@barefootbarista I live in the boonies, at least an hour drive from any car dealership. So unfortunately there is no popping over for a test drive, or the dealer driving a car to my house, or DH haggling after work. We'd have to secure childcare for DS, haul DD to the dealer, and use up a precious Saturday to do it. If I'm doing all that work, I want to buy the car KWIM?
I will say every dealership I have been to has a kids area with toys and what not. Now, I am not saying I want to car shop with a kid, but if you have to do it then I wouldn't be overly worried about them wrecking the dealership. They are used to having kids there. Heck I have even seen them with balloons, bounce houses, and popcorn machines.
@barefootbarista I live in the boonies, at least an hour drive from any car dealership. So unfortunately there is no popping over for a test drive, or the dealer driving a car to my house, or DH haggling after work. We'd have to secure childcare for DS, haul DD to the dealer, and use up a precious Saturday to do it. If I'm doing all that work, I want to buy the car KWIM?
Yeah. What is your timeline? Can you do it while your son is at granny summer camp?
Oh yeah we'll definitely be buying the van while DS is at Grammy Summer Camp! Thank you for helping me think this all through. I'll use the summer camp time to test drive, then go back on the weekend with DH to buy.
@barefootbarista I live in the boonies, at least an hour drive from any car dealership. So unfortunately there is no popping over for a test drive, or the dealer driving a car to my house, or DH haggling after work. We'd have to secure childcare for DS, haul DD to the dealer, and use up a precious Saturday to do it. If I'm doing all that work, I want to buy the car KWIM?
I will say every dealership I have been to has a kids area with toys and what not. Now, I am not saying I want to car shop with a kid, but if you have to do it then I wouldn't be overly worried about them wrecking the dealership. They are used to having kids there. Heck I have even seen them with balloons, bounce houses, and popcorn machines.
With an hour drive there and an hour drive back, DS would *for sure* be skipping his nap (he won't sleep in the car at all). No bounce house or balloons in the WORLD would save us from all the forthcoming tantrums and bad choices from nap skipping
. It is important to me that his seat fits comfortably in anything we buy (a lot of cars don't leave enough passenger seat legroom when his car seat is installed behind, and I want to know that before buying a vehicle).
I assume this isn't a concern with minivans right? Like any minivan should be big enough to have the driver's seat all the way back with a RFing seat behind it?
Post by polarbearfans on May 26, 2015 12:28:34 GMT -5
A lot of dealers don't want to give their best price over the phone... They think you are using it to haggle another dealer. An hour away is really not that far. Take a Saturday, with both kids, and do a bit of car shopping. Have a lunch out. Best case you go home with a new van, worst case you got to drive the van and see what is out there. Don't worry about resale. 8 years from now it isn't going to matter much. I would hold out for what I want rather than settling. If your Prius can hold on a bit longer, keep saving and looking for what works in your budget and will be reliable
@supergreen I would really find a way to test drive one first. Personally I really dislike the Odyssey's dash and how you look out over the hood. I couldn't get out of that things fast enough. I knew instantly it was off the table. You don't want to have a similar experience and have all this online research and email negotiations be for nothing. Leave DS with DH for a Saturday and take DD. Is it ideal? No. But neither are lots of things when you have kids.
Oh and @supergreen we can have the front seats all the way back and still have room for DD's Graco MySize rear facing. The captain's seats in the T&C slide forward and back and we always have them locked into their farthest back position.
I have a 2008 Sienna that we bought used in 2009 with 10k miles for 19k. There was no way we could afford an Odyssey, they were almost twice the price with twice the miles.
I would sacrifice several years before I sacrificed low mileage.
We do not have power doors. I got this car before kid 2 was born, so I've had out through 2 infants. Put the toddler in, put the baby in, go back and buckle the toddler, no one had to sit anything in the parking lot. DS could open and close the door at 4, it's not that hard. Would I like to have power doors? Sure, sounds neat, but not a must have. I have the LE, so clothy seats, no built in DVD/nav, nothing fancy. It's still a nice car and very reliable.
Have you used true car dot com? I've had luck finding dealerships with good pricing on there. I even had one dealership beat the true car pricing this weekend.
I assume this isn't a concern with minivans right? Like any minivan should be big enough to have the driver's seat all the way back with a RFing seat behind it?
We can't have either seat all the way back, but we don't need to.
We have a RF Keyfit and a RF Nextfit in our van.
Oh wow I had no idea! I ASSumed any van would have enough space. We need the drivers seat all the way back for DH. But we can put DS's FF Frontier behind the driver and DS's RFing KeyFit (soon-to-be Marathon) behind the passenger.
Oh and @supergreen we can have the front seats all the way back and still have room for DD's Graco MySize rear facing. The captain's seats in the T&C slide forward and back and we always have them locked into their farthest back position.
Ohh! I need to see if our T&C captains chairs slide. I can't remember!
I didn't know they did for the longest time. Reach under the front of the set and there is a bar. Lift up on the bar and push for the seat to go back or pull and it will come forward. Mine is a 2013 FWIW.
I would not make assumptions on the car seats. I would want to test them in the vehicle before you buy it if you can.
Yes, even in a minivan, I would want to test the seats.
We drove one that, even though the seat fit fine RF, we had to push the seat back far enough that it left a fairly small window between the seat and the door frame. It was awkward to get B in without bumping his head - I wouldn't have thought that would be an issue, and the whole point of a van is that it's supposed to be easier to get your brood into the vehicle, right??
Maybe you don't need to bring them to every test drive, but I would want to check before you make a final purchase decision. I'd also research manuals online to see installation details.
We can't have either seat all the way back, but we don't need to.
We have a RF Keyfit and a RF Nextfit in our van.
Oh wow I had no idea! I ASSumed any van would have enough space. We need the drivers seat all the way back for DH. But we can put DS's FF Frontier behind the driver and DS's RFing KeyFit (soon-to-be Marathon) behind the passenger.
This really isn't meant to come off as snotty or rude so please don't interpret it that way but this is why you really need to test the vans out. Drive them, play with the features, see how stuff fits, etc. You're looking at a $20,000 investment you'll use (nearly) daily for the next 8 years. Take the time now so you can make a well thought out and researched decision.
Post by countthestars on May 26, 2015 12:51:06 GMT -5
In my experience, it's really hard to get a dealership to negotiate with you on a car you haven't been in to test drive and look at. It's just not in their best interest to give you a price, in writing, for a car that you can then take to another dealership to use for negotiation. Additionally, we have always been able to get a better price than the "best price" by negotiating in person.
Post by carolinagirl831 on May 26, 2015 13:24:30 GMT -5
I think the minivan is a compromise between you and your DH? If you don't get automstic doors you might as well just get an suv. I think the auto sliding doors are the best thing about a minivan
I would also look at selling your Prius private party. If you sell it you could get more and maybe afford a van more in line to what you are looking at.
I would also look at selling your Prius private party. If you sell it you could get more and maybe afford a van more in line to what you are looking at.
Post by ilikedonuts on May 26, 2015 13:48:27 GMT -5
How tall is your husband that the seat needs to be back all the way? My husband is almost 6'6 and all leg and he doesn't put the minivan seat all the way back. He still has a bit more room he could go back if needed.
Post by teatimefor2 on May 26, 2015 13:50:16 GMT -5
We have an Odyssey, that we purchased last year. We had ONE day to make the decision and buy a vehicle. We didn't own a vehicle due to living overseas/NYC. My parents drove down and we took their car to the dealership. They watched DS. I knew they had the Odyssey I wanted in the price range and mileage.
Only I test drove it as DH rarely drives, we agreed on a price and that was that. Beggars can't be choosers.
We have a new to us 2011 or 12, I honestly can't remember EX-L purchased with 15,000 miles for $26,000. I love it. Worth its weight in gold.
All the power functions make life with a baby and toddler easier.
Why do you have to pay it off in a year? Honestly, we were able to secure a great rate, that we have financed it over five years and are putting money in market rather than paying it off.
Personally, it sounds like you need to compromise. Either increase the mileage, age or price. Ours was an expired lease and they were not willing to budge on price because used Odysseys usually go quickly. They only had four when we were there.
Virginia. Trust me, I've looked at every Odyssey within driving distance. All the dealers are very consistent with their pricing and they won't budge. I'm trying to temper my enthusiasm for wanting a minivan RIGHT NOW with waiting to find the right one Based on this thread, I should wait longer to find one with power doors in our price range. I may have to settle for higher mileage to get it
Have you thought about buying from a private party? You might be able to purchase what you want as private owners are typically less expensive than dealerships.
I would also look at selling your Prius private party. If you sell it you could get more and maybe afford a van more in line to what you are looking at.
Selling the Prius private party leaves us without a car to transport the kids. The car seats won't fit in DH's truck. We've got to swap the cars same day, with DD with us (she's a bottle refuser). So unfortunately that means we're stuck trading it in.
How tall is your husband that the seat needs to be back all the way? My husband is almost 6'6 and all leg and he doesn't put the minivan seat all the way back. He still has a bit more room he could go back if needed.
That's good to know thank you! My husband is 5'11" but that height necessitates having the seat all the way back in my Prius. It looks like in a minivan that's not the case.
I would also look at selling your Prius private party. If you sell it you could get more and maybe afford a van more in line to what you are looking at.
Selling the Prius private party leaves us without a car to transport the kids. The car seats won't fit in DH's truck. We've got to swap the cars same day, with DD with us (she's a bottle refuser). So unfortunately that means we're stuck trading it in.
Can't you sell it after you buy the van? You would have an extra car for a week or two. We pulled from savings so we could apply the car value to the van down payment. Once the car sells the savings is replenished.
@supergreen - Am I remembering correctly that you also inherited your H's grandmother's car? What are you doing with that?
Yes that's correct. We have to re-title it first, which takes some time. After that we will sell it private party and put the money towards the minivan loan. That money will help us pay off the minivan in a year.
How tall is your husband that the seat needs to be back all the way? My husband is almost 6'6 and all leg and he doesn't put the minivan seat all the way back. He still has a bit more room he could go back if needed.
That's good to know thank you! My husband is 5'11" but that height necessitates having the seat all the way back in my Prius. It looks like in a minivan that's not the case.
Oh yeah in a Prius my husband looks like he's in a clown car lol (my dad has one that I occasionally have used) Much more room in a minivan!
Virginia. Trust me, I've looked at every Odyssey within driving distance. All the dealers are very consistent with their pricing and they won't budge. I'm trying to temper my enthusiasm for wanting a minivan RIGHT NOW with waiting to find the right one Based on this thread, I should wait longer to find one with power doors in our price range. I may have to settle for higher mileage to get it
Have you thought about buying from a private party? You might be able to purchase what you want as private owners are typically less expensive than dealerships.
That's too many transactions, I just can't seem to make it work in my head. I would have to sell my Prius private party first, leaving me without a car for myself or the kids. Who knows how long it would take us to find a van, I can't be car-less for that time. I need to trade in my Prius and walk out with a van same day.