Minivans And Small Families?

**lparker** · 03-29-2010, 07:04 AM

I'm glad I raised my 3 kids in the early seventies. Had a VW bug and it was good until the oldest was 6 or so. NO car seats! (and I still don't think they should be mandated). Other than that, I drive one every day in my job. They haul kids well.

**wanderlusting** · 03-29-2010, 04:48 PM

ITA with what Neely said. I bought a Jeep Patriot to be our family car when DH and I started TTC 2.5 years ago. We were blessed with twins, but once we put the two car seats in my car, we realized we're already growing out of our small SUV and they're not born yet!

We still have 3 frozen embryos we're going back for so we know we're going to have to sell up for a bigger vehicle soon. Wish I would have just gotten a minivan in the first place- would have been easier to stick with one vehicle rather than having to trade.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 03-29-2010, 07:25 PM

We're a family of four and we've had a necessity for a minivan since DS6 was born.

With family trips, grocery shopping, holiday shopping and safety concerns, we picked a minivan over a normal car. When kids get to be bigger (I'd say at least 14), then a minivan really isn't a necessity as much anymore.

When your kids also get older and need to be driven around (like being taken to dances, school shopping, sports, etc.), a minivan is a real gem to have.

**pigtailsmom** · 03-30-2010, 07:16 PM

I agree with most of the other postings. We are a family of 4-2 daughters 4 and almost 6. I love the minivan for traveling and carpooling to soccer, youth group, etc. I never thought I would drive a mini van, but now that I have it, I can't imagine not having it anymore. We go to see my family about once a month and it is about an hour and a half away. When you have 4 people and all of their stuff for a weekend it takes up alot of room. Also, my husband likes to bring his golf clubs which we would never fit in a car trunk with all of our bags.

**Jerseygirl** · 03-31-2010, 07:35 PM

I went out in 2004 expecting to buy an expedition or explorer or another large suv as my cherokee was on it's last legs and we were foster parents to 3. The suv (big ones) were too high for me (five foot two) to be getting in and out of and reaching the kids seatbelts in the back. They also didn't have enough space in the cargo area for a double stroller and groceries together. I bought a Ford Windstar and although I hate the idea of it (I keep a convertable on the side to keep me sane) it has been almost problem free and so convenient for 104,000 miles. It's great because we take the grandparents on vacation with us, I like to bring my own pack n play on vacations, and they are designed with families in mind, it cleans up easy, I can easily get in and reach the kids etc. Right now I only have one child, but I still find myself driving it all winter because it handles well.

**RImom** · 04-06-2010, 09:32 AM

We were a family of 5 but our teenage daughter just moved out. We own a dodge caravan and really do wish we had something smaller for a family of 4. The fuel mileage really is terrible on them. That being said it is wonderful when going on longer trips as it is really comfortable and great to have the extra space.

**McD** · 04-06-2010, 10:58 AM

We are a family of four and there is no way in heck I will drive a mini-van. I tend to hit things when I drive (parked cars, parked semis, trash cans, rabbits, recycling bins, the tree next to my drive-way) and that big of a vehicle would be chaos for me.

We have a Kia Optima and it is perfectly roomy for us. Th e back seat is big enough for our car seats and I can sit int he middle between the kids if need be.

The trunk is really big and I leave our double stroller and umbrella stroller in it and have no problems fitting in all my groceries.

**PamEmerson** · 04-07-2010, 12:26 PM

I don't have any children, but when my younger sister found out she was pregnant with her first child, she and her husband decided to get a minivan. They settled on the Honda Odyssey, and now that they have 3 children, I don't think they would change it for anything. It is great for just hauling the kids around, and also great for long trips. I admit I though that she was crazy for getting the minivan when she just had the one child, but once the second one came along, it made more sense. She could drive her husband, herself, the two kids, and 3 other people around, with no problems. Also, you can take the seats out, rearrange them, make bucket seats, whatever you want. Very versatile.

**monkeywrangler71** · 04-07-2010, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by MrsMcDowell

We are a family of four and there is no way in heck I will drive a mini-van. I tend to hit things when I drive (parked cars, parked semis, trash cans, rabbits, recycling bins, the tree next to my drive-way) and that big of a vehicle would be chaos for me.

We have a Kia Optima and it is perfectly roomy for us. Th e back seat is big enough for our car seats and I can sit int he middle between the kids if need be.

The trunk is really big and I leave our double stroller and umbrella stroller in it and have no problems fitting in all my groceries.

LOL, I scraped the whole side of ours off on a cart corral at the grocery store. Thankfully my uncle owns a body shop and fixed it for a few hundred instead of the $3000 quote we got from a stranger.

Everyone else seems to have much more room in their minivans than we do. I could barely even fit the double stroller in the back of ours, and my kids have no leg room whatsoever and are constantly kicking us in the back on long trips. I think it's the most uncomfortable vehicle we've ever owned.