car shopping for a growing family
May 10, 2018 3:34 AM Subscribe
with kiddo #3 on the way, i’m looking to upgrade my 2009 prius to accommodate more my growing family and all of the car seats that come with it.
5yo self buckles in a high back booster and 2.5 year old is rear facing in a diono radian rxt. baby, due in july, will be in an infant bucket seat (not sure which one yet).
i’m looking at 3-row suvs with captains chairs, picturing the big one putting himself in the back seat, and having the two rear facers in the second row.
i was all set on leasing the toyota highlander, but there are no tether anchors in the way back, so if i ever want to carpool, i can’t put a forward facing harnessed seat there (why would they skip those?!). i definitely need to be able to drive nieces/nephews/friends around occasionally so i’m back to square one.
which suv would you recommend that seats 7 with captain chairs and accommodates car seats, the cheaper the better? highlanders ~$400/mo lease price fit into my budget nicely.
5yo self buckles in a high back booster and 2.5 year old is rear facing in a diono radian rxt. baby, due in july, will be in an infant bucket seat (not sure which one yet).
i’m looking at 3-row suvs with captains chairs, picturing the big one putting himself in the back seat, and having the two rear facers in the second row.
i was all set on leasing the toyota highlander, but there are no tether anchors in the way back, so if i ever want to carpool, i can’t put a forward facing harnessed seat there (why would they skip those?!). i definitely need to be able to drive nieces/nephews/friends around occasionally so i’m back to square one.
which suv would you recommend that seats 7 with captain chairs and accommodates car seats, the cheaper the better? highlanders ~$400/mo lease price fit into my budget nicely.
Yes, minivans are better at this sort of thing than SUVs. I know they're supposedly stigmatized but if it helps sway you at all, when I see a minivan on the road my first thought is "parent who needs a way to transport their family," whereas when I see a large SUV it's "person who wants to be intimidating and doesn't give a crap about the environment." So to me anyway, it's Large SUV Driver who gets the stigma.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 4:01 AM on May 10, 2018 [11 favorites]
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 4:01 AM on May 10, 2018 [11 favorites]
We have a 2018 Highlander and I'm almost positive there is at least one tether anchors on the 3rd row.
posted by LoveHam at 4:09 AM on May 10, 2018
posted by LoveHam at 4:09 AM on May 10, 2018
This is why minivans exist. Embrace the lyfe, vans are back. Highlanders, Outbacks, Tahoes are just life style marketing for suckers. It’s right there in the names of the stupid things.
posted by everythings_interrelated at 4:50 AM on May 10, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by everythings_interrelated at 4:50 AM on May 10, 2018 [5 favorites]
Thirding what's already been said in this thread. You'll be blown away at how much easier your life is with an Odyssey or a Siena or similar. With the fold-flat seating they almost all come with these days, they're also insanely useful for transporting cargo (way better than an SUV), if that's ever a concern for you.
posted by saladin at 6:47 AM on May 10, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by saladin at 6:47 AM on May 10, 2018 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: i’ve asked my leasing agent who told me i wouldn’t even save money wth a mini van, but maybe it’s the way to go anyway. will definitely consider one. thanks, all!
posted by sabh at 6:59 AM on May 10, 2018
posted by sabh at 6:59 AM on May 10, 2018
+1 get a van. We just got a Ford Transit Connect in the passenger version with 3 rows of seating, both because it was cheaper than the Odyssey or Sienna and because it has better fuel economy, but it's also great because it drives more like a car than other minivans AND it looks less like a soccer-mom minivan (not that there's anything wrong with soccer or moms). There is a tether anchor on one of the third-row seats (though not a lower anchor).
posted by rabbitrabbit at 7:02 AM on May 10, 2018
posted by rabbitrabbit at 7:02 AM on May 10, 2018
If the environmental part matters to you (and as a Prius driver I guess it might), Chrysler's slick-looking Pacifica has a Plug-In Hybrid model that has an all-electric range of 33 miles. The lease looks to be in your price range. So you can save the Earth and pack the kids in.
posted by AgentRocket at 7:36 AM on May 10, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by AgentRocket at 7:36 AM on May 10, 2018 [2 favorites]
That Pacifica hybrid is pricy but awesome. If it's in your price range, get that! I'm a single male with no kids who doesn't even like Chryslers and I really want one. So much space! So comfy! So efficient! Until they start making plug-in electric pickups, that thing is my ultimate car. I am a dork who loves minivans though, they're just so goddamn useful.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 8:21 AM on May 10, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 8:21 AM on May 10, 2018 [1 favorite]
Keep in mind that many vans only have one tether in the third row, if that matters for carpooling.
posted by pecanpies at 10:01 AM on May 10, 2018
posted by pecanpies at 10:01 AM on May 10, 2018
Chiming in on the minivan - I'm rocking a low-cost Kia Sedona right now, but recently had a chance to drive the Chrysler Pacifica and it was awesome. Lugging around an infant seat is so much easier with auto doors. The best part is that my almost 5 yo sits in the far back so he can't kick anyone's seat anymore.
posted by galvanized unicorn at 10:11 AM on May 10, 2018
posted by galvanized unicorn at 10:11 AM on May 10, 2018
Minivans aren't cheap, and in my opinion they are mostly awful to drive compared to any car (drive worse than any SUV too) but they are good for hauling lots of children in car seats. The Honda Odyssey and newer Toyota Sienna even have 2 latch systems in the 3rd row for 2 car seats; most SUVs (even fancy ones) have 0. I believe the Audi Q7 with 1 or 2, might be the only fancy SUV with 3rd row latch. We have the Odyssey because it has 3 latch in 2nd row and 2 in 3rd row which allows quite a bit of configuration. Be sure to spring for one with a backup camera because the turning radius is terrible and the backwindow is tiny.
posted by The_Vegetables at 11:42 AM on May 10, 2018
posted by The_Vegetables at 11:42 AM on May 10, 2018
Forgot to add: Odessey and Sienna also have a 2nd row center console wide enough to fit a person relatively comfortably and easily removed if you want captains' chairs in the 2nd row, which adds to seating versatility.
posted by The_Vegetables at 11:49 AM on May 10, 2018
posted by The_Vegetables at 11:49 AM on May 10, 2018
Just get an Odyssey, preferably fairly new. Just don't let the kids drive it when they get to that age. The front crash protection in minivans is shit compared to even small sedans.
The reason I say this is that they are designed specifically for your purpose and are incredibly flexible, to the point they haul cargo better than an SUV thanks to super simple removable/collapsible seating among other things. The built in vacuum cleaner is also pretty nice given how kids and crumbs are inseparable.
posted by wierdo at 1:18 PM on May 10, 2018
The reason I say this is that they are designed specifically for your purpose and are incredibly flexible, to the point they haul cargo better than an SUV thanks to super simple removable/collapsible seating among other things. The built in vacuum cleaner is also pretty nice given how kids and crumbs are inseparable.
posted by wierdo at 1:18 PM on May 10, 2018
I'd recommend test driving a Sienna for a weekend and installing your car seats to see how the fit goes, you're going to be amazed with how easy it is to get kids in and out of without bending over! SUVs are a pain to get kids out of because of how high the seats end up being but with a van you're not stuck reaching up.
posted by julie_of_the_jungle at 5:31 PM on May 10, 2018
posted by julie_of_the_jungle at 5:31 PM on May 10, 2018
Oh, I should mention that in your case, finding a dealer that rents their cars (very common at Toyota dealers, less so but still not uncommon at other brands) and spending the money to rent something for a week is probably a good idea. Much better to spend a week with the prospective model so you can really get a feel for it and whether it will work for your whole family rather than hauling everyone and their stuff to the dealer and fiddling around with the car for an hour or two.
Much better to avoid feeling like you're pressed for time, which you will even if the place has the most laid back sales staff ever if you take your whole family with.
posted by wierdo at 3:11 AM on May 11, 2018
Much better to avoid feeling like you're pressed for time, which you will even if the place has the most laid back sales staff ever if you take your whole family with.
posted by wierdo at 3:11 AM on May 11, 2018
Two notes; I recommend to buy over lease. Especially for a family car you're going to hauling in. You don't need a lot of fancy options - minivans come pretty loaded as is. Save by getting base model and last year's stock.
Second - I found most of the minivans I've driven to be fairly good to drive, handling-wise. It's a big vehicle, though - so it's never going to drive like a sedan.
posted by rich at 5:59 AM on May 12, 2018
Second - I found most of the minivans I've driven to be fairly good to drive, handling-wise. It's a big vehicle, though - so it's never going to drive like a sedan.
posted by rich at 5:59 AM on May 12, 2018
Handling-wise, minivans have the advantage of a lower center of gravity compared to similarly-sized SUVs, as well as more road-appropriate tires. They also come with surprisingly decent powertrains, these days. From reading some recent reviews, the driver's experience has improved markedly from that of the minivans of my youth. They're never going to handle like a sedan, but then neither will an SUV. The only real advantages SUVs have are off-road abilty and towing capacity.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 6:05 AM on May 12, 2018
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 6:05 AM on May 12, 2018
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I have 3 teenage boys now, but the minivan was the best choice. We tried the CX-9, the Tahoe, etc. Though the Tahoe was great, unloading and loading for my wife was a pain. The CX-9 was nice, but really, the back seat wasn't the same comfort level and the storage wasn't as good.
The Ford Flex is actually pretty nice alternative, if you don't want the minivan stink.
If you're stuck on an SUV, you may want to check out Subaru's new 3-row Ascent. Full disclosure - with the older kids, we went Outback and Forester, and the kids have a Legacy stick. Can't say enough good about the build quality, ride, and base options.
posted by rich at 3:42 AM on May 10, 2018 [3 favorites]