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My friend Mat asked me for some help in choosing his next vehicle. I consider this a true honor. Up until a couple last year he didn't really believe in global warming. He was sure it was the earths warming and cooling cycle. :eek: His wife and I hounded him/teased him. He is more opt to believe in global warming now and especially since its pinching him in the wallet.:rolleyes:

He currently has two vehicles. The first vehicle is their Mazda tribute(Averages low 20's MPG ) and the second is Honda accord(Average low 30 MPG ). The Mazda is really the wifes who uses it to shuttle their two children around town like a taxi. both children are under three. The accord he loves and uses it to commute to work.

The Mazda is the real problem for them. For them its a little small and the gas mileage stinks. He wants a vehicle that has a little more room and of course gets better MPG.:D

What vehicle would most of you recommend for this family of 4? The hypermiling inst really an option for them because their lazy and just plain stubborn.

If they are going to not hypermile, I would suggest a Prius. I know it's bold of me to do so given the fact that I have never driven one, but they seem to populate the high end of the mileage logs here. It seems like it would give the best off-the-shelf results. It's a hatch and can seat 5. It's not bigger, but do they "need" bigger or just want bigger?

FWIW, I used to avg in the low 20's in my crv. Maybe if they just pumped the tires up and set the cruise control for the speed limit, the Tribute might reward their efforts with some mid to upper 20's.

Coaster, have you hooked your sgii to his Tribute and SHOWN him what's possible?

I'm a little puzzled that a Tribute doesn't have room for four, considering that our Aveo fits four OK. Maybe there are additional car pooling needs? I'd say Ford Escape hybrid, but that's the same size as the Tribute.

If the Tribby/Marinar/Escape is too small, then the next logical progression would be more in line with a mini-van of some sort. We had an '01 Escape (which averaged 17 MPG... but I drove that thing with a lead foot) that fit our family of (then) four and three dogs. It was larger than a Subaru wagon, especially in hip room. Heck, it had even better hip room than the Explorer. When we hit child number 3, the Escape just got too small. We ended up with a Kia Sedona. However, if they're looking for good FE, mini-vans don't seem to be where it's at. The Sedona averages about 20 with 65% city driving with my wife at the helm. On I95 from NC to PA, I averaged about 24 MPG when doing 5-10 above the posted limit. It'd likely get almost 30 if driven at or below the posted limit.

Considering these are "lazy" drivers, if the Tribute IS too small, I don't think there is going to be anything that will get much above the low-mid 20's.

Maybe the Toyota Highlander Hybrid would work since it's a bit bigger but it's pretty expensive compared to the mileage savings. Probably better to buy a lower priced mini-van and use the saved $$$$ for gas.

Maybe there's more to their vehicle needs than you listed but I can't see how a Tribute isn't big enough to more than comfortably seat 4 (especially since 2 are young kids). I have an Escape and we just did a long trip with 5 adults and luggage and no one complained. If they could live with the size of the Tribute then I would highly recommend the Escape/Mariner/Tribute Hybrid as even a lazy driver should be able to get in the low 30s (weather permitting).

passat wagon or wait for the Jetta wagon in 2-3 months - both are real family wagons with decent MPG

Have them look at the Prius. I swear to god it's got the largest back seat I've ever seen. Thats something that matters for a family of 4, especially as the kids get bigger.

Most of the time with a family of 4, a 4 door sedan is adequate. Its a bit of a squeeze when infants are in rear-facing carseats however. But if you are ever hauling your family plus even one extra dauly (a regular occurence for me) it is impossible to squeeze them all in the car. We have a 2000 Accord, which has ample room for 5 adults, but the carseats take up a lot of room. Sometimes the minivan is unavoidable, and much preferable to the SUVs with 3 row seating!

I've always liked these wagons. Not very good for mpg though!

http://www.highperformancepontiac.com/features/0309hpp_1971_pontiac_lemans_gto_wagon/photo_01.html

He is more opt to believe in global warming now and especially since its pinching him in the wallet.:rolleyes:

How is global warming pinching him in the wallet?