J.S. asks from Springfield, MO on August 29, 2011
Vehicle Recommendations - Springfield,MO
I am currently looking for a new vehicle. Well, a used one, but new to us. I currently have a minivan, but am also looking at full sized SUVs for the space. I'm looking for recommendations not only on comfort, but also reliability. We can't afford to replace cars very often, so it has to last for a long time.
The biggest hurdle is that it has to fit 7 people COMFORTABLY. Right now, we have an '04 Grand Caravan. We use two carseats in the middle row captains chairs because they take up the most space. I have a 13 and 7 year old girl and a 10 year old boy that sit in back. All of them are fairly small, and they are already cramped. I know in a few years the carseats will be gone, but I'm thinking a few years down the road when everyone is a bigger, it probably isn't going to cut it.
Cargo space would be wonderful, but we are used to not having much of it. I like the vans with Stow-in-Go to fix that problem, but again, the seating space may not be enough. Price-wise, we have to stay below $15,000. We are borrowing the money versus getting a loan, and we want to pay it back quickly, and the monthly payments we can afford put us in that range.
So, pros and cons of any minivan or full-sized SUV would be great. Off the top of my head, ones that I'd consider are Suburbans, Yukon or Yukon XL, Armada, Expedition, Sequoia, and 2008 or newer Grand Caravans. I know some of those are typically out of our price range, but every once in awhile there is one that pops up. Thanks mamas!
So What Happened?™
Just to clarify, 2008 or newer only applies to the Grand Caravan. Models older than that are exactly like what we have and what we are replacing. Vehicles (or pretty much anything) in our area tends to be cheaper than the majority of the country, so I have a little more flexibility there. I know, though, that with full sized SUVs, that price range keeps us at about a 2006 or older.
Featured Answers
S.K. answers from Houston on August 29, 2011
We've had a Honda Pilot w/3rd row seat (seats 8) since '05. I have a 14 and 11 yo. My son's plays competivite baseball and we always have buddies, equipment, cooler, etc. to haul around. I love it! It's spacious but not so big and bulky as some of the other SUV's. Honda's are great vehicles and very reliable. Also the 3rd row and seat will let down to fit 2 or 3 people so you don't have to let up the whole back seat if need to use space for cargo.
2 moms found this helpful
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D.M. answers from Denver on August 29, 2011
I would say if you need space - not all wheel drive - then stick w/ the minivan. Better gas mileage, better safety ratings, lower insurance costs...all make it a much more practical vehicle. I have a Honda Odessey (2007) and love it. Good luck with your search.
2 moms found this helpful
S.K. answers from Houston on August 29, 2011
We've had a Honda Pilot w/3rd row seat (seats 8) since '05. I have a 14 and 11 yo. My son's plays competivite baseball and we always have buddies, equipment, cooler, etc. to haul around. I love it! It's spacious but not so big and bulky as some of the other SUV's. Honda's are great vehicles and very reliable. Also the 3rd row and seat will let down to fit 2 or 3 people so you don't have to let up the whole back seat if need to use space for cargo.
2 moms found this helpful
R.J. answers from St. Louis on September 02, 2011
Hi J. - We have a newer Pilot and a minivan. On the Pilot - I think they did some modifications, maybe in 2009 to made them wider. For awhile, I had 3 car seats across the middle seat in it, but the kids could touch each other, so that didn't work as nicely. :) The Pilot is the people-mover, the minivan is the stuff mover....so if you have a lot of stuff to carry around, the minivans seem to work out a bit better.
In the Pilot, with car seats (I have a 1,3, & 5 year olds all in car seats), 3 & 5 yr old in back row, 1 year old in middle, and can fit 2 adults in the middle row, too.
1 mom found this helpful
S.B. answers from Kansas City on August 30, 2011
Ford FLEX....seats 7, sits low to the ground and hold tons of stuff...and it's American made!!
1 mom found this helpful
K.B. answers from Cincinnati on August 29, 2011
I have a Yukon and I love it! I have 2 carseats in the captain's chairs (2nd row) and a booster seat and a nine year old in the back. The third row is fairly roomy, but I will say that the middle might be a little uncomfortable. In my Pilot, the third row split was 60/40 (or maybe 70/30?), so the crack from the split was not in the middle of the middle seat. In my Yukon, the split is 50/50, so there is a crack going down the middle seat and I'm not sure how comfortable that would be. I have a 2007 which was the first year for the current model, so I'm not sure if its the same in older models.
So far, (knock on wood!) we haven't had any problems with it, other than routine maintenance. It has been a great vehicle and we plan on driving it til it dies.
Also, please be advised that a large SUV gets horrible gas mileage. I have the Denali (it has a bigger engine, so the mileage is a little worse than the SLT or lower) and I get about 11-12 mpg, 16-17 mpg hwy. For us, it was worth it- we really, really didn't want a van, but for some, that might be a deal breaker. Good luck with your search!
ETA: About insurance, I don't think an SUV vs. a van would drive your rates up. I have a spotless driving record and we pay about $60/month for full coverage that is well above the state minimum- I think that would even be less if my husband (who does NOT have a spotless record) were not on my policy. So maybe a van would drop my rates by a few dollars, but not a significant difference.
I also forgot to add that AWD is something that I never want to be without after having had it. I would assume that your winters are very similar to ours (southern Ohio), so it would be something you could certainly use in the snow.
1 mom found this helpful
A.B. answers from Houston on August 29, 2011
We just purchased a Mitsubishi Endeavor and we LOVE it! I'd say see if one their SUV's have 3rd row seating. I have to be honest with you, what you want and your price range don't match. Do all of them have to be 2008 or newer? I don't know what vehicles go for where you live, but you won't find one like that where I am in your price range. Can you try saving up a bit longer so that you have more money to use toward a purchase?
1 mom found this helpful
M.D. answers from Washington DC on August 29, 2011
We have both an Armada and a Yukon XL. The Denali has more room for adults I'd say, but I prefer the Armada and drive that daily. But if you want a lot of room and cargo space, the Denali is awesome! We got ours used and paid more than $15k for it, but it's probably under that now if you needed to buy one. We ave an '04 and love it!! You can find GREAT deals on gas guzzlers right now because not many people are looking for them. Good luck!
1 mom found this helpful
S.L. answers from Dallas on August 29, 2011
We bought an '04 Chevy Tahoe last September. I think we paid about $17k cash for it. We had to buy a larger SUV that could tow our 22 ft boat. It was low miles, leather and practically in mint condition. It has the 3rd row and captain's chairs for the 2nd row. We love it. We have had adults fit comfortably in the 3rd row. It runs great and is so comfy. I am jealous my hubby gets to drive it daily :(. I drive the car since I work almost 30 miles from home.
1 mom found this helpful
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