I owned a honda CRV when they first came out and loved it. Similar to the Rav 4 but with a bit more room insdie (that was then I don't know about nowadays)

Trail Blazers are a good size and can be found reasonably priced

Dodge Journey (not sure as I have never even been in one)

Jeep Liberty (not sure on the interior size but they look nice and everyone that owns one seems to enjoy it)

Jeep Grand Cheroke (if you can find a nice fairly new one, I believe the price is reasonable and they are great vehicles for all weather and conditions with lots of room inside)

All those options are reasonably priced, will definitely suit the needs of a small family, and still look cool while driving them (not important, but..... it does help)

Best advice is to test drive as many different vehicles as you can, and bring along a car seat, it may seem stupid but it will give you a better idea of just how much room you are going to have/need, not to mention a stroller and baby bag, which you won't be leaving the house without for the first little while, trust me I have 5 kids between my wife and myself

 

Sorry to hear about the Monte, but Congrats...... We have a 10 month old also and getting into the back of the Monte ain't easy, we know... I also have a company SUV, Equinox LT... I really like it and the gas milliage is quite good, I average 13.5 liters per 100, same as my Monte..... As far as payload it beats the Rav4 and Jeep as they were also options for me and I checked them out... And I must agree that buying North American is a good thing for us all... Better cars out there for sure, but to me not worth sending the profits off-shore... Just my opinion... Have you considered a Dodge Magnum? Never drove one, but they look roomy and very cool...

 

I like Magnum's too, but they aren't really that big for a wagon. I tried a Volvo wagon once and regretted it. Looked nice. If you can spring for it, try a GIANT wagon not-quite-SUV Ford Flex. They come in AWD and Eco-boosted V6- $$$. The CTS Wagon (especially CTS-V) is the coolest wagon around.

I'm liking the buy-American vibe this thread took...

 

Well I narrowed it down to 2 vehicles, I re-test drove all three I was considering on a very wet, snow covered and definitely slippery roads yesterday and the is350 didn't perform well at all with snow on the ground it would not get any traction unless you baby the hell outa the throttle and even then the back end kept getting loose. The TL was struggling a little as well getting off the line but it pulled its way out after a little wheel slip. The G37 also slipped lol but the car at a stop is in RWD mode until it notices wheel slip that's when it sends power to the fronts and for as far as taking off it would slip a little before it engages AWD and pulls like a champion through the snow. So IS350 is out of the count now I'm down to two the 2010 G37 and the 08 TL Type S.

 

My daily us a 2013 focus st. I know you said you don't want a 4 cylinder but with it being a fwd hatch back 4 door it has decent room (I think anyway and I'm 6'2".) Its got fords eco-boost so it performs awesome and handles very well. Just something to think about. Also I would consider a wrx sti or a lancer evo x. There both all wheel drive and perform very well also.

 

Yea I'm not a fan of hatchbacks though. The evo/sti r very sport minded and to be honest the interior make me feel like I'm in a base neon. I'm for sure about going with a V6. I hate the lack of Torque in the I4's and 4cyl engines get tired faster over time. Not looking for a v8 either not looking forward to 14-16 mpg avg. and I been driving American for 10+ straight years I want something different now.

 

Noo don't go different lol. Good luck with your car choice I've always choose looks over anything really but I mean montes are pretty luxurious so it's a win win

 

I'm debating keeping the monte, cell the bmw (wife's car) and let her drive my new car instead. She only drives a 1000 miles annually so I can bank myself some money and keep my beloved MC whom is going 11 years strong with me now? Good idea, bad idea? I could seriously use a second opinion on this subject....

My budget can fit both the either acura/Infiniti and the BMW also all the house bills and mortgage plus adding to saving per payday. So keeping the monte isn't so badly for saving but I don't know if I'm actually attached to this car or what!

 

She only drives a 1000 miles a year??? Just buy her a bike and keep your cars lol

 

I say. Keep the Monte. Mine is going on 12 years and other than the normal replacement parts (of a car this old) I am very happy with it. With only a 1,000 miles per year it will go on for a very long time. Just my opnion. Good luck...