Car question

[elessar78]

So we had the baby and she is a wonderful, healthy and happy baby.

We have a car issue in that my 2-door Accord is a pain to get the baby seat in and out of.

I want to tough it out because the inconvenience is free as opposed to a car payment. We don't have the cash to pay for a new-to-us car right now. Although we could make payments because we have a high savings rate and could really take 25% of what we save each month and that would be enough for a car payment.

When I bought the Accord when I was 22, I never foresaw having it in my 30s with a kid. But I prob should've since they last forever.

Our other car is a Jeep Liberty. It has 4-doors but guzzles gas which isn't ideal for my wife's job which is driving intensive. The extra gas she consumes driving the Jeep amounts to $80 extra/month. The car payment we would even consider would be $160.

If it were purely up to me, I would tough it out. But it's really inconvenient for my wife because it takes considerable upper body strength to maneuver the seat into the back, not to mention in a few months when we'll have to put her into a rear-facing transitional seat.

Financially, it makes no sense. It would be a big help for my wife's life though.

Looking forward to advice and insight. Thanks.

[MonkeyMama]

Personally, I'd tough it out. Once the kid is older, you will never want to remove the carseat.

It just reminds me how horrified people were that my dh kept his subcompact with 2 kids. It was a little uncomfortable for a year or two's time with the big carseats, but now they don't take up any space in the back. We never quite got why having 2 kids meant *needing a SUV.* Maybe when they are 16 or something, because they will be TALL. But, I remember a short time in there feeling very cramped in that car. It passed very quickly.

That said, we have 4 doors on all our cars. But, I can say with pretty good certainty that I'd tough out the 2 doors. It's just temporary, is why.

P.S. My kids outgrew their infant seats in about 5 months, so it was only 5 months that I was lugging a carseat in and out of a car.

[bjl584]

There are plenty of slightly used 4 door sedans for sale on Autotrader and similar sites that you can pick up in the $4000 to $8000 range from a private owner and pay cash for. If you sell your current car you should almost break even switching cars. Have you considered this option?

[elessar78]

Thanks Monkey Mama. That's helpful insight.

There are plenty of slightly used 4 door sedans for sale on Autotrader and similar sites that you can pick up in the $4000 to $8000 range from a private owner and pay cash for. If you sell your current car you should almost break even switching cars. Have you considered this option?

Softly considered. We do like the, relative, reliability and fuel economy of the Accord and have concerns about trading it in for a less expensive but less reliable model. Will check out stuff on AutoTrader though. We need to explore all possibilities.

[persnicketyhousewife]

Congrats on your new daughter!
You could try and do a trade in for a used car at the dealership? Or, like it was said before, you can tough it out - the carseat won't be for forever Unless you plan on having another child soon... because, in that case, it would be much smarter to invest a more family friendly car. Another thing to take into account is that although the carseat won't last forever, soon you'll be involved in carpooling for school, picking up your kids & their friends from soccer or ballet practice or whatnot, toting all of your child's things... it might just be easier to get a 4 door car now anyway for the convenience. Two doors aren't very efficient for getting more than 2 people in and out of the car!

[elessar78]

We do plan on having kids in the near future. Another point to consider. I think it is a point that we really do need to explore the options we have for a 4-door. While we don't need to pull the trigger immediately, it might become a pressing issue if my wife gets pregnant in the near future.

[disneysteve]

Not all spending decisions are financial decisions. Other factors come into play. This is a perfect example of that. My wife would never have been able to get a car seat in and out of a 2-door car. She is petite and those things are heavy even when empty and more so when occupied by a sleeping infant. That's part of the reason we got our first minivan.

I say figure out what you can afford and buy a decent used vehicle that fits your needs and your budget.

[persnicketyhousewife]

That's part of the reason we got our first minivan.

Beware the minivan - driving those things can be extremely difficult. I tried several at the dealership when my children were younger & it felt like I was driving a boat! Also, they're incredibly expensive for what you're getting - the entire point of the car is for the passengers, I do not feel as if they have a lot of driver-centric features, which can be important So, just make sure you're picking a car that is ALSO for you. You don't want to be 'stuck' with a minivan after your kids are all grown up. Also, it may be a car you want to pass onto your children to practice driving or drive when they are old enough to drive (if you don't buy cars that often). So pick something safe & also well suited for that...

[elessar78]

pass onto your children to practice driving or drive when they are old enough to drive

Probably a dream of mine for the Accord. Can it go 15.5 more years!!!???

Not all spending decisions are financial decisions.

This is a great piece of advice. Always kinda felt it, but I'm a more rational guy so I always pushed it aside.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

We, too, toughed it out with the infant carseat in a 2-door small car (Toyota Tercel). We travelled many vacation and family visiting miles in our baby's first year, car-camping most of the time. We had that Tercel till my kid was 7 years old. Really, it did not even occur to me that we might get a 4-door car. I guess I was accustomed to life having lots of little obstacles. At the time, it seemed nearly a miracle that we even had a used 2-door car. It was probably good for us that we just didn't think of anything more. Ignorance is bliss.

It won't be long before your child will be in a larger carseat and will simply slide herself out of the seat and "walk" out of the car with your help. Your back will get a break then, and you'll be so relieved. Next she'll be reliably walking and really able to get herself out of the car. You'll just be holding her hand as she jumps out. All in about one year.

[disneysteve]

Not all spending decisions are financial decisions.

This is a great piece of advice. Always kinda felt it, but I'm a more rational guy so I always pushed it aside.

I think we sometimes lose sight of this in our discussions. You can run all the numbers you want, but at the end of the day, as Suze Orman says, people first, then money, then things.

[elessar78]

It won't be long before your child will be in a larger carseat and will simply slide herself out of the seat and "walk" out of the car with your help. Your back will get a break then, and you'll be so relieved. Next she'll be reliably walking and really able to get herself out of the car. You'll just be holding her hand as she jumps out. All in about one year.

No joke. I've never really been a sentimental guy but your post made my eyes "sweat a little". She's just learning to crawl now. I want things to slow down a little.

[MonkeyMama]

For the record:

1 - We replaced my 2-door convertible when my oldest son was about a year old. (I never put him in the car - it wasn't the 2 doors - it was the "no back seat.") I bought a car that was one year newer than that one, a 4-door sedan, for $800. (Our plan was to save up for a minivan because we wanted one for the long run - we pay cash for our vehicles. Kids were not on my horizon when I bought the convertible just a few years before!).

2 - We bought the minivan somewhat impulsively in the tight 2 kid carseat stage. I should have mentioned that in my first post. Looking back, it was a short-term problem. I like the minivan, and we wanted one all along. But the fact is we use the subcompact more. I think the van will be better for taller/gangly kids. I Wish we had waited, which is I why I urge people on here all the time not to make rash car decisions when it comes to babies.

Anyway, we drove that sedan 3 years and it had many years left in it when we sold it. You certainly don't have to spend a fortune to get 4 doors. Good luck!

[cjscully]

I tend to agree with Disneysteve on this. This question is more of a people decision than a number decision. If a different car makes improves "quality of life" for your wife, then it's a good purchase. My question is why would you want to replace the Honda rather than replace the Jeep? If you can sell/trade in the gas guzzling Jeep for a reliable fuel-efficient four-door sedan, I'd say that's the smartest move.

[SCsailor]

We just bought another carseat so we could leave one in the car all the time. it won't be long before you'll be buyng a forward facing seat anyway.