Anyone driven or ridden in a Dodge Magnum wagon?

[american_mama]

We are starting to look for a new car and I want one that can seat three kids. Minivans are fine, but first I am looking at alternatives. Anyone ridden or driven the Dodge Magnum and have some opinons to share? Can three car seats fit in the back? I read some good reviews of it, although on the rare occasions I see one, I always think it looks like a hearse. I might not be able to get past that imagery, but the reviews were quite good.

Any other big station wagons to mention? I'm already researcing crossovers like the Ford Freestyle and Pacifica. I just need to know if there are more big station wagon options like the Volvo V70 and XC70.

[Piglet]

I recall there being some discussion of these on here a few months ago and someone that owned a rental company said that they are some of the most accident-prone vehicles out there. I think the reason was that the visibility was pretty bad for the driver. I actually like how they look, but we got a minivan (and have no regrets). We also test drove the Ford Freestyle - it was our 2nd choice. One more "alternative" you might want to look at is the Mazda 5. We have friends that drive it with 2 kids and love it. There is very little baggage room with the back seats up, but with 2 kids it is quite ample.

[daniele_ut]

We rented one a few months back when our car was in the shop. It was comfy and fun to drive but I would never buy one. The visibility stinks for the driver and for the rear seat passengers. The windows in the rear are small and high up on the door making it hard for kids to see out. It will fit three carseats across, and I didn't have a hard time installing my Marathon in the center with the seatbelt, but I did read a post on www.car-seat.org that said someone had a hard time installing a Fisher Price Safe Voyage with LATCH and seatbelts.

[AngelaS]

I had to drive one last year after my van got hit. I HATED it! My kids fit comfortably in the back seat, but the doors didn't open far enough to get them in and out easily and they couldn't see out worth squat. As the driver, I couldn't see out very well either! And worst of all.... I felt like I was driving a pimp-mobile. :P

[pb&j]

We had a Freestyle as a rental car this summer, and really liked it. It really is just a sliding door away from being a minivan, though. ;)


-Ry,
mom to Max the one year old
and my girl in heaven

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/37124.gif

[hobokenmom]

We rented a Dodge Magnum two summers ago when we went to Colorado. I didn't love it, as I felt that the visibility wasn't great.

I have a Pacifica, which I love, love, love. It's a fantastic car for families with two kids, which creates a huge problem for me, since I have three. Once you have three kids, one will have to sit in one of the third row seats, and there goes all your cargo room. Hence the reason why I'm looking for a new car.

The Pacifica is very spacious inside, and we've had no problems whatsoever. I'd definitely check it out if you're only planning on having two kids.

Good luck!!