Is Bigger Better?

I have been researching new cars, and went to cars.com you can enter the kind of car you are looking at, it gives you a review. then there's a tab for 'safety' which breaks down the safety ratings, so not an overall number of stars, but how many for front impact, side impact, etc.

Bigger is better. We drive a jeep and it is juuuust right. Not too big, not too small, yet big enough when we need the space. Terms of safety, it's better too.

Oh darn, this is about cars...

I don't know the age of your kids, however, what I have found is the older they get - they need more space...not just for themselves...but for friends, sports, etc.

You can go to Consumerreports.org and check out the safety ratings on the cars you are considering.

I have a Honda Odyssey - it seats 7. My husband is using it this weekend for a Boy Scouts ski trip. Which the scouts are grateful for as they didn't have enough drivers for the trip! :) Now, two more kids that WANTED to go, can.

To to accident safety? Most newer cars have great safety mechanisms in place to keep people safe in accidents.....so yeah...you need to narrow your criteria for the search - side impact bags, driver/passenger bag, on-star in case of accidents, etc.

Good luck!!!

My husband works in orthopaedic sales and YES size matters. He will not allow me to have a small vehicle to drive the kids around in. He's been in countless surgeries watching people get put back together and the damage to the passengers is always worse in a small vehicle.

If your kids are anything like mine, as they get older, they want to bring friends along. If one brings a friend, the other "needs" to as well. I've taken a ton of day trips with my kids AND their friends in the summer. You really do limit yourself with a small car. Then there's the endless carpooling when your kids get older to various sports practices. Don't know how old your kids are or how long you plan to keep the car, but a Honda Civic would never work for my two teens and me. My husband has a Jetta and likes it, but we always take my car when it's the 4 of us or more.

I had a Toyota Sienna for a few years. Hated it. Never really saw myself as a mini-van kind of person.

Then I had an Acura MDX for a few years. LOVED it. Except when I had to fill the gas tank. Which was quite often.

We also had a Toyota 4Runner that we loved. I would recommend 1 with a 3rd row seat.

You also didn't say what your budget is. If you're set on a car versus van or SUV, the Volvo Xcountrys are very safe and can haul more than just you and your kids.

Current car was hauled off on the flatbed just hours ago...not sure what I'll be driving next.

To to Consumer Reports and do some research. Personally I would never drive a civic with kids. How about a CRV. Love that car and it is a vit bigger and gets good mileage.

you had me at "hello"....or that title! Thanks for the smile.

I went thru 2 mini-vans during a 17 year period. 1/2way thru I began hating my mini-van! I mean really hating it!

(sigh) so when we finally decided to jump back onto the Car Payment Wagon...I bought a Ford Explorer. We've purchased Ford products for 30+ years now & stand by the brand. :)

With our lifestyle + location, we require AWD, or 4WD as I have in my Explorer. We went with the larger 6 cyl to provide a little economy in gas + the lower gear ratio for hauling the trailer/boat/etc. I average about 20-22mpg which I consider great. My husband & sons have lead foots....so they average 20 tops.

The Explorer gives me the cargo space I need + 4 doors + a roomy backseat. Love it! Well, actually I prefer my husband's F250 diesel, but that's not what you want! Good luck in your search....

We have a Van. Toyota Sienna. We like it.
Just because its big, doesn't mean we fill it up with junk.
It is more about how you maintain your vehicle.
I know some people with small cars... and there is TONS of junk in it and the kids can hardly fit in it.

What I like about our van is of course capacity. We can fit 7 in it. And yes we do utilize its space.
Then, the other aspect I like about our van is: it is higher up... thus when driving, I can SEE... what is ahead of me, better than vehicles that are smaller/lower. So visibility is good. And our van, has a "beeping" thing that when you are reversing, it aids you in reversing.

I would not get a Honda civic with kids. Too cramped.

I also have a friend, that had, an SUV. Now she has a sedan. And she doesn't like it, because there is LESS room in it, for her 2 kids plus other things she needs to have in the car. She downsized, to lessen gas consumption etc. But she says it is too small. Her's is a Prius.
But not much room or leg room in the back and in the trunk. Versus the SUV she had. Her kids say so, too.

I, have been in an accident with our van. We did not get hurt, fortunately. We got slammed on the side by an SUV.

Bigger IS better in terms of safety, yes. I will never forget when we were rear-ended on the freeway when my oldest was 1 year old. We drive an Expedition. All traffic had gone from 65mph to 0, and the guy behind us, who was driving a full-size pickup, failed to take notice. He slammed into us at 60+mph. (Thankfully, my husband took his foot off the brake, so we were able to roll forward with the impact.) The CHP officer who responded told us that if we had been driving a Civic, we'd all have been dead. As it was, the Expedition needed a new rear bumper and a new lift gate. We all walked away without a scratch, even the baby! After that, and given the fact that people drive like lunatics around here, there's no way I'm downsizing, ever. I don't drive a ton, and when I do, I tend to have a bunch of kids in the car anyway (carpools to ballet lessons, etc). To me, it's worth it to have the larger vehicle.

I've mostly had small cars, and never had excessive injuries in wrecks. I ran a Toyota Celica into a guard rail at 50 mph after being forced off the road, and my daughter and I both walked away without a scratch.

id go with a small suv instead of a small car or wagon.. something thats not gigantic and good on gas.. something like one of the smaller jeeps - compass or liberty.. or the one my fiances mom has is really nice its a hyndai santa fe.. i actually like it alot.. im small and for me to actually be able to see clearly and parallell park it with no problems is rare

I just got a RAV4. I love it, and will always have an SUV/larger car but probably not as big as a minivan. I got the 4 cyl engine to save on gas and it is great and yes, size does matter. Before this I had a Hyundai Tuscon, another SUV, and was in a car accident, was hit from behind, the woman who hit me had a sedan and her car was totaled and they were all injured, ambulance took them all away. My daughter and I were fine, drove away and only needed a new bumper. So two cars in the same accident and a huge difference in the outcome. Small cars are not as sturdy or safe, convinced me we will only have a larger SUV type car. When I was in an accident years ago with my Camry(sedan), it had major damage again. SUV's are sturdy and can take a lot. This accident was much worse and the car only needed a new bumper!!! Yep i will always get an SUV. I love my RAV4. IT does very well on gas mileage. But I did not get the V6 engine for that reason and it has plenty of pickup and go even without that. I would look at SUV's, there may be some other that get better city mileage than a RAV. Good luck!

The children, and you, are absolutely safer in a mini-van than a smaller vehicle. Mass matters. But keep in mind, I drive a mini-van too but am not a comfortable van driver (and I would love a back-up camera). I know that IF there is a collision my kids are very safe in it, but I feel in our small car I'd be LESS likely to get into a collision due to the great visibility. So you see, I kind of look at it that way too.

We have 5 kids and a small car that seats 2 carseats in back. So I can only ever take two kids (but not any combo of kids since they have to fit the specific carseats), or I must take the van. We just do the best we can. We keep them rear-facing until the 4th birthday since that's probably the best thing we can do to keep them safest. (And in the small car we allow anyone 3 or up to forward-face since those are the seats installed and the ones that fit ideally; so no toddlers or babies in the car).

2 kids in a small car would be a breeze! You'd likely need both carseats outboard, note.

You have to find a car that suits you & your family. No matter what you decide on, there is never going to be a 100% chance that you would walk away from an accident. You just have to keep putting your kids in their car seats and driving smart. You could make yourself crazy looking at all the reviews & opinions. If you really like the look of the Jetta or the Civic, like how it drives, the car seats fit in the back with enough leg room, etc., & you can afford the payments, go for it.

I personally think that size gives people a very false sense of safety! Like someone else already said, driving is one of the riskiest activities we do on a daily basis and as long as you keep your kids in good car seats and are a smart and responsible driver, what size car you drive makes absolutely no difference when you get into a crash!

I got my car a year ago and was switching from a civic. Definitely not enough room in a civic for 2 car seats (1 of which is rear facing) and 2 adults and I was adamant about not wanting an SUV and definitely no minivan. Oh and I also wanted to make sure we can take the dog along in my sporty little car with enough room for my 6'2" husband in the passenger seat :) My husband had his work cut out for him (he did the searching, I did the choosing). I wound up with a VW GTI (sports version of the Golf) and it's the exact same interior size as the Jetta. Very long wheel base so there is a TON of space inside this tiny little car. I went with the hatch only because of the dog. Would have probably gotten the sports version of the Jetta otherwise. Oh and their wagon has a ton of trunk room but I couldn't get it in sport so the extra little bit of trunk space didn't make it worth while for me personally. We did get the Diono radiant carseats and I can fit comfortably in between them in the back which was important since my sister and my grandmother come along with us sometimes. Oh and my 6'2" husband fits very comfortably in the passenger seat with a rear facing car seat behind him :) Love Love Love Love Love my car! I honestly can't say enough good things about it. I only wish it was diesel but considering it's 4cyl turbo, my mpgs depend on how I drive it. Too bad for me I like to use that turbo.

when I was 19 I had a civic. I was at a stop light about to turn left onto the freeway. My light turned green, and I started to go. A lady in a ford explorer ran a red light and hit my on my passenger side. My car spun around, broke off the passenger seat, I hit my face on the steering wheel and fractured my cheek bone. My car was totaled. Her explorer had just a slight dent. Since then, I have not driven a compact car (my husband does have a mazda 3 though), but I went and bought an explorer myself right after that and then now I have a toyota sienna. I LOVE my van and when it dies I will either get another van or a SUV. I just do not feel safe in compact cars since my accident

I was just bemoaning how safety is only for those who can afford it. There is no way in my compact that I can keep my two boys in rear facing car seats for as long as the new guidelines suggest. The passengers in the front would have to be right up to the windshield to make room. As is, it's pretty likely the front passenger would have some severe leg damage in a crash. So if car seats are still in the picture and you can afford it, I say go big.