When it comes to buying a new car, it's not just about finding the best deal; it's about finding the vehicle that's right for you and researching is key.

For me, a minivan was always the answer. My SUV is like my better half - it keeps everyone safe and makes me happy. I went with the Honda Odyssey for us, and our decision came down to kid-friendliness and functionality. Unlike some people, we didn't get too caught up in the exterior styling of the car; something about a minivan just feels like it was built with little kids in mind - it's low to the ground and has power sliding doors that make it easy to load everyone in the car. The Odyssey also features built-in shades, which is a nice touch. One thing I wish was different about our minivan is that the second row seats don't fold flat like the third row does. But despite this, we think the Odyssey is the best choice for us; we're an active family, and it's perfect for getting everyone where they need to go.

On the other hand, my husband loves his Ford Explorer. He says it's like driving a luxury car - it has all the bells and whistles that make life easier for him. For example, he can get up-to-the-minute traffic reports without taking his hands off the wheel, and he can even pull up his kids' favorite playlist. The Explorer also has a remote start feature that makes getting in and out of the car easy, and it's surprisingly fuel-efficient thanks to its EcoBoost engine. We were surprised by how much better gas mileage it gets than we expected. What really sold us on the Explorer was the sliding door; it's so convenient for loading kids in and out of the car. It's not always easy, but with an SUV like this, getting everyone where they need to go is a breeze.

In the end, choosing the right car comes down to what works best for your lifestyle. Taking the time to shop around for features that are important to you can make all the difference. For us, having two cars that meet our needs has been a game-changer - we have one minivan for family errands and outings, and another SUV for longer trips and activities. It's not always easy to decide which car is right for you, but with research and a little patience, you can find the perfect vehicle that meets your needs and makes your life easier.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enwhen it comes to buying a new car it's not just about finding the best deal it's about finding the vehicle that's right for you and research is key if you're spinning your wheels over weather to BU an SUV or minivan relax autotrader.com went straight to the source for some motherly advice I need a car that fits my lifestyle and for me that car is a minivan my SUV is sort of like my better half it keeps everyone safe and it makes me happy we went with the Honda Odyssey for us it came down to kidf friendliness and functionality and unlike some people we didn't really get too caught up in the exterior styling of the car something about a minivan just makes me feel like it was built with little kids in mind it's low to the ground and you've got these power sliding doors that make it really easy to load everyone in the car and it even has built-in Shades plus the Odyssey center console comes out for better access to the kits when we were budgeting we not only looked at fuel economy but also options that were worth the investment like an entertainment system one drawback I wish the second row seats would fold flat like the third row does I know my minivan isn't the coolest car in the pickup Lane but for kid- friendliness and comfort and functionality it's the best we're a pretty active family so we bought a Ford Explorer I love my SUV my husband loves driving it and and my kids love to ride in it it's very comfortable and it makes toing them around very easy whether we're headed to the park or out on a road trip our SUV really works for us it's kind of like driving a luxury car it has all the bells and whistles it's the little things like the remote starting feature and lots of other high-tech options that go a long way with me I can get up to the minute traffic reports and even pull up the girls favorite playlist Play It Again without ever taking my hands off the wheel and it's pretty easy to flip over the third row seating if you're doing the carpool thing with an SUV aren't you at the gas station like every day well you would think but honestly Ford's EcoBoost engine really does seem to cut down on our trips to the pump you they get better gas mileage than you would think I mean this car it was such an easy decision for us one of the favorite things is the sliding door because getting these two in and outs all day long low to the ground it's so much more convenient we can't get all men to the into the minivan store I know unfortunately but you know the SUV was a much easier sell at the end of the day I think you just have to choose what works for your lifestyle taking the time to shop around for the features you really need can help you choose the vehicle you really lovewhen it comes to buying a new car it's not just about finding the best deal it's about finding the vehicle that's right for you and research is key if you're spinning your wheels over weather to BU an SUV or minivan relax autotrader.com went straight to the source for some motherly advice I need a car that fits my lifestyle and for me that car is a minivan my SUV is sort of like my better half it keeps everyone safe and it makes me happy we went with the Honda Odyssey for us it came down to kidf friendliness and functionality and unlike some people we didn't really get too caught up in the exterior styling of the car something about a minivan just makes me feel like it was built with little kids in mind it's low to the ground and you've got these power sliding doors that make it really easy to load everyone in the car and it even has built-in Shades plus the Odyssey center console comes out for better access to the kits when we were budgeting we not only looked at fuel economy but also options that were worth the investment like an entertainment system one drawback I wish the second row seats would fold flat like the third row does I know my minivan isn't the coolest car in the pickup Lane but for kid- friendliness and comfort and functionality it's the best we're a pretty active family so we bought a Ford Explorer I love my SUV my husband loves driving it and and my kids love to ride in it it's very comfortable and it makes toing them around very easy whether we're headed to the park or out on a road trip our SUV really works for us it's kind of like driving a luxury car it has all the bells and whistles it's the little things like the remote starting feature and lots of other high-tech options that go a long way with me I can get up to the minute traffic reports and even pull up the girls favorite playlist Play It Again without ever taking my hands off the wheel and it's pretty easy to flip over the third row seating if you're doing the carpool thing with an SUV aren't you at the gas station like every day well you would think but honestly Ford's EcoBoost engine really does seem to cut down on our trips to the pump you they get better gas mileage than you would think I mean this car it was such an easy decision for us one of the favorite things is the sliding door because getting these two in and outs all day long low to the ground it's so much more convenient we can't get all men to the into the minivan store I know unfortunately but you know the SUV was a much easier sell at the end of the day I think you just have to choose what works for your lifestyle taking the time to shop around for the features you really need can help you choose the vehicle you really love\n"