Anonymous wrote:I have a minivan and 2 kids. It makes carpooling in the age of booster seats much easier. I love the sliding doors, especially in tight parking spaces.

But I'm a SAHM in the suburbs, so YMMV.

+1. Everyone I know out here has a van or 3 row SUV.

I have a minivan and 2 kids. It makes carpooling in the age of booster seats much easier. I love the sliding doors, especially in tight parking spaces.

But I'm a SAHM in the suburbs, so YMMV.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have an 8 yo and a 4yo. We have two smaller SUVs and no plans for a minivan. Definitely not necessary in the younger years. may be helpful as they get older, carpooling, etc. some of the features are pretty cool on minivans these days, though we will probably upgrade to a full size SUV instead.

I'm surprised you say that. It's SO hard on us in the younger years to travel with small kids and a sedan. Two pack n plays and one small stroller take up the entire trunk almost. We had to leave the majority of Christmas presents behind because they didn't fit.

Oh the horror! Or you could just not buy so many presents and not take two pack and plays with you. Somehow most parents of the world survive without a minivan. For a family with 2 kids, it's a want, not a need (like having a 5000 square foot home for 4 people.)

My kids still sleep in pack n plays. They're only 18 months apart. We didn't even buy any Christmas presents, these were all from family. We're obviously surviving without a minivan, but the baby years are the hardest when they have so much gear and the car seats are huge.

I was driving a Beetle with #1. I wanted to drive 2 children in that, but there was just nowhere to put the stroller if I had both children with me. (I have a big gap between my girls, so the first one was already out of stroller)

Another factor was that my parents visit frequently and we like having the option to all go in one vehicle places. Plus, we are able to take a friend or two places for my older daughter.

We got a Mazda5. It's not a full size minivan and it lacks a couple bells and whistles of a true minivan, but the back doors slide open, which is great in parking lots.

Anonymous wrote:Nope. You don't need it for two. Three, definitley.

No - you don't have to buy a minivan for 3 kids.