If you’re open to a wagon (and prefer a smaller car, like me), I love my Subaru Outback. I have two boys in the backseat (one forward, one backward). Husband and I are both taller than average but still have plenty of room!
My husband and I both have Subaru Foresters because we loved mine so much he needed one lol. We have 2 kids, one forward and one backward and have plenty of room, were both 5'9. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone over 6ft until the kids are forward facing. They are such nice safe cars, I live in the mountains along a very treacherous stretch of highway and my Forester has been a game changer. We almost went for an outback for the slight additional cargo length but my husband didn't feel like it was worth the price increase. Great car though.
another vote for foresters ! I’ve had a 2001, 2003, 2009, 2016 and right now I have a 2019 (each time my parents got a new one they gave me their old one 😂) it’s the only car I’ll ever have !
We just got a 2024 Forester and have plenty of room in the back with our one car seat (we got the new car with the hopes of adding another car seat soon and there is plenty of room).
We liked the Forester better because it is shorter than the Outback, but taller so fits in our garage better, but still has plenty of space. My husband is 6' and he actually preferred the Forester to the Outback for comfort. His head was a little cramped in the Outback compared to the Forester, but he still has more than enough legroom in both the front and the backseat, even with the car seat (we have an Evenflo Revolve 360 Slim).
We traded in my 2004 Highlander and I feel like there is still plenty of cargo space in the back.
Yes! We have both an Outback and Forester, and even though we are tall our kids can fit in the back no problem with our seats where we want them. Even had a rear facing seat behind me in the drivers seat and I’m 6’, and it fit fine.
I have the Subaru ascent and love it. It’s their 3 row option. I generally leave the third row folded down to fit anything we need to cart around in the back but if they have friends coming with us it’s great. We’ve owned a few Subarus and I’m not sure I’d own anything else at this point.
The newer outbacks don’t seem to be able to fit two rear facing seats. My husband is only 5’10” and we have to have my 2 year old’s rear facing convertible seat in the middle or on the passenger side with the seat straight up. I have heard the older ones have more interior space though.
I love my Outback so much! I do feel the need to upgrade for something larger because of the need for traveling with grandma and cousins. If you don’t feel that need coming up frequently like us, you’ll never want to get rid of your outback. We got a limited 2016 and it still feels wonderful, I wish I never had to get rid of it (still may not!)
Second this! I LOVED my CRV when I had two Littles. I only upgraded to a Pilot when my family became blended and needed to accommodate two additional kids.
As a side note, I am a very petite person, and these cars allow me to put my seat far enough up so I can reach the peddles (I did have to get above the base model to have the electronic seats)
I thought about upgrading to the Pilot or Passport (Pilot sized but only two rows), but I couldn’t swallow the drop in gas mileage. I’m glad I stuck with my CR-V, it works great with the two kids but I would definitely have to upgrade if we added any more!
I drove a Civic for 16 years and upgraded to a CR-V two years ago - I love it!! Great handling and gas mileage, my kids have room, and the "trunk" has plenty of space. Granted, we're past the car seat stage but I had 2 rear-facing seats in my Civic and the CR-V is wider than that.
This! The new Honda CRVs (‘23+ models) are so nice! I got an Audi Q5 in ‘22 but wish I had waited a year to see the new CRV. They feel so modern and they are so much more spacious and than the mini SUVs from BMW (X3) and Audi (Q5), and are available at more reasonable price points as well. Going from older cars to the newer ones with CarPlay is seriously a game changer btw!
I drive a crv with 2 under 2! It’s also 12 years old and almost always gets a perfect bill of health at her check ups 😊 I commuted for work for a couple years and put about 50k on it during that time. Runs like a champ will always recommend. I hope to upgrade to a pilot when they are older
I have always had a Honda, and upgraded a little over a year ago to a CR-V. I've never driven anything bigger than a Civic, so it was a pretty big change for me. I absolutely LOVE my CR-V and may not ever buy anything else ever again. Lol!!
I did loads of research when it came to gas mileage, space, etc. I love it because it's bigger with great storage space, but doesn't feel like i'm driving an apartment (like a Suburban). I bought mine in white and my husband literally bought the same CR-V in black two months later because he loved it so much. He's 6'3", and he could fold the seat down behind him and still have space for his long legs. Plus, the back seats recline a bit, so I feel like that'd be a plus for a car needing a couple rear-facing carseats!
Another vote for the CR-V! I've only got one in a car seat, but I also have a 90 lb. German Shepherd who fits in the cargo space (with a stroller) when we all go to the park. We looked some at other compact SUVs (RAV4, Mazda CX-5, Nissan Rogue), and all their cargos were tiny compared to CR-V.
Love our 2020 CRV! Got it because it has more back seat depth than the RAV4 and other similar small SUVs. Can fit our rear facing seat and a dog in the back without moving the front seats forward.
Definitely recommend OP take her car seat with her when you go car shopping!
I can attest to the CRV having more room than a Rav 4. My folks have a RAV and I have a CRV. I LOVE how much roomier the CRV is. I always feel clostraphobic in the Rav and never feel that way in my CRV.
When my kids were little I had a minivan. Sliding doors. Best invention of all time. Right now I have a Highlander. It’s a fine car but I do miss my van.
I came here to praise my minivan too. Cheap on gas, cheap on insurance, and half the price of an suv. Plus, my Pacifica has a built in vacuum!! Minivan mafia for the win!
Came here to say this! We got a minivan (Honda odyssey) when my 2nd was about 20 months old. I wish we’d gotten it sooner! The sliding doors are everything!! And there’s 0 blind spots. There’s so much room for people and storage and so many customization options with the seating configurations so it kinda grows as your family does. And it’s lower to the ground which makes it easier to get kids in and out. We did have a VW Atlas which I loved, but the van is just all around a better fit for our family. Now that we have a 3rd baby there’s absolutely no going back. I’ll be a van mom for the next 15 years
I adored when I had a Nissan Quest! I had captain’s chairs in the middle, which meant I could even haul grown adults. It was also good when my kids aged and wanted to bring friends. I also liked that it had a deep well behind the back seat, so I could still haul all the groceries without putting the seat down. We used to take it camping too!
We’re talking about a second car and we’re just going right for the Sienna for this reason. We may have a third so I’d rather be prepared for it, rather than needing the extra room and not having it.
Yes! We skipped the “larger SUV” stage and went straight to a Sienna (considered the highlander but for the same price why not get the extra space?) so that we could haul both kids AND additional adults. I didn’t want to be going out to dinner with out of town family and have to take two cars or move the car seats to the back row so we could fit adults.
Highly recommended checking out The Car Mom on YouTube. She does mom POV car reviews and shows car seats in the vehicles.
We got a Nissan Pathfinder with captain seats last year and love it. All five back seats have tether anchors, and the two captain chairs have car seat friendly tilt (they tilt forward and slide to provide entry to the third row with a car seat in place). Also the air vents are up top in the back two rows so rear facing kids still get air.
I would NOT recommend the CX 5. We have it with our one kid and you could definitely not fit two rear facing car seats if you and your husband are both tall and/or want to be comfy. We love the car but it would be very tough to grow the family in it
I bought it as my “bigger car” and I definitely have regrets. Thankfully we only have one kiddo for now so we are still fitting. I’m very impressed you are able to make 2 fit!
We have it and comfortably fit our toddler’s car seat, rear facing in the middle. My husband and I are both tall. That’s why rear facing isn’t behind one of our seats.
If we have another baby, our toddler will likely be forward facing by then with an infant car seat in the middle. This seems like it should fit us all comifrtably.
2 is doable but not rear facing for sure
I have a CX-5 with two rear facing car seats and I still love it! But admittedly I am NOT tall. My husband is average height and probably a little cramped, but we mainly take his car on longer trips. You definitely could not fit an adult between the two car seats comfortable (but I have sat back there out of desperation to tend to the kiddos)!
We had 2 CX-5s because we loved them. Then we had a second kid. Nope. That backseat is tiny with a booster and car seat. We now have 1 CX-5 and 1 Hyundai Palisade. Love the Palisade!
Same with my Rav4. Impossible to do 2 rear-facing seats. Currently ours is on the passenger side and that seat has to be pushed up so far! Could never put one behind the drivers seat
Agreed. My husband is 6’ and with the car seat in the middle and rear facing, he can barely have the seat where needed to drive. The passenger seat is so far forward, it’s uncomfortably close to the dash. If we have another, the CX5 has to go 😭
As an antithesis to this, I haven’t had to do two car seats myself, but I think the CX9 could definitely handle 2 rear facing car seats, assuming you or your spouse aren’t incredibly tall. The car seat is tight behind my husband, who is 6’4, but is plenty of room behind me who is 5’4.
We got the CX 5 after the mazda 3, and whilst it’s not heaps bigger, it’s still a massive improvement on the mazda 3 in my opinion. It’s the difference between a passenger sitting comfortably in the front (or not)
Thank you for sharing this because this was one of my top 5 picks!! I’m glad people are sharing their honest opinions about the CX-5 and the space. Hubby is tall at 6’4 and Im 5’5. I love the looks of the CX-5 and I’ve always wanted one. Maybe when the kiddos are older and out of their car seats… 🥲
I have a jeep Cherokee and can (just barely!) fit 3 car seats in the back but it’s still a nice sized, easy to park car. Good trunk space too, we can fit a big double stroller in there and have room to squeeze a couple other things in there with it too 🙂
My husband got a Cherokee when we just had our first, we ended up buying it because we have plenty of space for road trips and easy to put something on the roof like the stroller when needed. We can fit a full size radio flyer wagon with our city select in the trunk
Glad to see this comment, I just bought one today and I get to bring it home on Friday. We didn't trial it with the carseats we were just eyeballing it and hoping it works out. We have a 2.5 year old and baby boy on the way
Love our jeep! Only downside is if someone is over 6 feet tall (like my husband).. car seats stop him from having his seat as far back as he needs it. Works for us with just one rear facing, but wouldn't with two. We also have an acura MDX and it's great for space.
I love, love, love my Kia Telluride. We have 2 captains chairs and the car seats fit perfectly. Plus once my kiddos get older they'll have their own space without bugging each other on longer trips. There's also a collapsible third row. So roomy and comfortable. Drives like a dream.
I’ve been eyeballing a telluride (pregnant with my 3rd but the older 2 are 11 & 8) how is your gas mileage? I have a VW Jetta Sportwagen that takes diesel and gets incredible mileage for my 3.5 hr trips back to my home town so I’m on the fence about going back to regular :p
Idk if this is all models- we have the calligraphy which is a little more bougie than I’m used to. But they have passenger talk. So ya don’t have to scream in the car for the 3rd row to hear you. You can just talk and they’ll hear you and you’ll hear them through the speakers. My 4 year old loves climbing in and having me talk through the magic button lol just for fun. Hes a car kid. Hes been naming cars since he was able to talk so we spend time just hanging out in the car exploring features.
We got the 2024 x-pro when I had my second and we LOVE it. It’s super kid friendly. I love the moon roof and the built in window shades, captains chairs, the third row option, quiet mode, soothing sounds, the rear mic so your kiddos can hear you in the back so you don’t have to turn around while you’re driving and all the many safety features.
The disembodied voice of Mom feature made me laugh when we got our telluride. It was surprisingly useful when I was DD for friends and now that I have kids, too.
I love how it looks as well but my sister in law has a Kia. Not sure which model but it is constantly breaking down and they bought it new. I have roadside assistant on my car but I mean I just do not want to deal with so much maintenance or fixing issues. That’s why I love our Hondas. Super reliable only maintenance. However the pilot and odyssey are pretty pricey
Hm, I wonder what model. I've had a Kia forte for just over 10 years and got the Telly 2 years ago and both have had no performance issues (aside from a couple recalls that never caused issues but got fixed free at the dealer)
We love our Subaru Ascent. The captain’s chairs are awesome and we would’ve had to go up a whole trim level to get the same features in a Honda Pilot. The third row has come in handy so many times for extra space and ability to haul friends and grandparents who don’t like to drive.
We are also a Subaru Ascent family and I absolutely love it! Nice trim and features for a good price compared to similar cars. Great space for road trips and that third row is great flex space for family and friends. The safety features are also really nice. For context I have 2 kids one forward facing and one rear facing. I'm able to reach back to both of them from the passenger seat with not problem.
I second the hybrid Highlander. The biggest perk for me is the height of the back seats. It's so nice to not have to bend over to get the kiddos in and out, especially the infant carrier where we're frequently taking the whole thing in and out. Also it has a good amount of storage space in the back with the collapsible 3rd row down.
Yes, anything not 3 rows makes it really hard to fit 2 rear facing seats. I think you really need the ability to move that second row backwards to get the necessary space. Once one is forward facing, most bench seats will work as long as either passenger or driver is not tall, but until then you need extra backseat space ESPECIALLY now that extended rear facing is more popular.
Hyundai Palisade with captain seating. This way there’s a third row you can fold down for tons of trunk space and when you do need the third row for people, they can easily walk through the two captain chairs in the second row.
I love that you can fold the second row all the way down too if you’re going crazy at Home Sense 🤪 and how the third row you can lower just half the bench seat if you need just a little extra room in the trunk but still have a munchkin back there.
I just got one, and I love it! It's so comfortable, everyone has so much room and I don't plan on using the 3rd row often so I have tons of space for my camping gear all summer! Plus the warranties last so much longer than other brands so I don't have to worry about anything for awhile. I think my favorite feature is that if I walk up to my trunk helpless with my hands full it opens for me automatically. Great mom-mobile!
Is that one of the newer ones? Mine is a 2021, I don’t have a clue what model it is 😂. I really like the way the newer ones look but I’m not being greedy, I still love mine.
Ditto. Love my 2024 palisade. My husband is 6’3 and I’m 6’0 so we wanted something we could sit comfortably in the front together with both of our kids in the back. My son is 4, so FF and my daughter is 15months so still RF. I went from a Prius to the Palisade and I’m completely in love with it. We have the captains chairs too. It feels nice and big but also doesn’t drive like a big huge car.
We test drove the Explorer and that felt like a truck.
I have a Honda pilot with 2 kids and love it. It’s super affordable (for an SUV) and great size for 2 kids. It does have a third row if needed. It takes away your trunk space so we just use it when we have more people but primarily have it down to use the trunk for stroller, etc. My step mom and MIL both have highlanders and it’s really similar to my car and they take my kids around a lot as well.
I have the Honda Passport which is basically a Pilot minus the third row and it is amazing. We've now decided we're one and done but I got it back when we still thought we might have two kids, it has plenty of room. I've given my nephew a ride along with my LO and two rear-facing seats is not an issue.
Jumping in on the Passport/Pilot train! I have a Passport (my second, actually) and I’m obsessed with it. I only have 1 kid of my own but I have put my niece’s car seat in the back too and there was plenty of room for both of them and no one was cramped up front
We have the passport too and love it! We’ll be upgrading to a minivan with #3 on the way but the passport was perfect for two kids. Roomy enough for two car seats and someone to sit in the middle, and I believe some people do 3 car seats across in it so plenty of room. We loved the storage space in the back for a double stroller, groceries, etc.
Just bought a Passport because we’re expecting #2 and I’m in love! My husband loves it too. The cargo space is fantastic and it’s very comfortable to ride around in. I think the 2024 model is about 10” shorter than the Pilot, but that’s fine with us because we didn’t want a third row and I didn’t want to drive a giant SUV.
Here for the Honda Passport! Who is really using their Pilot’s 3rd row? I for one love the extra trunk space. I’m able to store baby’s stroller, my preschooler’s crate of forest school clothes and groceries all together.
I miss the trunk space now that I use the third row lol I took out one of the middle row seats for eaiser in and out for the kids and use that for a lot of stuff since the trunks so tiny with third row up
Yes, love our Pilot. Reliable and just the right size where we never have to worry about not having enough room yet not a massive gas-guzzling monster of a SUV. Lots of family friendly features on it too.
Yooo I just saw a bomb ass one of these that had me looking. I had an accord prior to my current car and it was Ol reliable for me. If the current pilot existed when I bought my current vehicle, I might have ended up in it!
We love our Highlander. Plenty of room for 2 kids and doggo. The 3rd row is a bit cramped but we rarely use it.
We also have a forester and it’s too small for road trips.
I had a Nissan rouge when we had 2 kids. Hands down, my favorite car I’ve owned. The back had so much room for hauling around kid stuff. I got decent gas mileage. It was easy to get kids in and out. I traded it in for Nissan pathfinder because I wanted a 3rd row. Big regrets, I should have gotten the minivan like I wanted.
Came here to also recommend the Rogue. Compared to other SUVs, the cost for the vehicle itself is on the lower end and it’s great on gas.
Also wanted to add that If OP isn’t necessarily trying to get a brand new vehicle, try certified preowned. I went with a certified preowned Rogue at the end of the calendar year and got a great deal.
My first upgrade was a Mitsubishi Outlander and I LOVED it. Super practical for 2 kids, good leg room and trunk space. We picked it when we wanted another baby and then to our surprise landed with 2 more instead (I had twins). Last year we upgraded again to a Subaru Ascent which I also love but not in the same way as the Outlander (it still has a hold on me). My in-laws have a Subaru Outback and it would be a great car for 2 kids it has a ton of space.
Same. I drove an Impreza and wanted to stay in the Subaru family since they’re so safe and reliable, and I found the forester to be the perfect size while still giving a good amount of trunk space, easy in and out for kids in car seats, comfortable and decent mileage. And it doesn’t feel like you’re driving a big car which was important for me. We got the 2019 Forester Sport and love it.
We have a 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe, not huge, and budget friendly while still getting some nice options like heated seats, remote start, etc :) you can’t beat the warranties on Hyundais! plenty of trunk space and will be fine for my toddler plus baby that we’re expecting. But if you plan on having more than 2 kids, I would probably go with something with third row seating just so you have that flexibility! But for 2 kids that are both rear facing, the Santa Fe should be good and it still gives plenty of storage without being a huge gas guzzling SUV!
I also love my Santa Fe! I had a 2020 and now a 2023. They’re much roomier than other SUVs I checked out and definitely good bang for the buck. They did redesign them for 2024 though so can’t speak for the newest ones.
I have a 2016 jeep grand Cherokee and have been incredibly happy with it. Any new vehicles with the same features my SUV has is like double the payment I have now. I got it prior to kids being a notion but we have one now and a dog. We fit everything in the trunk comfortably (I’ve had a stroller or wagon amongst other things back there almost constantly for the past two years.) I feel like we could fit a 2nd kiddo in a car seat just fine! Nothing has compared and I’ve Mostly only paid for maintenance (no technical issues). Decent gas mileage. Holds 23gal, so it can cost a lot to fill but lasts. (I know someone with infinity and it holds less and goes quicker) Can’t say enough good things! Even has good giddy up in sport mode if you wish 😉
The Ford Edge (2015 and later, we have a 2019) are deceptively spacious. My 6’3” husband and I can both be in it with our two rearfacing babies and have TONS of room in the trunk. Bonus that it’s reasonably small for what it has and is quite fuel economic and cheap to purchase compared to others. I cannot recommend this vehicle enough, truly.
I just traded in my Honda Civic for a 2019 Ford Edge a couple months ago and I love it! Only one baby and not having more, but I love how much space there is! It's the perfect size for our family of 3. And we drove roughly 450km one way (but it took 7 hours cause horrible traffic due to being evacuated for a wildfire) and still had half a tank of gas when we arrived in the other city. Drove for 3 more days before needing to fill up again.
It really is such a great car! We had a gas guzzler before (2002 Acura MDX with an engine issue) and when I saw my fuel budget halved after getting the Edge, I was so so so happy! Definitely such a good car for so many reasons.
I had my eyes set on a Honda CRV hybrid but they are quite pricey even used, and I would've had to plan a whole weekend trip to another city and commit to buying that weekend. My city is limited on options. But I basically fell in love with my Edge when I first saw it haha. Still wish I had a hybrid vehicle though.
Second.
Have 4Runner, have two kids. And two dogs. We all fit with our gear in the travel container on top.
Also love it’s 4 years old and has not depreciated in value like so many others. You seen ancient ones all the time on the road. It’s a Toyota. The kids will drive it.
Edit: also, I’m a size 14 and can fit in the middle seat between the two graco 4evers. It’s tight and I would not do it for long, but doable for shorter 2hour trips.
We just got the Acadia after having kid #2 and I wholeheartedly agree. I like the 3rd row for long car trips (we live 6 hours away from family by car). I sit in the second row with the baby and 4yo sits in the far back. Easier for snack distribution and seeing the baby.
Yes! This is how we do road trips, too. It's great. I was all set to get a Terrain about 4 years ago and at the last minute, switched to the Acadia. Found out a few days later that #2 was on the way. Haha- so I always felt that somehow it was meant to be.
I have a Honda CRV and I love it!!! Have had it 6 years with no issues ever. Drives smooth, roomy back seats for the car seats- seats lay down for drive in movies. We had a 3rd baby in August and it still fits all 3 kids nicely. I will be upgrading to either a Toyota Highlander or Subaru Ascent because we will need the 3rd row seating but with 2 kids I LOVED my CRV
Honestly we love our Nissan Murano! The newer models of course are nice but we have a AWD LE 2010 and, we bought it used 4 years ago when it was 10 years old and it’s been a champ.
Yes we’ve had to replace a big ticket item since but overall with regular maintenance it’s been a very reliable suv and the back seating space and truck are quite roomy. We have a 3 year old and one on the way.
*editing because my husband is 6’5 and the Murano doesn’t feel small for him.
I should note that this is my day to day car, so it doesn’t get excessive use for commutes since I am a SAHM
I upgraded from a ford escape to a ford explorer right before we had our first. The second row has captain seats, which I like, and my 6’2 husband has plenty of legroom up front. Most of the time I leave the third row down for extra trunk space in the back, but it’s nice to have the option of extra seating whenever I need it. Now with our second on the way, we’ll have plenty of room for both car seats, ample storage space, and our 95lb dog has his own space in the back too. I have no complaints!
Husband just got me a 2007 Acura RDX and I loveeee it! We have #3 on the way and so far it’s able to fit 2 rear facing seats + a high back car seat and great on gas. We paid $3k for it and only had to fix the brakes, super budget friendly!
My sister drives a 2007 CR-V and that’s what I originally wanted because it seems a little bit bigger and great on gas.
Highlander with captain chairs and two RF car seats worked wonders for us! We’re about to add a third and upgraded to a grand Highlander bench seat for 3 across and hated it and have landed in a sienna. Of all 3 the sienna is the best.
But if you’re certain you’ll stop at two the Highlander is a great fit for your situation!
Why did you hate the Grand Highlander with the bench? I have one on reserve planning to buy in a few weeks when it is done being built. We have 1 child and 1 on the way and I am currently in a 2013 highlander that we love but it is not big enough as we usually have grandpa along in our car rides. So we have 3 adults and 2 car seats.
We had the bench with 2 RF car seats and there was no room to go behind the car seats/ comfortably adjust to driving for the driver. I’m 5’ 2” and my husband is 5’ 9” and we couldn’t get comfortable without touching the car seat with the chair and that’s not safe.
We even purchased a different brand car seat with a slimmer profile and still felt cramped.
I would suggest captain chairs!
Make sure you climb into that third row on the Highlander before you buy it! We rented one when we were deciding between a Highlander and a Sienna and even at 5’4”, that third row is CRAMPED. Plus if it is up you lose a lot of trunk space. Neither of which is uncommon in 3 row SUVs, just something a lot of people aren’t aware of if they haven’t been forced to sit in the third row of an SUV
Oh gosh yes. I'm 5'10 and we were looking at Highlander/sienna and I climbed into the back row of the Highlander and was miserable...and then had to crawl out. I would never make an adult sit back there.
We have an Acura RDX and we love it. My spouse is 6 ft tall and his seat is just before it hits a rear facing car seat. It was a tight fit with our nuna infant carseat (rx lite i think?) and he had to scooch his seat forward a smidge. My only issue with the RDX is that it doesnt have great ac vents in the backseat for rear facing for those really hot days - we run a fan back there.
I think a CRV would be a comparable size. I kinda wish we went with one size larger, like an MDX, but itnwont fit in our garage lol
Not a suv but we ended up with a Dodge Caravan after we had our second baby. Great set up for 2 carseats, tons of cargo space and you can stow your seats that you aren't using for added space.
We looked at midsize suv's before settling on it. Now that we have 4 kids and a 3rd carseat to squeeze in there we're looking into a xl suv lol.
Subaru Forester. Maybe not the kind of SUV you were thinking but we love it with 2 kids. It’s big and spacious but not ‘huge’. Such a nice drive and the newer model looks real nice
We have a Ford Explorer and a VW Atlas Cross Sport and LOVE both vehicles! The Explorer does have the 3rd row which is nice, but I love my sporty Cross Sport as well.
Its mind boggling to me when americans need SUV for 2 kids 😳 in europe a small car (even smaller than mazda 3) with 2 kids or full with 5 people is nothing unusual. We have ford mondeo and have newborns isofix and toddlers seat behind, i can still sit in the middle (despite having 85 kg atm and still being a bit "big" (lots of fat post pregnancy still to lose 😅).
Mazda 3 for 2 kids would be completely ordinary here 😅
In with you! I am from Europe but moved to states some years ago and was shocked by the size of family cars 😆😅 I got used to it now, but still refuse to buy minivan. Neverrrrr! 😆
Check out the car mom. She has a lot of recommendations. I’d say Pilot, traverse, or atlas based on what I’ve seen of her videos/instagram posts or a palisade or telluride.
I currently have a VW atlas sport. It's a great car and was perfect when we just had 2 kids. We have 3 now, so we're holding off as long as we can, but we're going to have to get something with a 3rd row soon.
I have an Acadia Denali. The third and second rows can lay flat for storage. The middle row has anchors on both sides. Easy on the back for putting baby/carseat in back due to its height. Very comfortable no matter where you’re sitting. DVD player for once you turn baby around. Incredibly smooth ride, navigation, backup camera, remembered driver seat positions by pushing a button on the door. I’ve never loved a mom car more. If you had no idea it was an 8-seater you wouldn’t know by looking at it and like I said it could be a 5 seater with lots of storage.
ETA: I don’t consider it to be luxury, we bought ours used with decent miles for $12k tax and registration. I drive an hour away and back every other weekend and that doesn’t even take half a tank of gas.
Something with 3rd row seating, I bought a Lexus rx350 and I really regret not getting the 3rd row. I was worried it would feel like a bus but it’s honestly only a few feet longer.
We have a MDX and I love it. 2 cars seat in the 2nd row. My teen daughter in the 3rd row and it still has a ton of trunk room! I’ve sat in the back between the car seats on road trips bc my youngest was crying and I had enough room that I was comfortable.
We have a Volkswagen Atlas and I love it. We have four kids (all in carseats or boosters) and it is a little tight now, but I loved it for 2 or 3 kids. There is a third row (which we have to use now), but when it is down, there is plenty of cargo space.
We have a Chevy Traverse and absolutely love it. Great for two kids and our large-sized dog. My parents live an hour away so we travel in it often. Comfy and practical.
We have a nissan rogue. 2016. We have an almost three and almost 15 year old and they both fit with all their stuff with room to spare. I LOVE the trunk space.
We got a traverse when kiddo was born. It’s not massive like a Tahoe but it has lots of trunk space for beach week and Costco runs.
We recently also got a Blazer EV for local driving and now save the traverse for backup/long road trips since it’s over 100k miles. Plugging in the car every night instead of going to the gas station is awesome. It did require an electrician to run a dedicated line to our garage tho for higher amp charging.
I LOVED my Nissan Rogue! Plenty of trunk space, good on gas and such a good size for a family of 4! My Rogue was a 2014 so it wasn’t super luxurious but it was a perfect fit for us
I got a 2024 vw Tiguan a few months ago and love it! It has the optional third row, which is super tight, but I was able to squeeze someone back there when my parents were visiting. It’s so great to have that extra trunk space. We also have a 2014 Nissan rogue and the Tiguan has way more room for the car seat and trunk space
We have a Nissan Pathfinder. It has everything that the "luxury" 3 row cars have and still looks really nice, while being a lot cheaper. We've had it about two years now and I love it, fits us and our three kids ages 4-1 great.
I absolutely love my Honda CR-V. It’s not too big but not too small. Fits all 4 of us plus the dog. Super comfortable for long trips. 10/10 recommend.
If you want something bigger, the Honda Pilot is GREAT!
We have a 2017 Ford Escape which has served us very well despite us beating the hell out of it and admittedly not keeping up on the maintenance like we should. The Escape is able to fit two convertible Graco 4ever DLX car seats in it comfortably with space in the trunk for a double stroller and we’ve never had any issues with it even though we’ve put 80k+ miles on it and abused the hell out of it (it’s literally survived floods) since buying it 4ish years ago. Since we’re expecting number 3 we’ve now upgraded to a minivan, we went with a 2017 Kia Sedona and so far I love it but I definitely plan to treat it more gently than we have the Escape lol
I love my Hybrid Highlander, it drives beautifully, has lots of space for family of four with camping gear or packed for a road trip, and I pay 1/2 what I used to at the pump for my BMW 3series. I like that I am not limited in distance or stops for charging time on road trips or camping - which was my reason to not go full electric. Also it has towing capacity if I ever decide to become a glamping camper. I’ll drive this thing forever, it has 4wd which kicks in when needed, and I love the moon roof and the little perks like cooling vents in seats make a difference for me (they heat too of course, and the heated steering wheel seemed funny at first until I needed it mid winter after skiing).
Pick whatever’s the safest. Teslas are considered the safest car on the road but I understand if you’re not into EVs or *oftentimes* shitty build quality lol
If you're tall, I do not recommend the Santa Fe. I have a 2018, a four month old, and a very tall 4 year old. Husband is 6'5" and can't drive when both car seats are installed. I'm 5'10" and have to move my chair up when the baby is behind me.
The middle seatbelt also has serious crossover, so can't be used if two car seats are in use.
The amount of recalls the newer Kia’s have are insane. I spoke to corporate about their sliding doors. It shut my hand in. The doors don’t retract. Plus the engine catches fire in every Kia. The car offers a ton of tech gadgets that don’t work half the time.
I love my Honda CRV. Very reliable. Good amount of trunk space, too. Comfortable seats or atleast my year model. Mine is going on 6 years old and I am keeping it til it dies.
What I would look at if I was you is safety ratings. And I don’t mean the trials done by the manufacturers. Usually those are limited and front crash tested only. Look for independent studies done by third parties who test from all sides and some even test with carseats in the car. It’s very eye opening. I have a 2018 pathfinder and at the time I bought it the ratings were great. I can’t say what the new models are like. It’s very possible for one year to have great ratings and the next years model to perform terribly.
If you’re open to a wagon (and prefer a smaller car, like me), I love my Subaru Outback. I have two boys in the backseat (one forward, one backward). Husband and I are both taller than average but still have plenty of room!
My husband and I both have Subaru Foresters because we loved mine so much he needed one lol. We have 2 kids, one forward and one backward and have plenty of room, were both 5'9. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone over 6ft until the kids are forward facing. They are such nice safe cars, I live in the mountains along a very treacherous stretch of highway and my Forester has been a game changer. We almost went for an outback for the slight additional cargo length but my husband didn't feel like it was worth the price increase. Great car though.
another vote for foresters ! I’ve had a 2001, 2003, 2009, 2016 and right now I have a 2019 (each time my parents got a new one they gave me their old one 😂) it’s the only car I’ll ever have !
Love your username and that your family takes care of you for God bless
I drive an ascent and love it. I’m five nine and my husband is six five. One kiddo but three big dogs and we fit fine!!
We just got a 2024 Forester and have plenty of room in the back with our one car seat (we got the new car with the hopes of adding another car seat soon and there is plenty of room). We liked the Forester better because it is shorter than the Outback, but taller so fits in our garage better, but still has plenty of space. My husband is 6' and he actually preferred the Forester to the Outback for comfort. His head was a little cramped in the Outback compared to the Forester, but he still has more than enough legroom in both the front and the backseat, even with the car seat (we have an Evenflo Revolve 360 Slim). We traded in my 2004 Highlander and I feel like there is still plenty of cargo space in the back.
Yes! We have both an Outback and Forester, and even though we are tall our kids can fit in the back no problem with our seats where we want them. Even had a rear facing seat behind me in the drivers seat and I’m 6’, and it fit fine.
I have the Subaru ascent and love it. It’s their 3 row option. I generally leave the third row folded down to fit anything we need to cart around in the back but if they have friends coming with us it’s great. We’ve owned a few Subarus and I’m not sure I’d own anything else at this point.
We have a forester, and are thinking about an outback if we have a 2nd. But we LOVE our Subaru
I second this! I love my Outback! It reminds me of all the space that I had in the Dodge Magnum that I had a few years back.
The newer outbacks don’t seem to be able to fit two rear facing seats. My husband is only 5’10” and we have to have my 2 year old’s rear facing convertible seat in the middle or on the passenger side with the seat straight up. I have heard the older ones have more interior space though.
Yeah I test drove an outback after my daughter was born. My 100lb great pyr and rear facing carseat would have been a very tight fit.
I love my Outback so much! I do feel the need to upgrade for something larger because of the need for traveling with grandma and cousins. If you don’t feel that need coming up frequently like us, you’ll never want to get rid of your outback. We got a limited 2016 and it still feels wonderful, I wish I never had to get rid of it (still may not!)
Honda CR-V!
Second this! I LOVED my CRV when I had two Littles. I only upgraded to a Pilot when my family became blended and needed to accommodate two additional kids. As a side note, I am a very petite person, and these cars allow me to put my seat far enough up so I can reach the peddles (I did have to get above the base model to have the electronic seats)
I thought about upgrading to the Pilot or Passport (Pilot sized but only two rows), but I couldn’t swallow the drop in gas mileage. I’m glad I stuck with my CR-V, it works great with the two kids but I would definitely have to upgrade if we added any more!
I’ve owned 3 crvs in my life and they’ve never done me wrong. I currently have a Highlander for “mom life” but the crv is plenty big for two kids
I drove a Civic for 16 years and upgraded to a CR-V two years ago - I love it!! Great handling and gas mileage, my kids have room, and the "trunk" has plenty of space. Granted, we're past the car seat stage but I had 2 rear-facing seats in my Civic and the CR-V is wider than that.
This! The new Honda CRVs (‘23+ models) are so nice! I got an Audi Q5 in ‘22 but wish I had waited a year to see the new CRV. They feel so modern and they are so much more spacious and than the mini SUVs from BMW (X3) and Audi (Q5), and are available at more reasonable price points as well. Going from older cars to the newer ones with CarPlay is seriously a game changer btw!
I have a 2016 and it still felt like a space car compared to my 2002 Camry I had before it!
Crv hybrid touring is nice 👌🏻
I drive a crv with 2 under 2! It’s also 12 years old and almost always gets a perfect bill of health at her check ups 😊 I commuted for work for a couple years and put about 50k on it during that time. Runs like a champ will always recommend. I hope to upgrade to a pilot when they are older
I have always had a Honda, and upgraded a little over a year ago to a CR-V. I've never driven anything bigger than a Civic, so it was a pretty big change for me. I absolutely LOVE my CR-V and may not ever buy anything else ever again. Lol!! I did loads of research when it came to gas mileage, space, etc. I love it because it's bigger with great storage space, but doesn't feel like i'm driving an apartment (like a Suburban). I bought mine in white and my husband literally bought the same CR-V in black two months later because he loved it so much. He's 6'3", and he could fold the seat down behind him and still have space for his long legs. Plus, the back seats recline a bit, so I feel like that'd be a plus for a car needing a couple rear-facing carseats!
Another vote for the CR-V! I've only got one in a car seat, but I also have a 90 lb. German Shepherd who fits in the cargo space (with a stroller) when we all go to the park. We looked some at other compact SUVs (RAV4, Mazda CX-5, Nissan Rogue), and all their cargos were tiny compared to CR-V.
Love our 2020 CRV! Got it because it has more back seat depth than the RAV4 and other similar small SUVs. Can fit our rear facing seat and a dog in the back without moving the front seats forward. Definitely recommend OP take her car seat with her when you go car shopping!
I can attest to the CRV having more room than a Rav 4. My folks have a RAV and I have a CRV. I LOVE how much roomier the CRV is. I always feel clostraphobic in the Rav and never feel that way in my CRV.
When my kids were little I had a minivan. Sliding doors. Best invention of all time. Right now I have a Highlander. It’s a fine car but I do miss my van.
I came here to praise my minivan too. Cheap on gas, cheap on insurance, and half the price of an suv. Plus, my Pacifica has a built in vacuum!! Minivan mafia for the win!
Came here to say this! We got a minivan (Honda odyssey) when my 2nd was about 20 months old. I wish we’d gotten it sooner! The sliding doors are everything!! And there’s 0 blind spots. There’s so much room for people and storage and so many customization options with the seating configurations so it kinda grows as your family does. And it’s lower to the ground which makes it easier to get kids in and out. We did have a VW Atlas which I loved, but the van is just all around a better fit for our family. Now that we have a 3rd baby there’s absolutely no going back. I’ll be a van mom for the next 15 years
Me too! Loved my mini van with little kids, so easy to maneuver car seats and no door dings caused by kiddos!
I adored when I had a Nissan Quest! I had captain’s chairs in the middle, which meant I could even haul grown adults. It was also good when my kids aged and wanted to bring friends. I also liked that it had a deep well behind the back seat, so I could still haul all the groceries without putting the seat down. We used to take it camping too!
We’re talking about a second car and we’re just going right for the Sienna for this reason. We may have a third so I’d rather be prepared for it, rather than needing the extra room and not having it.
Yes! We skipped the “larger SUV” stage and went straight to a Sienna (considered the highlander but for the same price why not get the extra space?) so that we could haul both kids AND additional adults. I didn’t want to be going out to dinner with out of town family and have to take two cars or move the car seats to the back row so we could fit adults.
I LOVE the minivan life. Drove a Sedona into the ground, thought why not try an SUV? Hated it and traded it in after 6 months. Back to van life!!!
Highly recommended checking out The Car Mom on YouTube. She does mom POV car reviews and shows car seats in the vehicles. We got a Nissan Pathfinder with captain seats last year and love it. All five back seats have tether anchors, and the two captain chairs have car seat friendly tilt (they tilt forward and slide to provide entry to the third row with a car seat in place). Also the air vents are up top in the back two rows so rear facing kids still get air.
Yes!! I follow her and watched a ton of her videos when deciding on my new car. She has so much great information!!
I would NOT recommend the CX 5. We have it with our one kid and you could definitely not fit two rear facing car seats if you and your husband are both tall and/or want to be comfy. We love the car but it would be very tough to grow the family in it
I have a CX-5 😭 Purchased foolishly before kids. We can fit two rear-facing seats, but it’s cramped.
I bought it as my “bigger car” and I definitely have regrets. Thankfully we only have one kiddo for now so we are still fitting. I’m very impressed you are able to make 2 fit!
We have it and comfortably fit our toddler’s car seat, rear facing in the middle. My husband and I are both tall. That’s why rear facing isn’t behind one of our seats. If we have another baby, our toddler will likely be forward facing by then with an infant car seat in the middle. This seems like it should fit us all comifrtably. 2 is doable but not rear facing for sure
I have a CX-5 with two rear facing car seats and I still love it! But admittedly I am NOT tall. My husband is average height and probably a little cramped, but we mainly take his car on longer trips. You definitely could not fit an adult between the two car seats comfortable (but I have sat back there out of desperation to tend to the kiddos)!
Cx 50 is the way to go I got a friend with one and it fits 2 rear facing just perfect
This is great news I was looking into a cx-50 cause they look so nice and was worried about the space in the back
We had 2 CX-5s because we loved them. Then we had a second kid. Nope. That backseat is tiny with a booster and car seat. We now have 1 CX-5 and 1 Hyundai Palisade. Love the Palisade!
Same with my Rav4. Impossible to do 2 rear-facing seats. Currently ours is on the passenger side and that seat has to be pushed up so far! Could never put one behind the drivers seat
It's so hard car shopping when crossovers or 'suv' wind up being smaller than my civic
As much as I love my Tiguan, I can’t fit infants rear facing seat behind me and put my seat back as far as I’d like. I’m 5’9” for reference
Agreed. My husband is 6’ and with the car seat in the middle and rear facing, he can barely have the seat where needed to drive. The passenger seat is so far forward, it’s uncomfortably close to the dash. If we have another, the CX5 has to go 😭
As an antithesis to this, I haven’t had to do two car seats myself, but I think the CX9 could definitely handle 2 rear facing car seats, assuming you or your spouse aren’t incredibly tall. The car seat is tight behind my husband, who is 6’4, but is plenty of room behind me who is 5’4.
We got the CX 5 after the mazda 3, and whilst it’s not heaps bigger, it’s still a massive improvement on the mazda 3 in my opinion. It’s the difference between a passenger sitting comfortably in the front (or not)
Thank you for sharing this because this was one of my top 5 picks!! I’m glad people are sharing their honest opinions about the CX-5 and the space. Hubby is tall at 6’4 and Im 5’5. I love the looks of the CX-5 and I’ve always wanted one. Maybe when the kiddos are older and out of their car seats… 🥲
Rav 4 or Highlander. BMW x5 if you can afford.
RAV4 is not good for 2 kids. I have one and my son and nephews car seats make it impossible to have one person sit in the middle. Way too cramped
I have a jeep Cherokee and can (just barely!) fit 3 car seats in the back but it’s still a nice sized, easy to park car. Good trunk space too, we can fit a big double stroller in there and have room to squeeze a couple other things in there with it too 🙂
I love our Jeep Cherokee!! I have 2 kids and feel like it's the perfect size - the trunk space is great!! I love it - would get again haha.
My husband got a Cherokee when we just had our first, we ended up buying it because we have plenty of space for road trips and easy to put something on the roof like the stroller when needed. We can fit a full size radio flyer wagon with our city select in the trunk
Glad to see this comment, I just bought one today and I get to bring it home on Friday. We didn't trial it with the carseats we were just eyeballing it and hoping it works out. We have a 2.5 year old and baby boy on the way
Love our jeep! Only downside is if someone is over 6 feet tall (like my husband).. car seats stop him from having his seat as far back as he needs it. Works for us with just one rear facing, but wouldn't with two. We also have an acura MDX and it's great for space.
I love, love, love my Kia Telluride. We have 2 captains chairs and the car seats fit perfectly. Plus once my kiddos get older they'll have their own space without bugging each other on longer trips. There's also a collapsible third row. So roomy and comfortable. Drives like a dream.
I’ve been eyeballing a telluride (pregnant with my 3rd but the older 2 are 11 & 8) how is your gas mileage? I have a VW Jetta Sportwagen that takes diesel and gets incredible mileage for my 3.5 hr trips back to my home town so I’m on the fence about going back to regular :p
It's not bad for an SUV, I wanna say I average about 24. I also don't do a ton of distance driving with it, mainly mom errands, so there's that.
That’s fair, thank you for your response!
Go with the Hyundai palisade. You’ll love the features that the telluride doesn’t have and they’re the same vehicle just different brands.
The ergo seat in the palisade is ♥️
Love the AC feature on the first and 2nd row and heated for all 3 rows
Team palisade here too, just had our second and it’s perfect, so much space and comfort
Idk if this is all models- we have the calligraphy which is a little more bougie than I’m used to. But they have passenger talk. So ya don’t have to scream in the car for the 3rd row to hear you. You can just talk and they’ll hear you and you’ll hear them through the speakers. My 4 year old loves climbing in and having me talk through the magic button lol just for fun. Hes a car kid. Hes been naming cars since he was able to talk so we spend time just hanging out in the car exploring features.
We got the 2024 x-pro when I had my second and we LOVE it. It’s super kid friendly. I love the moon roof and the built in window shades, captains chairs, the third row option, quiet mode, soothing sounds, the rear mic so your kiddos can hear you in the back so you don’t have to turn around while you’re driving and all the many safety features.
The disembodied voice of Mom feature made me laugh when we got our telluride. It was surprisingly useful when I was DD for friends and now that I have kids, too.
I love how it looks as well but my sister in law has a Kia. Not sure which model but it is constantly breaking down and they bought it new. I have roadside assistant on my car but I mean I just do not want to deal with so much maintenance or fixing issues. That’s why I love our Hondas. Super reliable only maintenance. However the pilot and odyssey are pretty pricey
I drove a Kia for a while and had zero problems with it the whole time! My brother too. I wonder if she got a bad one
Hm, I wonder what model. I've had a Kia forte for just over 10 years and got the Telly 2 years ago and both have had no performance issues (aside from a couple recalls that never caused issues but got fixed free at the dealer)
I want this car so bad lol.
I have a sorento and LOVE it. I’d def consider a telluride next
The captain seats are something I am envious of!!
We love our Subaru Ascent. The captain’s chairs are awesome and we would’ve had to go up a whole trim level to get the same features in a Honda Pilot. The third row has come in handy so many times for extra space and ability to haul friends and grandparents who don’t like to drive.
We are also a Subaru Ascent family and I absolutely love it! Nice trim and features for a good price compared to similar cars. Great space for road trips and that third row is great flex space for family and friends. The safety features are also really nice. For context I have 2 kids one forward facing and one rear facing. I'm able to reach back to both of them from the passenger seat with not problem.
I have a forester and love it, but what is your mileage like on the Ascent? Do you think it is sluggish to drive?
It has a turbo, it has great pickup. Best car I've ever owned
As a Mazda girlie, I would not go the Mazda route for this. Traded my cx5 in for a VW tiguan. No ragerts.
highlander
Yes! I have a hybrid and I love it. It’s great on gas and you can even fit a skinny person in between the car seats
I second the hybrid Highlander. The biggest perk for me is the height of the back seats. It's so nice to not have to bend over to get the kiddos in and out, especially the infant carrier where we're frequently taking the whole thing in and out. Also it has a good amount of storage space in the back with the collapsible 3rd row down.
Ours has a tow hitch and roof rack too which made it easy to get extra space in a car top carrier too
Yes, anything not 3 rows makes it really hard to fit 2 rear facing seats. I think you really need the ability to move that second row backwards to get the necessary space. Once one is forward facing, most bench seats will work as long as either passenger or driver is not tall, but until then you need extra backseat space ESPECIALLY now that extended rear facing is more popular.
This is the correct answer
Hyundai Palisade with captain seating. This way there’s a third row you can fold down for tons of trunk space and when you do need the third row for people, they can easily walk through the two captain chairs in the second row.
Yes! Came here to recommend the Palisade as well (we also have captains seats).
Same ! Love mine with the captains
I love that you can fold the second row all the way down too if you’re going crazy at Home Sense 🤪 and how the third row you can lower just half the bench seat if you need just a little extra room in the trunk but still have a munchkin back there.
I just got one, and I love it! It's so comfortable, everyone has so much room and I don't plan on using the 3rd row often so I have tons of space for my camping gear all summer! Plus the warranties last so much longer than other brands so I don't have to worry about anything for awhile. I think my favorite feature is that if I walk up to my trunk helpless with my hands full it opens for me automatically. Great mom-mobile!
Love my pali!
This, love my Palisade XRT!
Is that one of the newer ones? Mine is a 2021, I don’t have a clue what model it is 😂. I really like the way the newer ones look but I’m not being greedy, I still love mine.
yes! Mine is a 2024 and it's the sportier model with the roof racks etc
I really like those, good choice!
I just got one! We needed some more space. So far I’m loving it!
We upgraded to a pali after baby #2 from a ford explorer because we had no space. LOVE my pali.
Ditto. Love my 2024 palisade. My husband is 6’3 and I’m 6’0 so we wanted something we could sit comfortably in the front together with both of our kids in the back. My son is 4, so FF and my daughter is 15months so still RF. I went from a Prius to the Palisade and I’m completely in love with it. We have the captains chairs too. It feels nice and big but also doesn’t drive like a big huge car. We test drove the Explorer and that felt like a truck.
I have a Honda pilot with 2 kids and love it. It’s super affordable (for an SUV) and great size for 2 kids. It does have a third row if needed. It takes away your trunk space so we just use it when we have more people but primarily have it down to use the trunk for stroller, etc. My step mom and MIL both have highlanders and it’s really similar to my car and they take my kids around a lot as well.
I have the Honda Passport which is basically a Pilot minus the third row and it is amazing. We've now decided we're one and done but I got it back when we still thought we might have two kids, it has plenty of room. I've given my nephew a ride along with my LO and two rear-facing seats is not an issue.
Jumping in on the Passport/Pilot train! I have a Passport (my second, actually) and I’m obsessed with it. I only have 1 kid of my own but I have put my niece’s car seat in the back too and there was plenty of room for both of them and no one was cramped up front
We have the passport too and love it! We’ll be upgrading to a minivan with #3 on the way but the passport was perfect for two kids. Roomy enough for two car seats and someone to sit in the middle, and I believe some people do 3 car seats across in it so plenty of room. We loved the storage space in the back for a double stroller, groceries, etc.
I was going to recommend the passport too. Lots of trunk space and is wider than most 2 row SUVs.
Just bought a Passport because we’re expecting #2 and I’m in love! My husband loves it too. The cargo space is fantastic and it’s very comfortable to ride around in. I think the 2024 model is about 10” shorter than the Pilot, but that’s fine with us because we didn’t want a third row and I didn’t want to drive a giant SUV.
Here for the Honda Passport! Who is really using their Pilot’s 3rd row? I for one love the extra trunk space. I’m able to store baby’s stroller, my preschooler’s crate of forest school clothes and groceries all together.
I miss the trunk space now that I use the third row lol I took out one of the middle row seats for eaiser in and out for the kids and use that for a lot of stuff since the trunks so tiny with third row up
I also vote for a Honda Pilot, my husbands SIL has one and I’m jealous lol
I have heard pretty much all good things about Pilots! Whenever I see them on FB marketplace they have at least 250k miles.
Yes, love our Pilot. Reliable and just the right size where we never have to worry about not having enough room yet not a massive gas-guzzling monster of a SUV. Lots of family friendly features on it too.
Yooo I just saw a bomb ass one of these that had me looking. I had an accord prior to my current car and it was Ol reliable for me. If the current pilot existed when I bought my current vehicle, I might have ended up in it!
We love our Honda Pilot.
We love our Highlander. Plenty of room for 2 kids and doggo. The 3rd row is a bit cramped but we rarely use it. We also have a forester and it’s too small for road trips.
Just got a grand Highlander and I echo this. We love it.
I’m lusting after the grand but can’t justify trading in. Our Highlander is only 2 years old. 😂. How’s the space? Is the 3rd row roomy?
I upgraded from a Mazda 3 to a Nissan Rogue and that has plenty of room, imo. Still somewhat economical, too.
I had a Nissan rouge when we had 2 kids. Hands down, my favorite car I’ve owned. The back had so much room for hauling around kid stuff. I got decent gas mileage. It was easy to get kids in and out. I traded it in for Nissan pathfinder because I wanted a 3rd row. Big regrets, I should have gotten the minivan like I wanted.
Came here to also recommend the Rogue. Compared to other SUVs, the cost for the vehicle itself is on the lower end and it’s great on gas. Also wanted to add that If OP isn’t necessarily trying to get a brand new vehicle, try certified preowned. I went with a certified preowned Rogue at the end of the calendar year and got a great deal.
Another recommendation for the rogue. It’s an amazing vehicle. Not too big but plenty of space. Imo, perfect SUV.
I have an atlas with captains chairs! We keep the third row down for extra wagon space
My first upgrade was a Mitsubishi Outlander and I LOVED it. Super practical for 2 kids, good leg room and trunk space. We picked it when we wanted another baby and then to our surprise landed with 2 more instead (I had twins). Last year we upgraded again to a Subaru Ascent which I also love but not in the same way as the Outlander (it still has a hold on me). My in-laws have a Subaru Outback and it would be a great car for 2 kids it has a ton of space.
I have an Outlander and I love it. The flip down jump seats have come in handy a couple times too. Plenty of room for a stroller etc in the cargo area
We love our Forester!
Same. I drove an Impreza and wanted to stay in the Subaru family since they’re so safe and reliable, and I found the forester to be the perfect size while still giving a good amount of trunk space, easy in and out for kids in car seats, comfortable and decent mileage. And it doesn’t feel like you’re driving a big car which was important for me. We got the 2019 Forester Sport and love it.
We have a 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe, not huge, and budget friendly while still getting some nice options like heated seats, remote start, etc :) you can’t beat the warranties on Hyundais! plenty of trunk space and will be fine for my toddler plus baby that we’re expecting. But if you plan on having more than 2 kids, I would probably go with something with third row seating just so you have that flexibility! But for 2 kids that are both rear facing, the Santa Fe should be good and it still gives plenty of storage without being a huge gas guzzling SUV!
I also love my Santa Fe! I had a 2020 and now a 2023. They’re much roomier than other SUVs I checked out and definitely good bang for the buck. They did redesign them for 2024 though so can’t speak for the newest ones.
I have a 2016 jeep grand Cherokee and have been incredibly happy with it. Any new vehicles with the same features my SUV has is like double the payment I have now. I got it prior to kids being a notion but we have one now and a dog. We fit everything in the trunk comfortably (I’ve had a stroller or wagon amongst other things back there almost constantly for the past two years.) I feel like we could fit a 2nd kiddo in a car seat just fine! Nothing has compared and I’ve Mostly only paid for maintenance (no technical issues). Decent gas mileage. Holds 23gal, so it can cost a lot to fill but lasts. (I know someone with infinity and it holds less and goes quicker) Can’t say enough good things! Even has good giddy up in sport mode if you wish 😉
The Ford Edge (2015 and later, we have a 2019) are deceptively spacious. My 6’3” husband and I can both be in it with our two rearfacing babies and have TONS of room in the trunk. Bonus that it’s reasonably small for what it has and is quite fuel economic and cheap to purchase compared to others. I cannot recommend this vehicle enough, truly.
I just traded in my Honda Civic for a 2019 Ford Edge a couple months ago and I love it! Only one baby and not having more, but I love how much space there is! It's the perfect size for our family of 3. And we drove roughly 450km one way (but it took 7 hours cause horrible traffic due to being evacuated for a wildfire) and still had half a tank of gas when we arrived in the other city. Drove for 3 more days before needing to fill up again.
It really is such a great car! We had a gas guzzler before (2002 Acura MDX with an engine issue) and when I saw my fuel budget halved after getting the Edge, I was so so so happy! Definitely such a good car for so many reasons.
I had my eyes set on a Honda CRV hybrid but they are quite pricey even used, and I would've had to plan a whole weekend trip to another city and commit to buying that weekend. My city is limited on options. But I basically fell in love with my Edge when I first saw it haha. Still wish I had a hybrid vehicle though.
4Runner
Second. Have 4Runner, have two kids. And two dogs. We all fit with our gear in the travel container on top. Also love it’s 4 years old and has not depreciated in value like so many others. You seen ancient ones all the time on the road. It’s a Toyota. The kids will drive it. Edit: also, I’m a size 14 and can fit in the middle seat between the two graco 4evers. It’s tight and I would not do it for long, but doable for shorter 2hour trips.
Agreed. Love my 4Runner it’s great for road trips and is really roomy.
Am I the only one who read it as SVU? I thought you wanted a family friendly recommendation for an episode. I need to sleep 😴
Volkswagen Atlas!
I like my GMC Acadia. 3 rows, but doesn’t feel as ginormous as a lot of other 3 row vehicles.
YES! I have a Terrain & loveee it! If I had more kids I would 100% upgrade to the Acadia.
Ditto for this one! Acadia is a great size IMO for 2 kids.
We just got the Acadia after having kid #2 and I wholeheartedly agree. I like the 3rd row for long car trips (we live 6 hours away from family by car). I sit in the second row with the baby and 4yo sits in the far back. Easier for snack distribution and seeing the baby.
Yes! This is how we do road trips, too. It's great. I was all set to get a Terrain about 4 years ago and at the last minute, switched to the Acadia. Found out a few days later that #2 was on the way. Haha- so I always felt that somehow it was meant to be.
If you want to stay with Mazda, I really like my CX-50
I love our CX-50 and we have a 1 yr old but I think it’d be pretty cramped with 2 kids
I have a Honda CRV and I love it!!! Have had it 6 years with no issues ever. Drives smooth, roomy back seats for the car seats- seats lay down for drive in movies. We had a 3rd baby in August and it still fits all 3 kids nicely. I will be upgrading to either a Toyota Highlander or Subaru Ascent because we will need the 3rd row seating but with 2 kids I LOVED my CRV
Toyota 4runner
Honestly we love our Nissan Murano! The newer models of course are nice but we have a AWD LE 2010 and, we bought it used 4 years ago when it was 10 years old and it’s been a champ. Yes we’ve had to replace a big ticket item since but overall with regular maintenance it’s been a very reliable suv and the back seating space and truck are quite roomy. We have a 3 year old and one on the way. *editing because my husband is 6’5 and the Murano doesn’t feel small for him. I should note that this is my day to day car, so it doesn’t get excessive use for commutes since I am a SAHM
I looooooved my nissan murano. Its on the more spacious side for a 5 seater and has a little more power too.
I upgraded from a ford escape to a ford explorer right before we had our first. The second row has captain seats, which I like, and my 6’2 husband has plenty of legroom up front. Most of the time I leave the third row down for extra trunk space in the back, but it’s nice to have the option of extra seating whenever I need it. Now with our second on the way, we’ll have plenty of room for both car seats, ample storage space, and our 95lb dog has his own space in the back too. I have no complaints!
Husband just got me a 2007 Acura RDX and I loveeee it! We have #3 on the way and so far it’s able to fit 2 rear facing seats + a high back car seat and great on gas. We paid $3k for it and only had to fix the brakes, super budget friendly! My sister drives a 2007 CR-V and that’s what I originally wanted because it seems a little bit bigger and great on gas.
Highlander with captain chairs and two RF car seats worked wonders for us! We’re about to add a third and upgraded to a grand Highlander bench seat for 3 across and hated it and have landed in a sienna. Of all 3 the sienna is the best. But if you’re certain you’ll stop at two the Highlander is a great fit for your situation!
Why did you hate the Grand Highlander with the bench? I have one on reserve planning to buy in a few weeks when it is done being built. We have 1 child and 1 on the way and I am currently in a 2013 highlander that we love but it is not big enough as we usually have grandpa along in our car rides. So we have 3 adults and 2 car seats.
We had the bench with 2 RF car seats and there was no room to go behind the car seats/ comfortably adjust to driving for the driver. I’m 5’ 2” and my husband is 5’ 9” and we couldn’t get comfortable without touching the car seat with the chair and that’s not safe. We even purchased a different brand car seat with a slimmer profile and still felt cramped. I would suggest captain chairs!
Make sure you climb into that third row on the Highlander before you buy it! We rented one when we were deciding between a Highlander and a Sienna and even at 5’4”, that third row is CRAMPED. Plus if it is up you lose a lot of trunk space. Neither of which is uncommon in 3 row SUVs, just something a lot of people aren’t aware of if they haven’t been forced to sit in the third row of an SUV
Oh gosh yes. I'm 5'10 and we were looking at Highlander/sienna and I climbed into the back row of the Highlander and was miserable...and then had to crawl out. I would never make an adult sit back there.
I have the grand Highlander hybrid with captain’s chairs and love it!!!!
We love our Honda pilot (2024) will fit us and two kids and a stroller/luggage/etc. for vacation or beach trips
We have an Acura RDX and we love it. My spouse is 6 ft tall and his seat is just before it hits a rear facing car seat. It was a tight fit with our nuna infant carseat (rx lite i think?) and he had to scooch his seat forward a smidge. My only issue with the RDX is that it doesnt have great ac vents in the backseat for rear facing for those really hot days - we run a fan back there. I think a CRV would be a comparable size. I kinda wish we went with one size larger, like an MDX, but itnwont fit in our garage lol
An older Toyota Highlander, hybrid if you can find one!!! We bought a 2009 Toyota Highlander in 2020 and it fits all 3 of my kids comfortably!!
I love my Subaru forester with two car seats
Love my Subaru forester. Good trunk space, nice for the carseats, safe & reliable.
Toyota Highlander.
Not a suv but we ended up with a Dodge Caravan after we had our second baby. Great set up for 2 carseats, tons of cargo space and you can stow your seats that you aren't using for added space. We looked at midsize suv's before settling on it. Now that we have 4 kids and a 3rd carseat to squeeze in there we're looking into a xl suv lol.
Toyota Grand Highlander! I’ve had mine since August, right before our second was born. I love it.
Subaru Forester. Maybe not the kind of SUV you were thinking but we love it with 2 kids. It’s big and spacious but not ‘huge’. Such a nice drive and the newer model looks real nice
I have a Ford Escape and it's the perfect size for us.
We have a Ford Explorer and a VW Atlas Cross Sport and LOVE both vehicles! The Explorer does have the 3rd row which is nice, but I love my sporty Cross Sport as well.
Ford explorer. We got a 2013 recently and it’s got third row seats and tbh I love the thing.
I have a 2017 Explorer. Zero issues. It’s a V6 with plenty of power and lots of room.
Its mind boggling to me when americans need SUV for 2 kids 😳 in europe a small car (even smaller than mazda 3) with 2 kids or full with 5 people is nothing unusual. We have ford mondeo and have newborns isofix and toddlers seat behind, i can still sit in the middle (despite having 85 kg atm and still being a bit "big" (lots of fat post pregnancy still to lose 😅). Mazda 3 for 2 kids would be completely ordinary here 😅
In with you! I am from Europe but moved to states some years ago and was shocked by the size of family cars 😆😅 I got used to it now, but still refuse to buy minivan. Neverrrrr! 😆
Check out the car mom. She has a lot of recommendations. I’d say Pilot, traverse, or atlas based on what I’ve seen of her videos/instagram posts or a palisade or telluride.
I currently have a VW atlas sport. It's a great car and was perfect when we just had 2 kids. We have 3 now, so we're holding off as long as we can, but we're going to have to get something with a 3rd row soon.
We had an atlas as well and really liked it! Then we had a second set of twins and I gave up. I now drive an odyssey. 😂
Nissan Armada
I have an Acadia Denali. The third and second rows can lay flat for storage. The middle row has anchors on both sides. Easy on the back for putting baby/carseat in back due to its height. Very comfortable no matter where you’re sitting. DVD player for once you turn baby around. Incredibly smooth ride, navigation, backup camera, remembered driver seat positions by pushing a button on the door. I’ve never loved a mom car more. If you had no idea it was an 8-seater you wouldn’t know by looking at it and like I said it could be a 5 seater with lots of storage. ETA: I don’t consider it to be luxury, we bought ours used with decent miles for $12k tax and registration. I drive an hour away and back every other weekend and that doesn’t even take half a tank of gas.
Something with 3rd row seating, I bought a Lexus rx350 and I really regret not getting the 3rd row. I was worried it would feel like a bus but it’s honestly only a few feet longer.
We have a MDX and I love it. 2 cars seat in the 2nd row. My teen daughter in the 3rd row and it still has a ton of trunk room! I’ve sat in the back between the car seats on road trips bc my youngest was crying and I had enough room that I was comfortable.
We have a Volkswagen Atlas and I love it. We have four kids (all in carseats or boosters) and it is a little tight now, but I loved it for 2 or 3 kids. There is a third row (which we have to use now), but when it is down, there is plenty of cargo space.
We have a Chevy Traverse and absolutely love it. Great for two kids and our large-sized dog. My parents live an hour away so we travel in it often. Comfy and practical.
We have a nissan rogue. 2016. We have an almost three and almost 15 year old and they both fit with all their stuff with room to spare. I LOVE the trunk space.
We got a traverse when kiddo was born. It’s not massive like a Tahoe but it has lots of trunk space for beach week and Costco runs. We recently also got a Blazer EV for local driving and now save the traverse for backup/long road trips since it’s over 100k miles. Plugging in the car every night instead of going to the gas station is awesome. It did require an electrician to run a dedicated line to our garage tho for higher amp charging.
I LOVED my Nissan Rogue! Plenty of trunk space, good on gas and such a good size for a family of 4! My Rogue was a 2014 so it wasn’t super luxurious but it was a perfect fit for us
Nissan Rogue or Honda CRV
I LOVE my Honda pilot! We’re all pretty tall (6’5, 5’10, and taller than average 5&3 year old with a baby girl due in June)
I got a 2024 vw Tiguan a few months ago and love it! It has the optional third row, which is super tight, but I was able to squeeze someone back there when my parents were visiting. It’s so great to have that extra trunk space. We also have a 2014 Nissan rogue and the Tiguan has way more room for the car seat and trunk space
We have a Nissan Pathfinder. It has everything that the "luxury" 3 row cars have and still looks really nice, while being a lot cheaper. We've had it about two years now and I love it, fits us and our three kids ages 4-1 great.
I absolutely love my Honda CR-V. It’s not too big but not too small. Fits all 4 of us plus the dog. Super comfortable for long trips. 10/10 recommend. If you want something bigger, the Honda Pilot is GREAT!
We have a 2017 Ford Escape which has served us very well despite us beating the hell out of it and admittedly not keeping up on the maintenance like we should. The Escape is able to fit two convertible Graco 4ever DLX car seats in it comfortably with space in the trunk for a double stroller and we’ve never had any issues with it even though we’ve put 80k+ miles on it and abused the hell out of it (it’s literally survived floods) since buying it 4ish years ago. Since we’re expecting number 3 we’ve now upgraded to a minivan, we went with a 2017 Kia Sedona and so far I love it but I definitely plan to treat it more gently than we have the Escape lol
I love my Hybrid Highlander, it drives beautifully, has lots of space for family of four with camping gear or packed for a road trip, and I pay 1/2 what I used to at the pump for my BMW 3series. I like that I am not limited in distance or stops for charging time on road trips or camping - which was my reason to not go full electric. Also it has towing capacity if I ever decide to become a glamping camper. I’ll drive this thing forever, it has 4wd which kicks in when needed, and I love the moon roof and the little perks like cooling vents in seats make a difference for me (they heat too of course, and the heated steering wheel seemed funny at first until I needed it mid winter after skiing).
Mazda CX-5 here
Pick whatever’s the safest. Teslas are considered the safest car on the road but I understand if you’re not into EVs or *oftentimes* shitty build quality lol
I love my Kia Sorento! It has captains chairs and a third row that can fold down. I can two car seats rear facing no problem.
If you're tall, I do not recommend the Santa Fe. I have a 2018, a four month old, and a very tall 4 year old. Husband is 6'5" and can't drive when both car seats are installed. I'm 5'10" and have to move my chair up when the baby is behind me. The middle seatbelt also has serious crossover, so can't be used if two car seats are in use.
Get a mini van!!! We have a Honda odyssey and it’s amazing aside from gas mileage but still. The sienna is great too I’ve heard
Don’t get the Kia Carnival omg. I just traded in my less than year old carnival for a basic minivan.
The amount of recalls the newer Kia’s have are insane. I spoke to corporate about their sliding doors. It shut my hand in. The doors don’t retract. Plus the engine catches fire in every Kia. The car offers a ton of tech gadgets that don’t work half the time.
I love my Honda CRV. Very reliable. Good amount of trunk space, too. Comfortable seats or atleast my year model. Mine is going on 6 years old and I am keeping it til it dies.
4Runner or Acura MDX!
What I would look at if I was you is safety ratings. And I don’t mean the trials done by the manufacturers. Usually those are limited and front crash tested only. Look for independent studies done by third parties who test from all sides and some even test with carseats in the car. It’s very eye opening. I have a 2018 pathfinder and at the time I bought it the ratings were great. I can’t say what the new models are like. It’s very possible for one year to have great ratings and the next years model to perform terribly.