Parenthood alters the car buying calculus. Procreating does not consign you to bland, kid-transporting purgatory necessarily. But, your priorities change. Active safety features supplant horsepower. Your cargo bay must hold more than a couple weekender bags and a bottle of rosé. Value becomes paramount. You want the best car that meets your family’s needs. But, with miscellaneous and escalating child expenses, money will be tighter. The question, for parents who can’t afford to pop over to the Mercedes or Volvo dealership, is what is that best value family car?
Before answering, let’s define the “family car.” For our purposes, a family car is a vehicle that fits a family of four on a road trip comfortably. That means practical seating for five and significant cargo capacity. Sardining your wife, two small kids and a tiny cooler into a Porsche 911, while admirable, does not a family car make.
CRITERIA
I used four broad parameters to narrow down our “value” field:
• First, monetarily, it had to be a value purchase. The sticker price had to be less than $30,000. The car needed strong reliability, good gas mileage and high resale value.
• Second, it had to be safe. Any car without a five-star NHTSA crash test rating and IIHS Top Safety Pick status was excluded. The trim had to include the manufacturer’s active safety features at that price.
• Third, the car must have family utility: cargo space, versatility, all-wheel drive, family-friendly tech etc.
• Finally, we considered style and performance. Being decent to drive helped.
THE CONTENDERS
The choice came down to what, in this price braket, is a classic debate. The Honda CR-V (base MSRP: $24,250) is the preeminent budget crossover. But, do you buy that over the Subaru Outback (base MSRP: $26,345), the ultimate reliable utility wagon?
VALUE
Advantage: Push
Both cars met the sub-$30,000 sticker price requirement. For the CR-V, that allowed an upgrade to the EX trim to include the Honda Sensing safety features. That plus AWD, mats and an accessory or two still put the price a hair under the limit. For the Outback, that meant either sticking with the base 2.5i trim starting at $26,395 or the 2.5i premium trim with nothing but floor liners.
