I mean, that actually sounds great. People have an appetite for expensive pickups, so let them order their luxotruck. But other people just need a reliable work vehicle and don’t need any frills. Give them what they need too.

Increasingly I’m thinking people who want stick in their plain DD’s are kinda odd. I like driving stick in sporty cars. In traffic, driving legally, stick buys you nothing. The illusion you’re in control I guess. Stick isn’t as reliable as automatics these days. If this person had an automatic 2011 Fit, she wouldn’t…

The problem is a family car needs to be reliable. Your main child hauler can’t be in the shop several weeks per year. 

Easy, my car. My 2019 Corolla Hatch Manual is under 25k depending on features, has enough room for myself and three friends (we are all 6ft-6'5"). It’s only downfall is the small trunk.

What about a Buick Regal wagon? Is there a manual option for it? I don’t remember.

I understand saving for repairs, but I’d rather spend the extra money upfront and not worry so much about if the car is going to start every time or if it's going to make it from work to daycare to pick up the shawties. 

No adult can sit with two child seats anyway. It’s torture.

Mini Countryman S or JCW, manual.

What kind of “experts” don’t suggest a Honda Accord Sport 2.0T which is a similar motor to the Type R.   Comes in a Manual Transmission and is a great family sedan and what I’d expect would be Honda reliability. 

I cross shopped my civic hatch 6 speed against the Accord 6 speed.  A little anemic with the 1.5T, but still a really fun, roomy, car to drive.  Not sure if it comes in under budget, but there's also the 2.0T Accord with the detuned Type R engine.... I was sorely tempted by that one.

Just buy the damn minivan. You’ll thank yourself.

Agreed. Even tho I’m a Chevy person, I have to give this Ford its due. It’s a tank. Kias of the era of the minivan that is cited are crap. I’m not necessarily claiming that the Ærostar is God’s gift to soccer moms, but I am saying that it is superior to the Kia in almost every way.

Yeah but the Aerostar will be easier to keep going. The 1st gen Sedona/Entourage are loaded with already-obsolete parts that are hard to impossible to find. And serviceability sucked. They were designed as a throwaway car, hence the low resale values. The Ford 4.0L and 5-speed auto still have a ton of a aftermarket…

I saw 4.0 v6 and just stopped reading. That is the best damn engine for ever made. Had one in my 1999 ford ranger and it may seem like not a lot of power, it somehow feels fast and sounds amazing

As long as his followers will believe that all coastal elites are driving fancy French cars, it’s mission accomplished.

Yup. She was one of those people who was looking for reassurance on the decision she already made rather than actual advice, so everything I said went in one ear and out the other.

So... A thing: The wife and I have a kid on the way, which means I’m now looking at family cars. (Yeah, I have sex. Not a big deal. Not bragging. But yeah, it’s pretty cool.)

It baffles me. I’m very pro minivan. The majority of folks I see that scoff the minivan use the excuse that they don’t want to be seen in one as it cements their status as a boring mom or dad.

That’s the most common argument against minivans I hear though.. “I don’t want to be seen in a minivan” was what a good friend of mine just said before she went out and bought a durango. She doesn’t tow anything, has 5 kids, and paid more for the durango than she would have paid for a toyota sienna that gets better…

A buddy of mine used to drive an Astro van. As a single guy. We gave him endless shit about it, obviously, but he loved that van. He always countered by saying it was cheap and the most versatile vehicle he had ever owned.  Adam and his Astro van.