I have three kids. Had a 7 seater which I thought was great. I forgot that siblings eventually dispose being next to each other. Just bought a 2019 VW Atlas with captains chairs. Fits 6. My 3 kids said this ‘mom, it’s like every seat in this car is awesome!’ Happy kids. Happy parents .

Anonymous wrote:We have three across the back of a small SUV. It’s hell on long trips - we actually caught a brother with his hand over the baby’s nose and mouth once - and they just can’t keep their hands to themselves when they are bored.

Day to day it’s perfectly fine. Kids are now 6,4 and 1 and the last trip we took was the best yet, so you might be able to do it since your older kids are even older.

Yeah, but her kids are 8, 6 and fetus. How will they fit crammed into one small SUV row in a few years when the big kids are big? I only point this out because my DH bought a small SUV a few years ago and now my kids are completely out of room back there (12, 10, and 7).

Anonymous wrote:Omg just get a freakin Honda Odyssey and move on with your life. You can thank me later.

I gotta say, I love our Ody. Sadly wife won't even drive it. Its 5 years old with 22000 miles on it. We weekend and vacation use it a TON. have a 11.5 yo and twins who are 5.5. Last year, told grandparents "dont take your own car, come with us to beach trip" that we take every year. rented a uhaul. The Ody with 7 people in it and towing a trailer of luggage was fantastic. handled well, comfortable. (I did put in air shocks to help level it, had a good joke at the service counter when I went back for a recall when I asked him to check the torque on the rear control arms "We dont get many folks that modify their odysseys around here!")

I hear the 2018+ models (5th gen?) are even better. Though I'm not fond of the control station. meh, it is what it is.

The issue with 3 kids is that (aside from vans) only the widest trucks have a decent width to comfortably sit 3 people side by side on a regular and long distance basis. You could do a 4 door pickup truck with a short bed and hard cover (for luggage)?

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the input! I am going to go test drive some minivans.

I recommend the Odyssey, especially for a reluctant shopper.

OP here. Thanks for the input! I am going to go test drive some minivans.

We rent sedans on trips because we are frugal (only 2 kids) but I cannot tell you how relieved I am to be back in my van at the end of the trip!

Another mom of three. My youngest is now 7.
Don’t even want to think about how I would have managed without the minivan. And it’s way easier to drive and park than a comparable SUV. Minivan might be my favorite purchase ever given how much it improved my ease of dealing with the kids.
We rented a sedan once (largest they make) and it’s was nearly impossible to put the three booster/car seats in it. They really weren’t safe because we had to angle the seats to get them in.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I found it difficult not to have three rows. The baby had to go in the middle because that's how the configuration worked best with the others in boosters, but then the ones in boosters had difficulty buckling their seat belt by themselves because the baby's seat was in the way. Then, as my kids got older, it seemed like everyone was too big. You can try a smaller 3-row SUV like the Mazda CX-9 - it drives like a car (it's on a sedan's chassis), but can comfortably seat 7. Or you can get a minivan. We had to buy a minivan when we were overseas (it was the only car available at the time) and while I hated the "idea" of driving one, it was very practical!

I just got rid of my cX 9. I bought it for the third row when we had our first knowing we wanted more kids. For 2 it was fine. For 3 it was horrible. No access to the third row sucks. We had 3 in the second row and it was such a pain. Gave into the minivan.

I would get an SUV with captains chairs like the Acadia if you don’t want to go minivan.

Yep. This is the only reason to stick with a 3-row SUV vs. a minivan. With a standard 3 rows, let's assume you have two car seats in the second row. You need to ensure that you can flip that second row seat forward with the car seat attached. Even when you can,it's not always the smoothest or easiest thing to do, so 3rd row child will likely need your help. The captains chairs make it so, so much easier for your 3rd row kid to get back there. Also, it helps the 3rd row kid feel like he's still part of the conversation/crew. With a solid row of seats in front of him, he's isolated back there. The captains chairs make it easier to talk to him and for him to hear what's going on.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t have a third if you don’t want a minivan. The cool part of your life is long since over...

OP here. I am absolutely aware the cool part of my life is over (e.g., I currently drive a volvo). For me, I would prefer an SUV over minivan for height on the road and perceived better safety in case of crash. I also used to drive my mom's minivan while I was in college and I HATED parking that thing.

Go test drive a mini van or rent one for a week. These are not the Dodge Caravans of the 80s/90s.

Mini vans are the perfect family car. It's the ENTIRE POINT of mini vans. 3rd row SUVS are for people who somehow think they are holding onto any sort of cool from their previous life.

Just get a minivan and in 10 years when it dies you can go back to an SUV.

100%.

Just go drive one. They are the same engines as the comparable SUVs. They are just more user friendly.