SUV Vs Minivan - Geneva,IL

I am with Julie and Leslie. We also swore we would never get a minivan but with two little ones and someday a 3rd one we gave in to the minivan. We got a Nissan Quest and I LOVE it. The auto doors and trunk are so awesome...I don't have to worry about fingers getting slammed in doors or a little one waiting for me to open the door for them. I click a button...all the doors slide open...kids climb in....LOVE IT! I highly recommend it. And I still think I am a cool mom...even with a minivan. :)

Never thought I'd choose a mini van either, but I've been driving a Nissan Quest for 2 years and I love it! Automatic sliding doors are the best! 2 seats in the middle, stow and go 3rd row and lots of cargo space. Most moms I know drive mini vans now and it seems like everyone is happy with them.

Hi M.,

I totally understand your dilemma and was having a hard time getting myself to go the minivan route. I just bought a GMC Acadia. I love it! It has the 3rd row and on the inside it is the same size as a Dodge Caravan (my mom has one to compare). But it looks like a SUV (all wheel drive is an option too), and handles like a sedan. I couldn't be happier. Hope this helps!

On a side note, if I would've done a minivan, I would've gotten a Honda or Toyota. I think they have the best use of space and upgrades that are standard. The only difference is that the Toyota is AWD.

Love our minivan. We were interested in a wagon or crossover, but after looking at the options, the comfort and size of the Odyssey won us over. I like the sliding doors and the way you don't have to climb over a row of seats to get to the back. Also, the 3rd row folds down in moments for trips to Costco. Most SUVs seemed either too far off the ground (safety, impractical with kids), didn't have easy access to the back, were way too large for urban use, or were $$$$ (the Lexus, which is gorgeous, but no way.)

I was one of those that swore they would never get a minivan. When #2 came around, I decided to bite the bullet and get one. Honestly, it was ok. Yes, there was room for everything we needed, had good extra's on it, etc...but it was still a minivan. That went byebye pretty quick. After the minivan, I got an Expedition. Loved it. We were able to take the middle seat of the first back row out, so that my oldest could get into the back easily. It was way more "me". With three kids, it worked well. I just recently downsized a bit and bought a Taurus X Limited...it has two rows of backseats, the third row is easily reachable and easy to get into, and it saves a ton of money by getting much better gas mileage than the Expedition did. My advice, shop around, test drive a ton of vehicles, do research (in my case my dad owns a Ford dealership..so my research was him haha). You will find what works best for you and your family.

I LOVED my Jimmy, but when Child #3 came along it became apparent we needed more room. We ended up getting a great deal on a Dodge Minivan & honestly I'm pleased with it. Test drive & take in your options. Sure it isn't as rugged, but it turns on a dime & seats 7, is much better on gas than even my Jimmy, much less a huge truck, and though I'm not madly in love with it, it does the job & is a pleasant ride. I am not defined by what I drive, I like that it does the job and doesn't cost a fortune to own, fuel up, or insure.

Just my two cents. Congrats on the new baby!
D.

I just needed to say something, even though I totally agree with everyone. I, as a surprise got a minivan for x-mas. Never as well did I think I was going to have one. I love my SUV and I find it so interesting that most people don't want one and then we end up with one. It is awesome. We have Honda Odyssey. Currently we have twins and are expecting another one in April. I am little worried about getting people into car seats, but we have a friend who has three children as well and puts one in the back, by using the trunk. In the third row they put part of the seat down and they are able to reach over. Kind of strange, but it works for them. Good Luck in your decision. I know you will make the right choice and be happy.

M., We have a Grand Caravan. The stow and go seats are phenomenal. We have the bucket seats in the middle and then the bench seat across the back. all of those fold down into the floor board. we have went on trips with the middle seats up and with the middle seats down. same goes for the back seats. or with only one seat down in the middle. depending on how many kids or what I am hauling around on any given day. (grandchildren, bikes, strollers, game gear etc....) We bought it in 2005. It will be 5 years old in May and it is the only vehicle we have ever purchased in 23 years of marriage that I have not been ready to replace within a year. I love it as much today as I did the day we bought it. We do a lot of traveling. It now has 74,000 miles and runs as smoothly and as quietly as it did new. It has the dvd player which is a wonderful invention for long trips. and also has the heat/ac controls in both the front and the back. We love it.

Just got off the phone with a friend who has twins. She drives a gorgeous Lexus SUV and would trade her car for my Chrysler Minivan in a MINUTE!

I've driven both---SUV's and Minivans. It is a pain in the butt to reach over, esp. the middle seat, and deal with car seats in an SUV. Esp. when it is cold or hot outside and you are in a hurry. You have to basically crawl in the back of the car to deal with it. I hated that with my SUV.

With vans, most of the door open automatically which means if your hands are full (and they are always full with kids), the door is open and waiting for you when you get to it.

When putting children in car seats, you simply stand outside the van and buckle them in (I have bucket seats). I am BARELY even reaching over. EASY.

People don't buy vans b/c they are glamorous. They buy them b/c of the convenience and believe me, they are convenient. When your kids are older and out of car seats, then go back to the SUV's.

We have a lincoln Aviator and i love it. It has the 3rd row that can be folded down when you dont need it and the second row seats fold up so that the third row is easy to get into. I dont know how old your children are but if any of them are old enough to climb in and buckle themselves that may be something to consider. That 3rd row has come in handy many times when relatives come to visit and we have extra people to drive around too. Good luck finding the right vehicle for your family.

We went from our Ford Escape which I loved to a Chevy Tahoe. I also thought about a minivan but really wanted to stay with an SUV. The Tahoe is roomy, and you can fit 3 in the back there are also 3rd row seats that come out as 2 separate seats as opposed to 1 bench. There is a lot of cargo space in the back as well and isn't too bad on gas.

Minivan :) Tried some suvs and some minivans, love the odyssey the most. It's the most practical, functional, and convenient with kids. Now they have the 8 seaters, with the back seat split, so you can fold some and easy access from the trunk for the child who sit there.
My Odyssey is 146K miles now, still running very smoothly and very low maintenance. I will only trade it with the newer model with more features :)

I have to say that I love my minivan. We had a Dodge Durango, and then a Isuzu Rodeo. The minivan is so much easier to get kids in and out. We bought the Nissan Quest. It has the automatic doors, just press a button, and the kids pile in. I can get in and stand in the back if I need to. The rear door is automatic as well, so when I have groceries, hit the button and the door opens. We can fit 7 people.

I am in my 40's, and I could care less about the minivan mom stigma. Just because I drive a minvan, does not make me uncool. I love the convenience, and that is all that matters.

Good luck with your decision.

We swore minivans off. We just absolutely refused to buy one. We got a Chevy Traverse with captains chairs in the 2nd row and it comes with a 3rd row of seating. It looks exactly like a minivan from the inside but an SUV from the outside. We couldn't be happier with it.

Different versions of the same vehicle are the GMC Acadia, the Buick Enclave and the Saturn Outlook.

We have a Dodge Durango, a Chrysler T&C and a GMC Yukon XL. Other than the gas expense, the Yukon wins in my book hands down. My kids are 6, 4, 2 and 1. The two older have been able to buckle themselves since they were 3, so I didn't have the problem with having to get to them. I would just have my oldest buckle the second oldest until she could figure it out herself. Our yukon has two captain chairs in the second row and a bench in the third row so you can get to them if needed (but I highly recommend teaching them how to buckle themselves..my 2, almost 3 year old is just learning now). It seats 7. You can get the bench in the second row to 8 and maybe even a bench in the front to seat 9 if needed, but I didn't need that and like the captains chairs betters - makes it easier for the third row to get out. The XL part of the yukon stands for extra long and gives you the extra room behind the 3rd row for storage of the stroller, groceries, etc., which can be a problem if you are using the 3rd row of other suv's (like our durango). I have always liked suv's better, not just because of the stigma of the loser cruiser (what I lovingly call my T&C), but because I like being higher than cars and I feel safer. I'm sure it's all in what you get used to, but I never got used to driving the T&C after being in jeeps/trucks/suvs my whole life. Also wanted to mention in the Durango which has a bench second row and then the third row, if you have car seats on the bench in the second row it's near impossible to get the third row out of the car.. they have to climb over everything since you can't exactly fold the seat down with a car seat attached to it so just going for a smaller suv with a third row and second row bench is not the best option for a growing family in my opinion.

Although SUV's look alot nicer and I really like them , with 3 kids a mini van is more practical , sliding doors are great , space between the middle row of seats to get into the back very easily , plus a large trunk. We have a Dodge Caravan so not the best there is out there , but if you have more to spend and want something that is going to last you for a long time then the Odyssey or the Sienna would be the way to go.

Oh Baby! I did the car test when I WAS pregnant & the best vehicle I found was the Chevy suburban... baby is at waist height for easy getting in and out not back breaking not leaning in or back right at waist height! 8 seater if needed and we have folded it down on long trips to make a bed and it rides like a Cadillac! It will be 10 years old in May and I will buy another one when this one dies. It has been so reliable no real issues tires and oil changes. and almost 200,000 miles and still running strong!

I know how you feel, M.! I had an SUV and never thought I'd drive a minivan. After many friends' advice, we gave it a try. We are now on our second Honda Odyssey and I love it! Double sliding doors are the best for getting kids in and out...not banging car doors with other cars! The seats are also at at a better level for getting them in and out. Now that my kids are a little older (4 & 6), they can get in the car and their seats by themselves and buckle their own booster seats! This is heaven! We have bucket seats in the middle row and a third row that can fold away into the floor. Love, love, love my Odyssey!

Good luck!

J.

Hi M..
I drive an infiniti suv, and while it is great, I'm sure that I will have to go to a minivan with the next baby. My sister has the odyssey and it is great. Good luck with your decision.

buy whatever is best for you. test drive many suvs and minivans and put your kids in and out and see what you like best.

who the hell cares about the minivan stigma! how old are we? 12? people care too much what other people think. sorry about the rant, but that just frustrates me.

personally, i like both, but for different reasons. the 3rd row in an suv is okay, but definitely not nearly as spacious as a minivan. suvs can be more powerful, but how much power do you actually need. minivans get better gas mileage if you care about that.

good luck!

M.,
Minivan :)
S.

get a minivan!!! I bought a Yukon (medium SUV) when I was pregnant with my first, and loved it. Even worked pretty well when #2 came along. But now that I have 3 kids, and I have to get one of them into a carseat in the middle, I find errand running very exhausting; hauling & lifting all those kids in and out. My 3 year old can climb into the vehicle, but I still have to heave him up into the carseat.
I had a pleasure of using a Grand Dodge Caravan with Stow and Go for 3 days while my truck was being serviced, and LOVED it!! it was so nice not having to lift them higher than waist level. The doors opened with a push of a button, and there was still plenty of storage areas. Stow and Go is awesome. The seats will disappear into the floor very easily, if you happen to need the space, but don't realize it until you are trying to leave the store. Or if you have all the kids, you can stash stuff in the compartments at their feet--I think I got about 10 grocery bags and a 12 pack in one of the compartments.
Again, the lower height of the vehicle was such a nice change! That is my favorite part.
Good luck with your baby

Honda Odyssey Minivan, HANDSDOWN! My husband and I are both researchers. We never impulse buy. We did a ton of research on everything from price to features to warranty. Honda wins. When I had my 3rd we needed something big enough for 3 carseats. SUVs look nice but it is a super pain if you have to help buckle seatbelts in the back. Our Honda is so easy to get in and out of. We've had it almost 2 years now and I'm still completely satisfied. We had to put it in the shop once because someone backed into us and they gave me a rental van. It was a Dodge Caravan that was newer than my van and I HATED it! Nothing worked right, I had to completely unhook the seatbelts every time we got out of the car because they would lock if they didn't go all the way in, everything about it was a pain. When I talked to the repair shop they confirmed that the Dodge wasn't nearly as nice as my Honda. Honda is notorious for getting 400k miles on the same engine. Their service department is fabulous, they never try to sell me on things I don't need. Honda gave a few more features on their basic model which is the only reason they were slightly more money. But when you compared feature for feature, it was the same price as the other vans. It gets good gas milage and I have an option of putting in an eighth seat, which we have used when we are taking friends or family some place with us. The back seats are comfortable, which I was surprised about. It is very well-engineered. Hopefully that isn't way more than you wanted to know. :) Good luck shopping!

The GMC Acadia has captains chairs and a third row that an older child can walk to if yours is old enough to buckle themselves in. It's more of a crossover though.

I do have to say that I like the height of an suv better because I don't have to bend over to buckle the car seats. My sister and brother in law drive a tahoe extended and it has two captains seats and the third row bench with TONS of room in the trunk. Functionally though and for the price a mini van would probably be a better option if you don't need that big of a car!