Is Your Car Grandchild-Ready?

When you start considering what new car is best for you, don't forget the grandchildren.

When Chrysler introduced the minivan to the U.S. in the early 1980s, parents responded by making it the nation's new default family car. At the same time, though, they began counting the days until their children were all grown up, and they could start driving a “regular” car again. Maybe you were one of those parents.

And then, just as your youngest child graduates from college, and you plan a long-delayed trip to the new-car lot, your oldest son calls to tell you you're a grandparent. That's the good news. The bad news: Put those sports-car dreams on hold. You've got new grandchildren to drive around and you need to consider their needs when you go shopping for new wheels.

One of our moms, for example, leased a new Jeep Commander and proudly brought it over for us to ogle. While I was impressed by its rugged exterior, powerful V8 engine, and the really cool porthole-size windows in the ceiling, my wife opened the rear door, took one look, and blurted, "You can’t get a car seat in here!”

She was right. The headrests in the Commander slope forward slightly. This is great for adult passengers in the event of a collision — it keeps your head from whipping violently and prevents neck injuries. But it makes it very difficult to properly secure a forward-facing infant seat on the bench. (We weren't terribly impressed with the rear cargo space either. Maybe it's just a coincidence, but Chrysler announced earlier this year that it was discontinuing the Commander.)

As a new grandparent, you may not actually have to climb behind the wheel of a minivan again. Still, if you have any plans to shuttle your grandchildren around town, you should consider their needs when buying or leasing a new vehicle. The most important factor, of course, is how often you'll be driving the kids around — if it's once in a while on the weekends, a standard sedan or late-model station wagon will probably do the job. But if you're going to be doing school pickup or soccer drop off on a regular basis, you may need a more child-friendly (that is, a larger) ride.

Grandparents who do have heavy child-schlepping responsibilities should keep these "Three C's" in mind as they shop for a new car: comfort, cargo, and car seat.

Comfort. First, always choose a vehicle that is suitable for your own height and body style so you can get in and out of it easily. But also keep in mind that if a vehicle is too high, it may be tough to put a child in a car seat and to secure that seat.

Cargo. The first place to look for hauling space is in a car’s trunk or rear-storage area, but don’t overlook the cabin itself. Today's grandchildren come with a lot of baggage, from diaper bags to portable cribs, from suitcases to restaurant booster seats, and from soccer bags to sleeping bags. But little children’s feet don’t reach the floor, so the space in front of their seats can hold several bags, too. Also look for mini-storage spaces — today’s cars are flush with cup holders, tissue holders, and other spaces that can carry everything from extra diapers to secret snacks to that one special toy that must go with each child on every outing.

Car seat. When you go shopping for a car, take a car seat with you and try buckling it into a vehicle to see how easy it is. If the seat belt is underneath the seat, for example, it could be a challenge for you to buckle an infant seat in properly, and nearly impossible for older grandchildren to buckle themselves into a booster seat.

But take heart. While the 2009 Corvette may not be your most viable option (you’re past your midlife crisis anyway, right?) you don’t necessarily have to buy a suburban tank either. Automakers today provide more variety in their vehicle lineups than ever before. Still, if you'll be hauling around three grandchildren or more with any regularity, a minivan may still be the best choice.

The good news is that minivans have evolved greatly since the first models hit the market in the 1980s. With satellite TV, engines putting out more than 250 horsepower, and four- and five-star crash-test ratings, the current models are head and shoulders above their predecessors. But if climbing into a minivan of any kind gives you scary flashbacks to your soccer-parent days, the new "crossover" segment may be a better option. Crossovers ride on car frames, so they're lower to the ground than minivans or SUVs, but have similar cargo holds and the same kind of entertainment systems, such as rear-seat DVD players with sound that you can limit to the back so you don't have to hear cartoon explosions while you drive.

Traditional sedans and station wagons have ample cargo space for short hauls; however, both feature smaller rear doors which can make it difficult to install or buckle a car seat. On the other hand, the more comfortable ride that a sedan offers might be just the thing to help put a crying grandchild to sleep. As vehicles get even smaller, they become much more economical, but also less child-friendly. Putting a toddler into a compact like a Ford Fusion or Honda Civic can be a challenge: You’ll need to crouch and lean over to get an infant seat into the car and then you may struggle to squeeze a toddler into the back seat as well.

Finally, in an era of $4-plus gas, all these criteria must be considered in concert with a car’s fuel economy. A full-size SUV averages only 12 mpg in the city, while a compact sedan can average between 28 and 35 mpg. Consider your own driving routines, and how often you'll really have to chauffeur the children, before deciding whether you can make-do with a more economical set of wheels. Happy motoring!