There’s one topic of conversation that’s common amongst new parents: which car is the best for someone with kids?
It’s a subject that’s been hotly debated for years, with answers changing over time. Historically, families would opt for station wagons, which allowed ample room for children and cargo. Now, families tend toward SUVs, which offer a comparable amount of cargo space and seating while providing drivers a perceived sense of safety, even if the cars are more dangerous to others on the road.
Often, people will buy a car thinking it will be perfect for their family, only to discover a host of issues down the line. Maybe it’s not as reliable as they thought, or it has an issue that they didn’t expect—but regardless of the reason, people often find themselves regretting their car purchase for one reason or another, then opting to return or replace the car.
On that topic, TikTok user Anna Lundy (@annaelundy) recently accrued over 458,000 views after stating that she would be getting rid of her Honda Pilot after just 6 months.
Why did this mom get rid of her Honda Pilot?
In her video, she says she wants to give a “little update” about her experience with the Honda Pilot after 6 months.
“We sold it,” she says in the video, holding a receipt.
In the caption, she offers a little more of an explanation as to why.
“Buyers remorse never really went away with this purchase as much as I tried to overcome it. My husband and I decided that this vehicle just was not as ‘young family friendly’ as we had hoped it would be and, honestly, just really lessened our quality of life (not to be dramatic but fr),” she wrote.
“It really is a wonderful vehicle,” Lundy adds. “Maybe just really think it through if you’re just now starting your family or have multiple really young kids.”
Lundy elaborates on these thoughts in a follow-up video. She states that the vehicle’s space was insufficient, especially given that she had one child in an infant seat and two others in rear-facing car seats. With all of these seats in the car, she says storage dropped considerably, and she was unable to do things like load groceries.
“When you’re looking at the car at the car dealership, it looks great. You’re like, ‘Wow, this is a lot of space. This is a ton of trunk space,’” she says. “But when you put the car seats in the seat and you put the stuff in the trunk, you quickly realize the space in here is just not gonna cut it.”
Given this, the cabin space became cramped, and Lundy says that this feeling paired with an aggressive air conditioning system left her feeling overstimulated. Gas mileage also disappointed her, dropping to 18 MPG when she switched off eco mode to cool the cabin faster.
Now, she says she’s shopping for a minivan, and advises that others in her same position try to bring their car seats to the dealership prior to purchase or rent the car for a day to see how it would meet their needs.
Commenters share their thoughts
In the comments section, users shared their own experiences trying to find the right family car.
“We had an ‘08 Pilot for 2, then 3, then 4 kids. Great for 2-3 with the ages we had, 2FF and 1RF,” recalled a user. “With 4, it was terrible, I had to totally disassemble my stroller and put the parts all over to fit.”
“I hated to admit it but when you have littles like that, minivans are the way to go,” added another.
“I bought a minivan and will not go back to my SUV,” wrote a third. “so much space also it’s a Honda Odyssey!”
The Daily Dot reached out to Honda via email and Lundy via TikTok DM and comment.
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