Help in Making a Deciding on a Family Car

Updated on October 25, 2007
G.F. asks from Providence, RI
14 answers

I am looking in to getting and suv i am not a fan of minivans not the look some have excellect look but they feel to bulky for me. However i have norrow it down to a Honda pilot or a GMC envoy. I was wondering if anyone had some tips on which give the better gas mileage and road handling.

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So What Happened?

I will like to thank every one who replied. I after test driving and looking into all cars we have decided in a honda Odessey. is a great minivan lots of room and very comfortable

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P.B.

answers from New London on

I have a Honda Pilot and love it- It handles great in the snow too. It is so roomy we took it on a trip to Sesame Place in PA- 4 adults and two children in car seats (everyone had plenty of room, plus room for the luggage.

1 mom found this helpful

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A.K.

answers from Albany on

I have had two ford exployers and loved them both. Today I may trade my exployer in for a ford freestyle. It is the length of the ford exployer, but not as high. It has many safety features, great on gas, plus it has the three rows of seats. The second row of seats are split. So if you have two children in the second row they can't bother one another with hitting, etc.
I have only driven it a couple times but so far I think I really like it. I feel it well priced too.It has been on the market for two years and there has only been one recall. People I have spoken to that have the Ford Freestyle say they are very pleased with it and it handles well in the rough weather. Good luck with your adventure.

1 mom found this helpful
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L.L.

answers from Lancaster on

My boyfriend is very picky when it comes to his cars and he got a GMC envoy about two years ago and loves it. It is a very smooth car and seems to do pretty well on gas. It costs him about 31$ to fill it right now at about $1.96 a gallon. He normally trades in every two years and has decided to keep this one because he likes it so much. Dont know if this helps but good luck with the car purchase whichever one you choose.

1 mom found this helpful
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B.S.

answers from Detroit on

Hi! I am also a 27 year old mother of one. I was looking to get a suv or minivan this time last year (wasn't really into gettig a mom mobile!) but ended up with a Toyota Sienna minivan with AWD and a dvd player - I love it!! It is about the same price as the pilot and envoy with the same gas mileage but has room to grow with room for 7 people. Just figured I would give you some input - Good Luck!!

1 mom found this helpful
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K.C.

answers from Providence on

My husband and I were in the same place a few months ago and we were against a minivan. we found the mazda5 my husband calls it a sport wagon. It's sort of like a car minivan. It looks like a car but has 6 seats (2,2,2) and has sliding doors but It looks very sleek. you should really check it out. it's a 4 litre engine so it's great on gas. we get about 350 mi. p tank full. It has side curtain airbags for the kids and all the seats have anchors for the carseats. It's also considerably less $ than an SUV. good luck

1 mom found this helpful
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B.J.

answers from New York on

Hi G.! I don't know which of the two vehicles you asked about get better gas mileage, but I just wanted to suggest something else. I have a Mazda MPV minivan, but it doesn't really feel like a minivan. It's kind of like a combo of a minivan and an SUV. It's not as big as a minivan and the thing I love about it is that the side windows go down like car windows. The middle row passenger seat can slide (even when someone is in it)from the outside (like captains chairs) to the middle like a bench seat. The rear seat folds flat into the cargo area, which is recessed, which is also good for holding grocery bags since they can sit down into it. Just wanted to give you my input, by the way, my van gets great gas mileage! B.

1 mom found this helpful
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G.L.

answers from New York on

Hi! I just purchased a Nissan Murano and LOVE IT!!! I used to have an SUV and before that had a mini van. I like the Murano the best. You should check it out. The dealership in North Haven across from BJ's were really good with me and my husband.
Good Luck!

1 mom found this helpful
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J.S.

answers from Buffalo on

We are not minivan people either, so I know how you feel! We have a Jeep Liberty and it handles very well. One thing I hate though is that the back seat is too close to the front. My almost 4 year old son is CONSTANTLY kicking the back of my seat! Make sure there is plenty of leg room in the back!

1 mom found this helpful
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B.T.

answers from New York on

If you only have 1 child who is 13 months old, why do you need an SUV? You would have plenty of room if you just got a four door car. I have 1 child and a tall husband and I own a Toyota Matrix, compact car, great on gas and plenty of room for 'stuff' in the back.

My Mother in law tried to convince me that I needed a minivan. I told her that I don't have 6 people in my family, I have three people. I don't need the extra costs associated with a minivan.

1 mom found this helpful
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A.B.

answers from New York on

If you need help finding a vehicle, I would be happy to help you! I work at a local Honda dealership. The pilot is a wonderful choice. The pilot is going to offer you an average of 18mpg around town and 24 on the highway while the GMC is only going to offer you 16 and 22. The Pilot is also great for safety. All 6 airbags are standard as are child seat tethers and anchors. If you need any additional information, please feel free to email me at ____@____.com or you can call me at the dealership ###-###-#### You can ask for A..
Also, if you don't think that you need anything as big as the pilot, we also have the new crv. It offers all the same safety and also 25-30mpg.

1 mom found this helpful
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K.J.

answers from Rochester on

i agree with the other reeply... if you are only a family of 3 (and you dont plan on expanding that family anytime soon).. stick with a smaller car that with be better for handling and gas then any SUV or minivan out there

1 mom found this helpful
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C.C.

answers from New York on

My sister has a Honda pilot and she loves it, she had a bad accident in a honda sedan where her car was sandwitched between 2 cars.Her 2 girls were in the back seat and were completely unharmed! That is why she chose the Honda pilot The safty was amazing. I have a chevy suburban and it takes a lot more gas than her suv. I hope this helps.C.

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K.D.

answers from Boston on

I have only three people in my family and we bought a dodge durango. I love it! I have a big family and just because its only my husband, my daughter and myself in the family we often have other people in the car with us. My brother is only ten months older then my daughter and they argue in the car so we put one in the third seat and one in the middle seat ... its heaven !!!!!! A durango has three seats so it has the room of a minivan but its more compact and easy to drive :)

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A.F.

answers from Boston on

Hi G.,
I just trading in my car for a SUV and choose the GMC Yukon, I love it best choice I made, nice ride. I would have gotten the Envoy but it was big enough for my husband.
A.

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