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august8080
member
another minivan/suv question
august8080
member
OK, I'm considering going over to the dark side but I need some more convincing.....
We'll have a 2 year old and twin babies, tell me why a minivan is a better choice than an SUV. In the other post about this, I thought someone mentioned being able to buckle the child in the third row easily, but I don't understand how that would work? From the pictures I've seen of minivan interiors, it still looks like I'd have to climb back there.
My thought was babies in the bucket seats and toddler in the third row but am I missing something? Is it possible to put all three on the second row?
Help me ladies! I need a strong argument to convince myself and then....my husband! I guess I'm just not grasping why a minivan would be more convenient than an SUV with three rows.
Thanks!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: another minivan/suv question
I use to have an Expedition with third row seating and then I crossed over to the dark side and I would never look back. Not only is it about being more convenient but it's about ease of use. With the expedition, I would have two in the front and one in the back. It was a pain in the rear end for me to have to climb over the second row to get to the third row to buckle my son in. Then, I rearranged it so that I had all three of them in the front row but it was seriously TIGHT!! They were breathing right down my back and it was CONSTANT bickering because everybody was crammed like sardines. The thing about the minivan is that you can adapt it to your needs. In my Odyssey, I can fit three across in the first row but instead I took out the middle seat and I have to bucket seats in the front with my son in the back. It's so easy to walk back there because there is an aisle down with middle. He can climb in easily too even when I had 2 rear facing britax boulevards in the second row. For me, it's all about the space and the breathing room that it allows me and that's not even to mention all the other perks like automatic sliding doors that make it even more convenient. For where we are in life, I would never go back to an SUV. I kicked and screamed for a long time because I didn't want to do it but it has seriously made my quality of life so much better. I would encourage you to install 3 carseats in a large SUV and see what you think. Also consider how you and your LO are going to get to the third row and how you would go about buckling them in especially after giving birth. I would drive both and see what you think. I really thought I would never end up with a minivan but I am so glad that I did.
Ditto! I went to the dark side a few months ago, and will not go back for a long time (probably once kids are teens). The auto sliding doors (from the remote) are a godsend. Both my kids(2 and 6) easily get in and out of the van completely on their own. I still have to buckle in the 2 year old, but no biggie. Also when other are in town visiting we don't have to take 2 cars. We fit 4 adults and 2 kids in the van VERY comfortably! Oh, I also have the auto( also by remote) back door opening, LOVE it!
We used to have a wagon/suv with a 3rd row. While I only had 2 so we did not use the 3rd row on a daily basis. However when other people were in town and we tried to use it, it was really a pain. We couldn't even comfortably fit 3 adults and the 2 kids- we fit but it was tight.
Buckling a toddler in the 3rd row of a mini van would be very easy as long as you got bucket seats in the middle. I have had to do this on occasion, and yes you have to climb back there, but with all the space in a mini-van it is no big deal and easy to do.
Meh. I just don't like minivans. I like SUVs, and there will never be any changing of my mind on that. We have a Tahoe now, but will upgrade to the Suburban if/when we have a 3rd. With captains chairs (two separate chairs in the 2nd row) and a full size 3rd row, we'll get along just fine.
Sooo....I'm just saying you don't HAVE to get the minivan if you're not loving the idea.
(read it. you know you want to.)
anderson . september 2008
vivian . february 2010
mabel . august 2012
Thanks everyone for your answers! Keep 'em coming!
mlf....sigh.....I just don't like them either. I'm telling myself it's a few year fix until they're all a little bit older, more independent with getting into car seats, etc. Then, Mama wants a Toyota Sequoia
Or, in my dreams, an Escalade.
Dude. Wurd.
I'm currently driving an Acadia so it's got 2 captain chairs in the second row & a bench for the 3rd row. The Acadia is technically a crossover vehicle so it is on a minivan frame, not a truck frame. It feels like a minivan on the inside but looks like an SUV on the outside. Looooooooove it.