If you have or want a mini van

dragonflyinn

Talk about bad timing.  My car is on its way out and it is the only car that we can transport the boys in (DH has a truck) so we need to have a reliable car. Mine needs quite a bit of work and it makes no sense to put so much money into it.  We are looking at used Nissan Murano's or a Mazda CX9.  I have never been a big fan of mini vans (nothing wrong with them, just haven't ever thought about it much) but I have seen posts in the past about how many of you love your mini vans.  So, what is so great about them.  I seem to remember a lot of people saying the Honda Odyssey is great.  I am thinking about seeing if DH wants to look at them, but thinking he will need some convincing, so just curious, what makes them so multiple mom friendly?

Oh, and I am almost 6' tall so reaching into an SUV or cross over isn't a problem for me. 

pea-kay

i'm tall too, so the reaching part isn't such a big deal for me. but i have three words for you...

 POWER. SLIDING. DOORS. 

ooh, make that four.

REMOTE. POWER. SLIDING. DOORS.

ohhh yeah! they make my life SO much easier! we have a 2004 sienna that we got certified used for a good deal. i love it! and it's not a gas guzzler, either. i mean, it IS - i used to drive a corolla, but it's not as bad as i thought it'd be.

DenverGrl

I love my mini van!  And I'm not ashamed to say it, LOL.  We were deciding between the Toyota Siena and the Honda Odyssey and chose the Siena because it's 4 wheel drive.  But we live in Colorado so 4 wheel drive is important.  The main reason I like it is because of the 3rd row seat.  If we are going out with friends or family, we can all take one car.  And there is a lot of room for everything.  I can fit both my DSNG and my jogging stroller in the back when I put down the 3rd row.  And we take a lot of overnight trips to the mountains.  I would never be able to fit everything in our regular SUV.  I guess I could but it would be tight.  I also like the fact that there is enough room that I can comfortable feed or change them in the car if I have to.

DenverGrl

Oooh that's right....remote power sliding door.  Love it!

lutzcowgirlie

Funny, all the Sienna girls are chiming in. Ditto on the remote sliding doors. So, so nice. I think the cargo space is fabulous - I can fit a single and a double and a triple stroller in there all at the same time

 

If you think it is a possibility just go test one and see what you think.

LilSurferGirl

I have the Odyssey and love it!!  The remote power sliding doors are key, and we also have the remote power REAR door which is the icing on the cake.  I'm short, so the height part was important to me, but I mostly love it for the amount of space it has for strollers, pack n plays, our Space Saver High Chairs - we can pack up everything we need for a trip or a day and not feel cramped.  We also use the back as an on the road changing station - we keep a changing pad and full supplies back there.  I highly recommend checking one out!

courtneyaok

We recently got a Chrysler Town and Country, and while I really didn't like the idea of being a "minivan mom," I totally love it.

shady06

i have an Oddessey and it rocks!  Ditto everyone else on the remote power sliding doors--it's great to be able to get sleeping kids in and out of the car with the click of a button.  I love all of the cupholders and the other family-friendly features (like the built in shades for the windows, the configurable seats, etc.).  I also love the rear fold down seats in the 3rd row.  It's soooo easy to use.  To me, minivans are built for familes and that's the stage of life I'm in.  I'll bet we'll get something "cooler" when the kids are older but I have a feeling I would really miss my minivan's features!

VCMCG

We have an 08 Odyssey and it's awesome-the doors are a life saver and the ride is really smooth.  DH wasn't a minivan fan,but changed his mind after the test drive.

MNheidi

What Denvergrl said w/out the trips to the mountains .  I love my Sienna!!!

Temp159135562506975

pea-kay:

i'm tall too, so the reaching part isn't such a big deal for me. but i have three words for you...

 POWER. SLIDING. DOORS. 

ooh, make that four.

REMOTE. POWER. SLIDING. DOORS.

ohhh yeah! they make my life SO much easier! we have a 2004 sienna that we got certified used for a good deal. i love it! and it's not a gas guzzler, either. i mean, it IS - i used to drive a corolla, but it's not as bad as i thought it'd be.

Ditto!!!!  I only have one child so far and don't think i could ever again live without teh remote power sliding doors!! and back door, too

TONS of space, too!!!  I HATE that i drive a minivan- trust me- but I LOVE having it!!  We have the Dodge Grand Caravan.  I think some of the foreign models are nicer, but mine does the job (and it's a free company car so i can't complain).  If i were buying my own and could spend $$$ i'd probably get the Honday, Toyota or VW minivan.

jd0614

We have the Kia Sedona minivan - I always said I would NEVER get one, but when we found out we were having twins and had my DS already, it was a must.  Love it.  POWER doors.  They are the BEST!  Its easy for me to get into the back to put my DS in his booster seat too.  And plenty of room for the double stroller and all the other gear.  Pretty good on gas mileage too as far as minivans go.  Love it!

tbonegrl

Our Matrix was totalled and we bought an Odyssey. It was the.best.thing.we.ever.did! We didn't want a mini van and now I don't know how I lived without it. Power sliding doors, lots of room...

 

Some day down the line, when our kids want to take their friends places, we'll have room to, KWIM?

coffee bean

Are you planning to have any more kids?  We recently bought a new crossover - Toyota Highlander - but, I couldn't convince DH to even test drive a minivan.

I would think if you have 3 kids that a minivan really becomes a necessity.  For two, a crossover or SUV is fine, but I wonder if we'll wish we'd gotten the minivan if / when we have a third child. 

amygdala

I'm one of the MoMs who loves her Honda Odyssey (ours is a 2004)! ?Like pps have said, the remote sliding doors are fabulous. ?I also love that the back seat quickly & easily folds down flat to give a giant cargo area. ?Otherwise, 2-3 adults can sit comfortably back there (& we still have cargo space large enough for the double stroller & more), meaning that we can travel w/the babies & 4-5 adults! ?Like you, we weren't planning to get a new vehicle for the babies, but dh's car got totaled when the twins were 3w old (at 6 a.m. parked in front of our house!) & my car doesn't have a back seat. ?So we went out & bought a minivan & never looked back!

laceymb

I have a Chrysler Town and Country. Power sliding doors, power back hatch, easy stow and go, more storage than I think I will ever need, and easy access to all parts are what make it awesome. I still feel like I'm driving a car when I'm in it too which surprised me. We looked at the Highlander but with an SUV its much harder to easily access the space and you don't have near the leg room that you get in an van when there is 3rd row seating. Try it out and I think you will totally understand the appeal v. an SUV.

MattresMuffin69

While I am extremely sad to be getting rid of my car for a minivan, I am getting excited for my new ride. DH & I decided to go with the Honda Odyssey. I will miss my new car, but we really need the room with our expanding family. Good luck searching for a new vehicle.