We have a 2016 traverse and love it! Captain chairs and a 3rd row. We have 2 kids in Diono Radian car seats and a 65lb dog. We are trying for baby #3 and if we have a 3rd we might switch to a mini van or a suburban.

Honda Pilot

I leased a CRV last year, and it's plenty big for us, the dog, and the two kids (one RF, one FF in carseats). My sister has a Buick Enclave and loves it. It has the third row, so she can drive the kids' friends, etc. She came up to visit a few years ago, and we got the two adults and 4 car seats in there. It was great.

You just need to go look at cars and test drive them if you're this conflicted. I test drove the CRV and a Rav4, and it was an easy choice.

Nissan Rogue

I have two kids and a forester and it’s tight. Our other car is a sonata and eventually we will trade that in and get a mini van at least.

We have an outback and 2 kids and we could use the extra space. My mom can't drive anymore and is local, and it'd be SO nice to just have a more seats so it's not an ordeal if we are taking her somewhere.

Ugh - it was actually a 2004 Highlander

Anonymous wrote:I'll just add in... When we had two kids that age we got a bigger SUV. It was great, but then we rented a mini van for a vacation. I realized we had made a mistake with the SUV. Mini vans are low to the ground so it's easier for little kids to get climb in. the kids can push a little button to shut their own sliding door, or you can open/shut their door remotely or from the front when you have your hands full. You can transport friends. I know they're unattractive.. but given the option again, I would go with a mini van.

We switched from a 2014 Highlander with a pop up 3rd row to a 2018 Pilot with a spacious 3rd row for its class. The Pilot holds a lot of cargo (incl 40 lb dog) on family trips. (We regularly drive 7+ hrs to see family). However, the Pilot is a lot wider than our old Highlander and our 2011 Volvo XC70 wagon. We live in NW DC and I have trouble driving through Georgetown streets (need to fold mirror several times a week to make it through crazy school pickup area). I also have problems fitting it in parking garages in old city buildings.

All said, it may have been more practical for us to have purchased the slightly smaller Highlander or another smaller SUV.

Get a larger SUV, I would not get a small one. I have one kid and my next SUV will be bigger/maybe an explorer as the mid-size are very small when you put extra kids and gear in there. But, we camp and DIY so we use ours a lot.

How often do you actually take both kids plus the dog? If not often I’d get a small SUV. There is no need for a big SUV with just two kids. It’s a pain and kind of silly to have such a huge gas guzzling vehicle unless there are 3+ kids.

Anonymous wrote:We got a smaller SUV with a 3rd row seat option. That way you can pull the 3rd row up for carpooling or hauling grandparents to dinner, but have it down for groceries and strollers. We have a Highlander but there are lots that have this - Hyundai Santa Fe, Pilot, MDX, Volvo XC90, Nissan Rogue or Pathfinder.

Also Mazda CX-9.

Long story short: I drive a 2016 GMC Acadia Denali and have a 2YO (still rear facing) and almost 4YO. We should have just gotten the minivan.

Long story: I LOVED my 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe and they're coming out with a new larger SUV in summer 2019 - the Palisade - that looks really nice. They're going to stop making the full size Santa Fe XL (not the smaller Sport) and replace it with the Palisade. Kia is also coming out with a similar one. I still regret getting rid of my Santa Fe for a Touareg and then when kid #2 came we upgraded to a GMC Acadia (the 2016 model that has a lot of cargo space, they made them smaller starting in 2017). I'll echo what previous PP said - we should have just gotten a minivan but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. My kids are 2 and almost 4 and those sliding doors would be amazing! No matter how far away I park, someone always decides to park next to me and it's hell trying to get kids in the car.

Our Acadia has captains chairs and I thought people would be able to fit between them to get to the 3rd row but realistically when someone has to ride in the 3rd row we open the liftgate and the person climbs in that way! The car seats are just too big to get around. But, again, with a minivan that wouldn't be an issue!

I'll just add in... When we had two kids that age we got a bigger SUV. It was great, but then we rented a mini van for a vacation. I realized we had made a mistake with the SUV. Mini vans are low to the ground so it's easier for little kids to get climb in. the kids can push a little button to shut their own sliding door, or you can open/shut their door remotely or from the front when you have your hands full. You can transport friends. I know they're unattractive.. but given the option again, I would go with a mini van.

We got a smaller SUV with a 3rd row seat option. That way you can pull the 3rd row up for carpooling or hauling grandparents to dinner, but have it down for groceries and strollers. We have a Highlander but there are lots that have this - Hyundai Santa Fe, Pilot, MDX, Volvo XC90, Nissan Rogue or Pathfinder.

We are looking to purchase a new vehicle for our family. We have a toddler (2.5), a newborn, and a large dog. We are looking at small or mid-size SUVs and are having trouble deciding on size. We plan to purchase, not lease, and would therefore likely have the vehicle for 5+ years. We aren't planning a third child at this time, but you never know. Do we go with the larger SUV (3rd row) which would be large for now but useful when we have family/friends visit or do we get only what we truly need right now (small SUV) and upgrade down the road? We have a sedan now and I can fit between the car seats when absolutely necessary but we usually take 2 cars when we go out with family/friends (no local family so they visit often).

This feels really silly to ask when I type it out though I just keep going back-and-forth on the decision so input would be helpful! What do you drive for your family size?