Will I regret it if I don't buy a minivan?

[kristine_elen]

I'm thinking of getting a new car and had kind of settled on a Volvo XC70 wagon (seats four, maybe five people).

But part of me thinks I should get a minivan so that I can participate in carpools when the kids are older and occasionally drive the kids' friends places with us. I just can't see myself in a minivan, though.

And most of my friends don't have them, so how would they carpool my kids anyway? I need to stop obsessing over this, but first, anyone have any thoughts on this?

[Aunt to sweet baby boy]

Well since you have two kids right now the car is basically full if you go anywhere with both children and your SO. I personally like having a minivan because i do not have to worry about space, but even in a sedan, it is a very tight fit to have a person in between or next to two carseats, i have done it before. I do not know how big the back of the XC70 is but with a stroller or two is there enough room to fit a few suitcases for a family vacation?

HTH

Ilana, aka Nana to my sweet nephew Avi

http://lilypie.com/pic/060403/hfNw.jpg[/img]http://b2.lilypie.com/h2bbm7/.png[/img][/url]

[brittone2]

When we bought our minivan (Odyssey) we were sort of sad about the idea of not having an SUV anymore. One of the major selling points for us though is that we often have my parents ride along with us when we go places. Also, once there are two carseats, even with most 3 seat SUVs it is really hard to access the third row with the carseats installed (assuming you generally like keeping them in the 2nd row and don't want to have to move them frequently).

Carpooling per se wouldn't worry me too much, but do you often take other people with you in the car? Do you plan on having more than two kids?

[Karenn]

Maybe. I do. We bought a Passat wagon when DS was a baby and we're going to be buying a minivan soon. We'd probably have stuck with the Passat longer if it'd been more reliable, but still, a minivan is seeming like the more practical option, mostly for the carpool reason. Most of your friends don't have minivans now, but will they in a couple of years once the kids are older? I know that almost all of our friends have moved from sedans or wagons into minivans or monster SUV's as their kids have gotten older. While I've liked driving a wagon instead of a van, in retrospect, it would have saved us money to just buy the van 4 years ago.

HTH,

[annasmom]

Well, I cannot really speak to wagons but I will tell you I prefer my Odyssey over our Pilot by far. I have been using the Pilot for the past week because my dh had to take the Odyssey in to get serviced.

The Odyssey is so much more kid friendly. A few examples, the sliding doors make it so much easier to keep track of everyone when loading children into the car (the open door on a sedan, SUV blocks your view and mobility), it is SO much harder getting my MBUD into the Pilot (NOW I understand why people complain about it being cumbersome - it is easy to load into my Odyssey - because a wagon is also low to the ground this may not be an issue), and there is SO much more room in the Oddysey (I can have the two kids, double stroller, single stroller and still have the third row open for more passengers and pack an entire grocery shopping purchase in the space in the second seat.)

Overall, it isn't horrible, but I miss my Odyssey!!

[Momof3Labs]

I have a VW Passat wagon and DH has a Honda Odyssey. We switched cars for a few months due to car seat installation issues, and now we BOTH want to drive the Odyssey! I hate having to bend over to get both kids buckled into the Passat (DS2 has outgrown his baby bucket). I feel like I sit so low to the ground. The stroller takes up most of the "way back". It's harder to get both kids safely in the car in a parking lot (with a minivan, I can have DS1 climb into the car while I get DS2 buckled in; there's no room for him to do this in the Passat). And once the two kids and two adults are in the Passat, there's no room for anyone else.

In fact, despite our intense desire to not take on a car payment right now, we talked today about replacing the Passat with something that we'd both like better.

[Piglet]

We are just in the midst of replacing our SUV with a mini-van. For one, I am SO looking forward to sliding doors. DS1 really swings the doors open wide when he gets in and out and I am very nervous about dinging other cars. Secondly, which is also the cause of number 1 - DS1 has trouble making his way in and out of the SUV because it is high off the ground. That is why he opens the doors so wide. I am not budgeting for car-pool, but I would like to take passengers (and that includes me - I like riding in the back on occasion). DH, DS2 and I commute to work together and there have been a few times in the last month when we needed to take a passenger. I hate removing carseats, but was forced to uninstall DS1's carseat for the extra adult.

[MamaKath]

My van and I have a love hate relationship. ;-)

I love the room for other passengers, splitting the kids to 2 rows on a bad day or long trip, the extra room, the sliding doors, the ability to get to the back without having to get out of the car, the room, the ability to haul stuff (we take the seats out and use it to move furniture on ocassion), and much more!

I hate feeling like I am always the one with the kind of "dowdy" car. ;-) I trade occassionally with dh for a sedan and go for a joy ride on occassions, but being back with the kids I opt for the van any day. I hate that it reminds me of wanting more kids because I could fit a few more carseats. I wish it looked "cooler" but it is usually my vehicle of choice.

My sister has the Passat wagon and has regretted it since having her 2nd child. When she has watched my kids, we have actually had to switch cars! Now she says often she wishes she had a van.

If I were buying today it would be a van.

[megs4413]

I do!!!

We bought a SUV last July because we were "too young" to get a minivan---and boy do I regret it! I would love the extra seating, sliding doors, seating configuration possibilities, and overall kid and family friendliness. We're dying to have a Honda Odyssey, but ALAS we just bought a new car 11 months ago! If i were you, I would definitely shop the minivan market and see if there's one that you like a lot....start with the odyssey's--they're AMAZING!

[megs4413]

I do!!!

We bought a SUV last July because we were "too young" to get a minivan---and boy do I regret it! I would love the extra seating, sliding doors, seating configuration possibilities, and overall kid and family friendliness. We're dying to have a Honda Odyssey, but ALAS we just bought a new car 11 months ago! If i were you, I would definitely shop the minivan market and see if there's one that you like a lot....start with the odyssey's--they're AMAZING!

[DebbieJ]

Two words---sliding doors!

I have a Honda CR-V. My ds is 2.5 and I watch my 4.5 yo nephew everyday. Can I tell you how much I hate getting them both in and out of the car? First, I have to get out and walk aroudn the car to let out my DN, who is on the passenger side. I have to stand and let DN jump out while I hold the door so he doesn't ding the car next to us. Then, we have to walk around to the other side of the car and he has to stand next to me in the parking lot while I take out DS. He is behind my seat. DN is usually good about it, but all it takes is one step and one careless driver.

I can't wait to UPGRADE!

(plus I have 3 sisters and we like to do lots of things together and if someone had a minivan it would help immensely!)

~ deb
DS born at home 12/03
2 year check up: 25 lbs with clothes on and 35 inches!
BFARed for 20 months and 6 days
(Breastfeeding After Reduction is possible! www.bfar.org)

http://www.bfar.org/members/fora/style_avatars/Ribbons/18months-bfar.jpg

[DebbieJ]

Two words---sliding doors!

I have a Honda CR-V. My ds is 2.5 and I watch my 4.5 yo nephew everyday. Can I tell you how much I hate getting them both in and out of the car? First, I have to get out and walk aroudn the car to let out my DN, who is on the passenger side. I have to stand and let DN jump out while I hold the door so he doesn't ding the car next to us. Then, we have to walk around to the other side of the car and he has to stand next to me in the parking lot while I take out DS. He is behind my seat. DN is usually good about it, but all it takes is one step and one careless driver.

I can't wait to UPGRADE!

(plus I have 3 sisters and we like to do lots of things together and if someone had a minivan it would help immensely!)

~ deb
DS born at home 12/03
2 year check up: 25 lbs with clothes on and 35 inches!
BFARed for 20 months and 6 days
(Breastfeeding After Reduction is possible! www.bfar.org)

http://www.bfar.org/members/fora/style_avatars/Ribbons/18months-bfar.jpg

[jbowman]

I joke that we are officially boring now that we have a minivan; at least it's an Odyssey! Seriously, we love our minivan. There is so much room, the sliding doors are great, and we can go out with people and all take one car!

[s7714]

OT, but thanks for the side by side comparisson of these two. I've been debating between the Pilot and Odyssey and it's nice to hear from someone that actually owns them both!

Jennifer
Mommy to
DD 3/03
DD 6/05

Calling fellow BBB SoCal moms...we'd love to meet you!
(100 posts & BBB member for 3 months req'd)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/babybargainssocal/

[annasmom]

Jennifer, feel free to PM me if you need/want any other info!

[kristine_elen]

Deb,
Sorry, I don't see how sliding doors would help, aside from not dinging another car. You still don't want the kids jumping out of a minivan into traffic. What am I missing here?

[DebbieJ]

As someone else mentioned, with a minivan and sliding doors, they can both get in on one side and one can stand and wait INSIDE the vehicle while the other is strapped in. No one has to stand in a parking lot without my full attention.

ETA more input after carting the boys around today:
I always leave all the doors open until we area all in the car and strapped in. I let DN in, let him climb up, then leave the door open on his side while I walk around and drop my purse & keys in the driver seat. I leave that door open, then put DS in his seat behind me. So now all three doors are wide open and if anyone is waiting to park on either side of me, they just wait.

I strap DS in and close his door. Walk around to DN, strap him in and close his door. THEN I got to my seat, get in , close the door and off we go. I never ever ever close all the doors at once while kids are in the car for fear of them being locked in. This won't be a problem in a minivan cuz we can all get in at once and the doors won't be hanging open.

~ deb
DS born at home 12/03
2 year check up: 25 lbs with clothes on and 35 inches!
BFARed for 20 months and 6 days
(Breastfeeding After Reduction is possible! www.bfar.org)

http://www.bfar.org/members/fora/style_avatars/Ribbons/18months-bfar.jpg

[peasprout]

My kids often jump out of our minivan on their own. I open the door to the side that faces the sidewalk. Where we live we mostly parellel park so there's always a side that doesn't face traffic. And when I load them up, I just push a button on my remote, the door slides open, they run inside, and I can either get into my own seat and buckle them from there, or I can walk in and buckle them both from one side.
I love our minivan!! We have a few friends that are still hung up on not getting a minivan, but my thinking is that if you have kids, you might as well go for what's easier and more kid friendly. You can maintain your "hipness" in other ways,...cool clothes, cool stroller, cool diaper bag. But the van is so great for road trips (which are the only types of vacations we can afford now that both kids need airline tickets!) and for driving our parents/friends/playmates around. It's not just practical, but once you own one, you'll fall in love with it!
JP

[randomkid]

Sounds like you've gotten a lot of feedback, but I'll add my two cents.

I don't know what I would do without our minivan. There is so much room and it is very easy to move around. I can sit in the seat next to DD's car seat and give her snacks, put on her shoes, whatever without taking her out of her seat. If I forget something in the front while sitting there, I just stand up and reach to the front of the van. When DD was an infant, I could sit in the third row in a parking lot (windows are tinted) and nurse her comfortably. There is lots of room and I felt like I had the privacy I wanted. I had to supplement, so I could nurse her and mix up formula at the same time. I've also opened the back and changed her diaper there and, when she was younger, I would let her crawl around back there while waiting for DH.

I have two teenage stepduaghters and we always take the van for the five of us to go anywhere together. It's just much more comfortable.

You know I must love it since it is a 1996 that belonged to my parents. It's in good shape and I love not having a car payment. I don't know how long it will last, but I'm sure my next car will be a minivan.

[kristine_elen]

Oh, I see. Jack always just crawls in to his seat first while I'm holding Sasha, then I buckle her in and then go and buckle him in. But I see your point.

[dogmom]

Well, I could never see myself in an SUV because I have a lot more negative stereotypes of SUV drivers than minivan drivers. Let's face it, over half the sales of SUV are because people don't want to drive a minivan. They aren't as safe, practical or fuel efficient. Everyone who has made the leap to a minivan has been thrilled. My neighbor bought an cross platform SUV to replace her sedan when she had her second. After a year she realized she really wanted a minivan and got a Honday minivan and loves it.

When I drive my Subaru into the ground I'm getting a Toyota Minivan. (I need all wheel drive to get up our driveway, and I've managed to do it for years without an SUV.) Besides the major advantages people have listed, I think I would actually take a long trip in a minivan vs. a car.

Of course the question is, how long do you keep your cars? If you keep them for 100,000 miles + I would decide now whether you want a minivan. If you keep them 3-5 years like many people you can probably change then.


Jeanne
Mom to Harvey
1/16/03
& Eve
EDC 6/18/06

[lizajane]

i never thought i would say these words...

I LOVE MY MINIVAN!!!

the mini has everything i want and need and more. and it is a 1999 van that we just bought, with almost 100,000 miles on it!
so by NO means is it fancy or new or anything "cool."

i am SO glad i am no longer in my jeep cherokee, even though i LOVED it and felt cool in it. but it had basic everything and was VERY inconvienient. and i only got the mini because my jeep was totalled when i was hit.

[annasmom]

Kristine,

You also have a lot more mobility and line of vision with sliding doors. I try to get my dd in the car first too, but with a baby in the stroller in front of me, it is awkward with a sedan/SUV door. With the sliding door, I can move the stroller up past the second seat entrance (next to the driver's door), let my dd into the minivan, and then get my ds settled. I also hate how the sedan/SUV doors block my view, I get very uptight when I can not see my dc in or out of the car.

The minivan is also great for when it is raining/snowing because YOU can get in with both kids and stand (albeit a bit bent at the knees) and buckle them into their seats.

Another plus, in case you plan to have another child is that there is a lot more room with a rear facing car seat. We have Britax carseats and with the Oddysey there is a lot more leg room for the person in front of the rear facing car seat than in the Pilot (again assuming comparable spacing).

Also, I don't know what you drive now, and what type of stroller you use but my MBUD takes up the ENTIRE back of my PILOT (I am assuming a wagon would be comparable spacing), and that is with the third seat down.

Also fwiw, my sil has an Odyssey and does not consider herself a minivan person. She cannot wait for the day when she can get rid of it. However, when she uses her dh's car (Audi sedan), her dc constantly ding other cars with the doors. Maybe they are not used to the doors, maybe they are crazy, I don't know, but she is not giving up her sliding doors!

[anamika]

Sort of tangential - DH and I are *dying* to get a minivan but I'm really holding out till they make a hybrid version. I keep checking Toyota's site b'cos they might be making one. Soon, I hope.
Does anyone have other info?

[kristine_elen]

I know, if I didn't have kids, I would definitely buy a Prius, no question.

[cleo27]

Thank you! That is exactly how DH and I feel - actually, I should say taht is how I feel. DH and I would both be interested if it was hybrid and I am dying to get a minivan!

We are thinking about the Mazda5 to replace my car next year - at least is has a 4 cylinder engine, it seats 6 and has the sliding doors.

[ribbit1019]

We holding out for one too. I can't tell you how much I'd love a minivan right now. I'm not against them for coolness reasons (I learned how to drive in one!) but I can't stand that we wouldn't have a vehicle that was semi economical on gas. We have an SUV and a sedan right now. I am trying to wait patiently!

Christy
My Waterbabies
Maddy 6/9/04
http://lilypie.com/baby2/040609/3/4/0/-5/.png
& Jarred 3/8/06, 14 lb 24 1/2" @ 10 wks, a happily breastfed babe.
http://b1.lilypie.com/KH1pm5/.png
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/steitzsmith/Other/jump.gif

[MelissaTC]

I am so glad I bought a minivan and will probably continue to drive one for years to come. I am already driving around other kids and it is really nice when family comes down because we have plenty of room. We all drove around in one car for my sister's college graduation so that was nice!

I swore up and down that I would never drive one. It was so bad that a friend of ours made a bet with me that I would drive one once I had a kid. Let's just say that I owe him dinner. I love the sliding doors, dvd player, stow and go seats, and how it is with gas (so much better than my previous car, 98 Ford Explorer).

[elliput]

Not sure of up-coming hybrid models for Japanese and other *import* makes, but it is my understanding that the Big Three (GM, Ford & Chrysler) are planning hybrid models mostly on trucks and SUVs right now. Ford does have a Focus Hydrogen Fuel Cell test vehicle or two ;-), and the Big Three are all working on ethanol engines for many different models with some being available now. Domestically, I would expect to see hybrid crossover vehicles before hybrid minivans. All three domestic makers are putting $$$$$$$$ into alternative fuel technologies.

[mamato1]

I have had my Mazda5 for a little over a month now and I LOVE it. All of the PP's have talked about the advantages of the sliding doors and I could not agree more. The Mazda 5 seats 6 and had a much smaller profile than most minivans. I am also getting 24-25 MPG. I can't say enough how much more I love this than my Toyota Highlander.

Chris

Mama to Brendan (aka Boomer) 01/04


http://b3.lilypie.com/FnI6m5/.png

[Momof3Labs]

Another thing - you might want to check on the car seat board about the Volvo. I'm thinking that there are problems fitting car seats in it (or am I thinking of another car)?

[HannaAddict]

FWIW, we haven't had any problems fitting car seats into the V70 or XC 70 wagons that we've had as loaners when our sedan was being serviced (both rear and forward facing Roundabout and MA). I've seen posts about the headrests being a problem on an older model I think or maybe a sedan, but we have not had any problem on the 2004-2006 wagons or 2003 S-60.

Kimberly

[kristine_elen]

I haven't tried the Marathon, but I put the Regent (which is gigantic) in the Volvo wagon and it was OK. It's really more an issue for me about being able to fit the kids' friends in there.

[DebbieJ]

I had a horrible time installing my son's MA RF outboard behind the driver in my sister's XC70. Something about the way the lap belt was positioned made it really really difficult.

~ deb
DS born at home 12/03
2 year check up: 25 lbs with clothes on and 35 inches!
BFARed for 20 months and 6 days
(Breastfeeding After Reduction is possible! www.bfar.org)

http://www.bfar.org/members/fora/style_avatars/Ribbons/18months-bfar.jpg

[Aunt to sweet baby boy]

That is so interesting, I had no problem with avi's MA RF behind the passenger in my dads 01' S60. I think it depends alot on the position in the car.

Ilana, aka Nana to my sweet nephew Avi

http://lilypie.com/pic/060403/hfNw.jpg[/img]http://b2.lilypie.com/h2bbm7/.png[/img][/url]

[jesseandgrace]

Well, I don't think the soccer mom image is any different in the XC 70 than the minivan, so it isn't an image question :). If you get the XC 70 you will probably love it, I have a whole side of the family (aunts, cousins) who drive nothing but the XC 70, they all have the same car, LOL. I really like it for a car, it would be my top choice in a wagon for sure. That said, there are some pretty big differences in the wagon and the minivan, and it really all depends on how you use your car. My car is like a little addition to our house, it has some toys, extra clothes, water, and sporting equipment. I wouldn't do this in a wagon because I would hate the clutter in the smaller space, but in the minivan things can be in arms reach and not clutter the van. I also use it to quickly change clothes after the beach, easy diaper changes in the past, and it really rocks as far as letting both kids climb in the same door on the safe side of the street, and it doesn't matter who gets in first. That might sound strange to those with younger kids, but when they get older you will know what I mean! I love the sliding doors as other people have said. I think I have pretty good taste, and I definitely surprised some friends/family when I went with the minivan, but I really don't care about image when I am driving around in the best possible car for our needs. I have to get a new car soon for my job/taking clients around/and dh will keep the Sienna for the kids, but I will always love the minivan :).