What Is the Best Car for a Family of 5? - New York,NY

I would suggest a minivan. I agree with Erica. My mom has a Toyota Sienna. She said it is built on the chassis of a car (not van) so it does handle like a car. It is spacious and has plenty of room. My mom no longer drives, but she used to tote 4 grandkids around - which is why she bought it. Loved it. Easy in and out. Lots of room. As they got older, she could fit their sports gear in, and an extra friend.

ETA: since seems that the OP does NOT understand my suggestion, I'll say this:

1. Look at Minivans or Suburbans. Maybe even an Escalade.
2. Tell people what your price point is. Mid-range is VERY vague.

________________original answer unedited:

minivan or Suburban. Those aren't "mid-range" - but then again - you didn't state was "mid-range" is to you. Being from NYC? That could be $75K. I don't know. Specify what you want to spend.

S.,

It would help to know what your idea of "MID RANGE" is. Every place is different in costs.

I'm a family of six. We have a Suburban. It's NOT mid-range by any stretch of the means. Brand new was $62K. We were able to negotiate a lower price.

With kids? You really need to have space for them. I love my Suburban and the space we have and the storage I have in the back.

Not sure how it would drive in NYC. Not sure if you'd want something that big in NYC.

what is your idea of mid-range? Here in Pittsburgh? You can pick up a used Suburban for $40K. Or you can pick up a used Escalade for $22K. What's your price point?

What do your kids do?
What does your family do?
Is this just to take the kids to school and run errands or is this for sporting, traveling, camping, what? Your question is VERY low on information.

If I had three young kids NOW? I would pick the biggest car I could afford. For future growth and sports. Maybe if you gave more information? People could help you better.

It really depends on how you will be using the car, but it is difficult to find cars that have a backseat wide enough for three booster seats. I swore I'd never drive a minivan, but I really like my Toyota Sienna. Even with 4 adults (we often have my MIL and SIL with us) and 2 kids in booster seats we aren't on top of each other. I personally don't like bigger SUVs. We have rented them sometimes when we travel and I just find them difficult to get in and out of. Third row seats are especially difficult to access. Our Sienna has more cargo space than some minivans. I also think it drives more like a car than other minivans I've driven in the past (rentals and company cars). But, if you really do live in NYC, a minivan may not be the most convenient for getting in and out of tight parking places. Then you might be better off with getting a car with the biggest backseat you can find and search for the narrowest booster seats you can find. My brother used to have a Subaru Outback that would fit two booster seats and an adult.

I love my Dodge Grand Caravan. It is perfect for carpooling, road trips and grocery shopping. When the kids were little it was so much easier dealing with car seats in the van than in a car. I also find parking it easier than the car because of the back up camera.

We have 3 young boys and I love my suburban! At the minimum, you should consider a vehicle that has a 3rd row, so you can accommodate your family plus a few more:)

I won't look at anything that doesn't have that 3rd row. Kids will grow and have legs. They will need leg room before too long and you'll be out there looking for a new vehicle.

We are a family of 5 & have loved our Suburban. The Tahoe is an option as well if you don't want something that big? We utilized the extra space & appreciated having it, from everything to room for the big dog to camping to moving furniture, we fit a full sized hide a bed in ours with the back two rows/seats folded down, amazing! Road trips? Forget about it, everyone has there own space and no issues with people 'touching' eachother & cramping their style, LOL! And they drive like a dream...
...and for what it's worth, I've driven in the city plenty, there's tons of Suburbans or big SUV's getting around just fine, if that's a concern.

*We got the front row bench seat, so technically it could fit 9, which came in handy more than once, you know for when the cousins get together or friends are included. :)

I really love ours, they are quite spendy these days tho, we only spent $40K on ours brand new but that was 11 years ago, now brand new they are closer to $70K, we just looked yesterday actually, we are thinking of getting a new car soon, -Suburban still runs perfect!- but hubby wants a Tesla..insane that an electric car is a viable option for once in our lifetime.~ You know you can get into one of those (a sedan style) for $30-40K, which was exciting to learn...apparently they are really roomy too...

Hands down a minivan. We're also a family of 5 and there is simply no better choice. I have a 2005 Honda Odyssey, which is still in fantastic shape. We can fit all sorts of sports equipment and our entire family very comfortably. Now that the kids are older, I'm the mom who drives everyone around. It's a pain, but you learn A LOT by keeping quiet and letting them converse in the backseat. I love my minivan so much, I'm probably going to keep it even after the kids are out of the house. The doors slide open automatically (that make elementary school pick up and drop off SO EASY), the trunk opens automatically (GREAT for when arms are holding grocery bags). I could go on and on...

I love my Honda Odyssey. We've had a minivan since our 3rd child joined the family almost 13 years ago. I can't imagine my life without such a spacious and versatile car. We had a Mazda MPV, Chevy Venture and the Odyssey. This one is by far my favorite. The kids are now 10,12 and 18 and I will drive a minivan for many years to come.

You are probably just entering the age of carpooling. As your kids get older you will have more and more of them needing a ride - I love being the car pool mom. We have a 7 passenger Toyota Sienna that we bought when we were a family of 3. I have two boys now and a nephew that visits frequently so our next Sienna will be the 8 passenger one!

It is built on a car chassis and drives like a Toyota Solara. Lots of room, plenty of cup holders, lots of airbags, and very flexible seating. I know that minivans are unpopular but I love the slider doors. I don't expect to ever have a car again - slider doors are the best in tight spaces and for loading people and things. Good luck!