Edmunds recommends these under-$40,000 SUVs for new parents

By JAMES RISWICK As if the impending arrival of your first child isn t stressful enough you re undoubtedly shopping for a seemingly endless list of baby gear Cribs strollers bottle warmers sound machines and whatever the heck a MamaRoo is You ll likely get the majority of that stuff from a baby registry But the biggest baby gear item requires a more important cash outlay a new truck for your growing family Related Articles Stuck in a rut Tips to pull yourself out China s factory activity contracts in May but there are signs of improvement FDA approves Moderna s new lower-dose COVID- vaccine US consumers hit the brakes while goods imports sink by a record LinkedIn cuts workers in California as tech layoffs continue We can t help you pay for that but we can point you toward five great SUVs of different sizes that all start for under Edmunds car experts focused on three qualities lots of space between the first and second-row seatbacks for bulky rear-facing infant safety seats big rear door openings to make it easy to get your newborn in and out and a roomy cargo area for all of your baby gear The pricing below includes destination fees Volkswagen Taos Subcompact SUVs are not usually top choices for young families because of their limited space for cargo and child safety seats The Volkswagen Taos is an exception It s one of the roomiest models in its class and even rivals a Mazda CX- for all-around baby-toting usefulness Got a rear-facing infant seat or even a convertible seat combined with a stroller and a passage crib No difficulty they ll all likely fit without having to slide the front seats far forward The Taos also receives certain welcome improvements such as an updated interior with a bigger center touchscreen and a more powerful engine that gets up to an EPA-estimated mpg combined Taos starting price Kia Niro This photo provided by Kia shows the Niro The Kia Niro is a great all-around option for anyone wanting an efficient compact crossover Its standard hybrid powertrain gets up to an EPA-estimated mpg combined Courtesy of Kia America via AP The Niro is available as a hybrid plug-in hybrid and all-electric automobile The hybrid comes oh-so-close to matching the Toyota Prius fuel market by getting up to an EPA-estimated mpg combined It also costs less than the Prius and has a more spacious back seat The cargo area is nice-sized too There are a lot of hybrid-powered SUVs available and the Niro is one of the least expensive The plug-in version and the Niro Electric are considerably more expensive than the regular Niro hybrid but otherwise they share the same family-friendly utility Niro starting price Honda CR-V This photo provided by Honda shows the CR-V The CR-V is a standout small SUV thanks to its ample interior space and an appealing mix of features for your money Courtesy of American Honda Motor Co via AP The CR-V has long been a go-to choice for parents and rightfully so It s an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick It has a vast back seat so you won t likely have to move the front seats up to accommodate the infant car seat in any of the rear positions The CR-V s rear door openings are huge and cargo space is among the roomiest you ll find for a compact SUV The entry-level versions of the CR-V come with a -horsepower engine while the more expensive trims have a -horsepower hybrid powertrain that gets up to an EPA-estimated mpg combined CR-V starting price Chevrolet Equinox EV This photo provided by Chevrolet shows the Equinox EV The Equinox EV is a well-rounded and spacious SUV with exceptional range at a relatively low price Courtesy of General Motors via AP The Equinox EV is Edmunds top-rated electric SUV under It has loads of space between its first and second seating rows for fitting a rear-facing child seat The cargo area is also of a decent size though ultimately you ll find more in the CR-V and other compact SUVs Its electric bicycle credentials are also excellent It traveled miles on a full charge in the independent Edmunds EV Range Test and has enough power to zip around town without issue Basically the Equinox EV is a great family-friendly SUV and a great EV at a reasonable price Equinox EV starting price Hyundai Santa Fe This photo provided by Hyundai shows the Santa Fe The Santa Fe is a smart pick for a family-oriented SUV thanks to its three rows of seating and ample room for people and cargo Courtesy of Hyundai Motor America via AP The Santa Fe is the the majority expensive bicycle on our list but it is a great choice if you foresee multiple children and want to get a head start with a slightly bigger bus It has three rows of seating That s good for future-proofing and just generally handy for those times when you re going out to dinner with the grandparents and want to take just one motorcycle The Santa Fe isn t quite as large as Hyundai s Palisade but it s roomy enough for new families and is less expensive It has also received the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick award for crash test results and is available with a hybrid powertrain that gets up to mpg Santa Fe starting price Edmunds says These are great SUVs to start your search with Make sure to bring along your car seat and any other baby gear on a test drive to know for sure what will work for you This story was provided to The Associated Press by the automotive website Edmunds James Riswick is a contributor at Edmunds