We have a Saturn Relay minivan. I love the functionality and the power sliding side doors (great loading/unloading kids when your arms are full) although I'd go with a Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna if I could chose again.

Whatever you buy, make sure that you take all of your carseats/boosters and try them in the vehicle before you sign on the line. I've seen many vehicles where the seats don't fit well or the childseat anchors are difficult to access.

We have a gmc envoy, and I like it but with 2 car seats the back seats are full, no way an adult could fit in there. I have a chevrolet tahoe and an adult can fit in the back row with the carseats, but that's a full size SUV and sucks down the gas. I'm fighting the minivan idea, but mainly because I couldn't find one that was either 4wd or a selectable AWD. We're in michigan and it can get snowy out fast, so I want my wife to have a 4wd or awd vehicle to drive to work and back. She works out in the country and the roads get drifted over fast and she's needed the 4wd several times. I'd go with the minivan because even if you get an suv with a third row, you can't get back there, somehow with a minivan and captains chairs, the 3rd row becomes usable, but not with an suv. I wish they made an awd minivan, I'd be all over that.

8 cylinder, 1987, even had the fake wood siding. It could pull a trailer with 8 hunting dogs and never break a sweat. Greatest SUV in the world, but it got about 20 gallons to the mile. Sold it before the gas crisis and bought a minivan. Much better in terms of kids and gas. I truly miss my Wagoneer, though.

But, with gas prices the way they are right now, I agree with JohnGilroy that I would see if I could get by with what I have. As a matter of fact, that's what we're doing. We have three cars -- our '99 minivan, an '87 Camry, and a '93 Ranger (we keep the Ranger as a fallback vehicle for when the others are in for repairs, etc.) The Camry doesn't have a front airbag, so our oldest can sit in front, if the occasion arises.

They're not shiny and pretty, but we get around town with no problems. And I really am not looking forward to starting car payments again.

So, if you must, look at minivans. Also I saw that VW has some new station wagon-ish thing out. And the Passat is a good one too.

Good hunting. :-) Tell us what you've decided, since we are all going to be in that same boat, eventually.

Would a large wagon like the Subaru Outback be big enough?

I'm Not a Slacker

I dread the thought of returning to the mini-van sceen, but the surburban is costing me over 100 bucks to fill up. So we only use it if we are going somewhere with all the kids and shopping. I love it, but gas is killing me. For work and driving one or two of the kids around we use the sebring. 22mpg compared to 13mpgs is a big difference for odds and ends

assuming

a) Dodge is still in business...

b) You can get past the minivan thing....why, I won't lie, Im not real sympathetic towards....we're SAHDs and we're worried about how people will judge our cars? I mean mean, come on, I have a three year old who at least once a day says "Daddy, wipe my butt" (in a nice tone, actually)...

Anyway there are several reasons (One reason is only on newer models):

1) Automatic side and trunk doors

2) Room to move about. My wife even today got into the back seat to adjust Andrew's chair.

3) Stow-n-go seating. No need to remove seats you're not using they go into the base of the vehicle

4) They added a table into the new models that the four back seats can swivel around and face each other...so family card games, meals, etc., in the back of the van. Obvious not for a toddler and infant, but eventually.

We have the 2005 model so if you want used I would go no earlier than that for auto doors and Stow N Go.

Josh

SAHD Since August 2005

If my count is right, your current family is 3. One more ready to come out, that makes 4. Then mom coming out to help out. Unless her stay is going to be permanant, don't buy a new car at all. It will be less expensive in the long or even medium run just to go with the two cars you have when you go places. When mom goes back home, you still have two cars that are closer to being paid off than a brand new one. Do an excel spread sheet to compare the cost of a new car with higher insurance, higher registration, higher payments, etc., verses the current costs of your existing car. Also ask, how often are all 5 of you going to be going someplace together? It would take a lot of trips to counter act the cost of a new car. Why incur 4-6 years more of debt and pay all that interest to the bank just for a little convenience during a short term situation?

I've never loved the bus as much as since my daughter arrived, much to my surprise. It's easier than car seats, the people on board are unbelievably polite about offering seats for us and the stroller (was I that nice before??), the baby girl LOVES all the faces on the bus, walking to and from the stops is fun, and there's no parking.

'course, Omaha may not be quite as transit-friendly as Vancouver. (I was there for 24 hours recently and don't recall much by way of buses!)

Cheers,
Steve

(This message courtesy of a temporarily distracted baby girl.)

mikeSAHD: What, don't you have a BEACH? That's what we use the 4 wheel drive for here in Deep South Texas!

I have a similar issue to Itux except I now need to fit 3 car seats across the back seat of a sedan.
I found a fairly narrow seat called the radian - http://sunshinekidsbaby.com/ - it appears to be the business but there seem to be some issues with a rear facing installation so it is only a partial solution.
I wonder if anyone else has managed to get 3 car seats across a back seat?

Radian Manual

We do it with a new passat.
My son is three and a half and has been in a booster seat for nine months or so I think a little early according to CT state law not but the car seat and him turns into a nightmare.
When there was two car seats we used to put them side by side and the third adult would sit by the door. It is easier with the booster seat.
We went with a car vs a SuV due to the craziness of gas.

Poo master
www.pooplatter.com

My wife swore off minivans along time ago, So we new we were gonna get an SUV but personally I cant stand SUV's that SUCK gas like its going out of style. So we got the Highlander Hybrid. Really nice vehicle room for 5 and looks cool and even when your mom leaves its just all around good vehicle. Its got power and enough room in the back to haul stuff. Im thrilled with it, just an Idea if your still even reading this thread

We just got rid of our Toyota Sequoia as it was not a 4WD vehicle for here in the Midwest. Now my wife who has a Masters Degree In Environmental Management did a ton of research, she is a research Goddess. She determined that the Hybrid vehicles are not what they are cracked up to be and you need to own them for an extended length of time to make the investment worth it. She actually says it is like putting lipstick on a pig, not a good thing.

We actually went with a crossover vehicle and bought a Mazda CX-9. This vehicle comes fully loaded with all sorts of nice options and does have a 40/20/40 split second row bench, plus a 60/40 split back row as well that folds completely down for storage. The wife has already ridden back in the third row and says it is surprisingly comfortable. It is a nice vehicle and comes with AWD. So far so good however, gas is according the to the sticker 15 City 21 Highway. Even has a DVD player with two infrared headphones for the twins and navigation. So far so good with it and I am glad that I now have AWD versus 2WD with rear wheel drive.