This is a sponsored post on behalf of Cars.com

I went for a car wash today in one of those drive-through deals where if feels like your car is still moving and you keep double checking if you put your gear in the “P” position, and was reminded why the kids call our minivan the space ship.

The Honda Odyssey is the crowned jewel of suburban soccer mom-dom. Before I got mine, I remember watching longingly in the supermarket parking lot when some mom with kids and groceries in tow would press a button on her key chain and the trunk would glide open like the hatch of a flying saucer. But the most enviable times were in the pick up lines at the elementary school when doors automatically opened to receive smiling kids with My Little Pony and Superman backpacks jostling as they ran to their parents. No stretching over seats to open the doors. One button opens them as smoothly and silently as a ninja. And wait…the butt warmers and mini refrigerator to keep snacks and drinks cool on the go was huge perk too. The Odyssey made minivans cool, no doubt about it.

I earned my privilege to have one with the unexpected birth of The Babster. Now a family of six, no traditional car could hold us. It was time to start car shopping. We test drove a few minivans and I kept dropping hints to The Hubster for the Odyssey and he finally relented.

I remember the night we got the space ship like it was yesterday. She was smooth, white and shiny as a bullet. Grey leather interior, mini fridge, butt warmers, automatic trunk and sliding doors. At last, my love has come along, I thought. The most tedious and uninteresting part of a car purchase are all the details–the price haggling, credit checks, endless papers to sign, and the dreaded car note. But I was willing to wait to have her–she was worth it.

By far the best part of the purchase was when our salesperson handed us the keys, and all four kids loaded in the back. With me and The Hubster, it felt like a bus full of people. We both looked back at their excited, smiling faces and wondered, when the heck did we have all these kids?!

Cars.com Promotion: 

Right now, Cars.com is holding true to taking the drama out of car shopping, but now they’re taking it out of new cars by paying off someone’s car loan up to $25,000. Submit a photo to the following:

1. On Twitter: Upload a photo of your new car + happy new car face. Use #newcarface and mention/tag @carsdotcom in your post.
2. On Instagram: Upload a photo of your new car + happy new car face. Use #newcarface and mention/tag @carsdotcom in your post.
3. On Facebook: Post a photo of your new car + happy new car face on the Cars.com Facebook wall (as a new post). Be sure to use #newcarface for your entry to be valid.

Participants can only submit one entry during the promotional period.

Visit https://bit.ly/1xCYZ5e for more examples of #newcarface entries, additional contest details and rules.
Open to legal US residents (excluding MD, NJ and TN), 18+ who hold (or whose immediate family member holds) a qualifying vehicle loan or lease. Contest ends 4/17/15 at 12:00:00 pm CST. Prize value up to $25k. Subject to the Official Rules at https://bit.ly/1xCYZ5e. See Official Rules for full details, including eligibility criteria and qualifying vehicle restrictions. Sponsor: Cars.com, a division of Classified Ventures, LLC.
Please do not include any personal information, like your license plate number.
A “New Car” is considered a new or used car bought or leased on or after 1/1/2012.