Help me decide on a dad-mobile...

[allfiredup]

Less than two weeks ago, I was awarded custody of my 5-year old niece and 18-month old nephew. My little (step)-sister will be spending the next two years (or more) in what I'll call a court-ordered self-improvement program. My mom and step-dad were denied custody because my 92-year old grandmother (with dementia) lives with them- not a kid-safe environment. So, basically overnight I've gone from single 37-year old guy to 37-year old single father of a kindergartener and a toddler!!! But I love the little buggers like crazy, so I'll do whatever it takes to give them a stable, safe home.

One of the promises I made to the judge as a condition of the custody agreement was to get a larger, safer vehicle. I have a 2006 Mazda3 5-door that I bought new and it's a great car. Two car seats basically fill up the back seat and it doesn't have the optional side-impact airbags, so I would prefer something more substantial. Besides, as they get a little older, I don't want them to sit within hitting distance of one another in the back seat!

So, I've been test-driving prospective dad-mobiles and only found a few that I enjoyed driving and met my size and safety requirements. This will also be my very first vehicle with an Automatic Transmission, so the five vehicles on my list all perform well with the A/T. That is also the reason that four of them have 6-cylinder engines and the other one has a turbocharged 5-cylinder.

So....which one of these do you would think I should choose...or which one would you choose in my sitaution?

2007-2009 Volvo S60 T5 (or 2008-2009 S60 2.5T w/ Advanced Pkg)

HERE it is- 2008 Volvo S60 T5 in Titanium Gray -

[Tsunade_Hime]

I voted for the Altima. It has top ratings for safety as well as the best fuel economy out of all of them. 2nd choice would be the Volvo. The Mazda 6 is such a bland and overpriced car. Legacy is great, but fuel economy is lacking.

[houstoned]

i voted for the Volve S60 because it's the most appealing car out of your selections. that is if the car is in great mechanical and working shape. i don't have too much knowledge on used Volvos and how well they hold up. i know they've improved alot over the years compared to back in the 80's-90's.

i'd replace the Mazda 6 option with a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry (with factory lip kit). i've driven all 3 2009-2010 models and the 6 can be summed up in 1 word: bland. from the way it looked to the way it drove to the way it felt...it was just all bland. it was a rental though, so i only had the base model 4-cylinder engine. not sure how much of a difference that would make.

[1994F7PT]

modern volvos are great cars, well built, dont depreciate to badly and look brilliant in my opinion, i covet the C30 and intend to buy one later this year and i use a S80 for work, its a cracking motor even with the puny eDrive diesel in it so in T5 variant it'll be a laugh and half as i bet you it'll shift some!

[David]

Voted for the Volvo S60, but partly because I own a Volvo C30. Other than that, I'd still say Volvo is more of a "dad-mobile" and has a slightly more premium feel to it. The 5-cylinder engine is a little disappointing for my taste (I have the same engine in my C30, but it's a lighter car) but for a daily drive it will suffice. I've never really doubted safety on Volvo cars, but keep in mind that there have a couple of recalls with the older S60 model (GPS unit overheating and the power front passenger seat) so make sure those issues have been resolved before purchasing.

[ZaZ]

One of the promises I made to the judge as a condition of the custody agreement was to get a larger, safer vehicle.

The Mazda3 is a perfectly good car. It amazes me the judge requires you to get something more safe. I'm sure lots of kids ride around in Mazda3s or similar cars. You'd think the court would be ecstatic a close stable relative wants the kids and is willing to take care of them.

[Shobster]

The Altima. I saw that car on a Nissan Dealership and it looked boss.

[allfiredup]

i voted for the Volve S60 because it's the most appealing car out of your selections. that is if the car is in great mechanical and working shape. i don't have too much knowledge on used Volvos and how well they hold up. i know they've improved alot over the years compared to back in the 80's-90's.

The S60's reliability history is rated as Average thru 2006, then Above Average for 2007-2009 by Consumer Reports. I'm only considering S60 models that are being sold as Volvo Certified Pre-Owned by a Volvo dealer! They are covered by a full warranty until they 6-years or 100k miles from the original in-service date; so a 2009 with 40k miles on it would still be under warranty for approximately 3yrs or 60k miles.

The old-school Volvos like the 240 and 740 were some of the most durable vehicles ever built. You couldn't kill them if you tried. It was the Volvo 850, introduced in mid 1992 as a 1993 model, that tarnished their reputation for reliability. It was the first front-wheel-drive Volvo and it had a new 5-cylinder engine and new automatic transmission to go with it. My ex-wife had a '93 850 and after five years and 80k miles, itturned into a nightmare- for example, the transmission was replaced at 82k and the bill was OVER $3000!!! Thankfully, we were only dating at that time and daddy was still paying her bills!

i'd replace the Mazda 6 option with a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry (with factory lip kit). i've driven all 3 2009-2010 models and the 6 can be summed up in 1 word: bland. from the way it looked to the way it drove to the way it felt...it was just all bland. it was a rental though, so i only had the base model 4-cylinder engine. not sure how much of a difference that would make.

I've had a few Mazda6 'i' models ('i' = 2.5L 4cyl) as rental cars in the last several years. While I found them to be perfectly competent, comfortable vehicles, that was the extent of my opinon. But in December 2008, my 2006 Mazda3 "spun a bearing" (imagine a grenade exploding inside the engine and you'll get the idea). It happened just 800 miles before my 50k mile powertrain warranty expired! The dealer had to replace the entire engine and it had to be ordered from the factory in Hiroshima, which would take at least three weeks.

I insisted that they provide me with a loaner vehicle during that time, so the GM told me to pick something off the lot for a loaner. I picked a 2009 Mazda6 s Grand Touring in Sangria Red with Black Leather ('s' = 3.7L V6). I fell in love with that car and didn't want to give it back...and I was kinda glad that it actually took over a month to get mine fixed.

The addition of 104hp and 103lbs-ft of torque over the 2.5L definitely transforms this car into a totally different vehicle! And it's a vehicle that I really like, but the fuel economy penalty for that extra power is pretty stiff. In real world driving, my overall MPG for those four weeks was 18.2...and that's a deal breaker when a few others on my list can top 25mpg!

[Sphinx]

Id get something bigger then a car. Just a bit of advice from a father of 1...Oh and grats!

[visiom88]

I voted for Nissan Altima. It's a blast to drive even with the 4-banger. If you could afford 2010 SantaFe, why don't you try 2010+ Sonata as well? I've heard a lot of good reviews on that car.