For every mom out there, there’s a perfect vehicle to fit her family’s lifestyle. Here are some luxury choices that the whole family will love, and some less expensive alternatives that still rock the road.
The Adventurous Mom
If trekking along the road less traveled is mom’s idea of the perfect family outing, she’ll need a vehicle that’s up for the task. With a new design unveiled at the New York Auto Show, the 2014 Range Rover Sport (from $61,490) is more nimble, better looking, and at home on the trails and on the road. It’s got room for seven and luxury features to boot. For less than half the cash, Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (from $25,795) has been named Four Wheeler of the Year for three straight years and the Active Lifestyle Vehicle of the Year in the Best Value Off-Road category.
The Sporty Mom
Up for a little mild adventure? The Audi allroad ($39,600) has the versatility and room of a wagon, style that is all Audi, and all-wheel drive capability to handle snowy mountain roads en route to the ski lodge. Also named Active Lifestyle Vehicle of the Year, this one in the Luxury On-Road category, the allroad is a solid choice. As an alternative, Subaru XV Crosstrek (from $21,995) is a great looking all-wheel drive vehicle with a less-than-luxury price tag.
The Classic Mom
Who can forget the carefree days of rolling around in the “way back” of mom’s station wagon, unrestrained, singing “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” and looking for out-of-state-plates on a long road trip? Today’s wagons, like the Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon (from $64,515), have shed the wood-paneled siding for classy sheet metal, luxury accoutrements, and supercharged V-8 engines with 550-plus horsepower. For a little less power and a lot less dough, the VW Jetta SportWagen (from $20,595) has all of the nostalgia of wagons of old, with none of the safety concerns, earning Top Safety Pick honors from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The Green Mom
Able to carry kids and all their gear, while still achieving better than 30 mpg, Lexus RX 450h (from $46,310) has it all for the environmentally conscious. For those who are budget-conscious as well, Toyota Prius V (from $26,650) is the wagon version of the best-selling hybrid, with more cargo room than the original.
The Soccer (Baseball, Hockey, Basketball) Mom
Motor Trend’s SUV of the Year is one of the most complete vehicles we’ve driven. The Mercedes-Benz GL (from $62,400), has style, versatility, power, safety features and room for every kid in the carpool. And it’s also the Active Lifestyle Vehicle of the Year winner in the Family category. And if you’re looking for innovative features in your SUV at a reasonable price, Ford Escape Titanium (from $30,370) is a surprisingly cool choice. It doesn’t seat seven like the GL, but the hands-free liftgate — operated by a sweep of the foot — and the wonderful My Ford Touch system make it a winner.
