5 to Drive: Family-Friendly Fun
So, you’re planning a family. Or perhaps young Timmy will soon be joined by a baby sister. Congratulations. But does this mean it’s time to get rid of the fun car and buy a minivan? Not necessarily.
In today’s automotive world, there are numerous enticing alternatives for families, vehicles that are very family-friendly in their accommodations and utility, but still are reasonably fun to drive.
For the most part, these vehicles are what we call crossovers, a fairly recent automotive species that blends the interior space and convenience of a sport-utility vehicle’s body with the improved mileage and better road manners of a car-based chassis. These vehicles truly are multitalented, and therefore deserve our attention as modern-day alternatives to that most common of all family haulers, the minivan.
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2009 Acura MDX (MSRP $40,990)
One look at the MDX, and you’d never guess it seats seven people. But it does so quite comfortably, and the folks in the rearmost seat don’t have to be tiny kids. That’s quite an impressive feat given the MDX’s reasonably compact dimensions, and Acura engineers have done a similarly laudable job beneath the MDX’s angular body, where an innovative all-wheel-drive system gives the vehicle impressive stability, even in slippery conditions. The MDX goes precisely where the driver wants, thanks to the vehicle continually adjusting which wheels get power. Plain and simple, it works.
And the same can be said of the engine. It’s a smooth V-6 with 300 horsepower, making the MDX feel peppy while still getting a decent 20 mpg on the highway. This is a relaxed freeway cruiser, yet the suspension is tuned with sportiness in mind. You’ll feel bumps, but they won’t spill that mocha in the cupholder.
Perhaps the best aspect of the MDX is its interior. It’s a smartly arranged leather-intensive environment with airbags galore. What’s more, the available voice-controlled navigation system (part of the $4050 Technology Package, which also includes a power tailgate) is among the best in the business, simple to use and able to help you find, say, the nearest Chinese restaurant, within a matter of seconds. That’s handy, as is the real-time traffic information that will make sure you reach your daughter’s piano recital on time…
Five Reasons to Buy:
1. Seats seven
2. All-wheel-drive security
3. Superb navigation system
4. Sporty suspension
5. Attractive design
2009 Mitsubishi Outlander XLS (MSRP $25,495)
With the rally-inspired Lancer Evolution sports sedan getting most of the attention these days, it’s easy to forget about other Mitsubishis. Take the handsome Outlander, for instance; it shines as a compact 5- or 7-seat people-hauler that gets an impressive 25 mpg on the highway with either its 4-cylinder or 6-cylinder engine.
The latter powerplant, standard in the $25,495 XLS model, is our favorite, fitted exclusively to a 6-speed automatic transmission that can be shifted via magnesium paddles mounted behind the steering wheel. Drivers will enjoy using the paddles, particularly on curvy roads where the Outlander’s sport-tuned suspension is best appreciated. The ride is on the firm side, not the least bit floaty. At the same time, however, the Outlander XLS is very much a family vehicle with 13 onboard storage compartments, 9 cupholders, standard rollover protection and a full complement of airbags. While the rearmost two seats (standard on the XLS) are not really large enough for adults, they do fold cleverly into the rear load floor when not needed.
If you want leather seats, they are part of the Outlander’s $1650 luxury package, which also features automatic rain-sensing wipers. Far more useful is the $1950 Premium Navigation package, which comes with a 7-in. nav screen, a back-up camera and a 40-gig hard drive to transform Mitsubishi’s compact family hauler into a rolling iPod.
Five Reasons to Buy:
1. Compact, but roomy for its size
2. Seats seven (in a pinch)
3. Front- or all-wheel drive
4. 4- or 6-cylinder engines
5. 40-gig onboard hard drive
2009 Volkswagen Routan (MSRP $25,200)
Okay, we admit it: We hadn’t planned on including a minivan in this mix. But the new 7-seat Routan isn’t your typical minivan—it’s a brand-new Volkswagen. And as such, it has some distinctive characteristics.
First, though, the inside story, which you may already know. Beneath the Routan’s skin is effectively a Chrysler minivan. Yes, this was a quick way for VW to capture a slice of the American family market. And yes, we would have preferred a new version of the classic Microbus, but VW has done quite a bit or work with the Routan. For starters, the German company tuned the suspension to its liking. While we wouldn’t call the Routan a sports car, it is one of the sportier vans on the market, with no apparent sacrifice in ride quality. And inside—where it’s fair to say Chrysler scrimped a bit on the quality of the interior plastic—VW has employed dramatically improved materials, which are soft to the touch and more attractive.
Whether you feel the styling of the Routan’s body represents an improvement, well, we’ll leave that up to you. This we do know: With a big 4.0-liter V-6 underhood, plus good suspension, the Routan is surprisingly fun to drive, while offering all the inherent utility and conveniences of a well-designed Chrysler minivan.
Five Reasons to Buy:
1. Excellent interior quality
2. Sporty suspension
3. Free maintenance for 3 years/36,000 miles
4. 25 mpg on the highway
5. Dual power sliding doors (with power windows!)
More at Road & Track
Slideshow: 5 to Drive Family-Friendly Fun
