TL for family car
 

I am having my 1st baby soon and been thinking about getting a TL.. What do you guys think a TL for a family car ?

um, kinda rough ride, maybe a bigger car for a baby..

I wouldn't. IF you don't care about price and fuel economy ... MDX. IF you do ... TSX Wagon.

I don't see anything wrong per se with TL as a family car. Just be aware of the amount of trunk space it has, and make sure the stroller you get - if you have already bought one - will fit fine. May stay with Base rather than SH-AWD though.

However if you plan to have another kid down the line and this will be your only car, then I would surely get something bigger.

sarge_in, why should I be getting the fwd instead of the sh awd ?
Also is the trunk really that tight ?

^^^I would think because the fwd has a softer, more comfortable suspension.

shb, a TL would be a good family car. It's reliable, it will run and run and run. Plus, you can't beat front wheel or all wheel drive in the winter. It has decent room for a baby seat in the back-even 2 seats. The trunk is fine for strollers. Besides, then your baby will be riding in style too!

yeah I almost pull a trigger for a CX9 as it is big and I got a good deal... but TL has been my dream car... and i am really worry that it will be very tight..

You should get the TL for yourself, then get a SUV for your family car. I have a newborn, and she never rides in my TL, always in the SUV.

As djtanveer mentioned, the FWD rides a bit smoother, so less disturbing to a sleeping baby. The trunk space is also smaller in shawd, and the rear seat has a bigger hump.

Then again, the awd has great handling. So depends what you value more.

deuce, that was a good idea.. but I only have budget for 1 new car for now :D either the TL or the SUV...

Well my brother has a Maxima 2010 (TL are similar in dimensions) he is able to fit 2 baby seats into the car no problem. Before when he had 1 child, he even was fine with a civic. So it's obviously doable with a TL also.

with a SUV, you won't have to bend your back when getting baby in and out. Go for the RX350 :D

Why do you guys keep hammering on about the AWD being THAT much stiffer of a ride than the FWD?? It isn't! I get FWD TLs as loaners and I sure don't feel that the ride is that different, certainly not enough to keep the baby awake.

OP, the TL will make a great family car.

Depends on what your needs are. We have 2 little kids and my wife's Honda Odyssey our primary family car for vacations, long trips, etc. Our TL is fine for shorter trips where we're not hauling a lot of crap. The rear leg room is fine for little kids, baby seats, etc. The trunk is plenty big for a stroller.

I am in the same boat as you. My baby is due in a couple of weeks. I was able to fit an infant car seat in there with no problem behind the passenger side but it is definitely a little tight. I wouldn't be able to fit it behind the driver side ( I am about 6'3) so you gotta keep that in mind.

Although the car seat fits in mine, it is definitely not as easy to get it in and out of the car because the doors are kind of small and the car is a little low. If you only have one kid and you won't be moving the car seat in and out of the car, I think you'll be fine. If you planning on multiple kids or need more room, then an SUV is your best bet.

Being a 2012 TL owner coming from a Nissan Murano I think you would be better off with a SUV such as a Murano. It is a nice size, very comfortable and drives great. The TL is a great driving car but SUVs would probably serve you better until you are done with car seats. Good luck.

OK - I'll mention the word - MINIVAN! Yea I know they're not cool or sporty or anything but when it comes to versatility and space they can't be beat. Our kids are all grown but we still have one (09 Ody) which we split use with between that and my TL depending on the circumstances. But if we could only have one vehicle and had a small child it would be the minivan.

haha funny you mention that i'm trying like crazy to convince my wife to get an odyssey but she wants a damn SUV...

i have a 6 month old and recently got the TL. if the TL is going to be the primary car for the baby, get something bigger. however i only take my car occasionally with the baby and its' fine; however her stroller takes up most of the trunk space; so a road trip for a few days is out of the question in my car (maybe with the FWD since it has a larger trunk?). also depending on the car seat you get it may be tight. for example with my seat back to where i'm comfortable (i'm 6'2) the car seat wont fit behind my seat. i can put it behind the passenger seat and my wife is comfortable but on road trips she wont be able to put the seat back and sleep. in my wife's camry i can comforatably put the baby seat behind my seat. so you really have to figure out how often the baby will be in your car and go from there. good luck

I would stay away from the Murano, I saw one get into an accident and the aftermath wasn't pretty. For a new family you might be better off with a minivan.

I've got a 4month old - and i have NO problems at all with driving my kid around. And that included a xlr8 exhaust and H&R's. She almost always falls asleep in the back seat. IMHO the car is perfect as a family car.

My wife has a civic. We both do fine with getting all her stuff around. Don't buy into the belief that you need an SUV or a minivan when you have a kid. We've done many 4-8 hour drives in both my car and the civic.

*edit* Also keep in mind that when the baby is about a year old they're going to switch to forward facing - which will give you much more room for the seats to move back.

The trunk size in the FWD model is 13.1 cubic ft vs 12.5 cubic ft for the SH. So, not much larger. If you need a car with a large trunk, get a car that measures somewhere in the 17-18 cubic ft range. Also, the ride in the SH is not jarring when going over bumps and crevices, so it should suit a sleeping baby just fine.

What you need to ask yourself is do you see your family growing before you pay off the TL? If so, get yourself something bigger and the CX-9 is a great choice. Otherwise, the TL is an excellent choice. One of the reasons I sold the IS250 and bought the TL was due to the lack of space for a family of three.

I have a 2011 FWD TL that I bought in December 2010 and use as a family car. I have 3 kids, including one in a booster seat. They all fit but it is pretty tight back there. I love driving the TL but if I could get a redo, I would probably buy the MDX!

I had two young ones and didn't screw around, I just bought a mini-van, seats seven, back row could be removed. MDX is not my idea of a family car, too small and too expensive. (but that is just imo.) OP could go for a GX 570 or a QX56 though or less upscale Sequoia.

I am shocked you'd try to push the OP towards an Infiniti... just shocked ;)

It's hard to imagine that I grew up with 5 of us boys and we had a station wagon and nowadays, people think they need a minivan.. just making an observation is all.....

lol, i thought I would get a comment. Lately I have been in some raging debates about what constitutes a family sedan.

I have seen families of 4 with two rear facing car seats in the back of a civic, people can do what they have to do and what they can afford.

It's only when you have enough resources to buy a wide variety of vehicles does this debate ever happen, otherwise one just gets what they can afford.

15 month old here... the Britax fits fine behind the passenger seat. Sure, its a tad tight, but it works.

Kids? Family car? Get used to not having any play money. All those cool toys you were going to buy yourself someday, forget about it. You think there's room in the budget for your needs? How hard can it be to sacrifice a little for the joy of a child? It's only 18 years, right? Wrong. It's like having a house guest that never leaves. What about when they are 35, loose their job and move back in with you, grandkids included. And then there's the unexpected situations like when they get busted for shoplifting at the neighborhood Albertson's and the cops find a baggie of pot in their pocket. Try and explain that to the neighbors. And I thought I was a good kid. How sad for my poor parents.

Be smart, put the kid up for adoption and buy a 2 seater.

http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/ctd/2669240691.html

^ Yer so bad.. but not wrong! :D

+1.

If you plan to expand the family and want the car to last beyond just the 1st kid and in comfort, a minivan is unbeatable. Funny that I too have the 09 Ody and it is unmatched for its purpose.

It depends on how big you think your family will get. When I was growing up, my family always had vans. We loved the extra space. Sure it wasn't a "need", heck when I was in highschool we crammed 7+ people into a 90 accord, but on road trips, even nearby beach trips, it was so much easier than trying to cram ourselves into a sedan.

As far as the ride goes, neither TL is jarring, but they do ride on the firm side. The actual usable trunk space of the TL (either one), despite it's measurements, is comparable to my 2006 civic. Again, it really depends on how big you want your family to get, whether or not you will take the TL on road trips, etc.

I'd recommend a mini van or suv, it makes things much easier.

OR
You could get your dream car now, maybe leased for 3 years, since you can only afford one car. There will never be a better time for the next 22 years or so ;-)

Then switch to a minivan when the kid gets older or you have more kids. Minivans aren't sexy, but they are great family cars. And they are so practical for other purposes (e.g. helping move your grown son out of his 3rd apartment). My wife still misses her minivan (she in a CR-V now).

hahah i respect your opinion :) but so far having a 6 month old has been amazing; i'm sure once they start getting old and talking back it goes downhill; but i'm going to enjoy this age as long as i can :)

we're going to try to avoid having a get a bigger car as long as possible; but my brother recently got the 2011 odyssey and it's amazing. so much room and so comfortable. we went and looked at the MDX recently and while it was very luxurious and nice it just wasnt near as practical (trunk room is laughable with the third row up)and about $15-20K more. it really looks like it's gonna be a minivan for us once we get a second (or third?) kid. luckily for me i get to drive whatever i want since i'm not the one that has to drive the kids around :)

edit: getting the TL was a compromise to the wife for me. i really wanted a 2 door coupe; but agreed to 4 doors so i can take the baby around when needed; and i've actually had to do it a few times; so thank god i got the TL. and after driving it around for the last couple months i really feel like it wasnt a compromise at all; if anything a lot more fun to drive than the coupes i was looking at (c class couple, G coupe)

DO NOT get a Mazda CX-9. I just got rid of mine after 2 years as it is way too big (overall-size, door size, very bad gas mileage too and poor service from the dealers).

I picked up my 2012 TL last month and have a 2 year old girl and love it. It's bigger than my previous Infiniti G35X (cabin and trunk) and can support a family of up to 2 kids. My wife has a 2011 RDX which is a good size for her and is great for longer trips. I tried to give her the CX-9 when she was in the market but she hated driving it as it was too big.

She described the CX-9 best; "it is the size of a minivan without the benenfits"

I highly recommend the TL for small families!

I have a 2 and 4 yr old...I do take them in the TL...with car seats. It seems to work.

But I hate the fact they walk all over the leather seats with there shoes and kick the back of the front seats while driving....when driving with kids i'm always concerned about keeping the car clean...

Maybe that's why my older son now says...."daddy your car is the black one(TL) and me and mommies car is the brown one(SUV)

lol

I have two kids (3 and 5) and the TL is fine. There is room for car seats / baby carriers. The phil and teds stroller fits in the back easily. I'd say it's just fine. the kids like my car better than the MDX. Who says you have to drive a minivan?

With SH-AWD the fam is just that much safer. Plus, when you are by yourself you can have some fun. :)

if you're going to get a van, get the swagger wagon! :D

http://youtu.be/ql-N3F1FhW4

What is wrong with Infiniti? Why it is not good as a family car? Just curious.

wow alot of interesting comments here... yeah I have been dreaming of getting a TL since college...it's now or 10 more years later :D.. and I don't plan to have kids more than 2... My main concern is if the space is enough for a long hours family trip (I know this question is answered now)

I think I am not ready for a minivan yet, but can tolerate a SUV... have driven numerous of SUV and they all felt super sluggish... I am driving a Scion TC now and it has been really great, good power and great handling... the only SUV that I can tolerate driving it is the CX9... plus the price been low and they have 0% financing...

Bailey_24 what kind of gas milleage are you getting with the CX9 ? I know its rated for 21 highway but is that what you are really getting ?

I'm actually looking at the new pilot to replace our suv because it seats 8. It supposedly gets 18 and 25 for its mpg now. If you're taking long trips, the TL doesn't have the trunk room for it for your baggage and the baby gear. I have an awd and our Graco baby stroller is a tight fit in the trunk. You dOnt have much room for much else.

When you go to test drive, bring your car seat with you and put it in the TL. Then put your stroller in the trunk an see how much space you have left. It's really the only way to know for sure.

I looked at the Pilot... it drives great, and nice interior feature... but the I just can't have the exterior design grow on me . Also it still has the honda ancient 5 speed tranny

I have never had a family car although I live with my wife and daughter. When my daughter was a toddler, we had a Camaro Z-28 with a stick and a car seat in back. After that, when my daughter was a tween, then teen, we had a Mustang Bullitt. As she started to go out with her boyfriend in his car and then go to college, we sold the Mustang and got a new Corvette, which we still have and will continue to own. I am about to buy a new TL SH-AWD so that my wife and daughter who just graduated from the University of Wisconsin, can drive and all 3 of us can go somewhere together. While we didn't have to drive much since we live in Manhattan, the non traditional family cars I have owned have done just fine. I think a TL would be a fantastic family car.

Thanks,
Ken

ha !!! I live 10 min away from UW !!!! thanks for the advise :)

My daughter had a fantastic 4 years in Madison. When she was applying to colleges as a high school senior, she got into 11 schools ultimately, however University of Wisconsin was the first acceptance she got. I was walking home from work one evening and she called me on my cell screaming that she got into Wisconsin and she was no longer going to watch the mailbox for acceptances. That was a heartbreaker of a loss last week to Michigan State.

Thanks,

Ken

haha yeah.. most people are in grieve over here for that lost !!

Living in Manhattan is different. Having been born in the city and raised in Manhattan and living there most of my life, though, I did give it up, you barely needed a car. (although I had one). I rented a bigger car when needed.

When we moved to the burbs and had to worry about shuttling the soccer team and their equipment, it became a completely different story.

A Bugatti can be a family car under the right circumstances, the term means different things to different people.

What does any of that have to do with the TL being a family car or not? The OP is talking about a newborn.. you know, tiny baby.. years from soccer practice and all. :tongue:

Nothing wrong with a stiffer ride. train that baby early to know what's a good stock suspension setup! lol

i can fit a full sized wheelchair (foldable of course) into the trunk. with some room to spare for some bags. im sure a stroller would fit as long as it's not super long when folded.

Did you read Ken's post?

The OP asked if the TL is a fmaily worthy car.. not if an Infiniti or "x" would be better.. plus g37guy doesn't even know if the 4G TL would fit or not.

Who's Ken?

Here in Canada it comes with a 75 Litre tank and I was averaging about 15 L/100 KMs...not very good at all. Even though the CX-9 takes regular fuel I was spending about $650/month on gas. If you KNOW you are going to have more kids, then consider the CX-9 as it is good value for the price/size/features. However, know the following:

- Mazda really doesn't know how to service it as (at least where I am) they sell more RX-8's then CX-9's.
- It is BIG and so are the doors (even with a good effort I still dinged a few cars getting out of the car)
- If you get one, I suggest the GT (power liftgate, nav, leather, blind spot monitoring). It has HUGE blind spots and it is essential to have it
- Even though it can seat 7 the rear row is extremely tight (even my sister-in-law who is 5'2" is a little snug in there)

Let me know if you have any other questions....good luck with the decision

P.S. Still lovin' my 2012 TL! (and so is my daugther!)

We currently own a CX-9 and a 2012 TL. We have a Peg Perego car seat in which both cars are equiped with the same base. Taking the car seat in and out of the TL with the PP car seat is a bit of a pain for two reasons. First off, you are bending down and the PP car seat is not the lightest one on the block. Secondly, the handle for the PP car seat does a massive loop, so when you have the handle in the upright position to take the car seat out, there is very litte room to lift the car seat off the base and lift it out of the car without hitting the top of the door opening. Our baby is only 6 weeks old and so far we've used the TL once. IMO, it is much easier to take the car seat in and out of the CX-9. Perhaps a different car seat would work better, but at this point I'm not about to shell out another $200-$300 when they can only be in the rear facing seat until they are 22lbs.

I will certainly agree with the earlier comment about the doors on the CX-9. My wife and I have quickly realized the benefits of minivans and their sliding doors. The doors on the CX-9 are quite large and there have been two instances all ready in which I need to move the vehicle out of the parking spot to get the door open because the car parked beside us was too close. I am actually very careful where I park, especially now with the TL as I don't want any door dings on my new baby (the car, that is). Unfortunately, some of the parking lots in the city pack the cars in like sardines.

As for gas mileage, I get around 12-14L/100km with the CX-9. It's AWD and in the winter it's like driving a bulldozer.

My 2 cents.

We have a 16 month old and definitely use the MDX as the 'family' car. However, if we had to, I think we could use the TL fairly easily. We'd certain lose some of the creature comforts, like the rear storage area and power lift gate, but we could pull it off.

The ride is a bit rough in my opinion and if we could only have one car as a family car, I would not have the TL.

I'm not quite sure how much front seat space we would have if we used the TL while our daughter was rear facing. (Rear facing seat was first the Chicco keyfit 30 then the Britax Advocate CS) I'm pretty sure the CS would not have worked.

Be frugal and get a minivan that can be cleaned out with a garden hose. You are going to need $$$ for many more things than a luxury car. in 18 years college will cost at least $500,000 for a public school.

I use my TL as the family car, I think it's plenty big (even with the AWD hump) my son LOVES the car (he's now two). Kids don't care about hard/soft suspension, that's an old people problem :D

Granted, our other car is a Subaru Outback, which, I think if you have to have one family car is the best money/value/reliability/utility you can buy without getting into the supersized SUVs.



My ONLY issue with the TL is the rear headroom can make getting kids into the rear facing seats a bit of a challenge, especially if you have a well bolstered seat such as a Brittax or Recaro.


I've owned a Murano, lasted 6 months, the AWD system was horrible, other then that it was fine, but was gone after the first winter with it.


In short, Just do it