Loqu.comThere's a perception that the best cars for moms are minivans and SUVs. As a die-hard car person, I say "It ain't necessarily so." Hauling our own family in everything from pint-size subcompacts to three-ton SUVs has taught my wife and I that when it comes to cars for moms, bigger isn't necessarily better. Here are ten cars that are ideally suited to the demands of motherhood.

NO.10  saab 9-3 SportCombi

I like the Saab 9-3 for three reasons: One, it's one of the few mid-size cars available as a station wagon (and an incredibly good looking one at that); two, it's great to drive; and three, its crash test scores are the stuff of legend -- it's been an IIHS Top Safety Pick for as long as I can remember, and I can testify from personal experience just how good the 9-3 is in a crash. The entry-level 2.0T model is one of the great unknown bargains of the automotive world; it's priced significantly cheaper than most European cars, and Saab even throws in free scheduled maintenance for the first 3 years or 36,000 miles.

NO.9  Subaru Impreza

Most moms I know put a high priority on safety, and the Impreza's standard all-wheel-drive system is one of the best (and most unappreciated) safety features you can buy. All-wheel-drive not only grips the road better when the weather is bad, but it makes the car easier to control in a sudden panic swerve even when the roads are dry. The Subaru Impreza is the only small car to earn the title of IIHS Top Safety Pick for 2008 (the caveat being that it must be equipped with the optional electronic stability control system). Freshly redesigned for 2008, the Impreza is available as either a sedan or a mini-wagon with plenty of space for a family of four.

NO.8  Honda Civic

With so many oversize SUVs roaming the roads, the instinct to wrap yourself and your family in as much sheet metal as possible is understandable -- but all that does is compound the problem for other drivers. The Honda Civic is specifically designed to withstand collisions with larger, heavier vehicles, so it should give peace of mind to worried moms. The Civic boasts a roomy back seat, a decent trunk, and a reputation for being as reliable as the sunrise.

NO.7  Toyota Prius

Sure, theToyota  Prius hybrid is good for the environment, but it's also good for your family's budget. With five souls on board, it'll easily manage 45 MPG in mixed driving -- roughly twice the fuel economy of a typical mid-size sedan and three times better than many SUVs -- so it can help ease the financial impact of sudden rises in fuel prices. But the Prius' charms go way beyond good gas mileage: If has a generous back seat and its hatchback body offers plenty of luggage space with a huge opening that makes it easy to load bulky cargo.

NO.6  Scion xB

Looking for a set of wheels that'll make you the coolest mom in the car-pool? Look no further than the Scion xB. The xB earned its fame as mini-box-on-wheels, but a 2008 redesign saw the xB grow into a proper family-sized hatchback with more back seat and cargo space than many small SUVs. And it scores high for safety, with six airbags, antilock brakes and electronic stability control, all standard. Good looking, good to drive, and built with legendary Toyota reliability, the Scion xB is one of my favorite small family cars.

NO.5  Audi A3

The Audi A3 is a roomy mini-wagon that splits the difference between compact hatchbacks and mid-size sedans, with plenty of space to carry two kids and all the stuff that comes with 'em from the day they come home from the hospital until the day they graduate college. Safety is a high priority for most parents, and the A3 comes with an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick award, thanks to its good crash test scores and standard electronic stability control system. The V6-powered 3.2 model is rather expensive; I recommend the cheaper 2.0T, which has a powerful turbocharged engine and is lots of fun to drive.

NO.4  Pontiac Vibe

Rising gas prices mean that mini-wagons like the Pontiac Vibe could well be the mom car of the future. But the Vibe's charms go way beyond its size and shape: It's chock full of family-friendly features like a plastic-lined cargo bay with an innovative cargo organizer, which makes it great for hauling everything from delicate art projects to mud-soaked dogs. Its fold-flat passenger seat means it will accommodate big, bulky items better than many SUVs. All that, plus the Vibe comes loaded with safety equipment, including standard electronic stability control and antilock brakes and optional all-wheel-drive. Designed in conjunction with Toyota, the Vibe is built as the same award-winning plant that makes the Toyota Corolla.

NO.3  Nissan Versa

My kids are never pleased when I have to test a subcompact car, but when I brought a Nissan Versa home, they marveled at the amount of back seat. I, meanwhile, continue to marvel at how inexpensive the Versa is, how good it is to drive, and how nicely the interior is appointed. (Nissan's secret: Back in the home market of Japan, the Versa is sold as a small luxury car.) And the Nissan badge carries a reputation for bulletproof reliability. The Versa remains my top pick for family motoring on the cheap.

NO.2  Lexus ES350

Corporate executives travel first class, so why shouldn't moms? They work just as hard, and usually for less pay. The Lexus ES350 offers a quiet and serene driving environment, yet it's as practical as any front-wheel-drive mid-size sedan because it is a front-wheel-drive mid-size sedan. And you don't need an executive-level salary to afford an ES350 -- pricing starts just north of a top-of-the-line Toyota Camry. The Lexus ES350 has a long list of desirable options, and even with all the options boxes checked it's price compares favorably against European luxury cars.

NO.1  Mazda 5

Car buying is a lot more complicated for moms with more than two or three kids. Most parents opt for a minivan or an SUV, but my choice is the six-seat Mazda5. It offers all the convenience of a minivan -- complete with sliding doors -- but without the mom cars image or the school-bus-like road manners. With external dimensions similar to a mid-size sedan, the Mazda 5 is as nimble as a car in accident-avoidance maneuvers, plus it gets its power from a fuel-efficient four-cylinder engine, so you won't have to sell that extra kid to pay for the gas.

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