Is a minivan the right choice for this family? 3 kids, 3 adults, 2 dogs...

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

We are expecting baby #3 and trying to grapple with what we're going to do, vehicle-wise, once baby arrives. I'd buy a minivan in a snap, but I am worried we won't be able to fit everything and everyone we need in it. Here's our deal: We'll have 3 kids - one in an infant rear-facing seat, one in a britax Marathon, one in a tall booster (brand TBD, for now she's also in a Marathon). We also have two parents & an au pair. But the capper is that we have 2 large dogs (60+ lbs) with whom we frequently travel. Add in the luggage, bottles, DVD players, etc. and I am worried we won't all fit in a minivan.

Friends with 3 kids say the minivan will fit us all, but none of them have the 2 large dogs we've got - or the au pair. Is a Suburban our only other realistic option?
If any of you are in our situtation - 3 kids, 3 adults, 2 dogs & plenty of accompanying junk - please let me know what you're driving. Many thanks!

[Anonymous]

Suburbans are ridiculously irresponsible large hunks of junk.

Minivan.

[Anonymous]

I would go Suburban. Will your dogs be able to get up in to it okay?

[Anonymous]

I appreciate the feedback. One dog is old and needs to be lifted up into any car (or even a low minivan) but the other is young and sprightly.

12:52 - I appreciate your thoughts on irresponsibility, but I am most interested in finding out if anyone in this same situation is able to FIT all their stuff and people and dogs into a minvan. If we'll fit, that's absolutly the direction we'll go. Just need to know if it can happen comfortably.

[Anonymous]

I think you can fit.

[Anonymous]

I would love a huge SUV but it won't fit in the garage.

Have MV and small luxury SUV's - drive the MV ALL the time. Can't believe I'm telling someone to get a MV, but it's true!

[Anonymous]

Do any minivans come with two rows of bench seats or do they all have one row of captain chair and one row of bench seats? I think two rows of benches would give you more carseat configuration options.

It sounds hellish, but you can always drag the seats to the dealership and see how they fit and how much space is left over.

[Anonymous]

OP - go to a Honda dealer and look inside an Odyssey -- you should be able to tell if your family will all fit in there.

[Anonymous]

Do you all need to fit in one vehicle? For long trips?

Where do the dogs sit? Are they in crates or on seats or the floor?

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the help!

We do all need to fit in one car - usually for trips of about 2.5-3 hours (to PA), at least once a month. We drive an Explorer now and on long trips I take one for the team and ride the hump in the teeny little space between the 2 carseats. Next year, even that little space will be gone, so we need to upgrade...

Dogs currently ride in the cargo area, on the floor. The one dog is old and needs room to lie down and get comfortable. Right now we put a dog bed on the floor of the cargo area and smash all our luggage into one of those rooftop cargo hamburger things.

[Anonymous]

I have a Honda Odessy and my dog has the luxery of riding in the back bench seat (my son thinks it is hilarious when a person rides in the "dog's seat).

You could fit 3 adults and 3 kids, if you don't mind one of the kids being in the back bench part (it does have latch on both sides and places to tether). My main space concern would be the dogs, as I don't think there would be enough room for them to both lie down in the back cargo (with the row of bench seats in the seating position). They could both sit though and maybe dogs would just learn to sort of lie on top of one another? But it sounds like they are used to sharing a cargo area, so maybe it's not a big deal.

It definetly can come with a luggage rack. I've never used it though (I couldn't reach it if my life depended on it).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do any minivans come with two rows of bench seats or do they all have one row of captain chair and one row of bench seats? I think two rows of benches would give you more carseat configuration options.

It sounds hellish, but you can always drag the seats to the dealership and see how they fit and how much space is left over.

The Odessy has a mini seat you can put in the first row to make it sort of like a bench seat, but it says very clearly that you should not attach a car seat (and there would be very little room for mom to try to shove between, but maybe if she is already used to it).

[Anonymous]

Check out the forums at www.car-seat.org. I'm sure they will have some ideas based on your car-seat needs and family configuration.

[Anonymous]

I have a Sienna minivan and that would work. Parents in the front, au pair and one kid in the middle, another kid and two dogs in the rear. you could take out one of the rear seats if the dogs need to be on the floor. You can also get a cargo carrier for the top for your stuff.

[Anonymous]

I have a Kia Sedona and agree that you would be able to fit everyone if you removed a seat and used the luggage rack. My back row is two pieces, but has three seat belts. I have two unattached seats in the second row. I had two benches in my old Dodge Caravan.