Have you downsized your family car?

[C99]

And if so, would you do it again?

DH and I are a 1-car family. We drive a Toyota Sienna minivan, which fits our 3 kids and all their junk perfectly well. But we also live in a large city, and my inability to park the darn thing (parallel or in a lot) without denting it is seriously cramping my love of the minivan. While my car was in the autobody shop a few weeks ago, I had a sedan rental and while it made me want to shoot myself to jam 3 kids in carseats/boosters across the back every day, I liked driving *a car* again. This conflict lead me to the Mazda 5, which we test drove today. DH is concerned that if we downsize to a smaller car, we'll regret it in a couple of years when our kids are bigger and their legs are longer. With the config of the Mazda 5, we'll pretty much always be using part of the 3rd row. So I'm curious if anyone on the BBB who also has older kids has downsized to a smaller car once your kids were out of the carseats and if you have, whether you'd recommend it or do it again?

[WatchingThemGrow]

We're going to stick it out with our CRV as long as we can, but size wise, I don't think we have more than 2-3 years before we need to move up. How would you go anywhere as a family with all your stuff if all the seat/leg space is filled with bodies?

[daniele_ut]

We have no reason to downsize because we both drive relatively small, fuel efficient cars. We both commute to work in opposite directions. Dh's car gets 26mpg, mine about 28. We have 2 kids and frequently there is a cello in the trunk and we feel fine about the space we have. We won't upsize until we have another child and only if we can't get 3 across in my car.

[new_mommy25]

I have two kids and a Corolla. No plans to upgrade unless a 3rd child surprises us somewhere along the line. The gas mileage is awesome and I can park in the teeniest of spaces. The trunk is pretty decent sized. We have a P3 stroller, and a bunch of boogie boards, beach gear and stuff in it. I can even fit DS's bike back there. Our other car is a van (older model, 95) but DH drives that and it has all his work junk in it. I only drive it when I need to haul around my nephew or DS's friends. We also take it camping. I really do love my tiny car and since it is paid off I plan to keep it until it dies. But I do think that only having one car that is small would be difficult. What if you need to go on a road trip or even just getting to the airport? Where would your suitcases go? How much trunk space would you have?

[egoldber]

We got our minivan because we routinely take long car trips, had a dog and needed space for the crate and didn't know if we would have 2 or 3 kids.

I sometimes crave a smaller vehicle, but yesterday we drove DH's sedan around on errands with the 4 of us and I thought I would go nuts from the lack of space for all the kid crap. But someday, with both kids in boosters or seatbelts and no crap to haul, I dream of a cute sedan.

[etaylor75]

I just downsized from a 4 door Ford F150 - which was great for the kids, tons of room...but I hated to park it. I bought an Audi A4 and love it. The inside is just big enough for us and all of our stuff and the trunk is huge.

I also really like that I can reach in the back easily while in the drivers seat, pick up pacifiers, distribute crackers, etc. while at stoplights :)

Erin

[KrisM]

Not downsizing and my kids aren't older, but we just looked at upsizing and decided against it. I have 3 kids in harnessed seats in a Malibu Maxx. It's a hatchback and holds a fair amount of stuff in the trunk. We did a 1 week vacation in it last year and brought the pack n play, a travel swing and stuff for the 5 of us. We also bought a car top carrier a couple years ago for longer trips that require more stuff.

We will need to replace DH's car soon and we'll get a smallish sedan - maybe a Focus or similar. He only drives to work and back, but it would be nice for him to have something that holds all the kids more easily.

[BillK]

I still have my 2003 GMC Yukon XL and did look into possibly downsizing when gas was approaching $4/gal here - however - considering the hosing I was gonna take on trying to sell or trade it - I couldn't bring myself to do it. I'll probably drive my truck until the wheels fall off at this point.

The wife has her 2008 Toyota Sienna and it's here to stay for a good long while most likely.

[g-mama]

Just one thing to keep in mind - if you're not there already - is the 'carpool' factor. My oldest is 8 and we often have other kids in our minivan these days. It's nice to be able to take his friend home after a soccer game, or take an extra friend along with us when we go to the pool, etc. And, in turn, it's nice to be able to ask someone else to bring him home if I have a schedule conflict. If I couldn't reciprocate, I probably wouldn't ever ask and these things do start to happen more and more as they get older.

Just last weekend, we were at the elementary school carnival on a Saturday afternoon. I had to get my youngest ds home for a nap and my 8yo was dying to stay. I asked his friend's mom if he could stay with them for awhile and she could bring him home later. It's nice to have that give and take once they're old enough to be without you.

Just a thought.

[Joolsplus2]

I'm looking at a Mazda5 now that I don't have to bring strollers anymore and the two oldest are just about out of boosters but not too huge to sit in the back row yet.... with that 4th seat folded down I'm sure there's enough room for groceries and we don't take mega road trips (though we do have a soft rooftop carrier we could use). My van seems a little big considering our small dogs and light packing habits and lack of roadtrips overall, and it would be easier for DH to drive (he can't see the front corner of my van, has even blown a tire hitting a curb he couldn't see, so I understand it's easier to drive a smaller car!).

[alexsmommy]

Seriously think about dealing with pre-teens with long legs and their friends with long legs and sports equipment. With one teen and two little ones, I am seriously glad to have the van. Having said that, the one giagantic dent in our car is from a jaunt downtown (grrrrr). Honestly, I haven't had it repaired b/c I dread the week of a sedan rental with the kids and carpool and school bags etc. I DREAD when I have to find parking in the city so I get what you are saying on that front.
I think there is a short honeymoon period where no one needs strollers and you have kids aging out of boosters. Then suddenly you have kids who are are over 5ft tall and so are their friends when you carpool.
I know you and your DH are tall, so chances are you will have lots of long legs to contend with before you know it. I'm not sure what the school situation is, but if you plan to stay in the city, you may very well have a carpool situation going to take kids to schools and activities.
One friend of ours- mom of three -downsized from her van to a Volvo wagon and one year later she is still complaining that there is no place to put their backpacks when she picks them up if she brining extra kids home. She takes her husbands Yukon when she is carpooling her oldest (13) and his friends to and from sports because of leg and equipment space. She says she loves her Volvo when its just her and one or two the kids, but when the entire family travels together, they use the Yukon.

[ThreeofUs]

We were about to buy a minivan, but decided to keep our smaller Outback. Does that count? :)

[brittone2]

Right now DH drives a sedan (Corolla) and I drive a van. We like having the van as we take my parents with us many places, we have a large dog, and we do quite a bit of camping with our pop up, and we need a van to pull that.

We've considered becoming a one-car family in the future depending on what happens w/ DH finding a job after grad school, etc. If we stay in our current house he could bike to public transit that would take him into the area where most of the jobs in his field are located. We live a few miles outside of our small town, but have considered moving in town. The significantly higher mortgage that goes along with being in town would be somewhat offset if we became a one vehicle family.

[Joolsplus2]

Sigh...thanks for not letting me dream of my honeymoon period too long (post-booster, pre-fullgrown teenagers)... maybe I'll just go get the van detailed and love it a little longer :love-retry:

[alexsmommy]

Sigh...thanks for not letting me dream of my honeymoon period too long (post-booster, pre-fullgrown teenagers)... maybe I'll just go get the van detailed and love it a little longer :love-retry:

Sorry Julie! I just know we started casually looking at the Honda Pilot when my DSD was 10-11-ish. She fit fine in the third row, but we did wonder how long it would last. We didn't actually pull the trigger and buy a new car until she was 13 and by then it was very clear that the Pilot just wouldn't work well for us. She didn't fit back there well, and we knew we'd have two car seats in the middle row. So we now have an Ody. I keep the 2nd row pilot seats pushed together (removed the jump seat) so she and her friends can climb to the third row easily. Its also easy for me to access when carpooling and buckling in extra kids in the back. I can still take extra kids with me and have enough cargo space for backpacks, swim noodles, balls, stroller, picnic stuff, sports equipment etc. I can see how someone would look at that size car when you have tweeners, but sadly, it does not last long and you will be dealing with full size teenagers before you know it.

[Clarity]

We also bought a car top carrier a couple years ago for longer trips that require more stuff.

Kris, we have a Maxx as well and are really thinking hard about a car top carrier. We travel 5+ hours one way to visit the MIL and it would be great it we had a bit more space. Did you buy an aftermarket rack for you car and then the carrier? We've been waivering on buying a bigger 2nd vehicle but current second vehicle is paid off and we'd like to keep it a bit longer. Thx!

[MelissaTC]

I considered it and considered the Mazda 5. In the end, we moved from the minivan to the Taurus X. It is slightly smaller than the minivan and I find it easier to manuveur in but it isn't really that much smaller. I drive my parents around when they are here and we will also have FIL this summer so it will be 6 of us, 5 are adults. I needed something I can move them around in also and still be able to hold an additional carseat when the time comes.

I totally know how you feel though. I was really debating whether or not to pursue getting a Honda Accord because I was having serious sedan envy! But in the end, I know it wouldn't work for me right now.