Question about SUVs/minivans for family of 4

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SO, SO, SO into the Sienna. Sorry to say. Sienna, Sienna, Sienna. BTW, the Odessey is the same thing, but different ergonomics and no 4WD. Depends on your priorities. IF YOU FIGHT THE MV, YOU HAVE OTHER ISSUES.....

You bet I will. Hate MVs with all my being. I have only two kids. We opted for a small SUV 5 years ago and have never regretted our choice. What issues do I have?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:with two kids, especially if you encourage playdates/carpooling, you've got to have a car with a 3rd row.

Absolutely. That's why we got our Honda Pilot. Also, if your kids do lacrosse or football, need lots of room for the gear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We really needed a minivan with our two kids up until they turned 10 and 12. It was impossible to carpool without one, due to booster seats, etc., and I found that when I helped my friends out and picked up their kids, I picked up ALL of them, so I was often transporting up to five kids.

Interestingly, now I don't think I need one -- I just drive our Prius, which is a pretty small car. My son who's 12 is 5'5" and weighs 140 lbs, so he's fine in the front seat. And I can get three girls in the back, so I can transport four kids easily. And they aren't all going places in packs these days, so it's more trips with fewer kids.

All this to say -- get the minivan. You may only need this one and by the time it's time for your next car, you can get something with only two rows.

OT, but wow. My 12 year old son is 4'11'' and 87 pounds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you're thinking about a bigger vehicle, get a minivan, not an SUV. Minivans are substantially safer and get better gas mileage than SUVs, whereas SUVs really have no advantages other than image. I know people who get SUVs because they think they're cool -- young, childless people drive SUVs, but only people with kids drive minivans -- but as far as I'm concerned, if you're embarrassed to be a parent, you probably shouldn't have kid.

SUVs handle much better on the road than MVs, and get better mileage in some cases as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're thinking about a bigger vehicle, get a minivan, not an SUV. Minivans are substantially safer and get better gas mileage than SUVs, whereas SUVs really have no advantages other than image. I know people who get SUVs because they think they're cool -- young, childless people drive SUVs, but only people with kids drive minivans -- but as far as I'm concerned, if you're embarrassed to be a parent, you probably shouldn't have kid.

SUVs handle much better on the road than MVs, and get better mileage in some cases as well.

Um...no. MVs typically handle better than SUVs. Larger SUVs are usually built on a truck chassis, whereas MVs are almost always a unibody chassis, and unibodies give better handling. With the smaller SUVs, you get unibody, so the handling is pretty similar to a MV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're thinking about a bigger vehicle, get a minivan, not an SUV. Minivans are substantially safer and get better gas mileage than SUVs, whereas SUVs really have no advantages other than image. I know people who get SUVs because they think they're cool -- young, childless people drive SUVs, but only people with kids drive minivans -- but as far as I'm concerned, if you're embarrassed to be a parent, you probably shouldn't have kid.

SUVs handle much better on the road than MVs, and get better mileage in some cases as well.

Um...no. MVs typically handle better than SUVs. Larger SUVs are usually built on a truck chassis, whereas MVs are almost always a unibody chassis, and unibodies give better handling. With the smaller SUVs, you get unibody, so the handling is pretty similar to a MV.

+1. The unibody is also part of why MVs are usually safer than SUVs (though the bigger reason is that SUVs have a much higher rollover risk, due to their higher center of gravity).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're thinking about a bigger vehicle, get a minivan, not an SUV. Minivans are substantially safer and get better gas mileage than SUVs, whereas SUVs really have no advantages other than image. I know people who get SUVs because they think they're cool -- young, childless people drive SUVs, but only people with kids drive minivans -- but as far as I'm concerned, if you're embarrassed to be a parent, you probably shouldn't have kid.

SUVs handle much better on the road than MVs, and get better mileage in some cases as well.

Um...no. MVs typically handle better than SUVs. Larger SUVs are usually built on a truck chassis, whereas MVs are almost always a unibody chassis, and unibodies give better handling. With the smaller SUVs, you get unibody, so the handling is pretty similar to a MV.

+1. The unibody is also part of why MVs are usually safer than SUVs (though the bigger reason is that SUVs have a much higher rollover risk, due to their higher center of gravity).

Correct. I honestly don't understand why people who are choosing between a minivan and SUV for kids and hauling stuff purposes choose an SUV - a minivan just makes more sense. I have an Odyssey, and wouldn't trade it for anything (except a new Odyssey or a Sienna or maybe a Sedona).

[Anonymous]

Because I only get one car, and I'm not about to spend 10 years driving a minivan to work every day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because I only get one car, and I'm not about to spend 10 years driving a minivan to work every day?

Hence mazda 5.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you're thinking about a bigger vehicle, get a minivan, not an SUV. Minivans are substantially safer and get better gas mileage than SUVs, whereas SUVs really have no advantages other than image. I know people who get SUVs because they think they're cool -- young, childless people drive SUVs, but only people with kids drive minivans -- but as far as I'm concerned, if you're embarrassed to be a parent, you probably shouldn't have kid.

What a silly post. There is a marked distinction in the driving experience of an SUV vs. a minivan. If someone decides one way or another, it really doesn't say anything about being embarrassed about being a parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're thinking about a bigger vehicle, get a minivan, not an SUV. Minivans are substantially safer and get better gas mileage than SUVs, whereas SUVs really have no advantages other than image. I know people who get SUVs because they think they're cool -- young, childless people drive SUVs, but only people with kids drive minivans -- but as far as I'm concerned, if you're embarrassed to be a parent, you probably shouldn't have kid.

SUVs handle much better on the road than MVs, and get better mileage in some cases as well.

Um...no. MVs typically handle better than SUVs. Larger SUVs are usually built on a truck chassis, whereas MVs are almost always a unibody chassis, and unibodies give better handling. With the smaller SUVs, you get unibody, so the handling is pretty similar to a MV.

+1. The unibody is also part of why MVs are usually safer than SUVs (though the bigger reason is that SUVs have a much higher rollover risk, due to their higher center of gravity).

Correct. I honestly don't understand why people who are choosing between a minivan and SUV for kids and hauling stuff purposes choose an SUV - a minivan just makes more sense. I have an Odyssey, and wouldn't trade it for anything (except a new Odyssey or a Sienna or maybe a Sedona).

Because people have different preferences. It's pretty simple.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I honestly don't understand why people who are choosing between a minivan and SUV for kids and hauling stuff purposes choose an SUV.

The car companies' market research on this is really interesting. Among buyers with kids, the statistics are very similar for minivan and SUV buyers: similar income, age, education, number of kids, etc. But there are big differences on other measures. Minivan buyers tend to be happier with their lives on average. SUV buyers are much more likely to say they miss being single and wish they hadn't had kids. And the divorce rate is significantly higher for SUV owners than minivan owners.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly don't understand why people who are choosing between a minivan and SUV for kids and hauling stuff purposes choose an SUV.

The car companies' market research on this is really interesting. Among buyers with kids, the statistics are very similar for minivan and SUV buyers: similar income, age, education, number of kids, etc. But there are big differences on other measures. Minivan buyers tend to be happier with their lives on average. SUV buyers are much more likely to say they miss being single and wish they hadn't had kids. And the divorce rate is significantly higher for SUV owners than minivan owners.

I'd be interested to see this study? Do you have a link you can post or at least know the name of it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because I only get one car, and I'm not about to spend 10 years driving a minivan to work every day?

Hence mazda 5.

Mazda 5 is a minivan?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly don't understand why people who are choosing between a minivan and SUV for kids and hauling stuff purposes choose an SUV.

The car companies' market research on this is really interesting. Among buyers with kids, the statistics are very similar for minivan and SUV buyers: similar income, age, education, number of kids, etc. But there are big differences on other measures. Minivan buyers tend to be happier with their lives on average. SUV buyers are much more likely to say they miss being single and wish they hadn't had kids. And the divorce rate is significantly higher for SUV owners than minivan owners.

Oh sure. So I'm likely to be happier with my life if I buy a MV? I don't think so.