Cars.com’s New-Parent Buying Guide

How Much Can You Afford?

A good rule of thumb is to spend no more than 10% to 15% of your monthly income on a car (assuming a four-year loan). You can plug this number into an affordability calculator to determine the maximum amount your new car should cost, which will help determine whether a new, used or certified pre-owned car is right for you — but again, don’t lose sight of the guidelines above because anything seems affordable if you break it down into monthly payments. The same 15% maximum of your monthly income for a loan longer than four years means you’re probably paying too much for the vehicle in the long run. For more information about financial considerations, including leasing versus buying and how to shop for financing, check out our Cars.com Buying Guide: How to Buy a Car.

Which Vehicle Type Is Right: Car, Minivan or SUV?

You’ll want something roomy enough and safe for your new family, but how much room will you need? Smaller families or those on a tighter budget should research sedans and hatchbacks. Although they’re not as popular as SUVs, sedans and hatchbacks can work for smaller families and are often more affordable than SUVs.

For larger families, a good place to start is this age-old question: minivan or three-row SUV? The answer is complicated and based on a lot of factors. Here’s how each vehicle stands out when it comes to family duty.

Related: More Family Car News and Advice

Family features: Minivans come in one size — large — and offer Swiss Army knife-like levels of versatility, with features that make them great for carrying a lot of people and stuff. For a lot of families, a minivan is the easy-button choice thanks to available creature comforts such as power-sliding doors, integrated sunshades (a must-have for naps!), oodles of cupholders and loads of storage spaces. Some also offer available goodies like a built-in vacuum, intercom system and in-cabin camera. Decide what features are a must and which ones you can skip.

Car seats and cargo: When it comes to car seats and cargo, minivans have SUVs beat. Car seats take up a lot of legroom, and minivans often offer more passenger space and Latch anchors than many SUVs, plus loads more cargo room. While many three-row SUVs appear to have a lot of cargo space, when the third row is up, it often all but disappears.

Crash-test scores: Minivans aren’t perfect, however, and an SUV might better meet your needs — and maybe your image (minivans are notoriously uncool, though that stigma might be evolving). While minivans and SUVs both offer lots of safety features, vans struggle with crash-test and safety scores. Meanwhile, there are a lot of SUVs that ace these tests.

Size and alternative-fuel powertrains: Shoppers have a lot more choice when it comes to SUVs, with subcompact, compact, mid-size and three-row models to choose from. There are also a lot more powertrains available; SUVs come in many more fuel-efficient hybrid, plug-in hybrid and all-electric versions than minivans.

Capability: If utility is a factor in your family life, SUVs have minivans beat. Often, SUVs are able to tow more and come in off-road-ready trims for adventures past the pavement. Minivans are typically limited to towing around 3,500 pounds, and not all of them offer all-wheel drive.

Carpool needs: Lastly, and this may be down the road, but if carpooling is in your future, consider how easy it is to get in and out of the vehicle, especially the third row. Minivans are often easier for smaller kids to get in and out of thanks to a lower ride height. Both minivans and three-row SUVs offer second-row bench or captain’s chair seating, and we recommend the latter for easier third-row access.

Vans typically get more creative with seating, however. For example, the bench seat in Honda’s Odyssey minivan converts into captain’s chairs when you remove the middle seat. These captain’s chairs can also slide forward, backward and side to side for a number of useful seating configurations. In addition, Chrysler offers Stow ‘n Go seats in the Pacifica minivan that fold into the floor. When the second-row seats are upright, the empty floor tubs double as extra hidden storage.

Where Do I Start My Research?

Once you’ve narrowed down your vehicle type, it’s time to do some research to find a couple vehicles that might be right for you.

To start, read our expert car reviews and watch our expert video reviews to get a shopper-friendly perspective of the car. Also, Cars.com’s multicar comparison tests will show you how a whole class of vehicles stack up against each other. Similarly, use our car comparison tool to view multiple models’ features, specifications and prices side by side, and use our cargo guide to compare different vehicles’ cargo capacities.

Finally, again, crash-test scores and car-seat fit matter. We recommend checking out a crash-test information source, like the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. And since your new vehicle may need to carry kids as they progress through different car seats, check out Cars.com’s Car Seat Checks to see how well different child-safety seats fit in different cars. Car seats take up a lot of space, so second- and third-row legroom matter, especially if you want your vehicle to be able to accommodate a growing family.

How Do I Find the Car?

With nearly 3 million vehicle listings across the country from dealers and private sellers, Cars.com’s vast new- and used-vehicle inventory is a powerful tool in your search. You can filter by loads of categories including features, price and dealer ratings, to name a few.

When it’s time to head to the dealership, get specific. Bring the stroller you plan to use and the car seat you plan to install to make sure the vehicle fits your needs.

What Are Cars.com’s Picks?

Cars.com editors have the helpful combination of years of reviewing cars and their own growing families, so we have some opinions on what makes a good family car.

Each year, we name the best family vehicle as part of Cars.com’s Best Of awards campaign. While there’s no single perfect family car because families come in all shapes and sizes, our picks prioritize crashworthiness scores, standard safety features, child-safety seat fitment and overall excellence.

Similarly, Cars.com’s annual Best Cars for Car Seats list compiles a year’s worth of our Car Seat Checks of over 50 vehicles. Our certified child passenger safety technicians are moms of kids who have cycled through every car-seat stage. From minivans and three-row SUVs to tiny crossovers and sedans, we evaluate how well each vehicle accommodates a variety of child-safety seats. We also rate each car’s Latch anchor system, which is supposed to make car-seat installation easier but sometimes causes frustration.

There’s a lot to consider when shopping for your next family vehicle, and by now, it’s probably overwhelmingly clear that families have lots of options. Use this guide to help clarify your needs, narrow down your choices and make a plan to find the best car for your family. Taking the time and effort now means you’ll have more energy for all those 3 a.m. feedings in your future.

More Research Information From Cars.com:

• Shop for SUVs
• Shop for Minivans
• Research All-New and Redesigned Vehicles
• Which Cars Fit 3 Car Seats?
• Which 3-Row SUVs Offer Captain’s Chairs?

Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.