Post by electricmayhem on Jan 27, 2015 11:43:04 GMT -5
DS is 3.5 and in a convertible (Britax Boulevard); I don't see him meeting the criteria for a booster before the baby arrives (July), so he'll stay in that. DD is 14 months and also in a BB convertible. We have a Graco infant seat for the baby. I seriously considered buying three Dionos and keeping my Accord, but as DD can't be FF until mid-November at the earliest, I don't think that's going to be practical.
We're going looking in a few weeks and I have the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna on my list; I asked FIL for input and he's suggested some third row SUV's: the Hydundai Santa Fe, the Toyota Highlander or the Nissan Pathfinder: all have similar gas mileage to the vans (I drive a lot for work). I'll check them all out, but if you bought a larger family car, what pushed you to buying a minivan? (FTR--we're looking at the base models new and don't think we'd include the DVD package unless we found a great used deal).
The sliding doors and built in DVD system are amazing. I don't have one, but I expect my next car will be a minivan. I don't like the way you have to access third rows in SUVs.
Sliding doors. Being able put 3 car seats across the middle row (odyssey) and still have the whole back for our large dog kennel and bags for longer trips.
I love our minivan. We have the base model and you can't beat the amount of space for the money.
Post by hilwithonelary on Jan 27, 2015 11:47:26 GMT -5
We only have 2, but the sliding doors were huge for me. I absolutely hated trying to get my kids in and out of my old car's doors without banging into the car next to me. I also think that vans are easier to drive than large SUVs. I hate driving big cars, but had no trouble at all when I switched to my van.
Lack of easy access to the third row in an SUV. Lack of storage when seats are up (double stroller takes a lot of cargo space). A 6'2 husband. Sliding doors. The ability to climb in and load the kids and shut the door behind me (I'm 5'2). Amount of space car seats themselves take up.
We ended up choosing a Sienna LE with a Nav system. the powerliftgate would have been a nice plus, but you can't miss what youve never had. Also we opted for not the AWD version. And eventually the extra seat in the non-AWD might be useful for carpooling.
I'm dreaming of an Odyssey for only two kids. So much room! I sat in the third row of a Santa Fe once with two car seats in the second row and it sucked. It's not so much the car seats for me but when we go visit family we have a suitcase and a bunch of other crap (Pack N Play, groceries etc). It takes too much time to figure out how to fit everything in the back/trunk.
Post by shamrockshake on Jan 27, 2015 11:51:41 GMT -5
Well the only thing that pushed us to a minivan was a 4th kid so....
we actually had a civic with 2 kids and had to upgrade with the 3rd, (it was 11 years old anyway so it was time!) we got an accord before dd3 was born. I didn't really have any issues with it and I actually prefer three in that than in the minivan, I don't have to climb into the back to help anyone in/ out like I do in the MV. That being said, I LOVE our Odyssey.
Having a second kid pushed us to a minivan... But knowing we would eventually have 3 cemented the deal. We also have a 3rd row SUV (pilot). DH and I both greatly prefer the minivan. The third row isn't super useful until the oldest kid is in a booster and using the third row means little cargo room. Three seats across the middle row is doable, but right and if one is a booster it's very difficult to buckle in every time.
I had three car seats across the back of my SUV and thought I'd go crazy from the fighting! Having the kids spread out has saved me my sanity. I love the auto close doors and trunk and built in DVD player. I never thought I'd say it, but in love my minivan!
I had an Acura MDX when I had my triplets. DH is 6'5 so he had NO room with the rear facing seats. I got an Odyssey and love it...so much easier. The sliding doors and DVD player are awesome!
Post by katiescarlett on Jan 27, 2015 11:54:49 GMT -5
I had an Accord and got a Sienna right before Christmas. It was the only minivan I considered because of AWD. Once I saw the cargo space and third row of the smaller 3rd row SUVs I knew the minivan was the right choice. I got the captain's chairs for the 2nd row. So far I love it.
Post by londoncalling on Jan 27, 2015 11:55:33 GMT -5
I love my Highlander for 2 kids, but I would hate it if we had 3. The access to the third row is difficult and the third row being up severely limits trunk space.
We had a rental Sienna that I loved using. The sliding doors were great, and they could be opened remotely so I could open it and the kids could climb in and start getting settled in their seats. I'm also very jealous at daycare pickup in inclement weather when I see parents fully climb into the back of the minivan, close the sliding door, and get everyone settled in their seats while not exposed to the weather. Not enough room in my Highlander to do that.
Post by penguingrrl on Jan 27, 2015 11:57:02 GMT -5
I just made the jump from a 3-row SUV to a minivan for a few reasons. I was very sad to get the minivan, but now that I've had it for a few months and a few long drives I absolutely adore it.
1) I was able to get a deal and get one for several thousand less than a comparable SUV (my SUV died and I needed a car unexpectedly)
2) Sliding doors. I spent years yelling at my kids to open the door slowly and they were usually good, but right as my car was dying my middle child damaged my mom's new car by throwing the door open. I'm glad it's no longer a problem.
3) Space. With the third row up in my 3-row SUV there was no storage space whatsoever. I was very surprised by how much storage there is behind the 3rd row of a minivan.
4) As my kids are getting older they were seeming more cramped sitting three across and since the older two are in boosters it was really hard to get them buckled. I didn't realize just how cramped we were until we moved to the minivan and have room to spread out. All five backseat spaces are big enough for an adult, which was not the case with my Pilot.
I'll also say that what you can do for your oldest to save some carseat money is when the new baby is ready for a RF convertible you can pass down your oldest's seat and get a combination FF harness to booster for your oldest. All FF harnesses must meet the same safety standards, so you'll save money on the RF feature.
I love my Highlander for 2 kids, but I would hate it if we had 3. The access to the third row is difficult and the third row being up severely limits trunk space.
We had a rental Sienna that I loved using. The sliding doors were great, and they could be opened remotely so I could open it and the kids could climb in and start getting settled in their seats. I'm also very jealous at daycare pickup in inclement weather when I see parents fully climb into the back of the minivan, close the sliding door, and get everyone settled in their seats while not exposed to the weather. Not enough room in my Highlander to do that.
You know, this is a really excellent point, and something I hadn't considered. My sister has a minivan that I've driven a number of times (she lives out of state) and DH gave me something of a side-eye when I was trying to explain to him how having sliding doors made carting kids SO much easier. But now add to it that we live in the upper Midwest, where it is snowy / ridiculously cold for at least 1/3 of the year, and this might be my main argument. Definitely going to point this out when we go looking!
I love my Highlander for 2 kids, but I would hate it if we had 3. The access to the third row is difficult and the third row being up severely limits trunk space.
We had a rental Sienna that I loved using. The sliding doors were great, and they could be opened remotely so I could open it and the kids could climb in and start getting settled in their seats. I'm also very jealous at daycare pickup in inclement weather when I see parents fully climb into the back of the minivan, close the sliding door, and get everyone settled in their seats while not exposed to the weather. Not enough room in my Highlander to do that.
You know, this is a really excellent point, and something I hadn't considered. My sister has a minivan that I've driven a number of times (she lives out of state) and DH gave me something of a side-eye when I was trying to explain to him how having sliding doors made carting kids SO much easier. But now add to it that we live in the upper Midwest, where it is snowy / ridiculously cold for at least 1/3 of the year, and this might be my main argument. Definitely going to point this out when we go looking!
Most people I see do this have the captains chairs, and remove one of them, so two kids are in the third row and one in the remaining captain's chair. It creates a lot of room for loading/prepping to unload (putting heavy winter coats on inside the vehicle).
I'm dreaming of an Odyssey for only two kids. So much room! I sat in the third row of a Santa Fe once with two car seats in the second row and it sucked. It's not so much the car seats for me but when we go visit family we have a suitcase and a bunch of other crap (Pack N Play, groceries etc). It takes too much time to figure out how to fit everything in the back/trunk.
This is important for us too (even though I forgot to mention it). We have no family local, so when they visit, they stay with us and don't rent cars. With two kids, we end up taking two cars to go anywhere, and sometimes DH has to take his carseats out, which is a huge PITA. While it's not that often, I would like to at least try and consider their comfort. Plus, we may become a family that now drives to destinations instead of flying, so hauling crap is now another point to consider.
Another thing to consider too is how you'll use the car. As people have said- in an SUV, if you use the 3rd row, there is NO storage room. That's whats great about a minivan - you can have people in the 3rd row and still have a decent amount of space for cargo.
We take a LOT of roadtrips. Having a van and being able to take whatever we want and not have to worry about "will it fit" is nice. And then whereever we go, we have room to drive extra people around if need be.
if you aren't a roadtrip person and don't need to worry about cargo vs people space - maybe an SUV could work.
But there are still ALL the other advantages to a van as poeple have listed.
Well most important is the fact that unless you have captains chairs in the middle row, which few do, a third row suv is annoying when you 3 in carseats because you need to be able to collapse the seat to get to the 3rd row.
Then there is the fact that unless it's a suburban most 3rd row SUVs have half, literally half, the storage space as a minivan. We compared the Sienna with the pilot, the highlander, the Mazda cx9,murano, and Chevy traverse. Maybw soem other too but i know these ones. All have 1/2 the cargo space when the 3rd row is up. That's huge for us because we always have a stroller and need room for groceries etc.
Then I'll just say sliding doors. You cannot beat the convenience of sliding doors. It's amazing.
Post by ilikedonuts on Jan 27, 2015 12:20:57 GMT -5
We took our new van to Disney World in October with 3 adults, 2 RFing kids and an insane amount of stuff. We actually put the baby RFing in the single seat in the 3rd row and left the rest of the 3rd row down. We also took out the middle seat in the 2nd row. We had so space left over! Loved it!
Oh and its so nice when its raining out to open the doors up before we even get to the van.
Post by runblondie26 on Jan 27, 2015 12:22:46 GMT -5
We're looking at Honda Pilots currently. Aside from the minivan stigma, we want something with 4 wheel drive and can tow a boat.
My oldest is almost 6, so we know she can climb into the third row and buckle herself. Your four year old (by July) could probably do it, too. With a child any younger, a minivan would probably be a better option for accesibility.
Post by BlueNotebook on Jan 27, 2015 12:48:46 GMT -5
The sliding doors and gas milage were what convinced me to buy a minivan. Now that I have it LOVE the space. Like another poster mentioned, I can climb in the second row with the kids and buckle them in when it's raining or snowing or just cold outside. We drove on a week-long vacation with 4 adults and two kids and fit everyone's things, including a PNP, in the cargo space. It was awesome. And it I like the way my Odyssey handles. My last car was an Explorer and the van handles much more like a car. When I first got it, I would forget how big it was. It was a surprise when I turned around and saw how much car was behind me.
Post by dancingirl21 on Jan 27, 2015 12:55:08 GMT -5
Last week we bought a new Nissan Pathfinder. We also drove the Hyundai Santa Fe and it was significantly smaller. The only way that would work with 3 car seats was to have captains chairs for the second row. Even so, it was small. The Pathfinder has a 60/40 bench in the second row that slides really far forward, even with a forward facing convertible car seat. The 40 portion (behind the passenger seat) slides forward. DH, who is 6'4", sat in the third row and had enough room. He didn't fit in the Hyundai.
Everyone told us to just get a minivan but
1. I really didn't want one 2. We only have 1 kid so far 3. I love the look of the Pathfinder and HATE the look of the minivan
Just some additional info to help you make a decision!
I love my Highlander for 2 kids, but I would hate it if we had 3. The access to the third row is difficult and the third row being up severely limits trunk space.
We had a rental Sienna that I loved using. The sliding doors were great, and they could be opened remotely so I could open it and the kids could climb in and start getting settled in their seats. I'm also very jealous at daycare pickup in inclement weather when I see parents fully climb into the back of the minivan, close the sliding door, and get everyone settled in their seats while not exposed to the weather. Not enough room in my Highlander to do that.
You know, this is a really excellent point, and something I hadn't considered. My sister has a minivan that I've driven a number of times (she lives out of state) and DH gave me something of a side-eye when I was trying to explain to him how having sliding doors made carting kids SO much easier. But now add to it that we live in the upper Midwest, where it is snowy / ridiculously cold for at least 1/3 of the year, and this might be my main argument. Definitely going to point this out when we go looking!
OMG this is the best justification ever. Greetings, from ass cold NY.
I refuse to get a minivan. We have a Traverse an I love it. I used to have a Corolla with two in car seats but had to get something else.for the third car seat. I don't like large vehicles hence the Corolla and the Traverse was an SUV that wasn't humongous and fit our needs.
Post by quickstepstar on Jan 27, 2015 13:44:36 GMT -5
We have 3 and don't have a minivan. I drive a Honda Pilot and our nanny drives a Honda CRV. If we ever have a 4th kid, we will upgrade the CRV to a minivan. We decided against the minivan for 2 reasons (1) We are in the NE, and we NEED 4WD. Winter tires are not sufficient. So that limited us to Sienna and (2) with a Sienna, I couldn't put 3 across, which we want to have the option of doing for longer trips. So we bought the Pilot and I LOVE it! My DD1 and DD2 sit in the 3rd row. They can get the seat moved and get in themselves. DD3 is on the driver side of the 2nd row. If we have #4, she will move to the middle (or possibly 3rd row with her sisters) and the baby would be behind the driver.
The doors, the storage, and to be able to move the seats in the middle row. I have DD1 and DD2 in the middle, and then there is room for DD3 to get to the back row where her seat is. I love the trunk, so much more room than I saw with 3rd row SUVs, and the floor storage space, as well as the DVD player and the head phones that come with it so the kids can watch and listen to the movie without DH or I hearing it. We have a 2010 Honda Odyssey Touring edition that we got pre owned(just came off a 3 yr lease) with low mileage.