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Family Truckster

I’m fast approaching the day which all young men dread; the purchase of a family car. Arrgh! :)

By year’s end I shall be cruising the streets of Sydney in something safe, practical and economical. I don’t mind to be honest, it’s been over four years since I had to [was cruelly forced to] give up my beloved WRX and I’d drive any old bucket of bolts right now.

Taking the wife’s requirements (including “room for family additions”) into account, I have compiled a list:

All circa 2003, and probably base models. This class of vehicle is an obvious choice for us, and for a lot of other young families, hence the explosion of “soft roaders” in recent years.

Other competitors not listed include the Hyundai Santa Fe (the 2003 model is as ugly as sin), the Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute (which I’ve read bad things about) and the Suzuki Grand Vitara (which is getting so old I’m surprised they still remember how to make them).

We’re not overly concerned about performance, nor hard core off-road capability. Just enough for the odd driving holiday and a bit of dirt/snow adventures. Bit of luggage room too.

If anyone has opinions, advice or feedback on any of these models please leave a comment. OK I don’t expect a rush of replies, I don’t think anyone reads this. At least the spammers like me, they must have families, perhaps they can recommend a car? :)

Now, back to thinking of a way to convince the Mrs that 20″ chrome wheels and twin 15″ subwoofers are valuable additions to any “baby-mobile”.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 30th, 2006 at 3:30 pm and is filed under Automotive, Family. If you enjoyed this post, you might also like to leave a comment or follow @patrickkennedy on Twitter.

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About the author

Patrick Kennedy

Patrick Kennedy is a user experience strategist and design researcher based in Sydney Australia. He leads research activities that improve the user experience of cross-channel products and services; helping both designers and business decision makers in bringing those products and services to fruition. Read more.

Comments

  1. Pats Wife! | June 5th, 2006 | 4:36 pm

    I read your blog.

    And just for the record – I am one of those sensible types so whilst there are no babies in the horizon…you just never know. Also if you’ve ever seen me go on holiday – you’d know why I need all the extra space.

    When your old and grey – I’ll let you trade in the family mobile for a sporty car. I promise :)

  2. Honey, I shrunk the car! at Pat’s Point of View | August 11th, 2006 | 12:15 pm

    [...] I have had a bit of a re-think regarding our first family car, a family truckster may not be on the cards now (and the fact that petrol prices are heading towards $2 per litre has played no small part in this decision). [...]

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