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

[Anonymous]

Thanks everyone! All the feedback has been really helpful. My sense is that I am going to have to go to a dealer and check it out - my main concern is the dogs, so I want to make sure they'll fit.

[Anonymous]

We have 3 kids, 2 adults an 3 dogs and I'm on our 2nd Suburban. I love it. We would never dit in anything else. With a big stroller and tins of groceries I can fill it up easily. We just fit everything we needed for the beach but that included 2 shooters and 3 kid bikes.

[Anonymous]

Aha - I forgot about the jumbo stroller - Loe the Phil & Ted but it's not exactly small. Yet another thing to fit!

[Anonymous]

I have a friend who is a woodworker and builds furniture. She researched minivans looking for one that will fit an 4'x8' piece of plywood in it and said that the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna have the most room and would work for her needs - she went with the Odyssey.

[Anonymous]

We have 2 kids, 2 large dogs and an au pair and I'd never put all of us in our Odyssey for an extended period, especially if one of our dogs was elderly. You could easily fit all the humans, but the dogs are not going to fit safely in the cargo area with the 3rd row up. The cargo area is deep, but not wide, when the 3rd row is up, with too little room for the dogs to lie down. Add in the fact they'd probably be crushed if a car rear-ended you since the space is so tight and the Odyssey would be off my list if I were you. I really dislike Suburbans, but if you really have to drive that many people + animals around, it's likely a much better option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

you forgot a kid.

because of the large dogs, i don't know if a minivan would work. How soon will the oldest child be out of a carseat?

[Anonymous]

Oh no! I left a kid in the driveway!!

I guess it won't work.

[Anonymous]

Go for a test drive, but yes I think you can fit. I'd go for a minivan with a Thule box on top (for cargo space when you need it) over a Suburban.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have 2 kids, 2 large dogs and an au pair and I'd never put all of us in our Odyssey for an extended period, especially if one of our dogs was elderly. You could easily fit all the humans, but the dogs are not going to fit safely in the cargo area with the 3rd row up. The cargo area is deep, but not wide, when the 3rd row is up, with too little room for the dogs to lie down. Add in the fact they'd probably be crushed if a car rear-ended you since the space is so tight and the Odyssey would be off my list if I were you. I really dislike Suburbans, but if you really have to drive that many people + animals around, it's likely a much better option.

OP here. This is exactly what I have suspected and feared. The minivan's cargo area is probably just not going to work for our four-legged family members.

[Anonymous]

OP,

I replied earlier, but wanted to add that we bought a car (a minivan) that was much larger than we even thought we'd buy - due to the dog. A lot of people may not understand it - and you will get some eye rollers, but we felt it was important that the child and dog could both ride safely (and I am way too short to use a luggage rack).

I just tell myself that for years my DH and I shared one super efficient car and walked almost everywhere, so a few "wasteful years" aren't too bad.

[Anonymous]

Give the au pair the weekend off and then you'll be fine in a van!

Catch 22 - The Suburban does seem like too much car for everyday while the dogs def. won't fit in the cargo area of a van. A van with a bench in the middle can be 1 adult and 2 kids with oldest kid being in the 3rd row with a dog. Other dog is teh hard one to accomodate. If you go that often, can you leave gear (a stroller, etc.) there rather than haul it back and forth? Also, I hate to mention it but since you said one dog is older and not entirely well, you may not have 2 dogs for the entire time you have the new vehicle.

[Anonymous]

I LOVE my Suburban because I can fit all the things you mentioned. It is easy to drive and park once you've tried it out. And it feels so safe. I'd give it a test. And you can't beat the financing right now. 0% for 60 months!!!

[Anonymous]

It sounds like you need a horse trailer for the dogs

Not sure how far along you are in the pregnancy, but you aren't going to want to be sacrificing and "riding the hump" or trying to maneuver into the smallest seat soon. Go for the Suburban.

[Anonymous]

8:25 - good point! Baby #3 apparently bumps out a lot faster than 1 or 2 and I am getting big already! So it looks like the Suburban is probably the way we're going to go. I know non-dog people probably don't understand, but they're part of the family and we like to bring them to the beach or to my parents' house whenever we can.

Also true that old doggie may not be around for long, but we'll likely quickly end up with another dog...that's how we eneded up with one old, one young this time. Dog #1 died a few years ago and Dog #2 was so sad and lonely that we ended up getting him a companion just a few weeks later.

We could just leave the AP home, but she likes to be included in our trips. We always offer her the option to stay home and she usually decides to go with us. (of course, that may be becuase she doesn't have her own private TV room/kitchen, but that's another thread altogether...)

Thanks to everyone for all the advice and tips! This site is such an incredible resource and I appreciate all the help! You guys are the best!

[Anonymous]

What about a Chevy Traverse or GMC Acadia? They have the same seat configuration as a minivan, but I believe they have more cargo room.