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With our one kid and multiple dogs, I had a 2 door VW GTI when my daughter was born. It was just about right, but needed four doors. I then went to a VW Jetta Sportwagen with the 2.5, and loved the expansive cargo room and the way it drove. But I got bored with the non-turbo in it as it didn't have enough "oomph" to satisfy me.
Currently, I have a 2014 Jetta sedan with the 1.8 turbo with an APR tune on it. This hits all the right spots for me right now. It was cheap to buy with the manual. The trunk is HUGE. A cheap rear sway bar really helped the handling but didn't sacrifice ride quality. I get over 30mpg in mixed driving, and have gotten over 40mpg on the highway. A tune can be had with 87 or 93 octane if you want more power, or there are plug in devices as well to add more fuel and boost. The GLI is of course a little more powerful and a little more sporty, but I couldn't justify the extra expense of the GLI versus what I could do to tweak the car on my own.
If I needed more space for kid stuff again, I'd absolutely go with the VW Golf Sportwagen. They have the 1.8 turbo and are also available in AWD. If you can get past the "it's a station wagon mentality", you'll find they handle better than any SUV and are typically more fun to drive. Big panoramic roof, CarPlay, Android Auto, and plenty of safety features. Definitely check out a few of the VW offerings while you are there.
Yeah, growing up my friend's parents had some of those big land yachts with the third row facing backwards. They were frumpy, lumpy, and dumpy LOL. I think the Europeans manage to pull off the look quite well (CTS-V, honorable mention) and they are more common and accepted in Europe of course. Wagons look far better than mini vans and most SUVs though, especially when done right:I just can't get passed any station wagon ever or mini van and since my parents had a gm station wagon
Make sure you try your car seat in the thing before you buy. We had a Britax car seat and the space it took when rear facing wiped a lot of vehicles off the list because we didn't have enough room for me to operate the pedals/wheel safely.
The Escape with the 2.0 is actually pretty fun. Thing has some pep for sure!I'd pick that Jetta over a Ford Escape purely for looks and actual fun potential. There's no way an escape is "fun" to drive
Are you joking? I couldn't imagine fitting a kid plus all the shit that comes with kids in my ST.
I'd pick that Jetta over a Ford Escape purely for looks and actual fun potential. There's no way an escape is "fun" to drive
Used Challenger R/T
Sounds selfish
I don't have kids yet, but I'd definitely favor an suv or at the very least a wagon.
My mom has a 16 Hyundai Tucson with every available option and I gotta say it's really nice and fairly fun to drive. Panoramic roof, adaptive CC, lane departure, heated/cooled seats up front, and heated seats in rear. I believe it stickered around 36k, but could probably be had for your price range.
The Escape with the 2.0 is actually pretty fun. Thing has some pep for sure!
I found one with the V6 Ecoboost, with a tune it would haul in a straight line.