What to Buy?? - Olathe,KS

We weren't ready for the whole mini-van thing, but after looking at mid size SUVs- they just don't have the room in them that a min van does. We ended up buying a used Toyota Sienna minivan. We LOVE it! We quickly got over the mini van thing. And you will have 3 kids so any SUV you would get (unless its a fillsize =gas guzzler) you wont have much room with the kids and especially if you will have a few carseats in there too. The dual sliding doors are convenient too. If you do decide to go with a mini van, me and my husband did lots of research and the Siennas are highly rated, and hold their value (which is apparent when you see how much even used ones cost).
Happy car hunting!

I have a 2004 Ford Explorer, with the 3rd row. I love it!! I usually keep the 3rd row down for extra trunk space. I have 3 kids-10mos, 4, and 8. I was always able to fit all 3 carseats in there, no problem. My only complaint would be the trunk. When the 3rd row is down, it is very roomy. BUT when the 3rd row is up, I can barely fit my stroller. I only have 3 kids, so it is very rare that I need that row. But, other than that, I love it!

M., I'm laughing at your "cringe" but I LOVE my Chevrolet Venture! My middle row has 3 removable seats, which I really liked when my boys were babies because I could sit in between them on long trips without feeling squashed, and now there is PLENTY of room between them so they have their own space. The DVD player is a nice feature too. I have had it for 7 years and don't know how I'll ever go without one now! Good luck. The mom-mobiles are cooler than you think... :)

I so get the cringe mini van thing! Except...I actually envy my friend who has one! Oh the ease at which she gets the kids in, moves around carseats and boosters. I love the way the kids who can stand can climb in while you strap in an infant. With my SUV I have to strategize to make sure the toddler isn't running loose before the infant is secure. For a petite lady I am convinced it is so worth it. Alas we are not shopping for a car now. But if we were I would definitely check them out and compare. As I get older I am so much more about what works well as opposed to what is "hip". Have fun shopping!

Hello, well you definately need one of the two. I've only had SUV's and I love them. Easy to open a door and strap your kids in without bending over. That was a big plus for me with a bad lower back. I've had a Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota Sequoia & a Mercedes. Loved them all! I would research the best one to fit your needs. I know the Ford Edge (I think) is nice.
Also, I have friends with mini vans and they love them, too. Good luck finding the right fit.

I have a 2005 Honda Pilot that I Love Love Love!!!!

Bought it used for about 10K with under 50K miles on it.
It is a V6 adjustable - which means at cruising speeds it drops down to a 4 cylinder - so it gets great mileage on the highway.

It seats 8 - but the third row and 2nd row seats all fold down in case I need to haul something.

Happy Shopping!!!
God Bless

My advice to you is do a car seat test fit in any vehicle you are considering. Make sure that you can get all three car seats/ boosters in and in a configuation you are confortable with. If you have a third row are you comfortable having one of your kids in the last row, will they have to crawl over the second row to get in and out, can you get them all in the middle row. Also ask if you can take the car on an extended test drive- we have always been able to take the cars over night and really get a feel for the car. A 5 mile test drive is not suffecient to make sure you are comfortable with the car. Also if you can park a car in the garage take it home and do a test fit. Make sure you can get around the car while it is in the garage ect.I have always had an SUV. Just can't bring myself to go with a mini van. I have had two Explorers and loved them both. Great on gas had plenty of room. We were in the market for a new to us (used car) in January to replace my 2002 Explorer which had 170K miles on it ( hows that for durability). We looked at Tahoes, Expeditions ect but all were very pricey for newer low milage -2008 or newer and less than 60K miles at a price range of 25k plus. We also were looking to pay cash so we wanted to find something in the 15K to 18K range (saved money for about a year to be able to do it). One day while shopping online for cars I stumbled on the deal of the century. I found my dream car an 2005 LR3 for 14K with 66K miles. And yes I took it home for a two day test drive:)

I had a Honda CR-V with my two young kids, but quickly realized that it just wasn't working out, especially with hopes for a 3rd in our future. After having that vehicle only 2 years, we traded it in for a Kia Sedona mini-van...and haven't looked back! I will say that the mini-van doesn't have the same drive and nice feel as the CR-V, but the practicality far outweighs the luxuries. As another poster said, no "stop touching me!" from the back seat, the doors slide so no dings in parking lots or our own garage! Also plenty of space, even with the 3rd row up. It has already been our best vehicle purchase, and we are slapping ourselves for not having bought one in the first place! If you can get past the mini-van thing, I think you'll find it's a good option. Also, try Enterprise Car Sales...they have a great inventory, up-front pricing, and mostly low-mileage vehicles. We have purchased 2 vehicles through them and have been very pleased. Good luck!

We just bought a Honda Pilot a few weeks ago. LOVE it. Of course, I came from a tiny Olds Alero, with NO room. I have a 9 year old, a 2 year old and one on the way as well. It rides nice, has LOTS of room, and still gets good mileage!

OK heres my thoughts. My husband didnt want a mini van. I didnt care. We are on our second one. LOL. First, you have to realize the whole, "stop touching me" thing. You wont have that in a van cuz there is plenty of room for three. Second, I never have to worry when my kids get out of the car and "bam" the car door into someone elses car. Those are two biggies for me. But I would make sure those very back seats are comfy for long trips, and easy to get in and out of. We bought a ford freestar and have NO problems with it mechanic wise, but comfort not so much. good luck

What about a Honda Element?
Lots of friends and parents at my kids' school, have one.
Surfers, families, single people.
Its real cool and many seating configurations and very useful.

http://automobiles.honda.com/shop/element.aspx?ef_id=wxRN...

with the economy the way it is, and sales being hard up, maybe you can deal them down.

We have a Grand Caravan and we have put 192,000 miles on it and we love it, its easy to get in and out, I love the sliding doors, we have even hauled 4 X 8 sheets of paneling, we hauled large pieces of rolled up carpet, and when the kids were older we could haul all their friends with comfort and still room in the back for luggage. I vote mini van. Happy shopping. Pray and ask the Lord to show you just the right one for you.

I have been shopping for a used car for my soon-to-be driving teenager. Whenever we find something, I check out these websites:

1. Kelly Blue Book - to check the price.
2. MSN Autos - to check the reliability/safety of the model
3. carcomplaint.com - to check what other people are saying about the car

I also call my insurance agent when we have something we're really interested in....I was amazed at how much more some of the models cost to insure! It all breaks down to availability of parts. Some cars - like the BMWs & other imports - cost more to repair because of those parts. A good lesson learned!

& if you don't like mini vans....look for an AWD SUV....the gas mileage ranges from 20+. Our Ford Explorer is 4wd with the bigger V6 (for towing the boat) & I get 22mpg. That's fantastic for a 4wd vehicle.

We bought a new to us (used) car about 11 months ago. A Chrysler Pacifica with the 3rd row option. It is a 2004, fully loaded with in-dash navigation and 6 disk DVD player, all leather with heated seats. I mean it is fully loaded. It only had 32,000 miles on it and we got it for under $10,000. If you really shop around you will be able to find something wonderful for your money!

We have a Toyota Sequoia. The gas mileage isn't horrible, and it seats 8 comfortably. Both my husband and myself refuse to go the minivan route. I would suggest checking out Consumer Reports. They do a great review every March where they divide up used cars that are reliable. It breaks it down by value of car, year, make and model. That's what we used to determine what would be a good option for our family.

Good luck!

I hated to move to the minivan, but when number 3 was on the way, we made the leap. I love having a minivan, it's really really handy. First we got a cheap-o dodge grand caravan which was nice, then upgraded to a honda oddysey, I don't care much about my car as long as it's handy and runs well. I do love that in the odyssey (as you can see spelling isn't my best area) is that the three kids can sit across the middle seat (all 3 still in britax, one of the larger carseats). My oldest didn't want to be all the way in the back, and they love being close to eachother... as for the back end, there is always something in it, stroller, grandparents, groceries, etc. I'd just make a list of what's important to you (mine went easy to get in and out of, able to reach kids, easy to fold down back seats, etc.) and see what fits.

congrats on your new one.

I have a Honda Odyssey and I LOVE it. I know, I know...it's a minivan. I also tried to get by with a small SUV for a while since we only have one child. But we also have two big dogs and my husband is in a band and has lots of gear. He's also into home improvement projects and we don't have a truck.

I'll tell you what, as dorky as it is to have a minivan, I've never been so satisfied with a vehicle in my life. Our van already has more than 100k miles on it and the people at the shop say that we'll get 200k or more out of it before it's all done. The doors are on automatic sliders, so when I have arms full of groceries and my daughter, I can just hit a button and she can climb in on her own side. When we go on road trips (which we do two or three times a year) we have room for all of our luggage and can still fit the three of us comfortably. You can find many of these vehicles used (we did) and they still have a ton of life left in them. Mine has heated seats and we bought DVD players for long road trips. Plus, it handles and has the gas mileage of a car.

And, we no longer have to worry about borrowing a truck when we go to the hardware store to buy big items. We transported a full sized couch inside that van one time!

I know, it's a minivan, but I'm telling you, if you're anything like my family, once you get one, you won't go back. At least until we're empty nesters and my husband stops being a rock star. :)

Good luck!
Hilary

I currently drive a minivan (my third) and LOVE it. I don't understand why everyone "cinges" at the mention of a minivan. My three boys are grown now (youngest is 17) and when we head out to dinner as a group or go away for a weekend trip, we can take 7 adults comfortably (ok six comfortably) but 7 of us in one car, laughing talking, catching up. It's great! Truthfully, I need to get a new car, but I just haven't been able to give up the van yet.

Make a list of all the features you want in a vehicle then get on line and see what fits. Then find a sales person that is willing to look for what you want in your price range. Make them work for their fee. They have resources other than what is on their lot.

I did this 6 years ago and have been very happy with my vehicle. I never buy new, new.

I have an '03 Tahoe and I like it a lot. I have three car seats in the second row.

First it held my Graco 35 infant seat and two car seats. Then we had to upgrade everyone's seats. Now it holds a Recaro ProSport (1 yo), a Britax Frontier 85 (3yo) and a Recaro Pro Booster (7yo).

Hey M....we have a mini-van (Honda Odyssey) and a Honda Pilot. The odyssey is the 'stuff' mover, so if we're going on a trip, we definitely take that, but we can fit more people in the Pilot. We have a newer pilot, and while I can fit 3 car seats across the middle seat, my kids couldn't handle being that close together (5, 3, and 1 yrs). We can comfortably fit 4 adults and the three kids in the car....if the car seats were a little slimmer, we could probably squeeze in a skinny person in the 3rd row. It took awhile to narrow down our search for cars...just depends on what you need. Good luck!

I dont know alot about cars but I think 15,000 is a little much for a used one. My last car I bought was a little over 5,000 and was only three years old