What Car to Buy!

I'm not a minivan-type person so I can't help you with that (except I have a friend who drives the Honda Odyssey and loves it). I currently drive a Honda Pilot and will probably buy another one when we go car shopping again. It has almost 100,000 miles on it and all I've had to do is change the oil, buy a set of tires, and keep the fluids in check. It has the 3rd row seat which can be pulled up in a snap and will carry 8 people comfortably. At the time of our purchase (2006) the Pilot had one of the best safety ratings in the industry. Since car models change each year, be sure to check for most recent ratings on the minivan or SUV model you finally narrow down.

Before the Pilot, I drove a Chevy Tahoe. Very roomy but the transmission went out on it at 55,000 miles while I was out of town - how convenient for me. I didn't have the 3rd row seat so we could only seat 5 people. It was nice to drive but doesn't compare in value to the Pilot we have now.

Another great point - Both the Pilot and Odessey are made in Lincoln, Alabama.

I also hear great things about the Toyota Highlanders so, hopefully, someone with be able to give you some points on those.

Happy hunting!

1 mom found this helpful

Well, as far as safety goes, you can't go wrong with a fully-framed SUV. Minivans are normally unibody...which basically means they're like a human without a skeleton, lol. This means that in an accident, the SUV would hold up to an impact much better.

When we had our second child, my hubby and I upgraded from a sedan to a Chevy Suburban (we were planning to have more kids and wanted to pay off and stick with a vehicle for many years). Five months later, we were at a red light when someone in a van plowed into the back of our vehicle at approximately 55 mph without braking at all. Just....wham. My five month old baby was rear-facing in the middle row of our Suburban (which basically made it a "front" impact for her) and, even though she was completely covered with glass and even had some in her eyes, she was absolutely fine. I give God all the credit for this, of course, but I feel like it was His guidance that put us in the SUV to begin with. Had we still been driving our little car, the kids would most certainly have been killed. In fact, there was a Toyota Scion in front of us with two little girls in the back seat that the cops told us would not have survived the impact had our vehicle not been there to take the hit.

The Suburban was totalled, of course, but held up remarkably well under the circumstances. The back end was crushed in and the empty third-row was pushed up slightly, but there was so much space between the point of impact and where my kids were buckled in, it never even came close to touching them. Sadly, the driver of the van did not survive his injuries....but I still shudder to think that he could have taken everything away from me that night. We never got any answers as to why he struck us so hard without even trying to swerve or stop, but if we learned anything from that accident it was that we will never, EVER put our kids in anything smaller than an SUV. They are more important to us than all the money in the world and, if gas goes up again, I would rather stay home every day than put them in an unsafe vehicle. And small = unsafe. That's just physics, people.

We now drive a GMC Yukon XL (same exact vehicle, really) and are very happy with it's performance and reliability. We've had it for three and a half years now (after buying it used) with absolutely no problems.

P.S. For your reference: http://www.yourdictionary.com/unibody

uni·body (yo̵̅o̅′nə bäd′ē)

adjective

"designating or of a type of construction used in motor vehicles in which the floor, roof, panels, etc. are welded together into one unit, thereby eliminating the need for a separate frame"

EDIT: Anything labeled as a "crossover" SUV (like the Honda Pilot) is also unibody. They are basically just minivans made to look like SUVs.

1 mom found this helpful

All depends on preference, and usuage. For practicality, safety, and better gas mileage I would always go the minivan route. Though many people like the sportier SUV than the practical minivan.

I bought a KIA Sedona from Peoria KIA and it has been a nightmare. The people and the car.

I LOVE my mini van although many people say they would never buy one, it really is a matter of preferance. I have a Montana which GM no longer makes. If you are looking for a used vehicle, they are great. If you want something with room to move, a mini van is likely your better choice, as long as you get the extended version. We have also looked at suv's as we plan on upgrading my vehicle in the next 2-3 months. I also love the GM Acadia, but honestly out of my price range for now, so will likely get a newer van. Test drive a bunch, a vehicle is a major purchase, hopefully you will have for a few years, think about what features you want, can't live without and what would simply be nice options but not necessary. For us, the third row seating is essential, also 8 passenger is best, and a stereo system that the kids can listen to cd's while I have my choice of radio stations is practically essential ( my kids are 16,13 and 8 and had this feature on my last 2 vehicles and it is used often!). One thing I love about about vans is the sliding doors, a power sliding door is even better for little ones, it is so much easier to get in and out. I can even climb in, shut the doors and buckle the kids ( I have a home daycare) and stay dry on a rainy day!

I have a Honda Pilot and LOVE LOVE LOVE it! I feel so safe driving my little one around in it, which is the number one priority. Beyond that, I love driving it. It's comfortable and, while it's a good size SUV, it doesn't feel like I'm driving a tank.

Honestly, it is going to depend on what you like to drive. My mom had a toyota Previa (minivan) that I drove in High School, so I though when we upgraded I would love the Sienna. Unfortunately, I felt like I was driving a boat (due to seat position and shape of the vehicle). So, we ended up with a Honda Pilot, which I love. It has the 3rd row optional seat and I have fit 8 women in the car before. Big enough to put a full size stroller behind the 3rd row seat when up as well. But not as spacious as a mini-van. So, go and test drive. We test drove about 10 vehicles (some twice) before making a decision. Have fun.

Well I had a Dodge Durango which was OK but it really wasn't for me. We ended up trading that in for a 2010 GMC Acadia. LOVE IT!!!! This vehicle drives so nice and has so many safety features that you just can't go wrong. My boys are 12 and 5 and there is plenty of room. We have the captain seats in the middle row so our vehicle seats 7 instead of 8 but both boys love the fact that they have their own seats it just worked better that way for us. Love the room in the back, like I said you just can't go wrong with this vehicle.

Whatever you can afford without having a car payment.

I would stay far, far away from a ford windstar! Other then that Depends on what you "want" in the car...Most any vehicle will satify you "need" to get from one place to another. Decided what your "Wants" are and then start looking for that car used. Because a car doesn't have to be bought new! Do you have the $$ to waste on gas if you buy an SUV, do you want to have to fix all the bells and whistles when they break on a super fancy car...etc. They all get you from point A to point B and they will all have issues, you have to weigh what issues you are willing to deal with. I believe a honda/toyota is a better quality vehicle when it comes to bells and whistles, engine, amongst other things. But you pay a significanlty larger amount to fix the vehicle when it does break, and bells and whistles break a lot. A dodge or similar brand is going to break the same or less and be cheaper to fix. They are not your "cool mom" vehicles but they do the job and cost less. Lots of different ones out there all have there issues.

It depends on what you are looking for. Third row seat? Lots of cargo room? Contrary to what the previous poster said many SUVs get much better gas mileage than minivans. We have a Kia Sedona we are very happy with but our Volvo XC-90 gets better gas mileage.

I've been driving a Honda Odyssey since my twins were born, and although I was so resistant at first to driving a "mom-mobile", I've loved it. Lots of versatility in the seat configurations, lots of storage room, comfy to drive, and it's a Honda, so reliability has been great. Good luck choosing!

DO NOT buy a Kia!!! Also, I'm an insurance agent so call your agent with the VIN and ask for a quote BEFORE you buy so you know how much it will be. That could be the deciding factor for you if you have a couple you are deciding from. Good luck!