3rd Trimester

To Mini-Van or Not?

Our first baby is due in November. We are seriously considering buying a new car before her arrival.  Our dilemma - Do we get a mini-van or not? I'm just not ready to get a mini-van yet and would prefer to get a mid-sized SUV, but I don't know if a mini-van would really be the best option for a family.  It may have more storage capacity than an SUV.  Is anyone else in this situation? What are your plans - Mini-van or no?

Re: To Mini-Van or Not?

  • We bought our mini van when we only had DS#1...but we knew we were going to have more children soon in the near future..so instead of buying another new car years later...we got the mini and I love it.  Love it.
    Sawyer Quinn (09/06/06), Rory Keaton (04/07/08) and Kinsley Saffron (10/12/10). Forever and ever my babies they'll be. A rose can say "I love you",orchids can enthrall,but a weed bouquet in a chubby fist,yes, that says it all.~Author Unknown
    Image and video hosting by TinyPicImage and video hosting by TinyPic Image and video hosting by TinyPic
  • I would never get a mini-van but that's just me. I could see gtg a small SUV but I don't think with one child you need a mini-van. And even if you plan on having more kids soon, I don't think you need a mini-van unless you have 3+ kids.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
  • Loading the player...
  • The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • I think vans are great for anyone but me!  I refuse to drive a mini van.  It's just a personal thing with me.  Never wanted to have one!  We had a Murano when we had DS #1 and it was great.  We got an Altima and it's a tight fit with two car seats.  Our next vehicle will be a SUV so that we can have Nana ride with us etc.  Mazda has a neat looking SUV that looks cool to me.  It seats 7 people.
  • I would totally go mini van over an SUV. Even just the convenience of having sliding doors alone makes them worth the less than sexy image of driving a van.

    Lilypie Second Birthday tickers


    Lilypie First Birthday tickers


    I'll love you forever,
    I'll like you for always,
    As long as I'm living my baby you'll be.
    - Robert Munsch
  • We bought our mini van when we only had DS#1...but we knew we were going to have more children soon in the near future..so instead of buying another new car years later...we got the mini and I love it.  Love it.

    This is what I'm starting to think as well.  If we get a mini-van now, we'll be all set for when we have another child.  I'm just afraid that we may not have enough space in an SUV as we would in a mini-van.  My husband thinks we'd be ok.  We definitely need to go out and look at the space in both! 

  • We didn't get a mini-van or a SUV, we opted for a four door truck. That is partially because we are farmers and need a truck but also because we needed the extra room for our two kiddos and us.
    Pregnancy Ticker Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • Personally I think some people jump the gun when looking for a new vehicle just because a baby is on the way.  It's a personal preference so to each their own. 

    I have a car (4 door) and can easily fit two car seats in the back.  We're only having one baby and I know that gear will take up room when we travel (I see how much stuff my sister totes around) but so what, our trunk will get full from time to time.  DH got a new vehicle a while back because our 1995 was in need of being replaced.  We did get an SUV for the reason of having more room, four wheel drive, etc.


     
  • We got a Mazda 5. It's kind of like a mini mini van. It's between the size of a compact car and a smaller SUV, and best of all, it has sliding side doors, making it much easier to get baby in and out and getting the stroller between you and the car beside you in a parking lot. It has 3 rows of seating and the 3rd row folds down to give you an SUV-sized trunk space.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
  • We are definitely not mini van people.  I have a Honda Pilot that will nicely accomodate the baby, her gear, our stuff and our greyhound when we travel. 



    What Are Your Thoughts on Tap Dancing Penguins?
    image





  • Me personally - I HATE minivans (so does DH).  We used to call them "goober vans" or "loser cruisers" when I was younger.  To this day I would not be caught dead on one.  I prefer an SUV - safer and more versitile, but I can understand why people love their minivans.  I have plenty of friends who just couldn't imagine their lives without one.  They're just not my thing.  If you are only planning on one child, do you really need one?  JMO...
  • Minivans are really nice, it's hard to appreciate how nice they are until you have kids and actually use one. They provide so many safety and convenience features as well as lots of space. They have more storage room than SUVs and are more flexible in how you use the space. We got ours when we were TTC #2, but we also knew we were planning at least 3 kids and had 2 dogs as well. When it was just our first we did fine with our Ford Focus.

    image

    Kristen (7), Timothy (5), Robert (3), Charles (9 months)


  • It depends on a few things.  How many children are you thinking of having?  What are the car seat laws in your state?  How long do you tend to own a car before replacing it. 

     Our Prius worked great with one, but while it would fit two carseats in the back no one could sit with them so it wasn't a great option for two.  So when we decided to get a second car we knew we wanted something bigger.  And, because Texas basically requires a child to be in a carseat or booster until they are eight years old we decided on a mini van over an SUV, because the minivan would give us more room to move around the carseats ( we are definitely planning on having more than two kids).  But, we also plan to own this car for a long time so we wanted to make sure we had storage for the long haul. 

  • imagesylwill:
    This is our first and will be our last child. We have a brand enw Prius that gets great mileage and has great safety records (after that whole brake issue haha). We NEVER looked at vans and I will not buy one.

    we're planning to have two eventually, and we also have a prius. it's great. the mileage is awesome and the customer service was great. last night we managed to fit 6 foot shelves in the back with the rear seats down, plus a ton of other stuff.

    i grew up with a station wagon. whatever happened to those? 

    image
  • I'm anti-mini van.  I will NEVER own one, so my vote is not to mini van.
    Image and video hosting by TinyPic Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • Neither DH or I would ever drive a mini-van, so not our style and with one child there will never be the need- that is something we agreed upon years ago. Currently we have one SUV(a must in MN winters and for towing a boat) and a car, but will probably trade DH's car in for a crossover within the next few years so we have to 4 wheel drivers. 
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"