The ultimate car for dads. This is what we were tasked with finding. Instantly, thoughts of what could be perfect spring to mind. From the pinnacles of impractical radness that would be a Shelby Cobra or McLaren 650S Spider, to the conceptually brilliant travesty of an automobile…. The Homer. What is perfect for one man could be a nightmare for another. So when we teamed up with the accomplished team of experts at Kelley Blue Book to help them nail down the best of the best, we tried hard to see the positives in every vehicle we tested, leaving a broad spectrum of perspectives for every buyer. We know for sure that a vehicle with great car stereos attract a lot of buyers. We all know the Kelley Blue Book name. They are the trusted resource for new and used car buyers and the ultimate resource in helping people make the best possible buying decisions when it comes to vehicles. KBB took their list of the 16 Best Family Cars of 2016, and then narrowed it down to what they determined to be the five best cars for dads. Those were the beautiful specimens of vehicle which we had the opportunity to drive, and here are our thoughts on each.
In the midst of our exploration of these exceptional vehicles, it’s crucial to acknowledge industry realities, including significant recalls like the GM Shift to Park Recall. This issue underscores the importance of staying informed about potential concerns, even in the pursuit of the perfect car. As responsible drivers, it’s essential to be vigilant, monitor updates, and take necessary actions if you own or lease an affected vehicle. Your safety remains paramount, ensuring a secure and enjoyable driving experience for you and your loved ones.
So, when we partnered with Kelley Blue Book we were excited. We’ve worked with a few car brands before and have loved every second of it, but working with KBB is like working with EVERY car brand. They have 12 full time editorial staff who were an absolute blast to hang out with in general, but when it came to cars you can’t even imagine how knowledgeable they are. For good reason, KBB is the only place anyone needs to go for new car reviews thanks to this team and all of the support they have. In addition, you might want to get van courier insurance quotes from CGC website, you might save more with this. With over 20 million website hits every month and 3.7 million monthly video views, it’s obvious that they are the trusted source and that made us incredibly happy to be working with them to create this list.
We got to meet the incredible team face to face for the first time the night before the Ride N Drive. We also linked up with all of our friends and Dad Bloggers who would be testing out the vehicles to give a rounded analysis of opinions. The KBB team treated us like champions the whole weekend. From incredible dinners and lunches, to a wrap up at an Angel’s Game in Anaheim, they really blew us away with incredible hospitality. We can’t thank them enough for how excellent everything was the whole time.
We met the next morning at the KBB HQ for a briefing on the cars and to do our FB Live event which you can still check out on our FB page. Our community got to ask the experts questions about cars in general and as KBB pros, they knew it all. The next morning was the main event. We would be paired with another writer and take off in a car to cruise Southern California, meeting in designated areas to switch vehicles. We were off!
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2016 Civic Touring
If you were to start thinking about a family car, I’d be willing to bet that the Honda Civic isn’t at the forefront of your thoughts. Probably not at the middle or way way way far back of your thoughts either. The Civic is that small sporty car that you had fresh out of college, but it’s not really something that a family could use, is it?? Now, hold your horses amigo! I have special insight into this car because I happened to own a Civic back in the day and I thought it was fantastic. Great gas mileage. Tight handling. Low maintenance costs and generally terrific all around driving experience. That Civic was with me in NY, across the country to CA, shipped to Hawaii, shipped back to CA and then lasted a few years in AZ before being retired (still running great). If purchasing such a car is a dream for you, selling your old one on sites like sell my car Las Vegas might be instrumental. And if you want to personalize your vehicle, then you may consider having vehicle wraps for your car!
This time around, we tried out the 2016 Civic Touring and when I got in, I actually had to check outside to make sure I was in the right car. The Civic that I owned and loved 15 years ago is long gone, replaced by something far more comfortable, more responsive, more… everything. Honda took all of the best elements of the Civic and have elevated them with the 2016 model. Though still a small car, this can easily be a family vehicle for parents of one, or two children. Three would be possible, but you need to weigh in the frustration of car seats packed too closely together to make clipping in anything short of a daily nightmare. It has an outstanding amount of trunk space for strollers, bags and all of the other things that will invariably rattle around as you make the empty promise to yourself to clean it. It has a super impressive 35 MPG, for all of those trips you’ll be making to Target for wipes and diapers. If you need products for it, you can easily avail them at OffroadPowerProducts.com.
So, Life of Dad’s take on the Civic. It’s a great car to start your family with, if you are also interested in this model, I suggest you read this blog. You still get to retain that piece of you that is clinging to your days before fatherhood with the look, feel and drive of a sporty vehicle, while also feeling secure knowing you have a safe vehicle that you can fit all of your family crapola into. It packs in a ton of safety features and you won’t exactly be breaking the bank to own one. That’s a weird term. I’m always broke and haven’t broken one bank yet. Additionally, this model is gaining the attention of taxi drivers and sober driver Dubai because of its comfort level and safety measures.
Life of Dad gives this car, 3 out of 4 Dashboard Hulas.
Subaru Outback
Now we’re stepping up in size. Not drastically, but just enough where most parents would be able to avoid the knee-jerk anxiety that would accompany fitting a small family into a petit sedan. This was my first time driving a Subaru, if you don’t count my college friend’s ancient, Grateful Dead be-stickered model that was manufactured sometime in 1842 (testament to the longevity!!) I’d always heard great things about Subaru’s and was excited to get behind the wheel of this one. Once I was finally cruising, I felt….. “What’s the word for not underwhelmed, but not particularly blown away?” It’s hard to place. I had high hopes, but maybe in the sense of that incredible movie that all of your friends have raved about that you get increasingly excited to experience. Then you see it and it’s not unexceptional, but it was built up in your head as something far more grand than the reality. I know so many Subaru-Super-Fans who will always swear by the car and they did this to me. Thanks a lot, SubaNerds.
Don’t let my slight deflation at driving the Subaru sway you to the negative. In almost every aspect the car performed wonderfully. My biggest complaint during the drive was actually about the headrest which was positioned WAY too far forward. As I wondered what sort of deal Subaru had with the Chiropractic world, my driving partner Don from DaddyNewbie pointed out the simple adjustment that made it tremendously better. I need to be less quick to blame.
The Subaru will give parents a very substantial amount of room, without feeling like they are barrelling down the highway in an M1 Abrams (though how rad would that be?) The car handled great, was nice and wide so you can pass things back and forth to your passengers and had a very intuitive operating system in the dash. I’d say it is just the right size for a family of 4, who don’t want to submit just yet to the minivan. It has oodles of safety features and the price is right on par with the Civic which surprised me. Gas milage is slightly lower on it, so you’d be shelling out a bit more on a weekly basis, but it’s not restrictive by any means.
I’d give the Subaru a solid 3.5 Dashboard Hulas for family driving.
Toyota Sienna SE Prem
Minivan!! Now we’re talking. I love them. I make no secret of this, despite others whispering their fondness like they’re talking about their cousin Byron and his many disastrous life choices. I proudly tell anyone who will listen that the minivan is a superior vehicle to most others out there if you’re weighing all benefits combined. Most can haul as much, or more than pickup trucks. They are generally far more comfortable than SUV’s with interior space that blows their counterparts away. They handle great and are relatively good on gas. So, I was already set to like the Toyota Sienna.
But instead I loved it. From the seat set ups, to the handling, the pickup and the maneuverability, this car was fantastic. The accessibility from the side doors to your kids in car seats is fantastic. Loads of room to get by one, and snap in another in the third row. The stow and go seat storage is pretty standard, but if you don’t know what it is, you haven’t lived. In two seconds you can fold the seats into the floor, leaving a big open deck for moving furniture or larger objects. It’s like having a truck, but friends aren’t going to think of you when they need to move! Perfection!
Obviously this car is for expanding families, but you don’t have to be a particularly large family to want, or need it. When I had 2 in car seats, my minivan was great in case we wanted any other human to be in the car. Not an option with most other vehicles out there unless your SUV has 3 rows. The Sienna was great on uphills, had tight steering and felt more like I was driving a smaller sports car than a van. Parts are also easy to find on online shops like Bend Brothers.
This van, earned itself a solid 4 Dashboard Hulas.
Chevrolet Tahoe
As much as I love minivans, sometimes it’s nice to sit behind the wheel of a truck and lord over the other cars around me. A car that makes me want to grow a gnarly beard and go lumberjacking. I want to eat some high-quality beef jerky, and drive through rugged terrain to camping destination for family. For a trip like this, I would choose the Chevy Tahoe. You can choose from a variety of New 2021 Chevrolet Trucks if you are just like me who is a fan of trucks.
When I got into the driver’s seat, I was ready for an adventure. I was ready for a road trip. I was ready to rule the road. Now, we had a specific route, so I wasn’t able to drive to Montana like I wanted to, but it felt like I could have been on my way. I could have loaded my three kids in the SUV easily, with plenty of room to spare for all of our gear. I could have queued up Apple Car Play and played the soundtrack to Braveheart while cruise controlling at the speed limit. Heck, there was so much room, I could have considered having another child to fill out the space. But I didn’t do any of that…especially the last one.
Instead, I had the joy ride of all joy rides and I felt like I was in the most powerful vehicle on the road.
And then I gave this full-size SUV 4 Dashboard Hulas for roominess and smooth manly ride.
2016 KIA Optima SX Turbo
Finally, after descending from my lofty eyrie of a seat inside the Tahoe, I was back down to a smaller sedan. I’m pretty familiar with Kia, having had the opportunities to drive a few of their models in the recent years. Each time I’ve gotten behind the wheels of one, I’ve become increasingly impressed with the brand and the vehicles they produce. The Optima, is no different.
This might be one of my favorite cars to drive in general. Not just for Kelley Blue Book. The car seems to marry everything I like about all of the other vehicles (with the exception of massive amounts of space.) The Optima is not only responsive and intuitive, but it’s also surprisingly spacious for a sedan. Loads of headroom in the back will make installing car seats a breeze, and it’s wide enough that you can probably fit another passenger in the back if you have two car seats installed. Obviously depending on the size of that person. Kia really packs in a lot of standard features that are upgrades in other vehicles. Our favorite upgrade they had was the ventilated seats. It was amazing on this summer day. Not only that, but Kia is now known to be one of the safest cars on the road, giving them almost a 180 from when they were first introduced to the USA and a car I would love to have surrounding my family.
As a sedan, this car has earned us a solid 4.5 Dashboard Hulas for control, surprising room and safety. Best for families of 4 or maybe 5.
As a whole, we couldn’t find a car amongst the group that would stand out as the best for a family. But none really sunk to be something wrong for the right group. It really depends on what you’re looking for and the budget you have. Every car here is a winner. Now you just need to crunch your own personal numbers to see which one is going to be best for you and your brood.
*This is a sponsored post on behalf of Life of Dad and Kelley Blue Book. We have received compensation for this post; however, all opinions stated are our own.