Well we went and looked at 20 SUVs on Saturday. My 3.5 month old son had infinite patience while riding in his car seat all day, being put in and out of SUV after SUV (Carmax, just went down the row).
Surprises of the day:
We didn't like the Ford Escape in any version.
The Kia Sportage had amazing space in the rear and was nice inside. The sister Tucson was just as roomy. Extremely impressed with both of them. Shocked even. Baby and stroller fit well. Side curtain airbags are a plus.
The RAV-4 has a side opening rear door, that is a no-go for me.
The Pontiac Torrent got our attention. Never even heard of it. Did research on it and it definitely has our interest, but we didn't drive it. I know it is a GM, but the pricing might be right. It is a tall Malibu.
Drove the 2010 CR-V. Wife liked it, I thought it rode like a buggy. I sat in the back with our son and I swear I felt every bump in the road. Lots of room though and the engine is peppy. Son was mildly upset during the test drive.
Drove the Santa Fe. It rode solid and smooth. I know it is bigger but it just felt more "together". The rear cargo space is obscene, and there is a trunk UNDER the cargo area. Very nice. The rear A/C vents are a nice touch. Son slept like a log for the test drive.
Looked at the Rondo, didn't like it at all. Very tall but still felt cramped.
The Chevy HHR is a PT Cruiser clone. I liked it but the wife hated it with a passion.
We looked at two sedans: the Accord and the Camry. The Accord had a narrower trunk opening (hard to put a stroller in). The Camry had a wider trunk overall, the stroller not only went in easy but slid all the way to the back.
My wife liked the Magnum. I frick'n love the Magnum. The stroller fit in the back lengthwise! The wife wants me to look into them, I'm worried unleashing her in a car with 340hp. It is quite the fantastic family wagon though, obscene cargo space.
We got a lot to think about in one day. The guy at Carmax was used to this thing, we just walked down the line opening rear doors. If the baby fit in the back and the stroller went in easy, THEN we asked what the SUV was and looked at the details. Funny how car shopping with a child in mind changes things.