Recommendations for a New Vehicle

I'm in the same boat, only no dog, just have 2 school aged children and having another one. We've been debating SUV vs Minivan. The SUV 3rd row is a huge advantage, but leaves little trunk space. But, who wants to say they are driving a minivan (sorry, but I'm vain).

Take a look at this website: www.MotherProof.com. The editor is a SAHM who tests autos and gives reviews based on what Moms are really looking for. Hope this helps.

Hey N. may I suggest a Chevy Tahoe, my husband an I just bought one a month ago and we absolutely LOVE it! The 2007 features offer the ability for the car to do all the work for you while your hands are full with your baby, dog, bags, etc. Good Luck

I like my Volvo XC90. It has the third row and it's been terrific for the occasion when we went with friends who had kids (everyone could ride on our car). Also, the Volvo has a built-in booster so that when they get to that age, you don't have to buy one. Also, I have put two car seats in the middle row so I don't need to use the third row unless we're giving rides to other kids, etc. Otherwise, the seats go down and we use the room for strollers, etc. We bought at the dealership on Armitage, but the service department is just fair, i.e., takes a long time for any service-related items. One other good thing about Volvo is that there's a free service with it, anytime you have a flat tire or get locked out, they come out for free.

Loving our Ford Expedition......prefer it greatly to vans.....the newer ones have a 3rd row that folds flat into the cargo area with a push of a button. Seats 8 with plently of room for a XL dog.
C.

Hi, we recently looked at SUV's with a third row (specifically, the Volvo XC-90). I thought I needed the 3rd row because I have 2 kids and wanted room for their friends. BEWARE! At least in the Volvo, you can't get to the 3rd row without folding down one of the second row seats. That means you would have to move one of your 2 car seats everytime you wanted to get back there. And the third row is tiny-- too small for an adult and not very comfortable for your kids either. Finally, the existence of the third row meant that the second row had less leg room. I wanted my kids to be comfortable and NOT KICK MY SEAT!, so leg room was key. One thing I learned in my search is that SUV's overall do not have any more leg room in the back than a sedan (in fact, many are smaller than the sedans I looked at-- Audis and BMW long-body). If you really need the extra room and want it to be easily accessible, (I hate to say it) but you should look at a minivan. The Honda Odyssey gets rave reviews, and by the number of them on the road, I'd say most moms like them. We ended up with a long BMW sedan. Good luck! A.

We have a 15 month old and do alot of traveling to our cabin (8hrs) in the summer. We purchased a durango with the 3rd seat. The options are great and we didn't have to spend a lot of money. The third row seat folds in to the floor, it takes me 2 seconds to fold it down when I have my daughter with me. We've had it for 2 years and love it. We're looking at buying another one to keep at our cabin.

I highly recommend the 3 row Acura MDX. New about 40K but we got a used one ('96) from Morten Grove Acura for about 21K and I absolutely love it. The kids' seats can go in the second or third row and you can still have 4 additional passengers (1 front, 3 in second row. There is room for a dog (we also have 2 kids, 1 little, and 1 big dog) in the back if the third row is down or in the middle if the 2nd row is down. There is not room for seven passengers (including the car seats) and the big dog though! I have never actually been in the situation where I've needed to transport the dog and seven passengers though.

If you're going for practicality and not fashion, you can't beat a minivan. My Explorer was a lot sexier than my Windstar, but you can't beat it for convenience with 2 carseats and a double stroller in the back. The back doors that open with a push of a button are phenominal when your arms are full. In a couple of years I want a CRV/Escape type of small SUV but for now, I love my minivan.

N.,

I have a Chevy Trailblazer with the third row seat and I am in love. I've had it since 2003 before I had my second child, so it was just me and my teenage daughter. Now that I have the teenage daughter and the new baby daughter, it works extremely well for us. We are often spending the weekends away from our home, therefore we have to take everything plus the kitchen sink almost, so the room in the truck is excellent.

I have her stroller, pack and play in the third row, her car seat in the 2nd row and any other bags that we may have in the storage area in the far back.

I had a Chevy Blazer before that and was really unimpressed with its wear and tear but with the Chevy Trailblazer that I have now, I've had no problems, stills rides and looks like new.

Remember I have the EXT LT which is the extended version with the third row.

Hope this helps you.