Nbr: big family cars!

mcdoug211 · March 2017

were car shopping and have been looking at the Toyota Highlander, Honda Pilot or the Toyota/honda vans.

Can anyone give pro/cons of their bigger cars?! I've had quite a few people say they have/had a pilot but with car seats in the middle and kids needing to get to the third row it's a PIA! I really don't like vans but they really seem the most practical.

Any advice is appreciated we've been looking at cars for forever and my brain hurts! Hope this helps others in need of a new car:))

Sugargirl1019 · March 2017

Woo! Love this! I am a FTM and am no help. But I have heard people LOVE the odyssey van?

mcdoug211 · March 2017

I was talking to someone with a pilot she said she loves it but she only has 2 kids so they rarely use the third row she said everyone she knows with a van love it! I just can't get over driving a van hahaha

Sugargirl1019 · March 2017

Everyone I know has like a Buick Enclave or Chevy Traverse suv. What particularly are you wanting out of the van? Is it just a third row with the second row having 2 seats so kids can walk through to the back?

I don't know many people with vans, BUT my aunt and uncle LOVE their van and will give it up kicking and screaming.

kelseyrayay · March 2017

I want this 2017 Honda Odyssey!

Sugargirl1019 · March 2017

kelseyrayay said:

I want this 2017 Honda Odyssey!

Why? Other than it is kinda sexy looking!

Becky012016 · March 2017

We have an enclave and absolutely love it! It has captain chairs in the middle so with 3 kids (currently only number 2) they can't touch each other. All of our friends have the Oddessy and love those too. Really the other different I can notice is how the back doors open. My enclave open out like a normal car and the minivan doors slide. We can also put half the back seat down to accommodate more luggage in the back while still having room for a passenger/car seat.

awildrose · March 2017

We have a Honda Pilot and LOVE LOVE LOVE it. We've put 5 kids and an adults in back of it just fine. We also have traveled across country with four adults and two toddlers in car seats comfortably. I'm expecting #3 and have it arranged in my head how it'll fit. We bought it with the idea that 1. Grandparents will ride with us occasionally needing the third row and 2. We want 4 kids and will need the third row. Plus it has rear vents. The key is narrow car seats. Orignally we had Graco MyRide 65s and while they are great seats, there was no way to get third row access with two kids in the middle row. That sucked. Bought narrow seats and problem was solved!

baileylove22 · March 2017

I got a Honda Odyssey when I had my girls. I also have a dog who is high maintenance, so we needed the back for him, the middle for the girls and the front for us. Honestly I hate driving it just b/c it is so big, but it has been invaluable with all of the stroller and pack and plays we needed to have when we traveled to visit family. I said I would never drive a van, but I am glad we got it. Especially now with #3 on the way. It is better to have extra room than to run out of room I guess.

sugarrush · March 2017

Image: https://media.giphy.com/media/xT9KVtdQc1FlJ7llnO/giphy.gif

I totally have the 'mom' van. I swore up and down that I would never get one. 'I will be a cool mom and have an SUV!!!' Yeahh... there's me... rolling down the street in my new mini van two years ago with my head held high! I have a Chrysler T&C, the 0% interest sucked us in. We will only be a family of 4 so do we need all that extra room? Not really. Kinda. Sorta. We take a road trip once or twice a year half way across the states to visit my family, so its nice to have all the space and we can definitely bring a lot in the car. But my daily drive to work and then home, I feel like I don't really need it. Highway mileage is great, but I drive city and the mileage is not the best. I love having the TV in there though and the stow-n-go seats are awesome as well. If I had to do it over, I would probably go with a Honda Pilot or a Nissan Xterra.

mcdoug211 · March 2017

We need the third row no matter what this will be the fourth (my stepdaughters are here for summers).

I like the van because of the access to the third row. @Sugargirl1019 we'll have an infant seat and the graco forever in the middle so I don't see how the older kids can easily access the back without a walkway lol

@awildrose we'll have bulkier car seats in the middle row for the younger kids and an adult may have to go in the third row that wouldn't be often but it's possible. How do narrow-er car seats allow access to the third row?!

@kelseyrayay that van does look more bad ass than other hhaha

awildrose · March 2017

Another bonus for the pilot- it has more than one tether in the third row unlike some mini vans. Just be aware of that when looking. Forward facing seats and boosters require a tether.

Sugargirl1019 · March 2017

@mcdoug211 Most SUVS have bucket seats in the second row! So your kids can walk through to the back. Don't count them out!

most people want vans because of the sliding door function (automatic opening... drool).

kelseyrayay · March 2017

@mcdoug211 I bet it costs a arm and a leg though! But a girl can dream

mcdoug211 · March 2017

@Sugargirl1019 every one I've looked at in our price/mileage range is bench or has a like armrest cup holder thing:/

kelseyrayay · March 2017

Sugargirl1019 said:

kelseyrayay said:

I want this 2017 Honda Odyssey!

Why? Other than it is kinda sexy looking!

That's exactly why lol it's so pretty!

mcdoug211 · March 2017

@SugarRush I'll mostly be doing city driving..that's my mentality exactly though haha I have this Mom van vision in my head I can't get over! And the extra room is a necessity but his kids are only here 6 weeks of the year so I don't know!

mcdoug211 · March 2017

@kelseyrayay I can only imagine!

kailapop · March 2017

We're getting a van. The sliding doors are what is enticing me. Plus we have a dog and my brother (13yo) stays with me offen.

im actually super excited to get one since I'll be coming from a Grand Prix that has no room. And I honestly don't feel that the crossover SUVs have more room than a car. If I were to go the SUV route it would be an XL model like a suburban and I feel like getting to this back seats is a pia.

That's my two cents. Don't knock the van until you test one out. They're not a lame as you think.

awildrose · March 2017

Here's a couple pictures of a Pilot with two seats. The third seat is completely open and can fold down for third row access. With a third baby I can put my oldest in the third row and keep two in the middle or go three across. The third row in a 2 seat-1 seat fold, too, so if you're desperate you can climb in through the back to get in. I can't find my pictures with my niece's seat when we did three across, but I hope that helps a little bit!

Ediy to add: you can actually see I have two forward facing seats installed in the third row in the first picture, too. So there's four seats and still able to fold down the middle row to climb to the third row.

mcdoug211 · March 2017

@awildrose hmm is the third seat easy to put up in down? We could do one big kid in each row because their seats are smaller and then put the third down to get back there! That's actually extremely helpful!!

awildrose · March 2017

@mcdoug211

To fold down the seat in the Pilot is one lever on the top. It's easy enough. I can do it one handed now that I'm use to grabbing the right lever. Lol.

And the narrower seats take us less side to side room so they don't go past the car's designed middle seat and keep the sides from folding. Does that make sense? I can take more pictures after work if you want to see something specific. My Pilot is a 2013, base model.

hatrats · March 2017

My biggest issue is backward facing car seats. Is there any suv in the world where you don't have to have the seats in front of them all the way forward?? The only way dds seat goes backwards in my crv is putting it in the middle so it goes between the 2 front seats. I'll obviously have to front face her when this one comes along, but not even sure I'll be able to fit 2 car seats in next to each other bc the baby's will have to be in the middle. Same issue with my husband's jeep compass. Ugh.

DPandMB · March 2017

We have 3 kids and this will make number 4. We have an Expedition EL. It has pleanty of room for several kids and car seats, plus tons of trunk space. That was our big sticking point. My parents live about 4 hours away and we go up to see them a few times a year. There is a ton of stuff needed when traveling with a baby and a toddler. We actually just traded in our old Expedition with a bench seat to a new one with bucket seats. We were concerned about the multiple car seats and the older kids getting in the back. Much easier and less concerning now.

awildrose · March 2017

@hatrats

We had a rear facing infant seat and later convertible in our Pilot. My husband is 5'11" and likes his space. I'm 5'4". We could fit rear facing behind me. But not my husband. The seats fit in the middle no problem, though. The Pilot allows the entire second row to slide forward and backwards some, too. That helps especially if you have short people in the third row who don't need tons of room.

hatrats · March 2017

@awildrose thanks. I'm considering a new car maybe in the next year or so. DH is 6'2" and I'm 5'5" so his seat has to be all the way back. In his compass, when the rear-facing carseat was behind the passenger seat (we have it ff now bc of this) I had to put my seat all the way forward and it was sooo u comfortable.

kaylaakosua · March 2017

We bought a 2016 Town & Country in August because we have 4 kiddos (now 5) and are in love with it. We will be able to fit 3 car seat in the back (Diono Radian r100 - Ages 7, 5, &5) because our kids are tiny and 5pt is best and the 2nd row will have our 3year old and this babe. There is the middle aisle that will be perfect for the older ones to get in the back and our dog, golden. We are a BIG family and thankful for this van. There has already been a family road trip and it was so comfy even with everything packed in. I can honestly say I am spoiled by the features of this van. FI owns a successful mechanic shop, so I didn't really have much say but I'm glad he picked this. Never really been a huge Chrysler fan before.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/zx/8yxvcb0dssw8.jpg

This is without the new seats in the back ( the new ones are the slimmest on the market) and FIs older daughter on our road trip. Where the bag that says Chloe is a a walk path and the 2 nd row seats are stow and go. That's where September babe will sit.
Please ignore the completely passed out faces.

Edited; Spelling and added picture

mercury94 · March 2017

I have a CR-V that I love, but this is my first, so I'm not desperate for the third row yet. My mom loves her Traverse, which has captain's chairs in the second row. My brother and his wife just bought a Chrysler van. 2 kids and lots of extra space.

mrsmarygs · March 2017

FTM here, so no advice on minivans or SUVs, but I do have a question. I'm a terrible driver in my little Toyota Corrola. If we ended up having more kids and needed a third row, is there anything out there that is smaller (height-wise) than a minivan or an SUV? DH has an SUV and I hate driving it anywhere because I feel like I can barely reach the petals and see over the steering wheel at the same time (I'm 5'3'').

mcdoug211 · March 2017

@mrsmgsee I think like the Highlander is on the smaller side I'm 5'2 and I'm terrible at backing up I'm so scared to have a large car! My car is pretty small now so it'll be a huge change

Sugargirl1019 · March 2017

@mrsmgsee I drive a Chevy Malibu. When I drove a Jeep Grand Cherokee, I found the view over the hood of the car to be the exact same as if I was driving my little car.

Callie1368 · March 2017

We have a suburban with the middle row being the bucket seats and absolutely love it. So much room and they can walk through instead of climbing over..

smashlie-2 · March 2017

We've been looking at the new land rover discovery. I would have been perfectly fine with a van, but my hubby hates them. His parents had one and the doors were always breaking and he just doesn't have good experiences with them. (I told him that was forever ago, I'm sure they are better now). But I digress. It's 7 seater and really nice looking so we will see. I think we may wait a year though. Make sure there are no issues with them because last time we bought a new model of a new car the first year it was out it had all sorts of issues.

Image result for land rover discovery 2017

Image result for land rover discovery 2017

andimac-2 · March 2017

We've had a 2014 Honda Odyssey for almost a year now and I looooove it! I don't know anything about the bigger SUVs so can't offer comparison but I wouldn't change a thing about our van.

- Obviously the automatic doors are a HUGE plus and it makes loading up multiple kids a breeze (I have a 3 year old and 17 month old but often babysit a 2.5 year old as well).. I can pop the doors open before we even get to the car and the older girls can get themselves in on one side while I'm buckling my youngest in on the other side and I don't have to worry about them kicking a door into the car beside us.
- Tons of storage.. like little compartments and extras for all. the. things. plus plenty of room in the back too. And cup holders. So many cupholders!
- Air vents all the way to the back is a big deal to me.. I used to drive an old Buick Ranier and with the HOT summers we have, the two little tiny air vents in the center console were not enough to cool my girls off, especially while rear-facing.

There are plenty of other cool features but I guess the biggest thing is that minivans are just made to be family cars.. so all the details speak to having a family which makes everything so easy! My husband was super hesitant about getting it but now it's totally his favorite vehicle to drive!

And @mrsmgsee I'm about the same height and have never had a problem with our Odyssey. Everything is super adjustable!

ETA.. sorry for the novel.

hangingwiththehales · March 2017

@awildrose what car seats did you get? We are in the market for narrower ones too!

SuperKristy85 · March 2017

If you dont want a mini van but want that type of set up a lot of SUVs can be purchased as 3 row seating with the middle row ad the 2 captains chairs. I have a ford edge (which I love) but when I bought it I also test drove an explorer with this set up that I also loved. Im sort of kicking myself for not getting the explorer but I figured Id save the extra money because I didnt need 3 rows (which really I dont, there are only a handful of times it would come in handy).

awildrose · March 2017

@hangingwiththehales

I have Harmony Defender, Diono Radian RXT, and plan on getting a Urbini Sonti for the new baby. The Harmony is 17.5", I believe, and the Radian is 17". I worked with a few car seat techs who helped me pick out the Sonti to fit with my other seats and car, but I haven't installed it yet. Be aware of both based width and top width. I know a couple Dionos are narrow at the base but have wide head wings which defeats the purpose of side by side installs.

Edit to add: The Harmony is for my kiddo forward facing. The Radian was for my rear facing kiddo once she was out of the infant seat. She's forward facing in the Radian now, but I'll be getting her a Harmony when the new baby is ready to move out of the infant seat and pass the Radian down. We also use these seats for our Honda Accord- it's a tighter fit across, but works with seatbelt installs and not LATCH since LATCH doesn't allow for moving the seats over as far as they could go.

Jamiern01 · March 2017

We bought a Honda Odyssey after we had number 3 last year. We Love it!!!! The cargo space is fantastic!!! We can haul just about anything in the trunk. I love the sliding doors and not having to wire about kids banging other cars or the garage when they open them. My husband swore he would never drive a van and he absolutely loves it as well!!!

parker0706 · March 2017

I don't have advice on the ones you are looking at, although I have a lot of friends with Honda Odyssey, but I have a GMC Acadia and LOVE it! We are only on #2 and don't plan to have anymore but I babysit or have my sister and niece come visit often and it's awesome to have the extra room. I have the captains chairs for the middle row and my 3rd row can fold down flat piece by piece if that makes sense, so I can have part up and part down simultaneously. My husband is 7ft so he doesn't fit in a lot of vehicles comfortably so even though we don't plan on having anymore kids this was the best option for us. Just for a size reference, we took a family trip to Pittsburgh to see family (we live in South Georgia) and we were able to fit me, DH, DD in her infant carrier (she was 6 months at the time), my MIL and FIL, dog, and all of our luggage along with a large cooler. It was a crazy trip but we had the room lol!

JNR6510 · March 2017

We love our crew cab Dodge Ram. We live in the country, so it is nice to have a big vehicle that is 4 wheel drive with tons of room in the cab. There is literally enough room for three men to sit comfortably in the back with my great Dane laying in the floor. I love all the space I have in my truck. Only drawback is the gas mileage isn't awesome, but it's roughly the same as your average SUV's mpg.

Carebella · March 2017

I'd been dreaming of an Outback for SO very long and made the switch from a Legacy sedan about a week before DS arrived. It has worked really well so far but with the new baby on the way I'm almost wishing we had something bigger that allowed for the Diono seat to be RFing behind the seats. The new little one might have to go behind the driver's seat but then I wouldn't be able to sit in the back next to baby.

I've hated every van I've ever driven though and finding an SUV that has a real third row, storage room, AWD, decent fuel economy, and isn't $$$$ seems impossible.

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