My New Mom Car

I first have to say that this post is not sponsored in anyway. I just have had a ton of questions from friends who have seen my new car and because I looked and looked for a long time I though this might be helpful to some of you who might be in the market for a new car.  

We've been contemplating getting new car for a few a while now.  We keep cars a long time so I knew I wanted to make sure what I got was something that I really loved and something that would make me happy and check all of the boxes for what I was looking for.  The problem was, I loved my last car so much that it made it hard to find something I loved equally as much. I didn't want to get rid of a car I loved for something that I just liked if that makes sense so it was long and drawn out process.

I got my last car before Boo-Boo was born and it seriously served me well for 7 years.  Here I was, pregnant and so excited when the Mr. came home and surprised me with it.

The girls were pretty pumped, too. (Side note, miss those sweet babies.) 

I loved everything about my car.  I loved the size of it, I loved the viability and how easy it was to drive and park.  I loved having all three of my kids in a bench seat in the second row because they were so young and constantly needed something from me. It made it easy to pass back snacks, waters, pacis, etc.

As they got bigger it still worked great for us for my everyday, around town stuff. 

When we went on road trips we would always take the Mr.'s truck because the back seat was so much bigger and more spacious.  It worked out fine and we were all happy.  Then I got stranded on the way to the beach a few summers ago.  And after that it has just been one problem after another my my favorite car ever so we started looking and thinking about a new car for me.  Also, my kids were getting bigger and needing more space.  Boo-Boo had been sitting in the third row just so everyone could be spread out, but he climbed in through the tailgate every time we got in and out of the car so it just wasn't ideal.  Then on a trip to a cheer comp a few months ago I had another big issue with the Land Rover and decided that was the last straw.  

The Mr. is a car guy. He researches them, reads about them, watches car shows and anything else he can so he knows about all different kinds and engines and seating configurations and pretty much anything you need to know about a car so I trusted his input. However, I was the one that would be driving it and I knew that I spend a huge chunk of my day in the car shuttling kids from one sport to the next so I wanted to love it.  

We asked about y'all's favorite cars on Facebook and got TONS of feedback!  We looked and looked and went back and forth between several different cars.  I dug my heels in because it wasn't my first choice, but eventually I ended up going with the Ford Expedition.

I remember texting Jen as soon as we signed on the dotted line telling her that I have never felt so American.  Here's the thing though. As much as I didn't want this car to begin with, the more I looked at it the more I started to like it and now that I own it I love it SO much more than I thought I would.

What I Wanted In A Car 

-The next size up.  So while I loved my Land Rover and at the size of it before, I knew I needed something bigger.  With carpooling and driving kids around all of the time, we just needed more space for them and all their sports stuff. 

-Captains seats in the second row.  This was a HUGE requirement. I was so sick of my kids complaining in the car, touching each other on trips, and arguing about the dumbest stuff. It made road trips so miserable and they had resorted to putting up blanket barriers just to be able to not be annoyed by each other.  

-Full sized third row seats. I didn't care as much about this because I wasn't going to be the one riding back there, but this was a biggie for the Mr. Because we do keep cars a long time we knew that at least one of our teenage kids would be sitting back there at some point and didn't want to have them complaining because there was no space for their legs. 

-Automatic folding third row. I knew I wanted a third row that would fold with the push of a button and go flat into the floor to allow for more space to carry bigger things, if needed. 

-4 Wheel drive. I almost got stuck once in the snow for hours and I'm never doing that again. Plus, we tow our boat occasionally so need 4 wheel drive for that. 

-Technology. I wanted the latest in technology.  I LOVE having Apple Car Play.  When I plug in my phone it pulls it up and there are several apps that work on the screen from my phone.  We can listen to my music, I can voice text and it reads my texts as they come in (love this feature!).  The other thing I really like is being able to click an address from my phone and have it pull up the navigation to that address.

My kids love that they can control the radio channels, volume and of course their heat or air from the back seat.  And the chargers!!!  Every seat has a place to plug in and charge their devices, which they thought was the coolest thing ever! 

-Easy to park.  Driving on the road is easy...you just go in a straight line. It was the parking that worried me because at places like the school or in parking decks downtown or really anywhere, I was so worried about being able to park a big car.  I got the model that has the birds-eye view camera and it has been SO, SO helpful. I didn't want a bigger car without this feature and it is probably the thing I have used the most since owning it. I haven't parked once without this.  The car is so big that I literally can't see the lines and this shows me exactly where my car is, where the lines are, and how I need to adjust my parking.  I still park away from other cars if I can, but this feature helps so much! 

-Comfortable and Nice.  Yes, it is a mom car, but I spend a ton of time in the car each day, so I wanted it to be something that felt nice to me.  The first day I had it I wanted the Mr. to take Boo-Boo to baseball practice because I just knew it would get dirty. He looked at me and said, "It is only a matter of time." And he was right! I knew dirt and grass would get tracked in from the baseball and soccer fields, I knew snack wrappers and homework papers would be laying on the floor and the pollen would be covering every surface, but I still wanted something that felt nice.  My kids have been really good about trying to keep it clean, but we've already had one kid get sick in the car (less than a month in) so I guess it is nice and broken in now. I feel like this car is a perfect mix of practical and nice. 

So there you have it!  My new mom car that I love and the one I'll be driving for quite some time. Now she just needs a name.  Do y'all name your cars?  The kids named my old car Snow White. Still brainstorming for this one.  Do you have a car you love?  In the market for something new?  Let us know in the comments below!

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