We are a family of 5 with two babies in carseats for the next 6 years and a tall (still growing) middle school kid. We are trying to trim down our carbon footprint and would really hate to have to get a huge gas-guzzling 7-seater for the few times all five of us are in the car. Many cars say they seat 5 but there is a difference between squeezing soft shoulders and smashing a teenage kid between carseats. Is there anything out there that really seats a 5th person there or perhaps has a jump seat? And what are all the “soccer moms” doing when they’re not carpooling everybody around? Where is the hybrid for the slightly larger (or even larger) family who really needs it?
Toyota Camry Hybrid? Ford Fusion Hybrid? Chevy Malibu Hybrid?
The Fusion Hybrid gets 41 MPG, a big plus. A Prius, of course, gets much better mileage, and it can seat 5 surprisingly well, but you should take everyone with all car seats for a test drive. I don’t know if it would be too small for you.
You did not mention a price range, or whether you wanted a hybrid car or SUV. A Lexus RX450h or Toyota Highlander hybrid get great mileage and offer better cargo room than a car.
Are you going to travel in this car, or is it a second car? If it’s a second car, just about any 5 seat full size car will do, and mid-size cars may work as well. We have a minivan and an Accord for our family of 5. If you don’t have a minivan, I encourage you to get one. The mileage is better than a comparably sized SUV. A minivan like a Honda or Chrysler T&C has as much interior room as a large SUV. A Suburban gets 14/20 MPG and a Sienna gets 17/23 MPG - an improvement of almost 18%. Full size cars include the Accord, Avalon, Impala, Taurus, and others.
Mazda 5 - seats 6, one folds. But that won’t have much storage. Any 5 seat sedan will also be very storage-challenged. Most eco-friendly? A used minivan.
Realistically you should be looking at a minivan. The Honda Odyssey can be had with Variable Cylinder Management which presumably helps with the gas mileage. If your eco ego can’t tolerate that, then there’s the Hybrid Escape or the Hybrid Highlander. But if you look at the big picture, your kids won’t be getting any smaller and the Hybrid Escape isn’t exactly roomy for five.
I don’t think a mid-sized car would be a good idea in the long run. At least not as a primary car. They are simply not that comfortable for 5 people.
If you got a spare $50k, the new Tahoe hybrid from Chevy will get decent fuel mileage. Chevy claims as good fuel mileage as a normal 4cyl Camry, about 21 MPG, which is really impressive for something so huge.
The EPA rates it at 21/22. The regular Tahoe rates 14/20. That’s 10% better highway and an astounding 50% better in town.
I am not impressed by those mileages, You could get similar with a 3 seat minivan.
Cargo vans
Chevrolet Astro 2WD
Engine size: 6 cyl, 4.3 L
Transmission type: automatic
Miles-per-gallon city/highway: 16/22
GMC Safari 2WD
Engine size: 6 cyl, 4.3 L
Transmission type: automatic
Miles-per-gallon city/highway: 16/22
Minivans
Honda Odyssey
Engine size: 6 cyl, 3.5 L
Transmission type: automatic
Miles-per-gallon city/highway: 20/28
Dodge Caravan
Engine size: 4 cyl, 2.4 L
Transmission type: automatic
Miles-per-gallon city/highway: 20/26
Passenger vans
Chevrolet Astro 2WD
Engine size: 6 cyl, 4.3 L
Transmission type: automatic
Miles-per-gallon city/highway: 16/21
GMC Safari 2WD
Engine size: 6 cyl, 4.3 L
Transmission type: automatic
Miles-per-gallon city/highway: 16/21
We have a 2003 Olds Silhouette Premium. I’m happy with the mileage and accommodations. It’s like a limousine; unfortunately I’m the driver. That’s the best buy I’ve ever made. But when I’m not the driver, I enjoy lounging in the back row listening to Taylor Swift or watching the Gilmore Girls. My daughters choose the programming, as I’m sure you guessed.
Our friend bscar suggested the Tahoe and I provided a comparison to the gasoline version to show the excellent improvement in fuel economy. If someone wants a large SUV, the Tahoe or Yukon hybrids are well worth considering.
Hybrids do not perform as well in heavy load situations and as such many are a real compromise when you consider how much they cost. You have a family of five…it’s going to be expensive to move them about for the foreseeable future. The largest car you can get with a 4 cylinder is a choice. Venza by Toyota with 4 cyl for example. Bite the bullet, you need a minivan for safety. Every thing else will compromise you and your kid’s safety for the mass transit that you hope to do.
The gear that two babies require may be well worth the move up to a minivan from a car, even for 4 or 5 people.