POLL! van vs. suv

aggieoj

Which did you decide and why?

Bonus points, what make and model (are you happy with that decision?)

[Poll]

rssnlvr

You know what we have. I loooooove it. It handles like a car. Has a third row that folds down, super comfy, safest on the market, pretty decent gas mileage for a full-size SUV. Love it.

sundot

I am driving my "I can't believe this is my dream car mini-van!" Seriously I would have never, ever, wanted a mini van buuuuuuuuuuuuut

(1) I have three kids in car seats

(2) we love road trips (I can sit in the middle row and tend to all their needs so easily and I can stretch out and sleep like I was in a recliner while DH drives).

(3) sliding doors--people can be so rude and park so close. My worst days of being pregnant were when I had to squeeze my big pregnant belly between the car and the car door AND try to put a toddler (or 2) in their car seat. Granted, we didn't get our mini-van until ds2 was 4 months old but ohhhhh it would have been so nice having sliding doors when I was pg!

We have the Honda Odyssey 2010. LOVE IT!!

HTH...

 

molliedb

sundot:

I am driving my "I can't believe this is my dream car mini-van!" Seriously I would have never, ever, wanted a mini van buuuuuuuuuuuuut

(1) I have three kids in car seats

(2) we love road trips (I can sit in the middle row and tend to all their needs so easily and I can stretch out and sleep like I was in a recliner while DH drives).

(3) sliding doors--people can be so rude and park so close. My worst days of being pregnant were when I had to squeeze my big pregnant belly between the car and the car door AND try to put a toddler (or 2) in their car seat. Granted, we didn't get our mini-van until ds2 was 4 months old but ohhhhh it would have been so nice having sliding doors when I was pg!

We have the Honda Odyssey 2010. LOVE IT!!

HTH...

 

 

pretty much word for word.

 

wish i could tell you how many times i've opened the front door, used the power sliding doors and yelled 'okay ladies!  get in your carseats!' just to get them out the door while i scramble to get us on our way

august8080

Rssn, what do you drive? Our faster than expected family expansion means I'm in the market a little sooner than I planned to be. I can't bring myself to drive a minivan.

ndluvsrk

I think it depends on how many kids you have.

We have an SUV but we currently only have 2 kids.

My parents have an SUV with a 3rd row, but it is highly inconvenient to get to the 3rd row and it has convinced me that if we have another child, a minivan is really the only way to go.

And FWIW, I NEVER EVER thought I would utter those words. Like EVER. The only comfort I have is telling myself it's temporary. While they're little and in carseats. :-)

carlinlp

Our suv was perfect for us when we had 2. Once we had 3, our van was life changing for us and I love it soooooo much. 

molliedb

we loved our acadia with 2 kids.  the van makes life so much easier with 3.  i don't place an ounce of my identity in the car i drive and really who would i be trying to impress by not getting a van?  it makes life smoother for us and right now, that is the most important thing for our family.

is it cool?  no.  does it make one thing less stressful in a crazy day?  yes.

mrslaquinta

molliedb:

we loved our acadia with 2 kids.  the van makes life so much easier with 3.  i don't place an ounce of my identity in the car i drive and really who would i be trying to impress by not getting a van?  it makes life smoother for us and right now, that is the most important thing for our family.

is it cool?  no.  does it make one thing less stressful in a crazy day?  yes.

This, totally. With two, I LOVED my VW Touareg, but we got a new Nissan Quest about a month ago, and it is amazing how much more convenient it is already. The girls seriously love it, and it is so nice that Kennedy can reach the button to open the doors by herself, climb in and get in her seat all while I am getting Atalie in. Even once she moves to the third row, I can reach her from outside the door to buckle and unbuckled her, so it's not like I'll have to climb in to get to her like with most SUVs. Our decision was made when we came to the realization that with 3 under 4, our goal for the next few years is to simplify as much as possible, and it has definitely already done that. Once the kids are all old enough to climb in and out and do their own seat belts, etc. we will get something else, but for now it is worth it and I am another one who said I would never drive a minivan.

Nessia

I only have two kids and will always only have two kids so I voted SUV. My inlaws have an Acadia and it's really nice and drives great. My BIL is about to buy one too. I want to go to an suv next year and it will probably be the GMC Terrain or Acadia. I would ask yourself how long do you plan on keeping the vehicle and do you think you'll have more than two kids? If I had a 3rd I might let go of my hangup with minivans for the convenience on a minivan.

A&R2006

molliedb:

we loved our acadia with 2 kids.  the van makes life so much easier with 3.  i don't place an ounce of my identity in the car i drive and really who would i be trying to impress by not getting a van?  it makes life smoother for us and right now, that is the most important thing for our family.

is it cool?  no.  does it make one thing less stressful in a crazy day?  yes.

Absolutely agree, and I just have 2.    A couple other factors that pushed me over to the van side:

1.  We frequently have out of town guests (parents, grandparents, etc.), and needed a truly functional 3rd row that was comfortable for older adults.  

2.  With the 3rd row up, there is still a considerable amount of space for luggage, grocery bags, etc.

3.  SUV's in similar price points just didn't seem to me to have interiors that were as nice or have as many family friendly features.

I am also someone who never thought they would drive a minivan, but we got our 2011 Honda Odyssey just over a year ago, and we all LOVE it.  Choosing it was a great decision for our family. 

 

thethomps

We have a 2008 Honda Odyssey and LOVE it.  I would have never thought I would be a minivan lover, but I am converted.  We have family that comes in town frequently and it's so nice that we can now get everyone in one car.  And we'll still be able to even after #2 comes along.

JenniferL923

I just got a GMC Acadia and I looooove it. I don't think the third row is that inconvenient and for all the features, it is awesome. Remote start, back up camera, dual a/c. The third row folds completely flat for storage. I'm pretty sure with the right car seats, three could fit across the bench seat if you don't get the buckets in the middle row.   It drives more like a car than a truck and I swear I read a review that said it has more cubic feet of space than a Yukon.   I'm a month in and it's one of my favorite places to be right now. Yes- in my car.