Posts Tagged ‘kids’

Raising children is tough – and it’s many times tougher if you’re a single parent.  You’ve got to balance a busy and complicated adult life with the health and happiness of your children.

Everything from getting your kid to school to finding time to run errands is harder when you don’t have a built-in support network. Fortunately, you’re not alone.  According to recent data from the US Census Bureau, there are approximately 13.7 million single parents out there, raising over 26% of all children under the age of 21.

These hard-working Moms and Dads know what works best for their busy lives.  And as a car-shopping website that’s serious about the people behind the wheel, we thought we could help by compiling a list of the most popular cars for single parents.

We searched through Honk to find single parents who recently purchased a new vehicle and then drew on their wisdom to help explain why these cars and trucks are so well suited to family life.  The final top-10 list of Best Cars for Single Parents contains a variety of sedans, hatchbacks, trucks, and SUVs that range from about $13,000 to $24,000.  If you’d like to create a more personalized list for yourself on Honk, just click here.

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#1 Best Car for Single Parents: Kia Sorento

The most popular car for single parents is also the only one with 3 rows of seating, making the Sorento a great choice if you have two or more kids and need some extra space.  This Kia is stylish and safe and with a starting price just shy of $20k, you’d never believe that the Sorento can also be had with premium features like an optional panoramic sunroof and DVD entertainment system.  The only thing you’ll have to worry about is that you don’t spoil the kids.

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#2 Best Car for Single Parents: Mazda CX-7

Can a family car be fun?  Mazda says yes and proves it with the light-on-its-feet CX-7.  Owners love the sleek styling and luxurious interior, calling this crossover “surprisingly sporty and refined.”  If you need some extra oomph to get you to the ballet recital on time, the CX-7’s optional turbo engine can turn this family hauler into a serious speed machine.

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#3 Best Car for Single Parents: Honda Civic

It’s hard to go wrong with a Civic.  This best-selling Honda is known for rock-solid reliability and a design that is small on the outside but spacious on the inside.  The Civic was also awarded a Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, so you can rest assured knowing that your child is safe inside.

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#4 Best Car for Single Parents: GMC Sierra 1500

With a sticker price that can jump from about $21k to over $40k, the Sierra is the priciest vehicle on this list.  It is, however, your best choice if you need to haul large gear or tow a trailer.  GMC offers a wide range of beds, cabs, and engines in the Sierra, though owners with families seem to agree that the spacious Crew Cab model is the best choice if you have kids.

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#5 Best Car for Single Parents: Mazda 3

The Mazda 3 makes a strong case that a car can be “action-packed” and “value-packed” at the same time.  Forget the $15k starting price because this Mazda’s confident road manners make it feel more like a junior sports sedan from Germany than a commuter car from Japan.  Though a sedan model is available, the hatchback may be a better choice if you need extra cargo space for strollers or soccer gear.

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#6 Best Car for Single Parents: Toyota Yaris

With highway fuel economy higher than that of some hybrids and a $13k starting price, this Toyota is a smart move if you’re looking to save money or the environment.  In Europe, the Yaris won many awards when it was first launched, thanks to its cheeky styling and fun handling.  The car comes in two versions, though cargo space is a bit more limited in the hatchback than it is in the sedan.

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#7 Best Car for Single Parents: Jeep Liberty

If you’re a single parent who loves to venture outdoors, this is the best vehicle on the list for you.  The Liberty is genuinely capable off-road and has over 60 years of mud-slinging Jeep heritage behind it.  There’s an optional Sky Slider canvas roof that can peel back for a convertible feel and a UConnect media system that can organize your music and display photos of your kids.

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#8 Best Car for Single Parents: Kia Forte

Kia’s brand new Forte – and its predecessor, the Spectra – earn Kia another spot on this Top 10 list.  The Forte’s handsome looks come from celebrated car designer, Peter Schreyer, who is best known for his work on the stunning Audi TT and A3.  Fortunately, beauty is more than skin deep on this new Kia thanks to a standard Bluetooth hands-free phone system and best-in-class 36 MPG highway rating.  It’s a smart buy, too, with a starting price in the mid-$13k range and a 10-year / 100,000 mile powertrain warranty.  Your child’s college fund will thank you.

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#9 Best Car for Single Parents: Toyota Corolla

After a long day of running around, it helps to have some space to stretch out.  With an enormous 92 cubic feet of interior space, the Corolla lets you do exactly that.  Owners love that this Toyota is a full package, bragging, “You cannot find a more sensible car in terms of price, style, value, design, fitness to any age, economy to operate, safety and fun.”  And if that’s not enough to convince you, the Corolla was also honored with a Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.  It’s no surprise that the Corolla landed on the Top-10 list of the most popular cars for single parents.

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#10 Best Car for Single Parents: Nissan Cube

Just because you’re a single parent doesn’t mean you have to be boring.  The Cube stands out with a funky asymmetrical design that’s sure to get a few admiring stares when you pull up at a traffic light.  And thanks to six standard air bags and rear seats that can slide to make room for people or cargo, this Nissan is also a smart runabout for small families.  The tight exterior dimensions can be deceiving, as one owner described his Cube, “It’s like the size of a house inside but looks like a compact on the outside.”

Summer is here and that means that millions of families around the country are getting ready for road trips.  If you’ve ever tried to travel with children, you know they need space…space for toys, space for snacks, and space to prevent fights in the back seat.

For many families, owning a minivan or SUV with three rows of seating is a necessity.  But which ones are best suited for the job?

Since nobody is more in tune with these needs than Moms and Dads, we searched through Honk to find parents who had recently purchased a new family vehicle with top safety ratings and three rows of seating.

Here’s our list of the Top 10 Best Cars for Families, as determined by the families, themselves.  You can also click over to Honk to see the full and complete list of the top-ranked cars for families or you can quickly and easily build your own list from scratch.

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1. Honda Odyssey

The Odyssey has been a top choice for families for many years now, with owners raving about the handsome styling and car-like handling.  “Acceleration is quite surprising,” boasted one reviewer.

This Honda is tough too, acing frontal and side-impact crash tests from both NHTSA and IIHS.  There’s a wealth of family-friendly features, including available tri-zone climate control and DVD player.  The interior has seats that can slide or fold flat for maximum flexibility in carrying people or bulky cargo.

As one reviewer put it, the Odyssey is, “a little more expensive than the competition, but more than worth the price.”

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2. GMC Acadia

If a minivan is not quite your style, the GMC Acadia is a stylish alternative that doesn’t skimp on space or practicality.

Compared to full-size SUVs, the Acadia rides smoother and is lower to the ground so kids can easily climb in and out.  GMC’s family-friendly vehicle has many thoughtful touches, like a second row seat that’s light enough for kids to operate and a low cargo loading height to help with loading strollers and soccer gear.

Power from the Acadia’s V6 engine is excellent and fuel economy is respectable for a vehicle of this size.  You’ll also be pleased with the 5-star ratings for frontal and side-impact crashes.

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3. Honda Pilot

Yep – Honda’s got another vehicle in the top five.  It’s big, it’s bold, and it’s got seating for up to eight people.

Honda decided to target Dads rather than Moms when the Pilot was redesigned in 2009 and the resulting look is more testosterone-infused and industrial than its predecessor.  Families love all the utility afforded by the Pilot’s strong, boxy shape.  “I always have room for stuff/people, yet never feel like I’m driving a huge SUV – just what I wanted,” boasted one owner.

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4. Acura MDX

Looking for a more luxurious way to transport your family?  Acura’s MDX crossover vehicle seats seven and features a sophisticated all-wheel drive system that gives the car surprising agility on curvy roads.

Owners rave about the well-appointed interior and abundance of high-tech gadgets.  There’s an available Blind Spot Information System that can alert you to vehicles in your blind spot and a Collision Mitigation Braking System that can sense an impending collision and then tug at the brakes and beep to warn the driver to take evasive action.

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5. Mazda CX-9

Can a family vehicle be fun to drive?  Mazda seems to think so and has endowed the CX-9 with some of its trademark Zoom-Zoom.  “The chassis and suspension are well-sorted and it drives like a much smaller vehicle,” noted one owner.

Inside, you’ll find a beautiful cabin with a clever second-row seat that slides to allow easier access to the third row.  The optional rear seat entertainment system includes a 115-volt power outlet and audio/video inputs so that the kids can bring along a home video game system for long trips.  There’s also an advanced Blind Spot Monitoring system that uses radar to detect and alert you to vehicles that may be hiding just beyond your view.

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6. Volkswagen Routan

You might be surprised to learn that this “German-engineered” minivan – through a partnership with Chrysler – is actually a Dodge Grand Caravan with a few important tweaks.

This is great news if you’re looking for a minivan with moves because VW re-tuned the suspension for a sportier ride.  They also simplified the amount of options and made many helpful features standard.  Dual power-sliding doors are standard on all but the base trim level, for instance.

You get the best of both worlds with the Routan: many years of minivan know-how from Chrysler and crisp styling and handling from Volkswagen.

And though the Routan may cost more than it’s counterpart from Dodge, you’ll get Volkswagen’s complimentary “CareFree Maintenance” plan which more than makes up for the price difference with free scheduled maintenance for the first three years of ownership.

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7. Dodge Grand Caravan

The Grand Caravan was one of the very first minivans to hit the market when the modern segment was born in the 1980’s and Dodge has continued to innovate since then.

One of the most popular features is the standard “Stow ‘n Go” seating which allows the middle seats to be folded underneath the floor to make room for cargo.  When the seats are up, their storage cubbies can be used to hide valuables.  An optional “Swivel ‘n Go” seat allows the middle seats to face backward so that kids can play games together on long trips.

If you’re looking to save some money for the kid’s college fund, you’ll also appreciate that the Grand Caravan is the most affordable of all the full-size minivans.

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8. Chrysler Town & Country

If there’s such thing as a luxury minivan, this is it.  The Town & Country can be had with leather seats, a navigation system, power-adjustable pedals, three-zone automatic climate control, and rain-sensing windshield wipers.

Owners tell us that they were won over by the many multimedia options available to keep their kids happy (and quiet).  This Chrysler has an optional DVD system, 3G-based wi-fi internet, and even a mobile television service that plays Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, and Cartoon Network.  Where was all this stuff when we were kids?

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9. Ford Flex

Sometimes taking the road less traveled is a very good thing.  Ford challenged its designers to come up with a vehicle that was as practical as it was stylish and the result is the Flex.  It’s boxy, it’s family-friendly, and it most definitely stands out.  One owner bragged that her Flex “gets many questions and positive comments.”

Beyond the unique rectilinear look, the Flex earned its place in the top ten thanks to an enormous and very upscale interior.  There’s a multi-panel Vista Roof option that bathes the cabin in natural light and Ford’s excellent SYNC system to manage your media and phone calls with ease.  Kids will have plenty of space to stretch out in back and enjoy the DVD player.

If you’ve got older teenagers in the house, you’ll also love the MyKey safety system which allows you to set limits on the top speed and maximum volume for the audio system before you send Junior out on the road.

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10. BMW X5

Coming in at the number ten spot is BMW’s spirited X5.  It may cost a pretty penny – starting price is around $47k and can quickly balloon past $60k with options – but this Bimmer can haul your family and carve corners with equal ease.

The parents who chose this BMW love the composed handling and aggressive looks.  One reviewer explained that the X5 “makes you feel good. It’s cool and savvy. It exudes confidence.”

Due to a tight third-row seat, the X5 falls a bit short on family duty.  But if you’ve got a small family and only need to use the third row occasionally, this BMW’s taut moves and undeniable curb appeal will win you over.