We Have A Growing Family And Need To Adjust Our Fleet! What Car Should I Buy?

Chris and his wife are expecting a baby and that means they need to shift their fleet of cars. She will likely pivot to some kind of small crossover, and he needs to off-load his manual Mazda3 for something that is more comfortable, family-friendly, and good for road trips. With a budget up to $30,000 what car should he buy?

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Here is the scenario:

My wife and I are expecting a baby later this year and we're looking to adjust our stable of vehicles accordingly. My wife does not drive a manual, so my manual Mazda3 sedan is getting traded in for something a bit more family-friendly (likely a CX-5 or perhaps the new CX-30). In the meantime, I will be driving her Sentra until I find something to replace it with.

In the interest of "anyone being able to use any vehicle in case of a situation", the replacement car will need to be automatic – but that's fine, since I mostly just commute to work on the highway and take occasional road trips to visit family in it. I have an old Miata for manual fun.

The wrench in the works, I guess, is that we're considering a lease for my wife's car – which means my car will be the one we do any future long-distance driving in. So while it doesn't have to pull family duty frequently, I don't want it to be miserable when it does (since it'll be for hours at a time).

Essentially, I am looking to spend no more than $30,000 on something more comfortable and family-friendly than my Mazda3, but still a bit enjoyable and it has to be an automatic.

Budget: up to $30,000

Location: Ohio

Daily Driver: Yes

Wants: Still fun, better for family, fairly reliable

Doesn't want: Another manual

An expanding family is always an exciting time, and naturally vehicle priorities would need to shift. But that doesn't mean you can't have something enjoyable and practical. Since your wife will have the crossover, you don't need to make that jump just yet. There are several options in that sub-$30,000 market, but I suggest you go with something a bit more upscale, swoopier, but with more practicality than the Mazda3.

The Audi A5 Sportback combines a lot of what you are looking for. Under the hood is VW/Audi's ubiquitous 2.0-liter turbo four, making 260 horsepower. I have this same engine in my GTI, and I have yet to have a scenario where I needed more punch. But if you did feel more of a need for speed, cheap ECU tunes are a flash away for not much money. The A5 is spacious for a "compact" car, and the Sportback bodystyle gives you wagon-ish practicality with plenty of room for luggage or kiddo gear. Here is a very nice 2023 model with only $35,000 miles right in your budget zone

If I wanted to be responsible here, I'd tell you to just buy the nicest Lexus hybrid that fits your budget. I mean, you did say you're looking for a highway commuter car that's good on road trips. You could buy this 2022 Lexus ES 300h, and it would probably still feel nearly new by the time your kid is old enough to start driving it. But that's boring. Let's mix it up. Let's live a little.

Instead, I say spend almost the exact same money on this 2022 Kia Stinger GT. It isn't a hybrid, and it probably isn't as well-built as the Lexus. But you get a twin-turbo V6 that makes 368 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque, rear-wheel drive, and a sub-five-second 0-60 time. It won't be nearly as much fun to drive as your Miata due to the massive size difference, but the Stinger GT is still a hoot, and hanging the tail out is easy.

You probably won't do much power-sliding on your way to work or on road trips, but the Stinger should also be plenty comfortable on long drives. Plus, its liftback makes it a practical family car for responsible parents, and Kia parts tend to be less expensive than Audi parts. Arguably, it's the best of both worlds.

Chris, I've found the perfect car for you, but unfortunately it's going to cost you a little bit. You need a sedan that's fast, handles well, and has a reasonable interior for long trips and hauling kids — that's entirely doable. You also want it to be reliable for all those highway miles, and that's easily doable as well. You'll just have to spend $31,500 on this Acura TLX Type S.

I know, I know, it's more than your budget. I'm sorry. If you can find a cheaper one, by all means, jump on it immediately. I can't find anything cheaper in your area, so I'm sending you this in hopes that its Honda reliability enables you to spend $1,500 over the budget you'd otherwise spend on an Audi — after all, the Acura will cost you less in the long term. Maybe you're good at bargaining, I don't know.

The TLX Type S is your ideal car, though. Comfortable, fast, fun, practical, and reliable — what more could you ever want? Grab yourself this Japanese take on the German sport sedan, and rest comfortably knowing you'll earn that initial outlay back in unspent repair budgets.