LutherTM98

Ok, here's the deal. I am pregnant with twin girls that are due in April. I need a vehicle that can fit both my mom, me, my husband and the twins, yet be something that is fuel efficient and not KILL my wallet in payments. I cannot afford a large SUV in gas and payments, but my 1985 Toyota Supra won't cut it either when the girls come....I have narrowed it down to three vehicles that are all similar and not expensive, they are in my price point of $18,000-$22,000. They are the Kia Rhondo, Mazda5 (I like the sliding doors), and the Toyota Rav4 (looks like a good mini suv). I like sporty cars, hence the Toyota Supra so minivans are totally out, and I can't find anything in my price point except base models with no add ons. The Mazda looked ok, like the sliding doors, the Kia is ok, but my least favorite, no sliding doors, and is a Korean brand like Hyundia (I lived in Korea, owned a kia &it fell apart on me), and then the old reliable yet not sporty Toyota. Which do you recommend?

Kimba4518

Wow, thats the worst combination I've ever seen.

Deanna5654

If I had to pick from those? Toyota. But if I were you I would look into the Jeep products. I have a Liberty and I LOVE it. They also have cherokee and compass. www.jeep.com

BabyFaceAssassin

try proton impian, it's family saloon car...and it's very cheap...take a look at the car at:http://www.proton.co.uk/

Imamkamandanu

Toyota Rav4 is the best performend

klj041284

Congrats on the twins! When looking at family vehicles you really have to make a choice between sportiness and functionality. Since you are having twins, you would require two booster seats, which then would not leave much room for an adult to sit comfortably. Ideally you should look for a 7 passenger vehicle that would allow comfortable seating for all and have enough cargo room to stow the gear for your children.Given these considerations and your price point I would tell you to go for the Mazda 5, which is the best compromise in terms of functionality and sportiness, and I think is the most handsome of the bunch. After driving one of these I think you may be pleased with its handling, though the 2.3L engine strains under load. If you are the sole occupant of the vehicle, acceleration is somewhat lively, but add a few more passengers and cargo and the engine struggles. I think that the vehicle can benefit from one more cog on the transmission. The engine does return good fuel economy, however.The Mazda does have other drawbacks though. The third row seats are not suitable for anyone. Even a child would complain about the lack of room back there and given that the second row has two captains chairs, this would not work well for your family. You should go to a Mazda dealership and see it yourself and take it for a test drive.The Kia Rondo on the other hand is available with a V6 that provides lively acceleration and the car handles okay. Nothing to gush on about though. It has a second row three passenger bench seat and has an optional third row. The third row is a bit roomier than the Mazda's third row but like the Mazda, with the third row up your cargo space is minimal. I do agree that sliding doors would be better but with regular doors it shies away from the minivan image that the Mazda 5 has (which has been described as a microvan).The RAV-4 as you say is not sporty in the least. It does, however, have the largest width and therefore the most generous hiproom in the second row, which may allow an adult and two booster seats to fit comfortably. It also has more safety features standard (Vehicle Stability Control for example) than the others.Given the above considerations if you can fit everyone in comfortably I would recommend the Mazda 5. However, if you are willing to look at a CUV such as the RAV-4 I actually would recommend you give a look at the Hyundai Santa Fe. The quality concerns you may have can be dispelled, however, by the many positive reviews the Santa Fe has garnered. The newer products from Hyundai are much higher quality than ever before. It has all the safety kit such as ESC and traction control standard and it comes with a third row seat that can actually accommodate your twins until they are teenagers (not that you would want to keep it that long but just to give you an idea of the size of the third row). Best of all it does fit your price point, though it is somewhat thirsty for fuel around the city (expect 16mpg in the city).It ultimately is your choice, but keep in mind that there are other vehicles like the Santa Fe that may also meet your needs.Good Luck.

topgun3618

Toyota Rav 4 just got Consumer reports number 1 car in class (Mid size SUV non luxury). so you cannot go wrong with car that has and is still winning all kinds of titles.