Hi ladies. Well, I love my car (a 2000 GMC Jimmy), which is paid in full, but it looks like we're going to need to be trading it in. Right now, we have two convertible car seats in the back, and there is VERY little space in between them. (Even a super skinny person cannot fit.) We have another baby on the way in March, so I'll need something that can handle two convertible car seats plus one infant seat.
I want something with maybe even extra seats, and a decent sized storage area as well. So, I know we're going to be looking at either minivans, larger SUV's or cross-overs.
My questions to you: What kinds of autos do you have that will be big enough? Why did you pick the one that you did? What do you like/dislike/wish you could change about the one you have?
Thanks so much for your time!
Hello- We bought a GMC Acadia- I love it. It has two captains chairs and then a third row bench. It sits seven. There is still space in the back for storage of strollers etc. I do not want to buy a mini van so this was the best find for us. Good luck!!
S.
I just recently sold my SUV and bought a Buick Enclave (w/2nd row captain seats). I am not a big fan of minivans... but needed the space of a minivans (two car seats and a third row for my eldest DD). The Enclave is a crossover that looks just like a minivan from the inside (very roomy) and I can have the two carseats and the second row and be able to walk to the third row (w/out touching the second row).
Good luck on your search.
I have a Nissan Murano which I bought used through Enterprise Car Sales. It does not have three rows of seats but the back seat is large enough for two convertible car seats and a baby seat. The back seat folds down when you are not carrying the children. There is plenty of storage room in the back for strollers, etc. I get 19 miles per gallon while driving around town. I love the stylishness of the car and the handling is great. Mine is a 2004 so I know the newer models have more features. I bought it with 17,000 miles on it. I now have 69,000 and still love it every day with very little maintenance. Depending on where you live, there is an Enterprise Car Sales Office on Harlem in Worth, Fort Hill Drive in Naperville and Western Avenue in Chicago. Good luck!
Hi J.-
We went from a Pathfinder to the Nissan Quest and I thought it would be difficult but it turns out I LOVE the Quest. It has seating for 7 easily, with two captains chairs in the middle row perfect for booster or car seats. My husband is very tall and the car seat and base fit perfectly behind his seat. There is a lot of room overall!! It is very easy to get to the back row of seats which comes in very handy for feeding a baby or an additional car seat. The gas mileage is much better than the Pathfinder and it is a much smoother ride. The way back has enough room for a double stroller and groceries. The DVD system is an added bonus for those long rides!! Hope this is helpful. Good luck with your decision and with the new addition!
We love our Saturn Outlook. You should check it out. You'd be surprised. It has plenty of room and has been wonderful for our first "family" car. It's very similar to the GMC Acadia in terms of look but I think it costs a little less.
Hi J.,
We recently (May) bought a 2008 Nissan Pathfinder. My fiance has two children (8 and 10) and we have discussed having more children when we are married. We know we frequently have other children with us and needed more room than a Jeep Grand Cherokee had to offer. The Nissan Pathfinder has three rows of seats which can fold down so it allows you to haul things if needed also. The back row limits thw storage for groceries and has limited leg room but is perfect for kids. I also love the options and it gets awesome gas mileage. I drive from North Aurora to Downers Grove every day and a tank of gas lasts me for a week. I get an average of 17 to 20 miles per gallon. It has tons of perks including navigation, satellite radio, dvd with wireless headphones for the kids for road trips, and all kinds of other convenient options. It has great safety ratings! Please let me know if you have any questions! Good luck with your search!
Sincerely,
A.
We love our Durango. I have had 3 now and the newer design is awesome. My husband loves the fact that you can fit a piece of drywall in it now....it is wide enough. I have four captains chairs and a third row. There is room behind the third row if you need to use it. With three kids though I would get a model without the rear seat console so you can seat three.....The seat flip up and back with a one handed lever...mush easier then the old design.
I have few bells and whistles like the power lift gate which I didn't think I'd use but I love and a DVD system. It rides like a car (not a truck) and when its raining it handles like dry road!
You must be confuse now, since everybody give you a different answer. And I will add to that :)
I love my Honda Odyssey. It's roomy. I have 3 kids, and still have plenty of room for me to sit in between them and move around.
The newer model come even come with nicer features (I have the 2001) that I envy. Sliding doors, pop up trunk, split back seat, even with dvd and gps if you want. Trunk is huge. I can put my stroller, and a whole load of groceries. Honda is very reliable. I put almost 120K miles on it, and still great. Pretty low Mpg, smooth and easy handling. This year Car and driver magazine put Odyssey again for best minivan.
If I have to change car, I will get another Honda Odyssey, touring if I have the money :)
We had the same issue, but did not really want to get a minivan... we ended up with a Saturn Relay.3 It has every bell and whistle... seating for 7.. and it does fit our 3 car seats. What I love that I did not even know I would love is the power side doors that slide, so I can load all 3 kids in the car in the garage with it closed (great on cold days) plus the doors are on the key pad, so as you are approaching, you can open the doors..
Only thing I would have changed.. is newer models of vans/suv crossovers.. now come with power lift gates.. wish I had had that when pregnant.. would have made grocery shopping easier! Good luck!
I will start off by saying, I have not driven a lot of the cars mentioned. And I am comeing from a 10 year old Ford Contour. I just purchased the 2009 Nissan Rogue last week. I LOVE IT! It is a lot roomier than I thought it would be. My favorite feature...the keyless EVERYTHING! I can keep the key in my purse and NEVER take it out. I can lock and unlock all the doors and back gate without it. (I usually have to dig through and find it) This is so convenient with a kid on my arm. (and I only have one!) But you do not even need it for starting the car either. I have also been able to pair my phone to the car...hit a button Say Call Home and wala! Everything is just easier. There is plenty of space and the back is perfect for strollers and cooler and a cool little cargo set up for grociers (or whatever). I hope this helps. I know there are a ton of choices out there.
ON another note...I bought it Tuesday with 8 miles on it. I am almost at 400 miles and have not had to fill up yet!!!!
How funny I just sold my 2000 Jimmy about 6 mos ago and purchased an 03 Chevy Venture Minivan and I LOVE IT. I have 2 little ones as well now 4 & 3 and suffered with no room all that time. I highly recommend a minivan for these reasons - I have 2 automatic sliding doors which are great you can slide them open while walking to the car the kids jump into their own cars seats. The gas mileage is wonderful averaging around 21 mpg around town and higher on trips. Third seat for other people and just PLENTY of room overall. I always thought I was too cool (I'm 37 too) and would NEVER get a minivan but honestly I love it and it's great when you have kids. My too cool husband loves it too.
I love my Chrysler Pacifica which has 3 rows of seats/2 seats in each row. The way the rows are set-up makes it very easy to install car seats, and the middle row already has the tether hooks in place on the back of the seats. The back two rows fold down flat if you want to haul anything. We got it with the DVD player which I could not live without at this point. When we go on long trips we fold down 1/2 of the 3rd row and have plenty of room for suitcases. We also purchased a top carrier in case we need the extra space in the car. Good luck!
