Talk to me about minivans...

GypsyEsq · January 2012

I don't know much about them other than I never wanted one and now I'm almost certain we need one. Anything you love or hate? Any options that are necessary with little kids or some that are not IYO?

crystalgirl · January 2012

We don't have one and have tried to avoid it thus far... But I have to say, we rode in SIL's over the holidays, and it made life so much easier. We could fit four adults (there was room for more, we just maxed out at four when we were in it) plus our two kids in car seats, no problem! In our CRV, it's really only comfortable for two adults plus two car seats.

And OMG, the DVD player! I've always been very against them, but it was great to have it for DS1 for long drives! He didn't keep his brother awake in the car, which is always a huge issue for us.

schmoodle · January 2012

LOVE LOVE LOVE. And we are NOT your typical minivan people (our other car was chosen 50% for aesthetics/luxury/brand and the other 50% for speed, so you can guess where a Minivan falls on that continuum).

The sliding/auto doors are an absolute lifesaver. SO much room for giant Britax seats plus legroom plus visiting grandparents. And the movie screen in back gets us a lot of leverage in getting Toodle to go on rides that are otherwise boring for him and where he might fight getting in the car.

GypsyEsq · January 2012

schmoodle:
LOVE LOVE LOVE. And we are NOT your typical minivan people (our other car was chosen 50% for aesthetics/luxury/brand and the other 50% for speed, so you can guess where a Minivan falls on that continuum).

The sliding/auto doors are an absolute lifesaver. SO much room for giant Britax seats plus legroom plus visiting grandparents. And the movie screen in back gets us a lot of leverage in getting Toodle to go on rides that are otherwise boring for him and where he might fight getting in the car.

Which one did you go with? I think we had the same Rx - do you still have it or did you sell it to get the minivan?

GypsyEsq · January 2012

crystalgirl:
We don't have one and have tried to avoid it thus far... But I have to say, we rode in SIL's over the holidays, and it made life so much easier. We could fit four adults (there was room for more, we just maxed out at four when we were in it) plus our two kids in car seats, no problem! In our CRV, it's really only comfortable for two adults plus two car seats.

And OMG, the DVD player! I've always been very against them, but it was great to have it for DS1 for long drives! He didn't keep his brother awake in the car, which is always a huge issue for us.

What does your SIL drive? I have to say the space seems pretty amazing, but at the same time, we'll be filling it all pretty quickly...

browneyedgrl4282 · January 2012

I got my Dodge Caravan when the twins were 2 months old for a few reasons, space being one! I can not tell you enough how much I love it. I always thought I was going to get larger SUV but honestly it would have been a huge pain in the butt. The double sliding doors and power open hatch makes life easier. So much We have all three kids in the third row now and one of the middle seats folded down so it easy to get in and out. I test drove pretty much all of the minivans but we opted for the Dodge because it had a better warranty for power train over Honda and Toyota. They really didn't seem much different handle wise for me but the price was a lot more on the other two. We have pretty much all the options except the navigation since we already had one. I didn't think I would use the build in dvd players as much as I am but it helps out a lot with long travel. The stow n go seating is great too for extra storage. I also have no problem fitting double stroller and single stroller in the back of the van.

RoxBride · January 2012

Town & Country owner here, and I will never own anything else. Great in the snow, easy to drive, DD loves it, tons of room, we can seat 7 easily, good MPG. During potty training we could take out one seat and have a cozy little spot for DD to use a portable potty which was awesome.

I love that the second row of seats are comfortable. My 74 YO MIL rode on a 3500 mile road trip with no issues in the second row because of the captain seating.

I can quickly and easily reconfigure the seats, so if I need to bring home a 7 foot ladder, no problem. IKEA couch? No problem, even with the babe in her seat.

We have yet to meet a car seat that doesn't fit.

Love the power doors and power tailgate.

GuitaristsGirl · January 2012

I was right there with you, but we LOVE our Honda Odessey. Love!!! We went for a slightly-less-than-new model so we could afford the most options possible (touring model). Love even little things, like the "conversation mirror"... DVD, navigation, built in sunshades (and the new models have coolers!!!).... All the bells and whistles are what talked me into a van in the first place, and I love every one

mmttc · January 2012

I recently bought a used (2008) Honda odyssey. I L.O.V.E. IT!

Theres not one thing I can think of that I don't like.

mmttc · January 2012

Wanted to add that I recently discovered I don't need to fold down or remove the seats on my baby jogger city select. I just roll it in the back fully assembled and there's still room for groceries or diaper changes in the back. I even hav a ban bag chair in the way back! (I got left there after a newborn photo shoot)

schmoodle · January 2012

GypsyEsq:
schmoodle:

LOVE LOVE LOVE. And we are NOT your typical minivan people (our other car was chosen 50% for aesthetics/luxury/brand and the other 50% for speed, so you can guess where a Minivan falls on that continuum).

The sliding/auto doors are an absolute lifesaver. SO much room for giant Britax seats plus legroom plus visiting grandparents. And the movie screen in back gets us a lot of leverage in getting Toodle to go on rides that are otherwise boring for him and where he might fight getting in the car.

Which one did you go with? I think we had the same Rx - do you still have it or did you sell it to get the minivan?

We have the 2011 Odyssey (the EX-L with rear entertainment). We actually traded our RX in for an Infiniti a few months before being shocked to find out we were going to have two little ones to cart around, otherwise we probably would have waited to get something bigger. So now we have 2 cars, the Infiniti and the minivan.

lnle · January 2012

Toyota Sienna - can open our sliding doors and rear hatch by remote - a necessity when you have your hands full!

anangelbug · January 2012

When I was 21 my parents gave me their hand me down station wagon and I grew to love that thing sooo much. I could take a group of people out or I could load up the car and do crazy amount of laundry (I was 21, no washer and dryer), or I could load up the big dogs etc..... So when it was time to replace it, at 25 or so I got a new/used Chevy Lumina.... loved that thing so much more, yes it had a space ship dashboard but it was the best. Loved it so I had the engine rebuilt (but HUGE mistake) just didn't want to part with it. Then got a Chevy Venture which was nice, not my favorite but it was the base model with crank windows and just plain, but still a minivan! So when I turned 41 and we knew we were getting a baby DH finally said lets go get your dream van. He new I always wanted a toyota since my sister loved her cars over the year and I knew I wanted the auto sliding doors!!! AND the windows in the sliding doors go down too.... it is sooooo sweet. I will say when I read the reviews AFTER I bought it, the 2011 Sienna does not get the best reviews from moms with several kids in car seats, something about the child seat anchors and they removed one or something. And I always wanted to put baby and car seat in the middle of the back seat, but that is not an option in the Sienna. You can put them in the middle of the very last row but not for me. There is an add in seat for the middle of the second row but I don't believe it to be car seat approved. So after reading the safety and crash ratings and knowing people with two kids have to eventually put one of them by the door I got over the little things. And we won't be able to adopt more at least not anytime soon so the anchors are ok with me. I love the van so much. I got the middle version (there is a basic, a middle and a luxury version) Would have loved the luxury version, it has an automatic back hatch and dual sun roofs and the built in dvd player. But I'm happy enough with the dual power sliding doors and the windows that roll down in the back (we are in Florida so it's nice to be able to put all the windows down to air the heat out of the car). The back row is soooooo easy to fold and it stores down in the floor board... very nifty. The middle row seats slide forward and backward to allow people easier access to the back row or if someone needs more leg room etc. It's a smooth ride, it had more pick up and speed that you would think. It's kinda sporty looking considering it's a mini van.

I am a huge minivan advocate, always have been, even pre-baby.... they are awesome. So roomy and convenient. I like bigger rides and can't stand being cramped in a back seat....

Leather was highly recommened to us especially since we were having a baby so I we upgraded. I personally don't like it, it's cold in the winter, sticky in the summer but it looks nice and adds some class. And with kids much easier to clean up and with dogs it won't hold odors etc.

Go for it!!!!! I think you will pleasantly surprised

Temp893722312503334 · January 2012

We just got one. We wouldn't need one except that we also have a large dog that goes with us everywhere too.

One thing I REALLY like about ours (Honda Odyssey) is the automatic doors. the two side doors and the rear lift gate. Helps a ton!

I also like that its low to the ground. I am hoping that soon after DD is born, DS will be able to walk / step into the van himself which will help me since I will have the baby carrier.

It was hard getting him up so high into our SUV once he hit 20 lbs.

LoveMyGirlz · January 2012

I have an 07 Odyssey and the more I have it, the more I love it. I do think it's pretty ugly on the outside, but the interior is what sold me. We have the EX-L version with nav and dvd player. It's a super practical car and I'm really glad I have it. There are several different configurations which is great. We often have another adult in with us, so we basically had to have a minivan over a large SUV. Only thing I miss is four wheel drive.

Eriksgal · January 2012

I said i would never get one but I just bought a Honda Odyssey last month and so far I'm loving it! I tried to make it work with my old car- acura mdx- but it was just too crowded with the three seats and my DH didn't have enough leg room. I say get one and don't look back! They are so much better on gas too than your big SUV's like Tahoe, Suburban, etc.

crystalgirl · January 2012

GypsyEsq:
crystalgirl:

We don't have one and have tried to avoid it thus far... But I have to say, we rode in SIL's over the holidays, and it made life so much easier. We could fit four adults (there was room for more, we just maxed out at four when we were in it) plus our two kids in car seats, no problem! In our CRV, it's really only comfortable for two adults plus two car seats.

And OMG, the DVD player! I've always been very against them, but it was great to have it for DS1 for long drives! He didn't keep his brother awake in the car, which is always a huge issue for us.

What does your SIL drive? I have to say the space seems pretty amazing, but at the same time, we'll be filling it all pretty quickly...

Holy freakin' crap. I totally forgot you have trips! OMG. I think the news happened when I was away and could only peek in on my phone. Whoa, lady!!!! Congrats x3!

Anyway, she has an Odyssey. I thought about it a little harder since I posted earlier, and I think there would just be room for one more person in there. So...if you were to do 4 car seats, there would maybe be space for 3 adults. Whether that's really true or not depends on how well the seats fit the back row... I'd think that Sunshine Radians would be your best bet for squeezing more passengers in.

Can't believe I spaced on your "expectations!"

GypsyEsq · January 2012

Thanks everyone! Sounds like test drives are in our future

Want a personalized experience?

Talk to me about minivans...

Re: Talk to me about minivans...

Choose Another Board

Search Boards