How do you draw the line between practicality and fun??

I am in the market for an AWD wagon with a manual trans. In the $7k range. I'm stuck trying to decide between an 02-03 WRX or 01-04 legacy. I want the WRX but probably need the legacy for hauling the heir to the throne and gear. What say you grm know it alls?

What's the difference other than the motor?

The interior size difference is so little it won't make a hill of beans difference to the person in the back seat.

Lego's take a class 2 hitch. 3500 lb towing capacity if I remember right.

The line between practicality and fun is the trailer that you attach to the Miata when you need practicality more than fun.

I wanted a ~2007 Forester but ended up with a 2006 Outback. Size wasn't the only reason, but the Legacy had, I think, 1.4" more rear legroom. My baby seat takes up all of that and I still need the passenger seat moved forward. If you have a carseat, ensure you test fit it in both your targets. And try to sit in front of it. And if you have a stroller, test fit that, too.

Oh, and for some unknown reason, Subaru says I Can't mount my babyseat in the rear center position. I wish I know why.

David

it's kind of a shame that the amount of AWD wagons is so low. I only of Subaru, BMW, and Volvo doing them

mad_machine wrote: it's kind of a shame that the amount of AWD wagons is so low. I only of Subaru, BMW, and Volvo doing them

Missed Audi and Mercedes, although the Mercedes certainly isn't grassroots or motorsports.

Forester Turbo? Hauls more than the WRX wagon thanks to the vertical liftgate vs the slanted rear window in the Impreza. I figured we'd get a Legacy wagon but the wife thought they looked too 'old person'. She dug on the Forester, so a WRX suspension and bigger alloys was all it took to make it fun.

Neither are space kings in the back seat. The biggest difference is how much room you need behind the back seat.

Personaly I would the WRX/Forester turbo route. Which ever is the in the best deal/shape

If you can live with a sedan and want AWD (as I do) I am looking at the dodge charger.

V6 300hp AWD 6 speed manumatic. The leather interior option is really nice and best of all I set up the drivers seat to how I would have it for normal driving and I fit in the back seat behind it with room to spare. It has a trunk that you can hid bodies in as well.

I don't know if you can get one in your price range and I have been looking at new ones so I don't know how the older ones are compared to what I have been looking at but somthing to think about.

I would love a forester xt but they are little harder to come by and mostly in the $10-15k range. Same with the turbo legacy gt. bug eye wagons go for as low as $5k lately, seem to be averaging $7k. My one requirement is manual transmission. I drive an 04 silverado SS now and it puts me to sleep even with 380tq. I never realized the legacy and Impreza were so similar in size. I don't need tons of cargo space. But rear facing baby seat is a must as I have a 1 yr old and plan to have more rug rats. Anyone in the metro Detroit area willing to give me a ride in their wrx wagon?

dean1484 wrote: If you can live with a sedan and want AWD (as I do) I am looking at the dodge charger. V6 300hp AWD 6 speed manumatic. The leather interior option is really nice and best of all I set up the drivers seat to how I would have it for normal driving and I fit in the back seat behind it with room to spare. It has a trunk that you can hid bodies in as well. I don't know if you can get one in your price range and I have been looking at new ones so I don't know how the older ones are compared to what I have been looking at but somthing to think about.

yeah. they are quite roomy in the back seat. My father in law folds down the back seat in his 300 and uses it like its a truck pretty frequently too, he's fit some pretty large items in there with the trunk closed

I just got rid of my WRX, mainly because it was getting hard to transport a three year old in a booster seat around in the back seat.

I talked to a friend with a Legacy GT and he doesn't think that his car is much better at the task.

If hauling one baby in the back, and potentially one more down the road, is the biggest concern, I wouldn't worry about the practicality difference between the two choices you list. Either one can comfortably carry one baby seat, or two, and have enough cargo room for the things you'll need.

If you wind up with 3+ kids, then neither of those will do for daily use. Trust me on that...

suburban. the rear facing baby seat fits without moving the passenger seat forward. buy a new enough one with a 6.0, drive it till it rots out, swap 6.0 into miata, fun ensues.

someone had to be that guy. may as well be me.

Even if you only have one kid, he or she will quickly outgrow the allotted leg space when sitting in a properly mounted child seat.

In my experience, everyone with a kid--even just one--should resign themselves to a Ford Club Wagon or equivalent bus-sized vehicle. Trust me, life will be easier.

I dont remember the tribeca being much larger fwiw.

awd astro? or would someone call the cops every time you leave the park?

I have a Recaro baby seat and a stroller that folds up nice and fits in my MINI, not to say of the ms3, which is the most practical (if least stock) car we own. Practical is all relative. Wife said bigger car, I said carry less stuff.

Maybe I'm not getting it, but I've raised two kids in the '02 WRX wagon. It's been a great car with almost zero complaints. I'm 5'7" and the kid seats fit fine, both are now in boosters, which fit fine. We go camping, and it all fits. Just bought a roof rack/carrier last season which helps, but wasn't absolutely necessary. If all else fails, it can tow 2k lbs, so getting an HF utility trailer is a good idea. I built my garage and finished out my basement without (gasp!) a truck. Just hook up the trailer and go.

Teh E36 M3 wrote: Maybe I'm not getting it, but I've raised two kids in the '02 WRX wagon. It's been a great car with almost zero complaints. I'm 5'7" and the kid seats fit fine, both are now in boosters, which fit fine. We go camping, and it all fits. Just bought a roof rack/carrier last season which helps, but wasn't absolutely necessary. If all else fails, it can tow 2k lbs, so getting an HF utility trailer is a good idea. I built my garage and finished out my basement without (gasp!) a truck. Just hook up the trailer and go.

Even with the turbo brick, which surely had more room than the WRX in the backseat, I had to sit further forward than I would like with the reverse facing seat back there. Worse yet, they are getting bigger. The current "guidelines" ask that you keep the poor kid facing backwards until 2 years old instead of one. My kids were forward facing at 9-10 months because they can't fit like that. There's only one thing that will work - giant huge reverse facing seats. It'll be minivan or nothing. I could not even fit the reverse facing seat in either row of an Aerostar...

DWNSHFT wrote: I wanted a ~2007 Forester but ended up with a 2006 Outback. Size wasn't the only reason, but the Legacy had, I think, 1.4" more rear legroom. My baby seat takes up all of that and I still need the passenger seat moved forward. If you have a carseat, ensure you test fit it in both your targets. And try to sit in front of it. And if you have a stroller, test fit that, too. Oh, and for some unknown reason, Subaru says I Can't mount my babyseat in the rear center position. I wish I know why. David

My guess would be that they didn't certify the LATCH connectors for the weight of three seats connected? That or it's not flat enough to meet some standard...

To the original question, is this your primary car, or just a "taking the kids to daycare" car? If this is the primary family vehicle (for going to Grandma's), I'm in the "get the biggest trunk you can, and make sure it has roof racks" crowd - but then my wife's idea of packing light is if I can still carry suitcases by myself.

If this is just a "we're driving with dad today" car, I'd think either would be just fine. The biggest pain is for a second kid, trying to fit the rear-facing. Otherwise our "second" cars have been a VW Golf and a Protege5, and both work just fine with front-facing seats.

I drive the P5 in my avatar and I have three kids. 17mo, 5 yr and 9 yr. My 9 yr old boy sits behind me and I'm 6'3". He says he has more room than in my F150 supercab.

We have a Grand Caravan for the long drives etc.

tuna55 wrote: The current "guidelines" ask that you keep the poor kid facing backwards until 2 years old instead of one. My kids were forward facing at 9-10 months because they can't fit like that. There's only one thing that will work - giant huge reverse facing seats.

Considering the frequency those "guidelines" change, unless it's the law, I just don't care. My 18 mo. old is MUCH happier facing forward, so that's how I have him.

I'm still frustrated to hear that LEGALLY I have to have him in a booster until he's, what, 10 years old now? By the time he's 10, I'm sure they'll push it out to where you have to be in a booster until you get your license.

ReverendDexter wrote:

tuna55 wrote: The current "guidelines" ask that you keep the poor kid facing backwards until 2 years old instead of one. My kids were forward facing at 9-10 months because they can't fit like that. There's only one thing that will work - giant huge reverse facing seats.

Considering the frequency those "guidelines" change, unless it's the law, I just don't care. My 18 mo. old is MUCH happier facing forward, so that's how I have him. I'm still frustrated to hear that LEGALLY I have to have him in a booster until he's, what, 10 years old now? By the time he's 10, I'm sure they'll push it out to where you have to be in a booster until you get your license.

I agree - the problem is that if those guidelines become law (which, if you notice, I did not follow either) the carseats will become larger. This is the real problem which I was trying to highlight.