We’re a family of 5 with a sedan. We all fit fine. If we need a bigger car we rent it.

We're another family of four with a Honda Fit. You definitely don't "need" a three-row SUV just because you have two kids.

I have a 3rd row sorrento. Loved it at first but hardly drove last year since working from home. My neighbor has a Ford Edge and loves it. Doesn’t look too small for their family but I haven’t seen inside

I don’t understand the comments about the extra expense for gas - not all 3 row suvs are as big as suburbans. Just look at the ones that have minimal room in the back with the 3rd row up. The pilot/highlander/explorer/Cx-9 are not really that big of cars for every day driving (compared to their smaller counterpart like the edge) and the extra cargo room is great for going on trips, etc. We have 2 kids and the 3rd row is really nice to have for grandparent visits/carpool, etc.

Of course you don’t need an suv, but if you’re getting one anyway, I would go with one of the smaller ones with a 3rd row.

Anonymous wrote:You need a station wagon or a minivan if you have a lot of gear to transport. SUVs generally don't have much more cargo space than a sedan or hatchback.

I was going to say similar, I’ve had a couple different 3 row SUVs with two kids and while there were advantages (carpool seats), I found that I was giving up too much trunk space to use the third row. For example, my Buick Enclave could fit 5 kids to a sport, but someone’s equipment bag had to be in the front seat. My kids are teens now and I downsized to a midsize SUV and prioritized trunk space in my decision. I can still drive 4 kids total bc they’re big enough for front seat now.

Get a sedan. Solves your problem

Anonymous wrote:Technically you don’t NEED either a 2-row OR a 3-row SUV...

True

Technically you don’t NEED either a 2-row OR a 3-row SUV...

Anonymous wrote:We like our Sorento with the pop-up third row. Small enough to park easily, has a great turning radius, good gas mileage, and drives more like a car than a truck. When we occasionally need carpool we can accommodate. Otherwise we just put the seat down for more trunk space.

On the flip side, If you’re regularly carting around a big dog, tons of gear, etc. you might want something bigger. The third row isn’t big enough for adults and it’s a bit of a pain to get in and out with car seats installed.

thanks! no dog and not lots of gear just a stroller,

We like our Sorento with the pop-up third row. Small enough to park easily, has a great turning radius, good gas mileage, and drives more like a car than a truck. When we occasionally need carpool we can accommodate. Otherwise we just put the seat down for more trunk space.

On the flip side, If you’re regularly carting around a big dog, tons of gear, etc. you might want something bigger. The third row isn’t big enough for adults and it’s a bit of a pain to get in and out with car seats installed.

Clearly this is a personal decision. I had a small SUV that I loved until I had kid #2. Then it became so frustrating that we couldn’t add anyone else to our car if all four of us were there. We got a minivan and I love it. We’ve been part of a school carpool the last three years, we can take visitors with us in one car, we have plenty of room to transport anything large and bulky. Not everyone needs that, but for our family, it’s been a big help.

Love my CX-9 with the third row, and I have only one kid. Helpful for carpooling, especially with sports. Also love the immense space for long trips.

Yes.

I had a CRV and hated that I could only take one other adult in my car when we went to lunch at work (two car seats put in via latch that I wasn't taking out for an hour field trip). I hated that I couldn't ride with a grandparent. I hated that the dog space and the luggage space was the same (the luggage always fell on the dog).

I went to a minivan with a family of 4 and it's been amazing. Plenty of storage room, can fit 3 more adults, sliding doors... its great.

my teen kids are in sports. and we fit in a 2 row. I don't like extra people outside of my husband in my car. use your own car for your own kids, sorry

I just want to add another vote for thinking about the day-to-day not the occasional need.
My kids are now in college. The entire time they were kids, we had one car, a Honda Fit. (Both DH and I can take Metro to work, so we didn't need two cars for work reasons.)
Small hatchback style can be really great. My 6'2" DH had plenty of head and leg room. There was room in back for when we need to load up stuff and kids. On the handful of times each year we needed something bigger, we rented exactly what we needed. Meanwhile, the rest of the time, we had a car that was easy to drive, incredibly easy to park, and great fuel mileage.
I realize I might be on the more extreme end of the spectrum, but I think the people suggesting the smaller 2 row SUV have the right idea for OP's needs.