If you have 3-4+ kids...

[humpforfree]

What kind of car do you have?

We plan on 3-4+ kids. We also have a dog and camp which requires transporting extra gear.

What kind of car do you have? Any non-minivans out there? If you do have a minivan, tell convince me its not as bad as I am expecting....

We plan on getting me a new car before #2 and want it to last another 10 or so years, so I'm starting research now for purchase in the next year.

[cinco]

I have a honda odyssey and I love it. It is just so damn convenient. Automatic doors, seats my family plus friends or my parents. Easy to drive. I don't understand arguments against minivans. If it is the coolness factor, you totally lose that by kid 3 anyway.

We also have a Camry, that does fit 3. The kids can't keep their damn hands off one another. Stop touching!

[spidervain]

Minivan. It's just better. I didn't want one either, but the sliding doors, more storage room in back, not having to fold down seats so they can get in all make it better than most of the other 6+ seater options.

[Willis Jackson]

Mazda 5. It's not any bigger than we need, which I like. We easily took a road trip with 2 kids. With 3 kids, we'll probably put luggage on the roof.

[zarapipe]

Van. Automatic. Sliding. Doors

End of discussion

[mrsGreeko]

I have a honda odyssey
DH has a Honda pilot

We both prefer to take the minivan when we have all three kids. It's just so much bigger inside and the kids aren't all on top of each other and our oldest has an easier time buckling in in the van (tight fit between two carseats in the pilot.

Lots of cargo room, although we have a ski rack for skiing and a cargo roof box for camping.


Three kids and one 70 pound dog.


I don't equate my coolness or lack thereof to my car. Don't see my car as a status symbol or anything more than useful transportation for my family.

[humpforfree]

Dec 18, 2014 21:20:53 GMT -5 cinco said:

I have a honda odyssey and I love it. It is just so damn convenient. Automatic doors, seats my family plus friends or my parents. Easy to drive. I don't understand arguments against minivans. If it is the coolness factor, you totally lose that by kid 3 anyway.

We also have a Camry, that does fit 3. The kids can't keep their damn hands off one another. Stop touching!

Lol. So true.. (wilted)

[ilikedonuts]

I was so anti-minivan. Probably the most anti-minivan out of anyone I know.

Then I got a Honda Odyssey. Why did I wait so long?

We just went to Disney with 3 adults, 2 kids in carseats and an insane amount of stuff (we had a carseat in the small part of the back row and then put the rest down) and still had enough room to be comfortable. It was so nice.

And I love my automatic doors. My doors alone have convinced moms in our various activities to get vans. I open the doors as I'm walking to the car, carrying the baby and holding my toddler's hand. No having to struggle with kids in my arms, worry about the toddler running away, etc in order to open them.

[my4girls]

Another odyssey owner/ lover. I've never been anti minivan but didn't realize how much I would love it! It drives so nicely and there's so much room

[deo]

We are planning on having a 3rd and we upgraded to a Honda Odyssey. Soooo much room. I'm so glad I went with the minivan over the 3rd row SUV.

DH drives a F150 with 4 doors, 3 car seats will fit across the back. If we go anywhere with the kids it will be in the minivan 90% time.

[mswax]

I have 3 boys and a honda CRV. It barely fits all 3 kids. I can't wait to get a minivan!

[elocrates]

Love our Honda Odyssey. Love. I really didn't want a minivan. We searched for a long time for a non-minivan vehicle. So glad I caved. It's not just about fitting kids/ carseats in. It's all their gear. The space available and flexible seating arrangements just can't be beat. A Traverse (or similar from another company) was the closest non-minivan on our list. But the space for storing/ hauling things in the minivan, along with the sliding rear doors (so much easier to get an infant seat (and kids) out of the vehicle in a cramped parking lot than with standard swing doors) persuaded us to try the odyssey.

We can also fit all three in our Trailblazer, but it feels cramped and for longer car trips the "closeness" of everybody becomes an issue. At some point one of them pisses off another one and there is just no physical separation. Also, the amount of space for hauling things for the 5 of us for trips longer than a simple overnight is really not adequate.

Get the minivan. Learn to love the minivan.

[ilikedonuts]

I previously had a Traverse with the 3 full rows. The difference in room when you use all 3 rows is huge. While I could fit my single stroller (and my city select with both seats taken off and squeezed in) in the Traverse with the 3rd row up, I would have to catch it when I opened the back because it would fall out as soon as I opened the back. And the stroller literally took up the entire back with the 3rd row up.

[turtlegirl]

We only have 2 kids now, but are planning on trying for a 3rd next year.

We have a Ford Flex and I love it. Right now we have the boys in the middle row and the back row down flat for cargo and the 70 lb dog we take around a lot.

[egishere]

I traded my Acura MDX for a Honda Odyssey when my triplets were about a month old I said I would never be caught dead in a minivan but I honestly love it! The sliding doors and DVD player are so nice to have! I figure this is temporary and in a few yrs I can get a "cooler" SUV but for now it meets our needs
We could have made the MDX work but my DH is 6'5 and had no room with rear facing seats in the second row.

[SpartanGirl]

4 kids, a dog and, we love to camp. We have a Dodge Caravan. Honestly, I love our minivan. There's just room for everything (well, okay, I'd love a bigger minivan because sometimes we have to use a rooftop carrier, but in general it's pretty awesome). We can also take out the seats (get stow and go, best invention ever) and haul furniture and other large things.

My biggest complaint is that there is no room in our car for another person. With 4 carseats/boosters, 6 people is the max capacity. That will change as the kids get older, but I think it's more about our family size and not our chosen vehicle.

[h]

Three kids. Love my Odyssey. So convenient, so comfortable. We can fit all three in my H's Highlander as well, but we both find the Odyssey to be infinitely more pleasant if we are carting around the whole crew.

I get why a childless 22 year old might feel like a minivan isn't cool enough, but I don't really get why 30 something people with three kids give a shit about that. No car is cool with 3+ car seats in it.

[jena]

Just get the damn minivan. It's what they are made for, so it's no surprise they are better for transporting families and all that family crap.

When you have no car seats and everyone can buckle and unbuckle by themselves then you can get something else.

[shell24]

A Toyota Sienna and there is no shame lol

[KKD]

I have three kids (7, 4, 1) and drive an Acadia with captain's chairs in the second row. It works well for us, and I don't think there's any other vehicle besides a minivan that would work better for us. I just have no interest in getting a minivan, though I'll admit I am envious of the automatic sliding doors.

Anyway, I prefer the second row captain's chairs for the third row accessibility for both my oldest and any other additional passengers who sit back there. We have a RF convertible behind the driver, a FF highback 5-point booster behind the passenger, and a high back booster on the passenger side in the third row. We can also fit another booster or one or two adults in the rear seat.

There is limited cargo room when the third row is up, but I have fit my BOB duallie in there before. When the 40 split is up and the 60 split is down, we have enough room to pack for a road trip. I love the hidden storage compartment in the back.

Dec 18, 2014 23:13:41 GMT -5 @fivedogs said:

blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2013/05/guide-suvs-crossovers-minivans-with-third-rwo-tether-anchors.html

It's a little late for us, but thanks for this. When my oldest was in a Frontier that had to be in the third row center in order to be tethered, it limited both our cargo room and our ability to carry additional passengers. I think we could fit a low booster next to it, and I know my skinny sister squeezed back there once, but it's a lot roomier since we switched her to a booster and moved her to the side. I probably would have kept her in a 5-point harness longer if we could have used a side tether, but unfortunately I didn't realize it was an issue until it was too late. That really is my only qualm with the car.

[Deleted]

Mountaineer

[persa]

We had one kid and I just had twins so I got an odyssey. I love it. It's so easy and it drives nice and had good gas mileage.

[bowies]

There's always a Ford Econoline...

[lurknomore]

Dec 18, 2014 22:54:41 GMT -5 ilikedonuts said:

I previously had a Traverse with the 3 full rows. The difference in room when you use all 3 rows is huge. While I could fit my single stroller (and my city select with both seats taken off and squeezed in) in the Traverse with the 3rd row up, I would have to catch it when I opened the back because it would fall out as soon as I opened the back. And the stroller literally took up the entire back with the 3rd row up.

We have a Yukon and this is the problem we have. No cargo space with the third row up. The ither issue is that with two car seats in the middle row (we have captains seats, so total seating is 7) you can't get into the back easily. My DD1 either climbs over or under a car seat, or she crawls in thru the back. It's dumb. And, to boot, it feels like a minivan from the inside anyway. DH is soooo anti van. I have no clue what well do when we need to replace this.

[Deleted]

I drive a Toyota Sienna with AWD. You cannot beat the auto sliding doors. I swore I would never drive a minivan but that was just foolish. They really are the most convenient for little kids. Once the kids are older I may switch to an suv but not while they are all in car seats and I have to get to the third row to buckle them in.

Also, we looked at every suv out there other than a suburban that has 3 rows. The sienna literally had double the cargo space of any of them once the third row is in use!!! That is huge when you need to lug around strollers plus groceries or whatever. That combined with my still being able to have AWD and the decision was made.

[meltoine]

I am getting a Jetta Sportwagen when we decide to have #3. There will be no #4, though, and I couldn't fit a fourth in that car. But I can fit three and it has tons of cargo space.

[humpforfree]

Dec 18, 2014 22:54:41 GMT -5 ilikedonuts said:

I previously had a Traverse with the 3 full rows. The difference in room when you use all 3 rows is huge. While I could fit my single stroller (and my city select with both seats taken off and squeezed in) in the Traverse with the 3rd row up, I would have to catch it when I opened the back because it would fall out as soon as I opened the back. And the stroller literally took up the entire back with the 3rd row up.

My friend has this and this is exactly what I was worried about. She can't fit the Bob in there with the third row up either.

[barefootcontessa]

I have a Suburban size vehicle for 5 kids, three of which are still in car seats. We pretty much drive everywhere (no flying) and a mini-van would be extremely tight when you factor in the need for strollers and gear. We have a roof top rack we use for luggage for long trips. But the main reason why I did not want a minivan is I did not feel comfortable with small kids in a third row with so little space between the back of the vehicle. I actually had three car-seated kids in a Toyota Camry for almost two years while we saved for a full-size SUV. It was a pain but do-able, particularly since the trunk was so large.

[holly116]

I have a VW Routan (it's a T&C, let's be real) and I love it. It was cheap, has all the bells and whistles (dual DVD, back up camera, navigation, leather, heated seats, automatic doors etc) and it's huge. We have the boys in the back row and then DD in a captains chair in the second row. Then we stow the other captains chair so I can climb in and get everyone's coats on and off/strapped in. Or pile 100 bags from target without trouble.

Yeah it's driving a tank, but, I'm a mom with three small kids, who am I trying to fool? I had a SUV company car when I lived in Denver and meh. It's not worth the extra expense or hassle of trying to make something work when there's an obviously easier solution. And that solution is the minivan. . Embrace it, you won't look back.

[sixtwelve]

We have a Toyota sequoia and a wagon. I would probably buy a van in place of the wagon if we were buying a new car. We have three kids and a dog.