Minivan VS SUV : Pros and Cons?

[etwahl]

i just wanted to get others opinions of the pros and cons of minivans vs suvs. we have a nice suv, and really love it. we've always said we're not the kind of people to own a minivan and never thought i'd even be asking the question...but we just got back from a road trip. whenever dh is with us, i ride in the back with lauren, and for this road trip, since it was longer, we took the laptop with dvd and i just held it sideways so she could watch videos and make the trip easier (it did). and we started talking about minivans. some of the pros and cons of each. surprisingly, we said we actually might consider a minivan (we were both surprised)...but we both said we wanted to find out why a minivan is better than an suv from folks who know on this board!!!

my initial thoughts of Minivan over SUV:

- more room (our suv only has 2 rows of seating) especially if you had two kids who each had two friends

- better gas mileage? is it?

- dvd already installed (i know only some have them, but our suv doesn't)

SUV over minivan:

- LOOKS MUCH NICER!!!

Your Thoughts?

Tammy,
Mom to Lauren Genevieve
03/12/2003
www.evantammy.com

[ppshah]

Tammy

I would like to through station wagons in the mix:

Pros:

better gas milage
drives like a sedan

We have a Volvo Cross county and love it. It has integrated booster seats which will come handy once DS is older and 3rd row otional seat
(that seats only children ). We love the AWD in the snow the cargo area is HUGE. It has been a great family car.

[kfcboston]

I'm really just wasting space with this post, as I have no wisdom to add, only thoughts. But I know soooo many moms who are "caving" and getting mini-vans b/c they really are so much more conducive to family life (again, I have never owned either!) Also, I gotta say I like the look of that new Nissan Quest, and have heard it's got great bells and whistles.

Good luck with your decision!

[ritacheetah]

We always thought the same thing but now I am considering a minivan (drive an SUV now) because if we have another rugrat, we'll never be able to drive any other people around. Anyway, there are some nice looking ones out now - the Sienna, for example, kinda looks sporty like an SUV that is closer to the ground. (Or maybe I'm just telling myself that to talk myself into it - I'm not sure I've got DH convinced yet).

But we have a few years yet to make that choice. By then maybe there will be an SUV that has as much room as a minivan but is not that big and gets 50 miles to the gallon. Or maybe by then it will run on Hydrogen...

Good luck on your choice.

[tinkerbell1217]

Well, I have owned an SUV and a minivan and I have to say for needing alot of room the minivan IS better, but I miss my SUV! So, I have decided that the next vehicle I get will be an SUV. There are SUV's with 7 seater capacity AND lots of room in the back too. They are BIG(think TANK) though, and have worse gas mileage than a minivan. But most are only 3-4 MPG less than an minivan so to me its not that big a difference since we are neighborhood drivers mostly anyway. Not much commuting far away at all.

I used to have a Rodeo and absolutely LOVED it! Since then we have owned a Caravan Sport and a Grand Caravan Sport. The Grand Caravan is very nice, very roomy, I can separate my kids so they don't pick at each other, decent gas mileage (18 gal tank filled lasts me a week), and they look nice too. The newer Grand Caravan's are coming out with Stow and Go seats that fold into the floor. I don't have that luxury, but it would have been nice! With my seats, we have to physically remove them and they are heavy!

We are looking into an Acura MDX. I love the look, there are 3 rows, two of which fold down. So it seats 7. The gas mileage is just a little less than the Caravan we have. My DD will be graduating from high school when we decide to get the Acura(we have 2 more years left on the minivan) so I won't need seating for 7 all the time. But, it will be there if we do happen to need it. It has all kinds of standard features that are optional on so many other models. And, the price isn't much higher either.

I just can't ever go back to a car. I like being up above everything and being able to see around me and other cars. I am short anyway so its nice to be able to see!!

Hope that helps!

Kelly

[pl71]

I've had SUVs (4Runner and a Tahoe) and recently caved and got a Quest. The Quest has so much room, as much if not more than the Tahoe, It can seat 6 very comfortably, 7 if one person is smaller. Aside from space, one advantage of a van is that it's so easy to get a baby in the car seat. The seat is the perfect height, you open the door and there it is, no bending over or climbing up. The sliding door is really nice too, you never have to worry about bumping someone's car in the parking lot.

Vans are cheaper than SUVs. A loaded Quest is in the lower 30s and to get the same equipment on a large SUV would cost much more.

As for gas mileage, on my commute I get about 16mpg on the SUV and 22 in the van.

Patty

[ralu]

I don't have any insight in your dilemma, but I remember having recently read a very interesting article in the New Yorker about how SUVs are generally unsafe. I happened to find the article on-line:

http://www.gladwell.com/2004/2004_01_12_a_suv.html

Raluca

[rrosen]

Tammy,
We recently bought a Honda Pilot for the reasons you describe. It has three row of seats (and fits one more person than many minivans that have pilot type seats in the middle row) It did well in Safety tests. Consumer Report gave it one of their highest ratings. I call it my minivan desquised as an SUV. We love it. We were recently able to take a weeks trip with my DD, Golden Retriever, luggage the three of us, a pack n play, stroller, and a million toys with no problem fitting everything.

I think it is vehicle worth test driving.

Rebecca

[C99]

One of the carseat techs just posted this site on the car seats board. It might give you some food for thought: http://www.suvsafety.info/

[MinnieMouse]

I think when we move "up" from a sedan we will definitely go with a mini-van over an SUV. The main reason we would go bigger than a sedan would be to increase seating options and increase the amount of stuff we can drag with us on driving vacations. If an SUV seats more than 5, then it has a third row and the majority of SUVs that have third rows have them up against the back window. I don't like having children (or adults) sitting that close to the back bumper.

I also like the versatility of the mini-vans. I like being able to collapse some or most of the seats into the floor as needed.

Safetywise, although SUVs are safer than they used to be, a minivan has consistently been safer than SUVs...especially when you consider rollovers.

Just my 2cents

Christine

[jd11365]

GAS!!! I sold my Explorer because I was spending $240 a month on gas alone! That's close to a car payment! Between my car payment for the Explorer and the gas payment, I could have had a Jag!

Jamie
Mommy to Kayla
5-1-03

[papal]

Tammy, I have no experience with either (we have a sedan) but from what I have read, SUVs have much poorer gas mileage than minivans.
I am not trying to open a can of worms or anything, i just wanted to share this hoping it will play some part in your decision making.
We honestly would not consider an SUV because it consumes more gas. That makes it less economical and less friendly towards the environment.
But primarily, more gas means we are contributing to an increased dependance on certain oil-countries that supply that gas.
I truly believe that world peace has a lot to do with WHO has the oil and WHO wants the oil.

Just my 2 cents. Please don't flame me SUV owners!!

ETA: Tried to make my sentences better.

[muskiesusan]

We went from a Toyota 4 Runner to the Volvo XC90 in January. I was tired of driving a "truck" and we needed third row seating for occasional use, but were not ready to make the jump to a mini-van. I cannot say how much I love this vehicle. It drives like a car, I don't have to "lift" Nick up into it like I did our 4 Runner, it has lots of cargo room (it has as much space behind the 3 row seat as my sister's minivan), has an integrated booster seat, and the middle seat in the second row actually "slides" forward if you want it closer to the front row (this would have been nice when Nick was a baby!). We also got a DVD installed as we have a car hater and figure with two kids we won't be able to fly as much for trips. I am so happy with this purchase!

Susan
Mom to Nicholas 10/01/01
& Baby #2 due 4/23/04!!!!

[jojo2324]

Rashmi, those are my thoughts too. I like the look of some SUVs, but I will not buy one. And most of my "big" errands (BJs, Target) are some 40 minutes away from me. Do that 2-4 times a month and it really adds up.

Tammy, we got a Passat wagon this past summer, pre-Sorrel, so pre-two car seats. It's a great car, but I was hopping up and down trying to get the Nissan Quest. DH won. He was driving it (the Quest) around and said, "I can't do it, I just can't do it." My argument was that we could get a wagon now, and in two years when I'm preggo again, get a van. Or...get the van now! Also, *I'm* the person driving it!

We are SO cramped in the wagon. Even DH has conceded that we probably should have gotten a van. (Harumph!) We've traveled twice in it and it was ridiculous how little space there was. Now, we can't fit a 5th person into the car. Usually, I'm the lucky one who gets to squeeze my large behind between the two car seats. NOT easy, nor comfy.

I will get my Quest sooner or later, though the Sienna looks nice too. The Quest has to work out a few design issues, IMO. Also, why the heck don't they make big station wagons anymore?? Every design is so tiny compared to what they used to be. The biggest is probably the Volvo, but even that is small once you get over two kids.

[kijip]

I am researching buying a minivan or a station wagon and have found that minivans have better gas milage than I thought. I crossed SUVs off my list since:

We live in a larger city- not necessary at all.
Gas guzzler (but getting better, I hear)
Higher chance of rolling over
Bumpy ride
I would be crucified by my lefty nieghbors- I live in Seattle after all!
Not many have third row seating that is functional.

All in all, looks wise I like the Subaru station wagons best, then the SUVs (don't tell my democratic caucus!) and then minivans.

But looks are not my top consideration- I need something safe and economical!

[justlearning]

We have had a 2004 Sienna for five months now and keep saying how thankful we are that we decided to buy it instead of another SUV! We like it so much more than my husband's Jeep Grand Cherokee. (We don't own one of the huge SUVs so I can't compare it to that, of course, but I wouldn't want one of those anyways due to the terrible gas mileage and high price.)

We really do like the looks of our Sienna. I must admit that I've never thought I would own a minivan due to their looks, but I actually find the Sienna to have a sporty "hip-mama" kind of look. We also like that it has one of the major benefits of an SUV: our Sienna is AWD too.

Here are the main reasons we like it better than our SUV: (1) It has much more cargo room than DH's Jeep. In just the last few weeks, we've been able to haul a large dresser, a couch and loveseat (in separate trips), and other bedroom furniture in it which did not fit into the Jeep but fit well in the Sienna (without even having to take the second-row seats out--just lowering the back-row seats into the floor). I love being able to carry so much in the back while still comfortably seating four people. (2) We have DS's carseat in a seat, which we have moved in a position away from the door but it's not as far in as the middle position of an SUV. Thus, it's safer than riding in a seat right next to the door but not as far to lean in to put him in the seat. The height of the Sienna also makes it easier for loading DS in and out of his seat (much easier on my back!). (3) It's nice to be able to have our family ride together with us in the Sienna when they come into town to visit. Even though I'm 5'10", I have no problems at all getting into and riding in the third row (unlike a Honda Pilot that we test-drove). (4) I am SO MUCH more comfortable riding in the back seat with DS in the Sienna than I am in an SUV (especially because I'm sitting behind my 6'9" DH, who has his seat pushed back all the way). I have much more leg room in the Sienna and like the captain's chair too.

I could go on, but you get the idea... Much to our surprise, we've become full-fledged minivan converts! :)

[MelissaTC]

I recently switched from a Ford Explorer to a Dodge Grand Caravan. It has been a slight adjustment for me (I LOVED my Explorer!) but I do prefer the minivan for several reasons :

1. Power sliding doors, power rear - INVALUABLE! I hit the button, DS claps his hands and sys "bye bye car!" and climbs into the van. He then proceeds to get into his car seat. He was NEVER able to do this with the Explorer and it was a constant battle, trying to get him in the car. As far as the power rear door, what a blessing it is when I am lugging my toddler, shopping bags, pocket book, diaper bag, etc..! All I do is hit the button which is located on my key...

2. Space - We have the stow and go seats. They are excellent! Just today, we drove down the street and found some of our neighbors were having a yard sale. We purchased the Little Tikes climb & slide cube. All we did was put down the seats in a 1-2-3 and literally slid the cube right into the van. No hassles and DS was able to stay right in his seat without anything coming near him. My in-laws were here for Easter and we drove around with them. It was so nice. We put one of the second row seats down and left the third row up so they were able to sit "limo style". They were very comfortable in the back. A vast improvement from sitting squashed next to the car seat in the past...

3. ETC... - I love the van. It is super comfie. We have a 6-disc changer and have the power to have DS watch a dvd in the back and listen to it with the wireless headphones while we listen to the radio. I love the fact that I can change the radio or adjust the volume by hitting a button on my steering wheel. I love the fact that I do not feel a "pull" when I make a sharp or fast left turn anymore. That used to scare me to death. Of course, I never really noticed it until I was driving DS around. I used to also hit his head every so often on the car when trying to get him into his RA (height of the car + height of the SUV + incline of my driveway = BAD for Matthew).

CON- Not very cool...ALTHOUGH my DH has had some interesting conversations over the past couple of weeks with men who heard we got a new van. It spread like wildfire throughout our social circle and it is the GUYS that want to know all about it and check it out. They think it is COOL. Who would have thunk it??? Certainly not me! LOL...

We had kicked around getting an Expedition or Suburban but in the end knew this was the right choice for us. We drive to NY, AR and FL a couple times a year so we needed something that had decent gas mileage as well as comfort for a long trip. I also wanted something family friendly. I don't know that I would drive a minivan once DS is in HS (we probably would go back to a large SUV at that point) but I do believe a minivan is a great choice when raising young children.

HTH! (sorry I rambled on and on...)

[mteve]

Katie-

My husband and I just bought a 2004 Subaru Outback Wagon. I LOVE it! It handles like our beloved '97 Honda civic, but sits a bit higher with tons of cargo room. It also has 4 airbags - front and sides. As one of your proud lefty Seattle neighbors, I highly recommend it!

Eve
Due with Knox Edward 5-13-04

[DDowning]

I have the 2004 Nissan Quest SE. Can't say enough good things about it. I remember it took some doing to get DH over his "minivan phobia" but like someone else mentioned previous, I'm the one that drives it, not him!

[kijip]

Do you think the Subaru Outback would fit 2 (count'em 2) REAR facing Britax car seats? I tried and it seemed snug but I just set the seats on the seat and did not install them or try and sit in the front seat with them behind. We are thinking about having a second baby in about a year, which is what prompted me to research larger cars. As much as I love our 98 Corolla, the Corolla is not going to hack 2 rear facing Britaxs! I am really into the Subaru idea but am worried about the car seat thing.

Since you are a Seattle dweller expecting a newborn check out www.pepsgroup.org. The Newborn Program is great!

[etwahl]

well at least it looks like our current suv is pretty darn safe. we have the mercedes m-series. when we bought it, it was the safest suv on the market (and we got a great deal, so hard to pass up!)

definitely will read this article more thoroughly and pass onto my hubbie to evaluate also.

also, our suv does get pretty good gas mileage compared to most suv's but we will definitely compare it to those of minivans.

Tammy,
Mom to Lauren Genevieve
03/12/2003
www.evantammy.com

[sbjf]

I guess I'm one of the few 'mom geeks' who really wants a mini-van! LOL :-) I also never thought I'd want a mini-van but slowly this strong desire for one has overtaken me.

Here are my reason (some are just weird 'me' reasons):

1. They are the safest rides for babies. I'll be carting around precious cargo and it pleases me to know that I can do this in the safest way possible.

2. It took me a long time (and 3 more weeks to go!) to actually become a mom, and now I want the world to know that I'm a mommy and we're a family, I think that's cool :-)

3. I need my space. I'm tallish, dh is tall, we like to carry a lot of gear with us and I like to be able to be organized about it and spread out.

4. I love convenience. Mini-vans are easy on the owners, as most people attest to here. Toddlers are able to get in and out on their own, not so for many, if not all suv's. I find it really annoying to have to bend down to a car and reach up for an suv, with a mini-van, it's a nice height for everyone.

5. My dh hates road trips, I love them. I prefer to drive an be on our own schedule than have to fly and be on 'their' schedule. So I want to make him as comfortable as possible for these road trips (he's 6'3") I think a mini-van would do that.

Problem is, I'm not working and we're trying to be good with our money. We don't really 'need' the mini-van since we have a nice new Accord, plus a paid off 96 Explorer, plus dh drives a take home car, but darn it I want one!!!!!!!!! I'm still working on it :-)

My advice, GET THE MINIVAN!!! Look at it this way, all of Hollywood is embracing parenthood, it's hip to be a mommy, go with it all the way!! LOL!

Let us know what you wind up doing!

[jk3]

We have the MDX which is a fabulous car for the moment w/one child but I can see us running out of room once we have more than one. I have always had phobias about being a minivan mom but DS always wanted one. I have to say I'm caving too. We checked out the Sienna + I loved the split seats in the 2nd row + all of the space. We're waiting to see the 2005 Odyssey since the MDX is built on its platform + we've alway been a Honda/Acura kind of family but I do believe a minvan is on the horizon! The better gas mileage is also a plus. =)

[brigmaman]

This may or may not apply to you, but I thought I'd throw it into the mix. Our SUV seats 7 in theory. However, if I wanted to go out with friends and thier babes- or travel with them, I'd need to put 4 carseats in. This would be a huge hassle because to access the back seats, you have to fold the front ones forward. Also, though I feel like I'm driving a tank, when the third row seats are up, there is very little room for cargo.
Can you tell I'm lusting after a minivan??!!;)

[mteve]

Katie-

2 Britaxes in the backseat of the Outback would be tight - definitely no room for anyone else in the backseat(such as Grandma or Grandpa). Also, my husband is about 5'11", and he pretty much positions the drivers seat as far back as it will go - we haven't installed the carseat yet (Graco Snugride), so I'm not sure how squished it might get. He feels that if he were a few inches taller, he might be out of space in the drivers seat- so if you're very tall, you might want to consider that as a negative. I'm the primary driver of the Outback and 5'5", so once we get a Britax it will likely not be much of an issue. We aren't planning on #2 for a few years, so we won't have to worry about the double rear facing carseat dilemma. I really like the maneuvarability of the Outback - very easy to park, good turning radius, lots of visibility- things that are pretty important to me when it comes to driving in general. We test drove a Volvo XC70, and I actually liked the Subaru better (the Volvo felt stiffer).
We never considered an SUV due to the maneuvarability, gas, center of gravity and accessability issues. I probably would've gotten a minivan if not for the Outback.

Thanks for the link to Peps!

Eve



























Thanks for the link to Peps!

Eve

Eve

[tinkerbell1217]

We are toying with getting an MDX for 2006. By then, my DD will have her own car, my DS will still be riding with us, and we will have the baby. We do not "haul" alot of things so LOTS of room isn't actually a BIG deal. We have a Grand Caravan right now and its getting tired! Well, I am getting tired of it! I have had a minivan for 4 years now and am wanting something a little more "stylish". How are the safety ratings?? Do you know? And, should we really be worried about room?? With one child in a car seat and one not? A few months after we get a new vehicle, DD will be going to college so unless we take ourselves, DS, baby, and two or three adylts along (which we never do anyway) will we really need the 3rd row seats?? Or could we keep it folded most of the time?

I am envious, I love the MDX!

Kelly

[JenCA]

It defintely depends on the SUV. DH and I have spent the past three months reasearching luxury SUVs, and we just ordered a 2004 BMW X5 (to replace my 3-series sedan). We made our decison based on a nnumber of factors, but we were mainly attracted by the X5's safety rating. In recent side-impact crash tests at 40mph, the X5 was determined to be not only the safest SUV, but the safest car-PERIOD. It also gets much better gas mileage than most SUVs, and is actually rated an ultra-low emission vehicle. :)

[jk3]

I think the MDX will work out well for your family. It has excellent safety ratings and has consistently ranked as one of the top SUVc. It's fun to drive and very smooth. When you test drive, see how loud the car handles on the highway. We have a 2002 MDX and it seems like it's very loud on the highway but they may have improved that in the past few years. We've rarely used the third ro-only a handful of times. For us the lack of room would come into play when we have a second child because it seems we are already taking up a lot of space with one carseat, a stroller in the back, etc. We also travel with our dog most of the time + she needs space too!

[hcsl]

I also think that a station wagon is too small for two children in car seats (and possibly out of car seats as well). The Subaru Outback and Volvo XC are pretty close in size, (the XC has a bit more cargo room but the back seat is very tight), but if you have 2 carseats installed there's no room for anyone else, and if you're travelling it's tough to fit all the luggage and babycrap in the cargo area. Plus, if you like to keep a stroller in the car, with 2 children you have to put groceries in the way back and hope they don't get smashed by the stroller on the way home.

I am unfortunately also in the SUV-Minivan predicament now.

[ShayleighCarsensMom]

I too drive an outback wagon. We have a marathon forward facing and a roundabout rear facing (one behind each seat) and they fit great. We can even squeeze a turbo-booster in the middle if needed. I can fit in the middle of the two seats if needed, but it is not very comfy!
With two kids and long trips, storage is an issue, but we bought a rooftop box and that has made a big difference...

[McQ]

Susan ~ have you installed two car seats in the XC90? We have a Land Rover SUV now that is the primary family car and a Volvo sedan. There's no way the Land Rover will be able to accomodate 2 car seats comfortably but love it so much that we're considering getting rid of the sedan and we're having this whole minivan vs SUV debate. I popped into the dealership when I was getting my oil changed and thought the XC90 looked great. And while I haven't driven it, I'm hoping it has the same feel as our sedan. But I'm concerned that I'll be kicking myself if I don't suck it up and get a mivivan. Ah I'm rambling now...

Allison
~ mommy to Declan 3.24.03
and number 2 EDD 9.14.04

[HelenD]

From the majority of the posts, I think you get this, but, IMHO a mini-van is the way to go.

When DH and I were trying to get pregnant, we decided we needed to replace my Saturn SL1 w/ a bigger car. DH is 6'3" so every station wagon was out as far as head room for him went. (But secretly, I lusted after and really wanted the Subaru Forrestor). I wouldn't even LOOK at a mini-van and we ended up getting me a new Isuzu Rodeo.

I LOVE my Rodeo for just me. When we added DD and her car seat, I *knew* very quickly the Rodeo would have to go. DH has also recently come to the same conclusion. While the Rodeo is nice, there really isn't much room for other passengers, or to stow much of the baby stuff you need to lug around (much less add groceries or whatever to your stroller back there), and well, the gas mileage isn't great.

So, there's an opinion from someone who got a small SUV before she got her DD. Just buy the mini van.

Good Luck.

H

[cchavez]

Here's another vote for the MDX but of course we only have one so I can see us running out of space whenever #2 arrives. But hopefully by that time we will be in the market for another car. We said we would probably get the VOLVO SUV next....but I can see how practical the minivan would be. MAybe Acura, Volvo, etc will come out with a minivan in the next few years???? I know it sounds far fetched but who would have ever thought that Porche or BMW would have come out w/ an SUV??? Or Cadillac w/ a truck!!!

[etwahl]

we're going to start doing more research and eventually test drives.

next the question i guess will be do we get one now or do we wait until we have another baby on the way? our suv is paid off, and so we have a fair amount of equity which will go to the new van and we won't have to pay much out of pocket to cover the rest. if we wait 1-2 years, the equity will go down some (though i don't think the mercedes ml-320 depreciates very quickly). so i don't know what we'll do.

but thank you for the responses. we're excited to start investigating minivans now, and i REALLY can't believe i'm saying THAT!!!

Tammy,
Mom to Lauren Genevieve
03/12/2003
www.evantammy.com

[amp]

If money is no object, the SUV is definitely the nicer looking vehicle. I wish I could afford a bigger SUV than what we have (Escape), but we can't, so when we have to upgrade in size, unless there is something newer and more affordable on the market, we will have to consider a Minivan. And the newer ones with the fold into the floor seats are very tempting as far as space and versatility. Then again, I am not looking forward to giving up beloved (if little) escape and moving on to the minivan I swore I would never drive. Seems since I've had a baby, I've had to eat my words sooo many times!

[tinkerbell1217]

Thanks for the info!! From what I have heard and read, the noise you speak of is still there even in the latest models. At least thats what the review said that I read yesterday on Edmunds.com. I am so psyched to get it I may just get it next year instead!!


Kelly