What would you do? (What fleet)

Mrs. mtn and I are expecting baby mtn in November. We'll need to get rid of at least one car to replace it with something bigger. So lets say that you have a total budget of $10,000, plus whatever you can get from the current fleet. You need the following: 

1: Midsize SUV/CUV or Minivan (don't say B-Body wagon, too old)

2: Two automatics in the fleet

3: One fun car in the fleet

4: One vehicle that can fit a baby seat and 2 full size humans (other than requirement 1)

5: One vehicle that gets at least 25 mpg on regular, 27 on premium (combined)

6: No more than 3 vehicles total

Current fleet is the following: 

2006 TSX, worth about $4500-$6000

2004 Tribute, worth about $1500

1996 Miata, worth.... I dunno, $4000? 

Any of these are welcome to stay, but note that none of these fit requirement #1, and only the Miata fits #5, which isn't the best option for my DD year round. 

I've confused myself so many times with this. If I had a lot more budget, I would get rid of everything and get a Pacifica Hybrid, a Volt, and a 128ic. But I don't have enough for all that. So do I go with a used Oddity/Sienna, a used Prius/CMAX/Insight (2nd gen), and an E36 convertible? Or... what? FWIW, my spreadsheet that I've been analyzing everything with has included 12 different hybrids/electrics, 6 BMW's, Mustangs, 9 minivans, and 3 SUV's. I really have overanalyzed this to the point that I can't make a decision. 

EDIT: And if this can be done in two vehicles, all the better. It just needs to be a really good automatic. 

Consider the Tribute/Escape to be "big enough" and don't change a thing. You have a lot of other change coming soon. 

John Welsh said:

Consider the Tribute/Escape to be "big enough" and don't change a thing. You have a lot of other change coming soon. 

It is not big enough though. That is our problem--we also have two large dogs (Great Pyrenees and Samoyed). We cannot fit the dogs, luggage, and a car seat for a week trip--and yes, we do take those frequently enough that renting isn't an option. 

The reason to update the Tribute is that it's old and used up, and probably gets crappy MPG's.  The TSX should be a solid driver, and the Miata is already the answer.  

I'd update to a new family truckster.  Keep the TSX and Miata, and pick up the newest bestest mpg friendly CUV you can get for ~$12K (or try to sneak a few dollars with it).  

The Miata is only any good as a 3rd car.  There's always an occasion you need to pick kids somewhere after your wife dropped off, and meeting first to swap cars is not always feasible.  

So, I'd tackle the family truckster first.  If you want a "fun" do it all car seperately, consider a TSX+Miata upgrade into a single vehicle in the future, but I'm not sure you come out that far ahead with the combined dollars when shopping in the ~$10K range since it needs to be an automatic/DSG/etc.  

Congrats on the new addition! I just went through a similar situation. We needed something for 2 tall adults, a rear facing seat, and enough space for our mastiff plus stuff. Since this was going to be MrsSTM's daily, she wanted something with decent loading height, an upright seating position and preferred AWD. Minivans were not considered due to stigma. My requirement was 25mpg or better, and reliable.

We settled on a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe (full length/ 3 row not the shorter/ 2 row Sport model). It checked all the boxes, and could be had for less than a comparable Toyota Venza/ Highlander, or Honda Crosstour/CRV, etc. We paid $15k for a 1 owner V6/AWD with 40k miles (factory warranty is transferable and covers the vehicle up to 60k miles). If you could tolerate one with higher miles, you might get something similar for more like $10-12k, then you could sell the Tribute, keep the TSX as your daily, and do what you want with the Miata. Or get rid of the TSX and Miata for a sporty daily at a later date.

Mazda6 wagon? They're getting quite inexpensive. 

In reply to xflowgolf :

I agree with this. The TSX and Miata seem pretty well suited to your needs, spend the rest on the family truckster for your wife. 

We went through this a few years ago and ended up with a Ford Taurus X as the family truckster. It's been really great. It only gets about 20mpg combined but it's huge and swallows double strollers and groceries and kids and adults with ease. From time to time the 3-row has been indispensable. And the buy-in is astoundingly low. Do not get a Freestyle as they have an awful and unreliable CVT transmission.

If I was to buy something now with this budget I would consider a CX-5 if it's big enough. Those seem fun and nice.

Have the Tribute and TSX detailed?

mtn said:

John Welsh said:

Consider the Tribute/Escape to be "big enough" and don't change a thing. You have a lot of other change coming soon. 

It is not big enough though. That is our problem--we also have two large dogs (Great Pyrenees and Samoyed). We cannot fit the dogs, luggage, and a car seat for a week trip--and yes, we do take those frequently enough that renting isn't an option. 

What if all the luggage didn't have to fit inside the car? 

We did this with our Mazda5 and toddler travel. 

 

Get rid of tribute and find a Toyota highlander hybrid of the 07-2010? Vintage. Will be in budget and fit everything. My brother bought a used 07 2 years ago for $7500 with 150k miles and it's been trouble free while regularly getting 26-27 mpg on regular gas. 

In reply to mtn :

How rusty are the rear strut mounts on the Tribute? I think ‘04 was still the model that had the issue?

Mazda 5 

The cheapest automatic penalty box on CL 

Turbo the Miata to make it fun enough to check box #3

Pete Gossett said:

In reply to mtn :

How rusty are the rear strut mounts on the Tribute? I think ‘04 was still the model that had the issue?

Patched under recall. Still rusty but safe. But the rest of the car is just... annoying. Oil leak. Needs new wheel bearings that I should get to sooner rather than later that I just can’t get around to. Things like that. 

Taurus X, Kia Rondo, Mazda 5...all reliable, do-anything, functionmobiles that will fit the bill nicely, especially with a hitch and a roof rack.  Or just get a minivan of some ilk and be done with it.  

The Ford Flex is a weird cross between an Explorer and a minivan. Great space, common Ford parts, and the bonus of the 3.5 Ecoboost being out there for the savvy shopper. 

Silly idea but you will be glad if you take it.  Get a baby seat, a doll and a junk stroller.  See how it is putting the baby in a rear seat, is the door big enough, do you hit your head, etc?  And does the stroller fit in the trunk without drama?  Back doors sound like a silly criteria until you and/or your wife bangs their head/arms getting the kid out.

porschenut said:

Silly idea but you will be glad if you take it.  Get a baby seat, a doll and a junk stroller.  See how it is putting the baby in a rear seat, is the door big enough, do you hit your head, etc?  And does the stroller fit in the trunk without drama?  Back doors sound like a silly criteria until you and/or your wife bangs their head/arms getting the kid out.

That's not silly at all, it's a great idea. If you're going to use one, take the infant carrier and base shopping - ease of loading into the back seat and accessibility of LATCH anchors should factor into your decision.  

As for the fleet, I think you should keep the TSX and the Miata for now. Swap out the Tribute for a minivan - the Mazda5 should work well for you in this situation (although room to grow beyond one kiddo sounds a bit limited for you). Otherwise, I think you get the best minivan you can find for your budget.  Once mini-mtn faces forward, your options for a fun car open up dramatically, and I think you should wait until then before replacing your fun car.

szeis4cookie said:

porschenut said:

Silly idea but you will be glad if you take it.  Get a baby seat, a doll and a junk stroller.  See how it is putting the baby in a rear seat, is the door big enough, do you hit your head, etc?  And does the stroller fit in the trunk without drama?  Back doors sound like a silly criteria until you and/or your wife bangs their head/arms getting the kid out.

That's not silly at all, it's a great idea. If you're going to use one, take the infant carrier and base shopping - ease of loading into the back seat and accessibility of LATCH anchors should factor into your decision.  

As for the fleet, I think you should keep the TSX and the Miata for now. Swap out the Tribute for a minivan - the Mazda5 should work well for you in this situation (although room to grow beyond one kiddo sounds a bit limited for you). Otherwise, I think you get the best minivan you can find for your budget.  Once mini-mtn faces forward, your options for a fun car open up dramatically, and I think you should wait until then before replacing your fun car.

I think this is where I am (we'll go larger than Mazda5 though), and it is what makes the most sense. But geez do I want a BMW badly. 

I had a '10 Escape as a Company Car at the same time my wife had a '10 Mazda5.  The is no more noticeable room in Mazda5 than the Escape/Tribute.  Quite possibly the Mazda5 has less real usability since the 2nd row of the Mazda5 is buckets and the Escape is a bench.  If carrying cargo and not using the Mazda5's 3rd row jump seats then the Mazda5 leaves you will a 4 seat car where the Escape's bench gives you a 5 seat car.  

The single greatest advantage of the Mazda5 vs Escape was the sliding rear door which is awesome for loading kids.  

From age 0-about 1.5 yrs you will be using a baby bucket or what I call "baby with a handle"  These are easy and not all that cumbersome.  The best thing you can do is get one that has a click-in base.  The base remains in the car and the bucket just clicks into place.  In your registries, ask for a second base and maybe even a third base if grandparents or multiple cars are involved.  These bases go about $99 each but soooo much more useful than another cute outfit that will be worn once before outgrown.  

 We had one like this brand: https://www.chiccousa.com/bundled-products/keyfit-infant-car-seat---ombra/07060414500070.html  

Sample with extra base:

The next phase after these seats are rear facing seats.  These suck the most and the rear facing configuration can really be a space hog.  Shop wisely when entering this phase.  Not all seats are as big as others.  Finding a smaller one is key.  

We had this Eddie Bauer version and it was smaller than most:  https://www.target.com/p/eddie-bauer-xrs-65-convertible-car-seat-viewpoint/-/A-15241209?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&CPNG=PLA_Baby+Shopping_Brand&adgroup=SC_Baby&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=c&location=9015602&gclid=CjwKCAjw8_nXBRAiEiwAXWe2yXHZdLRL2mfzcQe14Jjd9hDsGE_hBVpD2iImbAklIFQdEXZttAec3hoCYk4QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds 

Yeah, the Mazda5 was considered before we were expecting--before we were even trying. It didn't quite do anything good enough to make us jump for it, and frankly, it is just too small. I really wish that they made more vehicles with sliding doors though. 

Great advise on the seat bases. I will certainly get at least 2.

Mazda5 is great if you have 1 or 2 kids but youre right. Its small. By next year we'll have 2 kids and a dog and ill be replacing the 5 with a larger minivan.

Sliding doors really are fantastic.

I kind of want to do this.

Sienna Lift Kits

failboat said:

Mazda5 is great if you have 1 or 2 kids but youre right. Its small. By next year we'll have 2 kids and a dog and ill be replacing the 5 with a larger minivan.

Sliding doors really are fantastic.

I kind of want to do this.

Sienna Lift Kits

 

I do want to make sure that I don't come across as “sizist” or anything. For 4 years, I made do with a Miata and a small trailer as my only car. But we’re probably not going to be your average 3 person family. For one thing, we have 170 pounds of dog to transport (2 dogs). For another, neither of us are particularly small as we’re both about 5’10”—she has the legs of a person than her, I have the opposite problem (29” inseam). And if we ever transport any family—which is very likely, as her mother has MS and her parents are less than a mile away—we will need to take a wheelchair or have space for her 6’2” father (or 6’4” brother). Aside from that, it we actually will need the space on a regular basis. At least 6 times a year we take a trip (often it is just a weekend) with both dogs and all of us. While that could change significantly with kiddo in tow, I doubt that it will just because when we go on these trips, it is usually to visit my parents who have been dying for grandchildren to fawn over and feed and take off of our hands for a while.

What I really want is a current version of the last MPV.

We have a 2014 Sienna. This is the correct answer. A similar Oddy new enough to not have to worry about the transmission is also a great choice. The Kia van is supposed to be a good car too that should be cheaper vs the Japanese vans. 

You want a van. 

You want a van. 

You want a van. 

You want a van. 

I can't say this enough. Sliding doors with kids is the best. They are great and do everything a CUV does except fit in parallel parking. We only get 21 mpg combined though. You aren't really going to do much better without going really new. 

mtn said:

I think this is where I am (we'll go larger than Mazda5 though), and it is what makes the most sense. But geez do I want a BMW badly. 

The fact that you're already recognizing that the 'needs' of your family come before your 'wants' gives me confidence that you're going to do well as a dad.

MrsSTM and I are tall as well(6'1" / 5'10") and I'm going to second the suggestion to take baby stuff with you when shopping. Especially the seat. It can be a real eye opener about what will and will not fit everybody comfortably.

If the family hauler doesn't see a ton of miles, I can see the benefits of a minivan outweighing the fuel economy loss vs a CUV, but ours sees about 275 miles of highway each week, so the 25mpg CUV was better than a 20mpg minivan. And MrsSTM preferred to avoid the minivans anyway.