUV, it will actually be harder for her to lift things into and out of the car, including the kids, than it would be in a hatchback, sedan or other, reasonably sized car.

    • kranix on 12/06/2022 - 22:43
      +26

      Station wagons are the best form factor for a car. After we had our first child, we purchased a VW Passat wagon. It's a fantastic car to drive and it's so practical. Now that the kids are 4 and 6, they can easily climb in and out themselves. The boot is easy to load and it's far more spacious than the tiny storage areas that are so typical of SUVs.

      • [Deactivated] on 12/06/2022 - 23:34

        my parents used to have one when i was a kid, it was used for everything, including transporting the dog, he had heaps of room back there (big breed too).

        • dp1 on 13/06/2022 - 09:02
          +17

          Wagons are amazing.

          Washing machine broke on a Saturday night and the only store with stock available is 75km away? - no problem drive down and collect it immediately.
          Dog AND cat in the boot going to kennels? Easy
          Wheel an off road pram in without folding it? - yep.
          Council tip having a free waste disposal day and you need to transport a bar fridge, 50in TV and 5 printers? - no need to even worry if you can.
          Impulse buy of something big in the As-Is section at IKEA or marked down at Bunnings? Nice bike on the verge collection? Go for it!

          You will never regret having a station wagon

          • hawkers89 on 13/06/2022 - 20:41
            +4

            @dp1: It's a shame they're a dying breed. I think wagons are so cool.

    • jacross on 13/06/2022 - 08:54
      +6

      Absolutely. I really hope OP sees this because I recommend wagon's to everyone but this is a perfect user case for a wagon over an 'SUV'.

      • NigelTufnel on 14/06/2022 - 08:58
        +2

        It's a real shame that wagons have gone out of style replaced with SUVs that are just lifted hatchbacks. Hard to find many these days…

        We just got a 10y old Subaru outback, and the space is so much better than most SUVs. Can fit 2 kids, and 2 big dogs easily. Other SUVs in our budget had tiny boots that would barely fit our wolfhound, let alone the second pup…

        • jacross on 15/06/2022 - 09:40
          +1

          Yeah for people who won't budge on the 'height' issue I always recommend an Outback. Best of both worlds.

          There's nothing I hate more than 'City' SUVs. It's like they take how I used to draw cars as a toddler and turned it into a real car. Useless things. My mum has a Holden Trax and it sucks to drive and the boot space is tiny.

          My step Dad has a Pajero and although it's not my thing at least they tow and do a bit of off-road. Now that's a use-case for an SUV.

    • Lovemydeals on 16/06/2022 - 19:53

      Thank you for the suggestion. We have expanded our list of cars we are considering and going to checkout.

  • ChocStrawberries on 12/06/2022 - 17:30
    +3

    As a fellow 5ft woman, and someone with serious mobility issues, I can highly recommend the Honda CRV. We tried a lot of SUVs, and the CRV was the only one that I had no problems getting in and out of. I never struggle getting things in or out of the back seat, and the boot is quite roomy. Also super comfy for long road trips, compared to most of the others we looked at.

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 12/06/2022 - 18:13
    -1

    Maserati Grecale Folgore

    • MS Paint on 12/06/2022 - 18:47
      +1

      Just go the Alfa Romeo Stelvio then

  • Ash-Say on 12/06/2022 - 19:53
    +3

    Mistubishi Outlander?

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