Normal car recommendation….

[Mad Mike]

You are correct…our use case is simple.

Wife uses the Odyssey non stop for work.

I can’t take the kids with her van as then she can’t go anywhere.

I can’t take all the kids in the GTI because they won’t fit.

Need to tow? Van
Need all 3 kids? Van

My use is typically just commuting to and from work. Her van is for her work.

Rogue / CRV / RAV4 / Maverick are all good options.

Towing is rare, but the 3500lb odyssey can tow is nice.

If I wasn’t such a pansy with German out of warranty I’d have a ALLTRACK or 330Xi in my driveway already.

He’ll the Mazda5 was a fantastic option but they’re old now, and not the safest in crashes.

Also let’s assume that my side hustle gets busier…I’ll need a way to haul tools and the like….

GTI is awesome but not for my use case. Should’ve went automatic.

@Hardwrkr13 says truck…which would be nice. But most of them are pigs on gas and unnecessary 90% of the time.

@d4rktrooper788 you are correct…vans are awesome.

Teach your wife to row.

All my cars are standard, my 3 kids learned to drive stick at 12 on the logging roads at our cottage. It's not all that hard to learn, an hour in a parking lot than a couple more on the road and most drivers are OK.

 

[Dirty Frank]

Styling...

 

[timtune]

Teach your wife to row.

All my cars are standard, my 3 kids learned to drive stick at 12 on the logging roads at our cottage. It's not all that hard to learn, an hour in a parking lot than a couple more on the road and most drivers are OK.

The first and only new vehicle I ever bought (86 Ford Ranger) was taken straight to a parking lot so the Squeeze could beat on the tranny learning to drive it.
Later both kids learned stick because that's all we had at the time.
Funny story. My Daughter worked on Canada's Worst Driver. They had a beat up Honda w/ a stickshift on set. When they asked who could drive a manual only my daughter raised her hand. For that you got to see a glimpse of her in the opening credit.

 

[mimico_polak]

The first and only new vehicle I ever bought (86 Ford Ranger) was taken straight to a parking lot so the Squeeze could beat on the tranny learning to drive it.
Later both kids learned stick because that's all we had at the time.
Funny story. My Daughter worked on Canada's Worst Driver. They had a beat up Honda w/ a stickshift on set. When they asked who could drive a manual only my daughter raised her hand. For that you got to see a glimpse of her in the opening credit.

I've asked my wife multiple times to go drive somewhere in an industrial area (Winston Churchill business district) on a Sunday. Wide open, not many stop signs, zero traffic...

I just want to have a coffee, get out of the car, walk away...and not hear/see my GTI transmission go 'crunch' as she stalls it.

 

[timtune]

Don't forget the tire screeching bunny hops on launch.