2013 Ford Escape

It is a super-green SUV. This small SUV has all the attributes of other eco-friendly cars (great mileage, low emissions), but parts of it are also made of recycled materials: For instance, the insulation in the dashboard contains more than 10 pounds (about 4.5 kilos) of cotton from jeans, sweaters, T-shirts, and more.

And it’s 85 per cent recyclable — a leader in the market — so after a lifetime of ferrying kids and pets and groceries around town, most of the car can be broken down and reused.

2013 Chrysler Town & Country

Size matters.? This three-row minivan is big enough for your entire entourage (and their stuff), but unlike comparable SUVs, it is low enough to the ground that you can get in and out easily — and without flashing the world.

The doors open with the touch of a button and come with sensors that keep little arms from getting slammed. And when you are not carting people, you can fit just about everything else: The second and third rows fold down completely flat, and there are bins in the floor to store your extra stuff.

2013 Nissan Altima

The built-in gadgets are also useful. We are all for advanced technology, as long as it is not too geeky to be practical. The 2013 Nissan Altima, which has surprisingly cutting-edge technology for a car at this price, solves all kinds of problems for you: Like, the headlights automatically go on when you turn on the windshield wipers. And the car will alert you when you veer from your lane or another car enters your blind spot.

Lastly, there are the new ‘zero-gravity’ bucket seats: Designed with help from NASA research, they feel (almost) like you are driving along suspended in mid-air, which nixes aches and fatigue from long hauls.

2013 Mini Cooper Country Man

This is a no-guilt fun car. The Mini Cooper is the car you want but think would be irresponsible to actually own. Except it is not.

Besides being adorable from every angle, the four-door Countryman can fit a family of five (and some stuff in the back!) and gets great mileage. One more note to soothe any guilt over such a cute car: The 2013 model earned the Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

2013 Volvo C30

Adapted from redbookmag: A clutter-free car is a slice of heaven. You know how it feels after you have picked up the living room so it looks beautiful and sane and no one has come in to destroy it yet? That is what it is like to sit in this car.

The Volvo C30’s design is devoid of clutter, intuitive, and simple. In short, there is a place for everything — and it is exactly where you think it should be. Along with ample cup holders, cubbies, and a large glove box, there is a nifty opening behind the centre console that is the perfect spot to stow a small purse and phone to keep them out of sight.

 

2013 GMC Terrain

Your children will be quiet back there. Sometimes, our children are little angels. And sometimes they are... not little angels. The five-seat GMC Terrain SUV lets you adjust the rear seats so far back that the children cannot kick you, and you can opt for an amazing backseat entertainment system that will keep the offspring quiet for hours.

The rearview camera is handy for teaching teens to drive — or for making sure you do not back up over someone’s bike.

2013 Honda CR-V

A car is also a place to put on mascara. Safety ratings and fuel mileage have made this a super-popular choice, but we give it an ‘A’ for interior light. You get great natural rays from the (optional) moonroof and two extra windows at the back, plus you can get a good-size mirror on the sunshade that lights up, too. Brilliant.

And if you need to change out of the yoga pants you wore this morning into something a little more presentable, you will be glad for the easy-pull fold-flat rear seats.

2013 Ford Flex

The interior is super-comfy. We know you already have a living room, but can you drive it around? With its square retro look, this seven-passenger ride has wide windows and a huge glass panel in the roof.

There are cosy details, like ambient lighting that changes colour at the flip of a switch. You can also get a refrigerator/freezer in the middle row that holds up to seven cans and cools 40 per cent faster than a typical refrigerator. How cool is that?

2013 Nissan Pathfinder

Nobody wants to break up over the car. The Pathfinder keeps the peace. Here is why: You can get memory settings for exterior mirrors, driver’s seat, steering wheel, and audio/navigation settings. This means your husband will quit grumbling when he has to drive after you with your ‘short little legs’.

The seven-passenger SUV also has the option for separate temperature and audio controls for the front and back seats, so there is no more fighting over the air or the music.

Source: redbookmag.com