Flatwoods II 4-Person Tent

If you are car camping then honestly Coleman is my favorite. Tarpaulin bottom, sturdy, long lasting, and inexpensive. The downside is they are heavy, which doesn't matter when car or canoe camping.  The instant cabin tents go up very easily as one person. But if you are in a really windy area then a dome would be better. 

I have an old tent I use for car camping that's big, heavy, and cheap. Backpacking gear comes with compromises, no need to suffer through that or put wear/tear on it unless you are testing new gear. Get a cheap Coleman and you won't be worried about your tissue paper backpacking tent being damaged.

You're getting into a new hobby. Don't drop thousands of dollars up front. Buy a Coleman 3 season tent to start. Same goes for the sleeping bag, just get one with temperature rating 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit less than what the daily low is said to be. If your not hiking into the campsite get regular camping chair and cooler. Same goes for a sleeping pad. Get a heavily well reviewed sleeping pad.  If I was in your shoes and your okay spending a little bit of money. I'd just go to Walmart or Academy sports and buy a tent, bag, pad, and chair there, if car camping. If you wind up enjoying yourself, use the tent and chair until they quit and then upgrade.  Buy a better sleeping bag and pad once you know you're enjoying camping. Waking up well rested helps you enjoy the experience more. 

X = number of people camping, Y = rating of the tent. X+2 = Y for gear space, and a vestibule for inclement weather cooking is really nice. Looking at the tag on the tent we bought a Coleman three season to use camping at the Grand Canyon, it said 8, we had 4, it was just right for size. I've camped two in tent meant for 4, it allowed a cot and stored our gear inside with us. I've moved on to building a DIY camper and keeping that in mind. Queen mattresses and 3 bedrooms are a bit much.

I've had a couple of the instant set-up cabin tents throughout the years, I will keep buying this type until I make the jump to travel trailer. However, I cannot recommend the 10p Core with the built in screened porch. The porch is basically useless in the rain, it doesn't detach & holds the front part of the rainfly. If you decide to keep the screen open it just collects bugs that quickly make it into the tent when you unzip the doors to get in. This is my first Core & probably my last, will probably go back to the Coleman in the same size for my very last tent. Choose Wisely.

My wife and I faced the exact same problem this year and bought a Coleman 4-person for about $100. FWIW, the only time we've used it we got caught in a rainstorm and came out fine. It's not a totally stupid tent, and going with their reputation as making solid non-glamorous gear seems to have worked out. It makes no pretense at all at being light, which for car camping doesn't matter.

A few of our scouts use Coleman tents; one has a two-person, and one has a 4-person. They lack a vestibule for storing gear to keep it out of the rain, but they are quick to set up and they aren't horrible quality. Our scouts have been using theirs for a couple years now. You probably already know, but a 2-person tent will only sleep two tiny people, and 4-person MIGHT fit three.