In Defense of the Small Family Car
I may be totally fooling myself, but I have to believe it’s possible to have a family and still drive a smaller car.
Lately, I’ve been reading alot about the Honda Fit. It scores mad-high ratings with all the mags (Car&Driver, Consumer Reports, etc.), but is obviously on the small side. Still, couldn’t it work as a family car? Most parents today would scoff at the notion of being able to cram one kid and their crap into such a car (much less two kids). But back in the day, my mom did that very thing with her VW Type 4 wagon.
Are times really that different?
Well, yes and no. YES in that the “Baby Industrial Complex” (thanks Stephen Winkler) has gotten so huge, we are made to believe each child must travel with 23 cubic feet of stuff. NO in that babies only really eat, crap, and sleep so all you really need are food, diapers, and clothing.
Did my parents find it impossible to fit us into the ’70s VW? Apparently not, In 1980 they ‘upgraded’ to the Rabbit Diesel. The four of us traveled in that tiny, 48hp car from Michigan to California and back (granted, for that two-month, long-haul trip we had the Sears X-Cargo mounted to the top).
Yes, I know it’s different these days. But I reject the notion that it can’t be done. I realize that the one major drawback to the smaller car is that you’re not going to be able to carpool. That luxury goes to the parents with third rows in their Expeditions/Suburbans/etc. So with the small car, you’ll end up having to take your kid back/forth to each event or game.
Many parents say it and then eventually succumb, 
but “I will not be getting a minivan.” Does this make me naive? Will I become an eventual hypocrite when I realize how much stuff we have to carry to and fro?
As a side note, my wife is not a fan of the of the Fit, because she doesn’t think it’s remotely feasible size-wise. I want to stand my ground and prove her wrong. But if/when it doesn’t work, there will be years of hell to pay.
Cadillac Escalade here we come!
What did you guys do? Start small and then upgrade later? Stay strong with small? Or super-size it?
Start with a mid-size of some type..or go the wagon route. Just avoid the all wheel drive versions and save 10-15K. This also saves huge on gas. I get along fine in snow with the front wheel drive although mount snow tires for the winter months.
09 VW Passat “sport” wagon…added on Yakima bars and skybox for our gear and babies gear, leaving room for the dog in the way back! Always tell dealer that other dealer with same car said they would include the tinting of windows and free oil changes for 3 years. Gotta get whatever you can from these guys!
Great gas mileage (30hwy, 25city) powered by front wheel drive, 4 cylinder engine, a lot more pep then one would think.
We have made a pledge to avoid the mini van at all costs!
We have a kid on the way, and have recently purchased a 2009 Honda Fit. The cargo space and seating configurations are amazing. Seriously. Amazing. We’ve moved obscene amounts of stuff in it and have carted fully grown adults around with no complaints. My only knock would be it admittedly could use an extra gear on the highway, but I would fully recommend this car.
I could see us upgrading to a mid-sized car if we have another kid, but for now this car really exceeds expectations for a sub-compact.
It’s very hard, same as comment above we have a dog (and one kid) who also needs to fit, this complicates things. We have a Mazda CX-7, its a “cross-over” so mid sized. The three of us fit in here (sans dog) but the stuff barely does. It you are making a trip somewhere a safe place to sleep is the pack and play and even folded up that thing is huge, add diapers, clothes and food and it’s full. And guess what? The safest car seats, which you’ll no doubt want, are HUGE! It doesn’t fit in the middle (safest placement) so it needs to go behind the passenger side which now can not be pushed back or reclined at all. Not good for longer car trips. And the car seats only get bigger once they’re out of the infant seat. Our other car, a Mazda 3, which is wagon-like cannot comfortably hold a person in the passenger seat with the car seat behind it. So it can carry driver, baby, and dog (or other person in back seat, hubby is 6′ 5″ though so who can sit behind that?)but that’s it. And the trunk space is smaller than the CX-7. We’re not so jazzed about a minivan but they do combine space and pretty decent gas mileage. We’re looking into the GMC Terrain, awesome gas mileage for a cross over vehicle and has a sliding rear seat which should, in theory, alleviate some of the front seat crowding from the car seat. We haven’t looked at it in person though so you’d have to check it out. Either way, we’re probably going to need a box for the roof too. I’m with Laura on this one, the Fit is WAY too small, you will regret it.
I think there may be a Bad Idea Jeans commercial starring me, now that I decided a 2DR coupe was a wise purchase.
actually, your wife is a fan of the fit having bumped around in the back seat of a vega for many of my childhood years. however, that was before the dawn of car seats or even seat belt laws which made for plenty of room. i love the idea of a compact car, but how can we fit more than one kid in it or tow your dream trailer cross-country behind it?
No reason to have a small car with a baby (or a baby and a 3 year old). Go with the Honda Odyssey mini-van with dual power side doors. Tons of room but the van drives like a dream.
My brother is currently crossing the country with his eleven year old in a Honda Fit. If it’s big enough for that. . .
I would not normally mention another site within a comment, but you can see evidence to show your wife at http://www.50skatekid.com.
Stephen, Thanks so much for this comment and the link. I want to write a lead-in to your brother/nephew’s story as a post…stay tuned!
The idea that minivans and SUVs are a requirement of parenthood is a myth on par with the 3,000 mile oil change and the benefits of Baby Mozart. Speaking from personal experience, anything bigger than a station wagon is overkill, anything smaller than a Honda Civic may be pushing it a little. That said, the Mazda 5 looks pretty sweet to me…
honda fits are for weanies. unless you’re my wife’s mom. then it’s cool. but other than her, driving around in a 2000 pound car… unsafe. even a Camry will take you out in an accident.
Small cars and kids DO NOT MIX…. good luck fitting anything in a prius, a yugo, or a mini! Remember if you want an enjoyable day out and the kids start freaking out in the car- it always happens- than you need a car with space. I have used the back of our tahoe, our explorer, our edge as a changing table a nap space and storage for a stroller, a cooler for all my breat milk cheese, bikes, skiis, etc..Have fun sitting in a small honda fit or prius with your screaming child while driving to relatives- good thing you find this to be a form of entertainment. Enjoy!
I own a Honda Fit and stand by it. I brought home two Adirondack chairs in the back once – the shopkeeper said he’d seen big SUVs fail to do the same. As for safety, with side curtain airbags, front and back, you can’t get any safer while still pulling 40 mpg or close to it. Finally, buy the stick shift. All my research points to the automatic transmission as the only weak point. Great sticker price, great milage, great safety ratings. Call me a weanie. I love my Honda Fit.
I would never call you a “weanie” for loving your Fit. Howev, my wife is not the most adept at the stick shift. And living in NYC makes the manual a bit of a chore as you’re 75% in traffic.