WWYD? Expecting our 3rd and considering purchasing a new vehicle

[jerseygirl07067]

This is such a tough decision for me as I am quite frugal but also practical. :) I currently drive a Jeep 2001 Cherokee with 131,000 miles. Thanks to the research I've done here I've learned that I can fit 3 car seats across, but will have to get some different seats. Things will still be tight if the 5 of us go on a trip, we will feel like a bunch of sardines, but it beats a new car payment. We also just put $1400 into our Jeep for some repairs and much needed maintenance. But that darn Jeep always seems to have something going on with it, (for example last weekend we had to repace a headlight and the hydraulic trunk levers to the tune of another 70 bucks) I know if we continue to take care of it and maintain it, it will run for a long time. And of course, it's cheaper than a car payment each month.

But on the other hand, I have some concerns about safety should we ever be in an accident. The Jeep Cherokee is quite boxy and there's very little "meat" on the sides of the car. The kids are pretty close to the sides of the vehicle putting 3 across and I always fear what would happen should we ever get hit there. Our 2001 model does not have side impact air bags either.

So, after some discussion with DH, we are considering the possibility of selling it (or our other car, a 1997 Honda Accord with 210,00 miles) and purchasing a minivan. .....Gasp......deep breath....there I said it! A minivan! I always said I'd never drive one but after seeing my friend's new Toyota Sienna it made me realize how much safer it is, and how much more practical it would be with 3 kids.

But it kills me to have a car payment since both of our cars have been paid off for several years, and I see people driving around with much smaller cars than a Jeep Cherokee with 3 kids across in the back. But both of our cars are higher up in mileage, particularly the Honda, but our mechanic seems to think we may be able to get another 50,000 -100,000 miles more out of it. (I am a big Honda fan for this reason). So our other issue, is which car should we sell? Ironically they both have the exact same private party and blue book value, even though the Honda is way higher in miles.

I just don't know what to do. We are going to test drive a few over the coming weeks and it's nice because we don't HAVE to buy anything right now. A car payment is doable, but not as preferable, since I work only 10 hours or so a week to be with the kids on their non preschool days. When they're in preschool 2 days a week, I work.

Please help me decide! WWYD?

(I also x-posted this in the lounge)

:)
Marcy

[aes74]

Well, I don't know if anyone answered you in the other forum, so I'll just say something here.

I just had my third, so I am sympathetic to your feelings. It is hard. I have an Acura MDX, and my oldest has to sit in the way back.

When thinking about decisions like this, I usually ask myself, "If I knew I was going to get in a terrible accident this afternoon with my children, what would I do beforehand?" The answer is usually along the lines of having the very safest seat, a safe car, kids in their seat and sitting properly in them, etc. As morbid as it is, maybe you should ask yourself that question and see what your gut tells you. I for one loathe the idea of being in debt, (gag), but for your children's safety, maybe it's worth it. Plus, I like the idea that in the newer cars you can have the LATCH system, so I feel more confident that my kids are buckled in correctly.

Good luck with your decision!

[nicanddrew]

Just want to say I sympathize. My 2 are in a Marathon and a Radian and we tested a bunch of infant seats at BRUS the other day and found that the Keyfit30 will fit with the 2 we have 3 accross. A friend called last night and said we could have her 2008 regular keyfit when her newborn hits the 20 lb mark, so we've decided to squeeze for now until we can really afford the minivan (I felt the same way--gasp that we were even considering it, but after riding in a friend's Sienna I was amazed how comfy it was). We currently have an '02 Camry.

[kate2128]

We had our third in October and bought a Honda Odyssey. It was a great decision! We also had paid off both of our cars before buying, but having a car payment is so worth the added convenience of having the minivan. I have plenty of room to change a diaper and nurse my baby in the car when necessary, which is nice. And it's so comfortable to ride in. We love it!

[jerseygirl07067]

Thanks everyone for your replies. Yes, I got a bunch of responses in the lounge too and I appreciate your input.

May will be the last month I will have to pay for preschool for Julia, so what I pay now could go for a car payment (though I wanted to use it to put in savings and retirement but I keep thinking about the safety issues with our Jeep).

But I do feel that the new vehicle would be a safer option for us, so our plan is to save like crazy until then to build up our down payment, or wait until the end of the year when we have an even bigger down payment. And then we'll probably go for the minivan. We like the Odyssey and the Sienna, probably leaning toward the Odyseey but it will boil down to where we can get the best deal for what we want.

I'm going today to Carmax just to get an idea of what the trade in value is, since it's got high mileage, but we're planning on selling the Jeep on our own to get more money for it.

:)
Marcy