Seeking Family Vehicle

I have the Hyundai Veracruz and really like it. It is a crossover and looks just like the Lexus RX300, but at a lower cost. I have the middle package, but with additional upgrades. It is fun and easy to drive and I like having the AWD option. We also have the drop down DVD player - a life safer on longer trips. It seats 2 in the front (bucket seats - heated), 3 in the middle (2 is more comfortable, though), and 2 in the back. I get about 23 mi to the gal, but I also do alot more in town than highway driving, so that probably affects it. I like that the 3rd row folds flat and makes it easy for animals and carrying extra groceries. I purchased this vehicle after deciding that I just couldn't drive a minivan any longer!

Good luck in your search :)

I've had my Honda Pilot since June 2006 and still love it. It can seat up to 8 people, gets pretty good gas mileage and has not let me down yet. I've changed the oil and put on a new set of tires and am currently at 78,000 miles. One of the features that sold me on the Honda was the safety ratings it received during that year. Happy Hunting!

We have a 2004 Ford Taurus Wagon, and we love it. We only have one kid and a large dog, but I think 3 kids would fit in the middle seat- it's quite roomy. It has one of the rear-facing seats in the back that folds down. For in-town driving we get 22-23 miles per gallon, but on the freeway we do a lot better than that. They don't make this particular one anymore, but there are a few models out there that are similar. We aren't big minivan lovers either, so this works well for us. We have used it to tow light loads many times, and we can fit just about anything we need to in it. There are a few minivans out there that don't look as "minivanish"- not so "soccer mom", so you may want to check into that. Stay away from the Dodge Caravan- I've only heard bad things about that one. Check out carsoup.com. We bought our car used from someone on there. Also check out edmunds.com and consumerreports.org (that one you need a membership to see a lot of it), because they have reviews of products and cars. Good luck!

I swore I would never have a van and now I swear I don't know what I would do without one. It saved my back was the biggest factor. We bought a Taurus wagon, which we still have and like, when our first was born. Then when the next baby came, I kept throwing out my back when I put the car seat in. Now that they are both older and in booster seats, I appreciate our van even more. Convince your hubby to try it if at all possible. They are really geared to families and are easy to drive and use. We bought a used one with the intent to get rid of it after the kids were out of baby car seats. After having one, I will always have one!
Good luck,
J.

Has he tried a van??? We got one the day before we had our first child and have loved it ever since! We got a Plymouth Voyager (which is now the Dodge Caravan). I would keep all your options open when looking. Test drive all kinds of different vehicles and then make a decision.

You have many options if you want to put all 3 in the back seat. We have 3 as well, and wanted to spread them out and had a little harder time finding something with a third row as we did not want to buy a minivan. My best advice to you is to look through sites like consumer reports (best of the best and worst of the worst) and edmunds. Many of the first vehicles I was interested in were in the worst of the worst for reliability and costly problems. If you are looking for an SUV, Toyota Highlander rates as #1 along with Honda Pilot. In the category of worst was the Chrysler Pacifica (transmission) and LandRover Discovery (everything!). Anything Ford was not listed, so its middle of the road. Hope this is helpful. Happy car shopping - nothing is more fun than buying another vehicle. Let me know if you are looking for a dealership referral - ours treated us very well.

C.