12 Great Cars For New Families

You have kids, or are about to. Sorry to be a buzzkill, but it's time to kiss the Mustang goodbye (or at least make it your second car). That said, you don't have to start mourning your lost automotive youth just yet. Check out these 12 enjoyable driver's cars that also make reasonable family cars, whether you have one kid and want a sporty car or a whole brood and just want anything but a minivan. And find the final slide safety advice about taking proper care of your child in the car and why a two-door, two-seat car just won't do

One Child and Barely Willing to Compromise

Nissan Juke

THE PICK: Nissan Juke
PRICE: $19,340 - $24,930

The Nissan Juke doesn't fit neatly into any single category. It rides high enough to be called a crossover, but its footprint is as pint-sized as a VW Golf. And there's no question: It's goofy-looking. Kids loved the test car I had. Driving by an elementary school and stopping at a light, the kids actually swarmed the Juke. It also speaks to some adults (though others scratch their heads at the unusual styling).

The Juke is pragmatic enough for parents with one child, with enough rear seat room to carry extra kid stuff or handle a run to the grocery store with no sweat. It also appeals to drivers, with quick steering and sporty suspension. It's not perfect: The manual gearbox is available only with the front-wheel-drive version, while the more capable AWD version has a CVT that neuters some fun. But both cars carry a muscular 188-hp turbocharged four-cylinder, and fuel economy is respectable if not spectacular: 27 city/32 highway for the 2WD and 25/30 for the AWD version.

Mini Countryman

PLAN B: Mini Countryman
PRICE: $21,650-$26,950

It's nearly identical to the Juke in size, horsepower and interior space. You can also have the Mini in either 2WD or 4WD, and the option of a row-your-own manual with AWD. There's almost no way to option the Mini decently without jacking up the price. What you get for your few grand more, however, is a better driver's car.

One Child, No Wagons, Please!

Ford Focus

THE PICK: Ford Focus
PRICE: $18,065-$22,765

Some Americans still feel the "wagon" stigma, and so Ford will not be selling a wagon version of its excellent new Focus. But if you have a toddler or two, there's no question, the Focus hatchback is a good option. Think of it as stealth wagon mode, offering the extra cargo space but not the bloated aesthetics.

With both rear seats occupied there's more cargo room in the five-door Focus than in a Ford Crown Vic. The 160-hp, 2.0-liter four also delivers great fuel economy (28/38). Believe it or not, it's an engaging driver's car, with one misgiving: The six-speed dual-clutch automatic isn't tuned for aggressive driving. Opt for the five-speed manual if you want the car to feel more muscular.

2012 Mazda 3

PLAN B: 2012 Mazda 3
PRICE: $20,045 (2011 model)

If you can wait until fall, the Mazda 3 promises to rival the Focus. It will be available with a six-speed manual, not a five-speed, and will get a direct-injection gasoline engine good for up to 28 mpg city/40 highway. While 155 peak horsepower is less than that of the Focus, it arrives a little sooner in the rev band, as does peak torque. And past Mazda 3's have proven to be true to Mazda's motto of prioritizing fun.

Make Mine German. Plus I Need AWD

BMW X3

THE PICK: BMW X3
PRICE: $36,750-$41,050

With 28 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up (flip 'em forward for 63 cubic feet) the latest X3 is a family hauler that's a rip to drive. The base 240-hp X3 xDrive28i is swift, and the xDrive35i with a turbocharged 306-hp six is as brash as any sports car this side of an M3. Both X3s also get a shiftable eight-speed autobox that's nearly as swift as a double-clutch system. The original flinty ride of the first-generation X3 is now history; this X3 is fluid in city driving and sharp, seat-of-the-pants fun around corners. I tested the X3 through sets of cones and the car is sports-sedan solid, with stability control stepping in only after a fair bit of fun and burnt rubber. Trust me, this is no dull crossover.

Audi Q5

PLAN B: Audi Q5
PRICE: $35,200-$42,500

Audi's 211-hp, Q5 2.0T, with 20 city/27 highway fuel economy, beats the X3's mpg (19/25) and can be had for $35,200 with AWD. But with a smaller engine, the Audi is a little less fleet than the BMW, and it loses the cargo space comparison by six cubic feet. We find the BMW's steering a hair more intuitive as well. Still, the Audi is a fun car to drive and a good choice if you're concerned about getting the best fuel economy and prefer its slick styling.

Mileage, Mileage, Mileage!

Chevy Volt

THE PICK: Chevy Volt
PRICE: $40,280

Because it can average 35 to 40 miles of range on electric power alone, the Volt might be an ideal errand car for running the kids to soccer practice. No, it's not big, but if you have one or two small children and a mind for mileage (and you don't drive much more than 40 miles a day), it might be perfect. Go over that 40-mile mark, however, and the Volt gets 35 city/40 highway on regular gas. That's not bad, but hardly good enough to justify the Volt's high sticker to many other options, including the Ford Focus. If your everyday motoring registers closer to 60 miles, consider the Toyota Prius, which is far more frugal on gas and cheaper. The Volt, though, is the more engaging hybrid to drive.

VW Jetta TDI

PLAN B: VW Jetta TDI
PRICE: $22,995

The Jetta is dirt cheap compared to the Volt, and is a much more driver-focused car as well. It also features more interior room, and with 236 lb-ft of torque almost right from idle, the car feels plenty quick and has gobs of passing power. Sure, 30/42 mileage isn't mind blowing, but if your kid-shuttling runs feature lots of mixed city and highway travel and long distances, the Jetta TDI starts to make a lot of economic sense, especially if you want good mileage and good fun.

The Brood Is Growing, but I'm Still Vetoing the Minivan

Ford Explorer

THE PICK: Ford Explorer
PRICE: $28,190-$39,365

Of all the car reboots in recent memory, the newest Explorer upgrade may be the best. Where the old rig was boatlike, the new Explorer is taut. On the inside, the new SUV is slick as the hottest club in town, full of touch-sensitive features. There are some crossovers in the segment that have yet more third-row room, but that also makes the competition feel huge. The Explorer, meanwhile, feels manageable on the highway or in the parking lot. However, if you're concerned about gas prices then you should wait for the EcoBoost version of Ford's 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, coming to the 2012 Explorer. The only present option, the very smooth, 3.5-liter V-6, gets just 17/25 in the FWD model and 17/23 in the AWD editions.

Honda Odyssey

PLAN B: Honda Odyssey
PRICE: $27,800

I know we said no minivans, but frankly, the Odyssey is a smarter pick. Even with seating for seven, the Honda is more fuel-efficient. And the kicker is that it also handles better, with a lower floor that reduces rollover risk.

Can't I Have a Stealth Sports Car and Kids?

Subaru WRX

THE PICK: Subaru WRX
PRICE: $25,495-$27,995

The WRX is a perennial favorite among outdoorsy types. Its pragmatic hatchback design can swallow mounds of gear and still have room for two adults and two munchkins. With AWD it's also an all-season car that's fit for duty in just about any conditions you're likely to see. The handling is not as raucous as you might expect; you can drive the WRX with granny-like reticence and be perfectly happy. Then again, if the kids aren't belted in the second row, you can rev up the WRX's 265 horses for that just-right guttural exhaust note. If the car lacks anything it's great mileage, scoring a mediocre 19 city/25 highway.

VW Golf R

PLAN B:VW Golf R
PRICE: unknown

Wait 'til early next year and you could have the hottest small German car we've seen on this side of the Atlantic in a decade or so. The four-door VW Golf R will have a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine with 266 hp and VW's excellent DSG dual-clutch manual six-speed as well as AWD. We're awaiting word about price, fuel economy, colors, etc.

Keeping Kids Safe

Whether you're about to have your first child or you're a parental veteran, remember the basics of traveling with kids in the car. Though it's true that all new cars have devices to disable passenger-side airbags when a weight sensor detects the equivalent of a child in a car seat, both the National Institutes of Health and the National Highway Transportation Agency strongly advise that a child stands a much better chance of surviving a car accident when seated in a rear-facing car seat in a second row. According to the NHTSA, car accidents are the leading cause of childhood mortality in the U.S., and one of the easiest things you can do to prevent it is to properly buckle a child in the second row.

The reason it must be rear-facing is that a child's head is huge relative to his or her body. In infancy, its weight accounts for roughly one-quarter of the body (for adults it's more like 8 percent). Also, a child's neck simply isn't as muscularly developed as an adult's. A rear-facing seat supports a child's head even during sudden braking because a child's skeleton and musculature cannot. The NIH says to use a car seat for infants and a booster after that, and that a booster must be used until the lap belt can be worn low and flat on the hips and the shoulder belt actually crosses the shoulders, not the neck. They suggest a transition away from a booster when the child is about four foot nine and 80 pounds.

Follow this advice at all times, and, of course, buckle yourself in too. You have to be around to teach your kid how to drive someday.

Post Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/