My Mustang Isn't Cutting It For Commuting With A Kid! What Car Should I Buy?

Robert lives in Florida and is finding that his 2014 Mustang not the ideal vehicle for talking the kiddo to school. Since the Ford is getting up there in age, it’s time for an upgrade with four doors. He wants something sporty-ish with respectable fuel economy. What car should he buy?

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Here is the scenario:

Need to move to a more family-friendly vehicle. Currently have a 2014 v6 mustang but will start bringing a 4 year old to school everyday and I think it’s time for four doors. Better fuel economy would be appreciated as well. Really like “sports” and “muscle cars” but also enjoy hatchbacks and maybe even a wagon. Would prefer to purchase new. Would like good gas mileage. Maybe a hybrid? IT’s gotta be at least somewhat quick anything over 7-8 second 0-60 would probably be way too slow. I would like to spend no more than 35,000

Quick Facts:

Budget: Up to $35,000

Location: Florida

Daily Driver: Yes

Wants: Sporty, 4 doors, better MPG

Doesn’t want: Something too slow

Expert 1: Tom McParland – Go Fast With No Gas

Image: Autotrader.com

Mustangs are fun, but you can still have fun with the kiddo in the car and not drain your wallet at the gas station. So perhaps it’s time to modernize your transportation a bit if you can install a home charger. Right now, you can find plenty of performance deals in electric vehicles because their values are dropping fast. That’s bad news if you bought a new one, but great news if you are looking to buy a used one

You can score a nice Kia EV6 hatchback (yes I know Kia calls it a crossover; it’s a hatchback) easily for under $40,000, and you can even squeak one in under $35,000. The EV6 has all the tech you could want and plenty of space for the kiddo and gear. The rear-drive versions have a respectable 225 horsepower which will move that car to 60 in about seven seconds. If you can find an AWD model, the output bumps up to 325 horsepower with a 0-60 time in about five seconds.

Here is a 2022 Kia certified GT-Line model with only 15,00 miles right within your budget cap. This car had an original retail price close to $58,000

Expert 2: Steve DaSilva – A Chariot Fit For Florida Man

Robert, you’ve got an interesting combination of factors here. You want something fast, fun, and with four doors — that’s all fine enough, plenty of good cars that meet those criteria. But you, Robert, have another consideration that nearly slipped under the radar: You live in Florida. You need something suitable for a Florida Man.

This means cars like the EV6 just aren’t quite right. You need something with a different character — something louder, more brash, and less refined. To that end, I present the successor to the Vee Cue Boy legacy itself: The Infiniti Q50 Red Sport.

The Red Sport may not actually have a Nissan VQ under the hood, but some variants of the Q50 did. I think that’s close enough to count for Florida appeal, but the twin-turbo VR30DETT mill in this example gets you and the kid to school a bit faster. You can have it all — luxury, speed, usable rear seats, and an aura of uncaring-bordering-on-malice. Just what Florida demands.

Expert 3: Collin Woodard – Go For A Different Kia

Photo: HGreg.com

Well, Robert, the good news is, since you only have one kid, there are still plenty of sporty cars that will fit your needs. I half expected Tom to take my suggestion, but since he didn’t, I’m going to say it’s time to trade your Mustang for a Kia Stinger. The liftback design makes it great for hauling stuff around; it has rear doors, which should make it significantly easier to get your kid into their seat; and it’s pretty fun to drive. The Stinger was designed to be a grand tourer, not a sport sedan, so it won’t be the four-door Mustang that Ford refuses to sell us, but it’s a lot more fun than a Telluride, that’s for sure.

If you go with the four-cylinder model, it should get slightly better gas mileage than your Mustang, and if you get a 2022 or newer Stinger, it makes 300 hp and 311 lb-ft of torque. That means you won’t be giving up much in terms of acceleration to get a more family-friendly car. On the other hand, you can get Stingers with the turbocharged six-cylinder with your budget, and while your fuel economy will drop, more power is more power. Come on, you know you want the V6.

Regardless of which one you choose, there are plenty of options in Florida for under $35,000. Since I’m not sure where you live in Florida, I just searched the Orlando area, although you shouldn’t have a problem finding one closer to where you live if Orlando’s too far away. Here’s a 2022 Stinger GT-Line for less than $27,000, and here’s a 2019 Stinger GT2 for just under $32,000.

Expert 4: Andy Kalmowtz – Fuck Gas Milage, We’re All Gonna Die Anyway

Bobby, listen to me. I know you want better gas mileage, a new car and some sort of wagon or whatever, but you gotta believe me. You don’t need any of that shit. What you need, my dear Floridian friend, is a goddamn Dodger Charger R/T Scat Pack. Six-point-four liters and 485 horsepower of pure American glory is what you need under the hood. Guy, you are a Florida man, and you need a Florida car.

Do you want to inspire your kid to be the best person they can be? Well, nothing will do that better than the cold start of a massive V8 motor. I’m sure they already love you, but they’ll love you even more when you burble up to the school dropoff line in your goddamn muscle car. You’ll be a hero, Rob. I know it.

If we can take just a moment to be practical, the Charger is huge, so you won’t have any issue fitting your child, your partner (who is going to really love this car) and all your stuff in it. Plus, you can do pulls all day long on Florida highways. That’s absolutely legal there.

Anyway, because you and I are simpatico, I took the time to find you the perfect Charger. However, if this specific 2019 Charger R/T Scat Pack with under 60,000 miles on the clock and a selling price just below $34,000 isn’t for you, there are plenty of other options out there. This is Florida after all.

You know what to do, Bob. Make your kid proud. Make me proud.