Poll: What Car Should we pick?

[quickstepstar]

We are being SO indecisive about this!

Relevant facts: we have 3 kids, 2 are almost 6, so in boosterland, and an almost 3-year old (~3 years away from boosters). Kids are fairly short. We live in the North-East, so it snows a lot, and the snow stays on the ground for ~6 months out of the year. (Maybe not quite that much but Dec-March for sure). Our town has a lot of hills too. We take car trips (6-8 hours long) to visit family 3-5 times per year. Depending on if we get new or used, this car will be used by the whole family on weekends/trips, and for the nanny to drive during the week if we get used, or I will drive it if we get new (and nanny will drive my CRV which currently has 3 car seats comfortably installed). I drive a CRV now, and I prefer to drive smaller cars, since I feel like I can't see as well in a bigger one. We are used to a smaller car, so any of tehse would give us a lot more space than we have now.

Option 1: Honda Odyssey
- Pros: We like the car, there are good used options. Older girls would sit in 3rd row comfortably. Lots of trunk space if the 3rd row is up.
- Cons: No 4WD or AWD option, I cannot drive the car comfortably (I am pretty short).

Option 2: Toyota Sienna
- Pros: Has AWD, space, 3rd row.
- Cons: We don't like it as much, and I can't drive it comfortably.

Option 3: Honda Pilot
- Pros: 4WD, nice car, seems very comfortable in the front, has all the features we want.
- Cons: Kids would all sit in the 2nd row for trips so that we can put our stuff in a bigger trunk. If we use 3rd row, getting there can be somewhat awkward to do (not so much while kids are small). Also gas mileage is pretty bad.

Option 4: Toyota Highlander
- Pros: Has AWD, has an option for captain chairs in the 2nd row, which will make 3rd row more accessable.
- Cons: $$$, we would be unlikely to get a good deal, since these are very popular in our area.

Option 5: Toyota Highlander Hybrid
- Pros: AWD, captain chairs, Gas Mileage
- Cons: $$$$$$$, would have to wait for one, limited used options.

As far as prices, if we were to get a new one with the features we wanted it would be like this:
Highlander Hybrid >>> Highlander >> Pilot > Sienna > Odyssey
The difference between Pilot, Sienna, and Odyssey is not big (within $2K).

Bonus Question: If you live in a snowy wintery climate, how important is it for you to have 4WD/AWD?
 

[IrishBelle]

My first choice would have been the Odyssey but since you can't comfortably drive the Odyssey or the Sienna and it sounds like you could be the main driver, I would rule those out. I would also rule out the pilot for the issue of getting to the 3rd row and the gas mileage.

I also live in a snowy winter climate and I have never had a vehicle with AWD or 4WD and I have never had an issue, however snow tires are a must.

[lasagnasshole]

When you say that you live in a snowy winter climate, do you live in a rural area?

I drove a Corolla for years in the Northeast and Midwest. But I always lived in the city, and if my car couldn't clear the city streets, it was because things were so bad that most things closed. I guess it would be different in a rural area.

The number one key for winter driving is SLOWING DOWN. AWD and 4WD help you get going if the ground hasn't been cleared, but they don't make you stop faster.

[mich1]

Have you considered a Subaru? It's a bit smaller than some of the vehicles you're looking at now.

I grew up in waaay upstate NY and never had AWD. But I've driven my Subaru up there in winter and really appreciate the control that it gives me on the road. We don't get as much snow here in WA, but live in a hilly area and any amount of show becomes an issue on steep hills.

Our driveway is very steep and last winter when we got about 8" of very heavy, wet snow my Forester got us out of our driveway with just all season tires on it (granted, they were new).

[Deleted]

I don't think AWD or 4WD is a must. I have friends that live in northern MN that drive an accord and a 2WD Pilot. If you're looking for a 3rd row - I think the Highlander has a far more accessible configuration.

[quickstepstar]

Jul 25, 2014 11:03:53 GMT -5 lasagnasshole said:

When you say that you live in a snowy winter climate, do you live in a rural area?

I drove a Corolla for years in the Northeast and Midwest. But I always lived in the city, and if my car couldn't clear the city streets, it was because things were so bad that most things closed. I guess it would be different in a rural area.

The number one key for winter driving is SLOWING DOWN. AWD and 4WD help you get going if the ground hasn't been cleared, but they don't make you stop faster.

The part of town where we are is more suburban, but 2 min north it is rural. (We are in CT.) Because we are where we are, things don't close at the 1st snowflake, so we still need to get places with snow on the ground.

[quickstepstar]

Jul 25, 2014 11:04:00 GMT -5 mich1 said:

Have you considered a Subaru? It's a bit smaller than some of the vehicles you're looking at now.

I have looked at the Tribeca, but they are discontinuing it... I think Outback and Forrester would be a bit too small for us.

ETA: However they are both on my radar for when we replace the CRV in ~5ish years, and I am looking at Impreza AWD to replace DH's Camry.

[h]

We have three kids, a Highlander Hybrid, and an Odyssey. The Odyssey is SO SO much more convenient for lugging the kids around, to the point that we avoid taking the Highlander when we have all three kids. So if you could comfortably drive them, I would vote Odyssey or Sienna. That said, I wouldn't buy a car you can't drive comfortably, and we do like the Highlander aside from the fact that the third row isn't great, and it is just no where near as easy as a minivan with three kids.

[Deleted]

Sounds like you need to keep looking. None of those options are great.

I wouldn't be that worried about non-AWD. I didn't have it for years and I have it now and it isn't a big difference. I just needed to start and stop a little more carefully before.

[Susie]

Jul 25, 2014 11:53:43 GMT -5 @songforyou said:

The first two aren't even options as far as I'm concerned--if you can't comfortably drive the car, it's not an option. I'd also eliminate the Pilot because of the gas mileage, so this would just come down to hybrid or not for me.

While nice to have, I don't think 4WD or AWD are necessary in most of the NE, but of these options, both my remaining choices offer it anyway.

Agree with all these points except how bad is the Pilot's gas mileage, exactly?  Because I'm not sure I'm ready to rule it out QUITE yet.

I live in upstate NY, and have a Subaru and an aging Jetta.  I am just as comfortable with the Jetta as the Subaru in snow, it just gets hung up a little more on snow piles in intersections.  It's a clearance issue rather than 2 vs. 4 WD.  AWD is nice to have, but not necessary, especially if you pick a relatively heavy car with relatively even weight distribution (i.e. not a pickup truck).  

[cajunmom]

First off, let me say I LOVE the Pilot. I love how it looks, the features, everything. I've pretty much always wanted one.

We were in the market for a new car this past May. At first, I was all "Yay! I can finally get my Pilot!." (We had a Grand Caravan at the time.)

Yeah, no. The Pilot, while still very appealing in looks to me, was completely impractical inside. That third row with barely any leg room, the second row didn't have much, either, and the "storage" space behind the third row...what a joke. We have kids ages 16, 11, and 8, so we don't have car seat issues, but there was no way we could use that for a road trip or anything and be comfortable.

We ended up buying another Grand Caravan.

[quickstepstar]

Jul 25, 2014 12:12:24 GMT -5 Susie said:

Jul 25, 2014 11:53:43 GMT -5 @songforyou said:

Agree with all these points except how bad is the Pilot's gas mileage, exactly?  Because I'm not sure I'm ready to rule it out QUITE yet.

18 city 25 highway. It is the worst of our options. I guess it is not horrible though.

[Deleted]

I have an Odyssey and I love it. We have 4 kids so we had to have a functional 3rd row. We just got it in October and had a Pilot before that. The Pilot, while nice to drive and look at, was completely impractical for 4 kids. The 3rd row has almost no legroom and when the 3rd row is up there is no place to store anything. I am also fairly short (5'4") and was able to move the driver's seat of the Odyssey forward and up and move the steering wheel so that I was comfortable. My model has driver seat memory (not sure if all Odyssey models do) so it is no big deal to move it around because my key is set to my seat settings so it automatically moves where I want it when I unlock the car.
I don't live in the snow so I can not give you any info on that.

[tigress]

How short are you? I have an Odyssey and don't have any issues driving it comfortably...

Just curious

[rikki]

Jul 25, 2014 12:58:01 GMT -5 tigress said:

How short are you? I have an Odyssey and don't have any issues driving it comfortably...

Just curious

This is exactly what I was going to ask. My aunt is 4'11" and lives her Sienna.

[quickstepstar]

Jul 25, 2014 12:58:01 GMT -5 tigress said:

How short are you? I have an Odyssey and don't have any issues driving it comfortably...

Just curious

I am 5'3. I guess not THAT short, I am just so used to small cars I have no perceptin of how long/wide the thing is. I guess I could get used to it... i think it is also the fact that I sit lower than I do in my CRV, which obstructs the view some...

[tigress]

Jul 25, 2014 13:34:51 GMT -5 quickstepstar said:

Jul 25, 2014 12:58:01 GMT -5 tigress said:

How short are you? I have an Odyssey and don't have any issues driving it comfortably...

Just curious

I am 5'3. I guess not THAT short, I am just so used to small cars I have no perceptin of how long/wide the thing is. I guess I could get used to it... i think it is also the fact that I sit lower than I do in my CRV, which obstructs the view some...

I'm 5'4". I think that if you do decide to go the minivan route there would just need to be an adjustment period. Between my H's Acura MDX and my Honda Odyssey I don't feel lower in my Odyssey. It sits fairly high I feel. 

But I went from driving a sedan to the minivan so maybe I'm crazy.

[mainelyfoolish]

You do not need AWD. If you drive a lot in the snow, buy a set of snow tires. I live in Maine with a FWD Sienna and have no difficulties getting around.

A minivan will take a little getting used to, but that doesn't mean you can't drive it comfortably. Power adjusting seats will accommodate most anyone.

[bittybomb]

We have a minivan (2013 Chrysler Town and Country that I honestly love considering it is a minivan) that our nanny uses.  We have 3 kids - 6 year old in booster, a 3 1/2 year old in convertible and a 2 1/2 year old also in convertible.

I currently drive a Malibu to and from work that has car seats for the two older ones who I drop off at school on my way to work.  My husband commutes, so no car for him.

As the baby will be going to school soonish, we are starting to look at our options.  I do not want 2 minivans, and the minivan will remain our "family" car for vacations and small trips (we travel with the kids for a night here and there about 4 to 5 times a year plus we always go away for a week).

I want an SVU that has captain seats in the middle row so that the 3rd row is accessible for my oldest to get to nice and easily.  I think I have it narrowed to Highlander, Dodge Durango, GMC Acadia (being my first choice at the moment) and Chevy Traverse.

We also get snow and I feel more comfortable in something that has 4WD or AWD.

Eta I'm 5'4 and have no issue driving the minivan.  We used to have the Pilot, which I did love, but it was a pain with the 3 car seats.

[macmars45]

My sister has 3 kids under 5 (two carseats & a booster) in the back seat of her Toyota Rav4 with AWD. Just another idea. 

[xokell2]

I live in the Midwest and prefer an AWD vehicle, that's why I love my Subaru

[aurora]

I absolutely wouldn't buy a car I couldn't drive comfortably.

I don't think 4WD/AWD is required in a snowy climate in general, though we have it on both of our vehicles (a Subaru Outback and Toyota Tacoma). Snow tires are more important than AWD because, as others have said, they allow you to stop. That said, our Outback is really amazing in the snow (with snow tires) and I personally will keep buying them for as long as I live in snowy climates. The newest Outbacks are also a lot bigger than you might imagine. Oh, and no, I am not a Subaru salesperson.

[imojoebunny]

I have a 2012 Hylander Hybrid. I would need a cargo box on top with 3 kids on trips. The three across would be tight, but if you figured it out for your CRV, you may be able to figure it out for the highlander.

I am looking at the AWD Pilot or the Mazda 5 if I end up having to get a new car in the spring (Hylander is a company car, we might buy it depending on the price they give us).

[mrst2]

Jul 25, 2014 13:34:51 GMT -5 quickstepstar said:

Jul 25, 2014 12:58:01 GMT -5 tigress said:

How short are you? I have an Odyssey and don't have any issues driving it comfortably...

Just curious

I am 5'3. I guess not THAT short, I am just so used to small cars I have no perceptin of how long/wide the thing is. I guess I could get used to it... i think it is also the fact that I sit lower than I do in my CRV, which obstructs the view some...

I'm 5'2 and drive an Odyssey. It's not really that wide and with the backup camera you shouldn't have trouble getting used to the size. We also have a 4runner and for the most part I prefer driving the odyssey.

[boiler717]

I find the Odyssey incredibly easy to drive, much more so than Pilot. That would be my choice but it seems like you aren't into it.

[MixedBerryJam]

If you're 5'3" I honestly doubt you'd have trouble driving the Odyssey (I'm 5'4" and drove one for 12 years; I still own it in fact for taking my kid to school in a couple of months) so it might just be a matter of getting acclimated. I swear Honda doesn't pay me for my endorsement, but ... My Odyssey was 5 years old and I was in a crash and it had to be towed. I had no idea where to tow it to because ddh had done the oil changes and regular maintenance, and in 5 years it hadn't needed one iota of work for any reason whatsoever. So reliable. Also, at the time we purchased it (it was an '03 we purchased in late '02) it was the only minivan that would hold a 4x8 piece of plywood flat. That may not be the case now but as inveterate diy'ers that was important to us. It really does drive like a car, and actually has the turning radius of a much smaller vehicle. People were always impressed with my u-turn and parallel parking capabilities. I really fought the idea of going to a minivan, but my husband convinced me to rent one for a week to try it and I fell in love with it. (We lived overseas at the time and actually didn't have a car at all.) I still love my Odyssey and would totally recommend more than just brief test drive before deciding you're too short to drive it comfortably. Can you rent one for a couple of days? I am a Honda generalist fan, though, in that I just "downgraded" to a Civic hybrid and omg if you want to hear a grown woman gush about a goddamn car, ask my about my Civic. I am insufferable about it.

ETA: Also, I don't know where you are, but I"m in New England and we've had some hellish winters and I've never had a problem not having the 4WD/AWD, ever. I'm trying to think if I've ever even skidded in it, and I'm just not recalling anything big, anyway. God, I love my Hondas. 

[jenn248]

While we love our Pilot, I got stuck sitting in the middle seat of the second row for a long drive last night and it was not comfortable. And as others have said, there is very little cargo room when the third row is up.

[ECB]

A bigger car is going to take adjusting to no matter what. I'm 6'0 and it still took me some time to get used to my van.

[LoveTrains]

I don't believe that you should buy a car that you can't comfortably drive. So that eliminates the two vans, IMO.

[kitchenreno]

I voted for the highlander by mistake - meant to do the Pilot. We have 2 Pilots and love them. (only 2 kids though. we drive other kids around all the time, but maybe I wouldn't love it so much if I had 3 kids all the time)