I actually like the Element, but I thought it would be more than $10K.

What about the Scion xB? Weird look but probably pretty practical.

Scions seem to be holding their resale values like Toyotas.

But - while my wife finds them hideous - I was really impressed by how spacious the Xb is. Fuel efficient, too. Good call.

For some reason I just can't see Ken driving a Scion Lunchbox.

Before I bought my civic hybrid, I was SERIOUSLY considering the Scion xB. I took it for a test drive and fell in love. Fun to drive, spacious, visability surpassed only by a convertible with it's top down, great gas mileage, inexpensive, customizable...then I told Roger about it, and that was the end of all that. He would not be caught dead in "that ugly box". Their style, or lack thereof depending on your opinion, certainly gets comments. I personally loved it. I've since read some rather bad things about their safty ratings though. So if you're considering one, be sure to check out those closely.

or for something a little nostalgic, you could get one of these!

a quick look showed one on craigslist in the Bay Area for $9.5K.

An Element's worth considering. Part of the problem is that here in the Bay Area, Hondas are a tad overpriced.

Anyone have any feelings about VW Golfs or Jettas?

Check the used car lemon guide and you will find the author says to stay away from VW's. The Toyota Matrix has a little larger back seat area than the Corolla. We managed to get the same seat into one when we were looking for a new car but it was tight, ended up getting an Escape instead, lots more back seat room, more than the full size quad cab pick ups. A used Escape could be had for about the price you are looking for.

Scion xB?

*shutter*

I would look into a saturn. They have great gas milage and have a good amount of space in the back.

I would be leery of a used VW/Audi product. VW went through a dark period for reliability a few years back, and have only recently begun to emerge (some will argue that they still have too many problems).

I like the others' suggestion of a Honda Element, but they have only been out for a couple of years so it might be hard to find one for under $10k. You could check out a Toyota RAV-4, Honda CR-V, or Subaru Forester. Those are all generally very reliable, roomy little SUV's that have plenty of room in the back that have been on the market for long enough to find some good deals. My father-in-law has a 2000 Toyota RAV-4 with somewhere around 130k miles and it still seems pretty well screwed together. It's needed oil changes, new tires once, a new battery, and a couple of mufflers, and that's it. It's never burned a drop of oil or otherwise had any problems. I've had personal experiences with several Subaru products (and old Legacy, '00 Forester, '05 Outback, '05 WRX) and they've all been pretty amazing as far as reliability goes, thus my recommendation for them. Subarus are generally very safe but also quite fun-to-drive vehicles that are darn near unstoppable in the snow, if that's a concern. They hold their resale value pretty well, but not quite to the extent on Honda, so I bet you could find a nice deal on a lightly used Outback or Forester from just a couple of years ago.

If you get a Ford Escape, watch out for transmission problems. When I owned a Mazda Tribue (same thing) from 03-05, I spent time on various owner forums. There were a lot of complaints related to transmission and brake problems. I have no idea if it's been fixed in later years, so please research it rather than just taking my word for it.

FWIW, I bought a brand new '03 Mazda Tribute (same thing as an Escape) in early 2003, and it was on its third transmission when I traded it in at 24k miles back in '05. The first one was replaced at about 8k miles, and the second one started making noises and was repalced again at about 20k miles. Otherwise, it was a pretty nice vehicle. My only other complaint was the very SUV-like gas mileage that about 14 city / 20 highway mpg (V6, AWD).

Ken,
One thing to keep in mind is once your little bundle of joy gets a little bigger it becomes more difficult to lift them into the car seat. My son is a big kid and it was quite difficult for my wife to lift him into the car seat in her 4 door chevy. Getting in and out of the vehicle without wrenching your back is most important!

Yeah... I should probably be clear that our primary car is a Volvo 850 wagon, so that's what the kid will be in most of the time. I just need to be able to drive the small car (I'm 5'10") comfortably if the car seat happens to be in that one. It would have fit fine in our '91 Civic. Sigh...

Ken,
might i recommend a 2000 Pontiac Grand Am GT....great car, in fact so perfect, you won't even notice that it is only a 2 door with little/no room in the back seat. It's cheap too (and good on gas)! Hey whatdya know, i think i know someone that might just have one of those cars.....

Nice try, dude.

I don't know what it is, but many of my clients are buying brand new Suzuki Forenza's for about $15,000 and have been very satisfied so far. I've seen them and they are nice cars for the money. Our local dealership is also offering free tires and oil changes for life. I don't know if this special is nationwide or not, and I'm sure it comes along with some exclusions...something to read the fine print on. Anyway, I know it's over $10K, but you have the security of a nice warranty. Otherwise, I tend to be a fan of Toyotas and Nissans which run in our family. Unfortunately, I don't care much for American made vehicles.

Oh, absolutely...