What kind of car do you drive?

@olaitan I drive a Ford Explorer and the second row is way too small for my liking. I’m considering trading it in for a Ford Flex with captain chairs. Essentially a prettier mini van lol. But the second row has much more room!
 
@olaitan Good timing with this post! We have a 6 and 10 year old and checked out three row suvs yesterday. I thought the Highlander was great, but the atlas is roomier. We want to check out the telluride and pilot also. Leaning towards the bench for the second row (extra seat and a way to block our dogs in, using a fence/gate). I think we’d use the third row only when bringing extra kids on a trip. Any thoughts on this plan?
 
@olaitan Just buy the minivan if you have a third kid. It was great being able to have the whole family (2 kids) plus my mom in a single car. But it got totaled by a drunk driver and I hated the mpg with my long lonely commute so I switched to a RAV4 hybrid. Minivans are bigger inside than a midsize 3-row SUV, get better gas mileage, and are easier for toddlers to get into. Stick with odyssey and sienna though.
 
@olaitan I do not personally own this vehicle but the VW Atlas was so amazing. We drove it when we visited family. It’s my in-laws car, and damn that thing is great. It has the third row, the middle row is captain seats. It drives like a dream. I wish it were ours.
 
@olaitan I've got a Honda Odyssey. Love it so much. It's 11 years old but it has so many amazing features. The doors slide automatically (it's a pricey fix though if they break, which is why we're only using one side) and it's got so much room.
 
@olaitan Have a Kia Telluride I love - but trying to get the Kia Carnival to have the sliding doors.

It’s been so hard to get the middle of the line model where I am, so by the time i can get my hands on one I’m sure the sliding doors won’t matter 😂
 
@olaitan I had a new Jeep Grand Cherokee L with captain’s seats in the second row, and it was awesome. You could likely get a CPO for a bit less, as the car came out a few years ago. I had the Overland which was amazing. I wouldn’t buy new. The only reason I got rid of it was because even though I’m trying, I still can’t seem to get pregnant and love BMWs, so I went back to an X3 for now.
 
@olaitan I only have 1 but I currently have a Volvo XC-60 and I love it! If we do end up with a second kid (which right now we’re leaning towards one and done) I would upgrade to the Volvo xc-90 with the captain chairs in the 2nd row! I test drove it when shopping for my xc60 and it drove so smoothly! Plus Volvos have amazing safety ratings too (and some xc-90s come with a built in booster seat too!)
 
@olaitan I don't see any love here for the Transit van! It's a bit bigger than most recommended here, but it's at the top of my list of ultimate family vehicles. I had a passenger van configuration, but the seat rows were configurable. I only have one kid, but traveled often with three dogs and three cats, one dog is a mastiff. I removed all rows except one, so the dogs and cats could sprawl out. The van was also a one ton, rwd, with pretty good towing capacity. Meaning the horses were towed behind often. So if you're looking for maximum utility (can you say home depot trips?) this is a great option. I'd have one again in a heartbeat!
 
@olaitan The MDX (at least 2022 and later) have middle rows that convert from a bench seat to essentially captains chairs - you can remove the middle seat to allow walking access to the third row. This was a key feature for us. (3 kids here!
 
@olaitan I drive a BMW x1. It fits a ton in the hatchback, but I am upgrading in size to the X3 or the Lexus RX. I am a little uncomfortable with how close the front seats are to the car seat. I love the Mazda cx5, but it has the same seat issue as my X1.
 
@itjesus This is my car and I can’t wait to trade it in 😂 I don’t see how more than one car seat could fit in it, we can’t even fit our kid and two small pets 😭I can see it being a great car for shorter people, but we have to have the front seats all the way back to be comfy.

My best friend has the Escape, the next size up, and it’s MUCH comfier!
 
@olaitan I have 2 toddlers with a baby on the way. We just got an Odyssey. I find the shape unappealing but it's so nice to drive and has so much room. We are definitely happy with our choice. Definitely test drive a bunch of things first though and see what would work best for you.
 
@olaitan We have 3 vehicles - a Toyota Sienna, Dodge Dakota & Dodge Ram.

The Sienna. Hands down. I mean, the Dakota isn't bad. It just gets crap for mileage & doesn't have sliding doors. And the sliding doors are ahhhh-mazing.
 
@olaitan I drive a used Jeep Grand Cherokee. I only have 1 toddler, and no plans to have any more children. I love having an SUV because I am a taller woman, and consequently, I have a big child lol. The SUV saves my back, as he is in and out of the car many times each day. I like that we have space since it’s just the two of us. My trunk fits his jogging stroller, scooter, and helmet, etc. In the future, I may get a Durango so that I am able to drive him and his friends around. I love Jeep though.

In your case, I’d go with a minivan! There are some really nice ones nowadays with great features. I think ultimately you’re gonna want the space.
 
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