Will they ever make hybrid family cars (at least before I have kids (if ever)?

[pstokely]

Like a minivan

[goddess40]

1. I have two kids and I'd call my Prius a family car

My SIL can't understand how I can have two kids and make do without a huge vehicle - my car holds five and so does her Jeep Cherokee so whats the diff? Besides a huge difference in mileage.

[Warpy]

2. You don't need a damn minivan

Rug rats fit just fine in a sedan and it's easier to drive and park. You can even fit groceries and suitcases into one.

However, they will eventually make a hybrid momvan for folks who want to fit the stereotype.

[deadmessengers]

9. AGREED

Mommyvans are completely over-rated. One of my co-workers just traded in a 2-year-old Camry for a Honda Odyssey after she had her first child. I remember thinking she was completely daft for doing that. I mean, WTF can't she do with a Camry that she needed a mommyvan for?

But, fools and their money, y'know.

[newportdadde]

11. What if you have 4 kids?

In two months my wife and I will have a 3 1/2 year old, twin 17 month olds and a newborn.

We did get by with a Buick Lesabre when it was just three kids, we could just barely get all the car seats in the back seat.

I do agree about not needing one if you have a small family.. one or two kids.

[Beelzebud]

20. What do you NEED all those kids for?

Can't you just stuff one in the trunk, or put it in an environmentally friendly canvas bag?
:sarcasm:

[ContraBass Black]

16. Nonsense. Four children, a driver, and a spouse can not ride in a 5 seat sedan.

[Beelzebud]

19. Ah nothing like an authoritarian, telling people what they do and don't need.

[sharp_stick]

3. The Prius is a midsize

Actually it has quite a bit of room. Also there is a Ford Escape small SUV, a Lexus R450h SUV a Camry and an Accord hybrid. GM is going to start producing their Large Yukon in a hybrid form that will get about 22 mpg combined which for a truck the size of a Yukon is not too bad. As well Saturn and I think KIA has a few SUV models coming out in hybrids.

As for minivans I don't know of any coming out in hybrid form it seems to be a slowly dying body style in reaction to the popularity of the crossover.

[woodsprite]

4. Saturn had some nice looking hybrids.

We're looking some kind of hybrid for a replacement for our minivan. The only thing is that we really want a 4wd version. Does anyone know if all-wheel drive is as good in the snow as 4wd?

We also have a diesel truck we use for hauling and towing, but we don't want that to be our main vehicle - too hard to park and just plain overkill for most things, not to mention, fuel consumption. We think if we went to a hybrid for our main vehicle that we'd be able to eek out a tank to last 2+ weeks. Most of our weekly driving is within a 20-mile radius.

[LibertyLover]

5. It's one of those "it depends" things, based on the amount of snow you get

I drove a Subaru Outback and a Honda Element, both with all wheel drive, for eight years and had no problem with the snow we got during that time in Maryland. The one time I didn't take the all wheel drive car out was when we had a snow storm dump 20 inches on us, and that was only when it was falling and hadn't been plowed yet. We took my husband's Jeep Liberty to the store in the middle of the storm to get ferret food for my step-daughter's ferrets and food for us, since she and her boyfriend were stranded at our house for several days.

[malta blue]

8. I am holding out for Subaru to make a hybrid since I live

in snow country. I absolutely need the all-wheel drive.

[knitter4democracy]

13. Doesn't the Ford Escape hybrid have an AWD option?

I thought it did. Honestly, after having a Subaru for three years, I totally love my new-to-me Ford Freestyle. If they made a hybrid in this, I would turn around and buy a new one. Best car I've ever had, and it handles much better than my Subaru, which I didn't think I could get anything better than.

[LibertyLover]

15. Agreed

As much as I love my Mini Cooper, if Subaru made an all wheel drive hybrid, I'd get one.

[Squatch]

6. Toyota Highlander?

[gilpo]

10. Mrs. Gilpo and I just picked a used 2006 up to replace the old minivan

We love it! It has the 7 passenger seating we need and it tows 3500 lbs, which we also need. Also, it gets about 10 mpg better than the minivan.

We also have a 2004 Honda Civic Hybrid for my commute, which gets about 50 mpg (in the summer)

I would definitely recommend the Hylander if it fits your budget.

[deadmessengers]

7. Honda Accord

There's an Accord hybrid. My family has a traditional-fuel 2000 Accord, and we LOVE it. Hauls kids, dogs, etc - it's a great familymobile. Oh, and even after 7 years and 110,000 miles, it still runs great and gets about 26 to the gallon.

[bamacrat]

12. Toyota has just released the Camry Hybrid..

Uses the same technology as the Prius. Minivans are probably a few years off.

[Paulie]

14. Toyota sells two Minivan Hybrids in Japan

Just not availabe in the US, where the mini-van market is basically flat to dying.

[recoveringrepublican]

17. I have 2 kids in carseats...use to drive an Expedition

Now I drive a Civic, not a hybrid, but the same size as a hybrid. No difference really in terms of ease. The only thing I hate is now I can't see over others. However, now it's much easier for me to drive in the traffic around here (I live in Pinellas county, Fl, just west of Tampa, bunch of people crammed together) as I don't need as much clearance to change lanes. I feel much safer oddly. In both my cars I was backed into. My SUV's door was crushed, even in the interior. In my civic, just the outside was dented. My civic has air bags everywhere.

It's beach time, we live right by 2 beaches, so we go a lot. It WAS nice to be able to change my kids in the back of the SUV, but either way I had sand everywhere, not really worth the waste and ridiculous money for gas. I can still fit a good sized cooler in the back (I was also able to fit a huge cooler in the trunk of my hubby's Beetle). Volunteering for field trips kind of sucks, as now I can only take 1 kid besides my own. I usually borrow my in-laws CRV and can fit 3 car seats easily in the back.

Grocery shopping is no problem, though I rarely take my kids anymore. But when I do there is plenty of room.

I don't have to lug a double stroller around anymore though. I doubt anything but the real lightweight ones would fit in my trunk, but most places now are very family friendly. Grocery/box stores have double (if not triple) seated carts, most malls offer free strollers (at least around here). If I have a third (which is VERY doubtful) it might be difficult to squeeze that third seat in the back (though my oldest is now able to use just a booster, which takes up less space).

When you have kids you will figure out tons of safe tricks to get by. The SUV I had really wasn't worth it, if anything it became a real hassle to own. Can't imagine a mini-van would be much help for me either. Now if I had more kids, or dogs or something, I might say different. But for a family of 4 (5 when we have my step-son) I really see no difference between my civic and my SUV.

Edit to add, Hubby is over 6 foot, drives a beatle and has no complaints about driving in my civic.

[gravity]

18. Ford escape would be a good option for now