Minivans vs carseats

Wife wants (and will get, like everything else she wants) #3 soon (pending me not getting laid off). We drive a PT cruiser and my Volvo 940 Wagon. The wagon is great because it can handle both kids (2 years and 8 months) and luggage or both kids and both dogs (75 lbs each). The PT Cruiser can do that too, but the dogs are cramped and so is the luggage. Mileage for both is about equal at around 25 mpg.

I was looking at ditching the cruiser in favor of a newer minvan/crossover thing. She'd drive it, and is particular about the interior. She HATES the Volvo interior. Too boxy and whatever. I get it, but I don't really care. This would be her car, so it matters. With a budget cap of 5.5K, year cap of 2000, mileage cap of around 100K, and a purchase about 6-12 months from now, my options seem to be:

Ford Freestar

Ford Freestyle

Mazda 5

Mazda MPV

Kia Rondo

But it seems that the cargo area in these is a little iffy when three car seats are belted in. The Volvo was barely adequate (but it was) for luggage for our eastern seaboard trip last month (SC-NY-Mass-VB-SC) because kids use a lot of stuff. Toys, walkers, food, sleeping stuff, crib etc. We routinely take trips, and may be bringing the dogs too. Seems that the options are as follows:

1: Get three of these: http://www.amazon.com/Sunshine-Kids-Radian80-Convertible-Sport/dp/B002OC3306/ref=pd_sbs_ba_1 and stuff things in the Volvo and grin and bear it for a few years until the budget improves even though three kids worth of luggage will continue to be really tricky.

2: Get a Minivan and try to leave the dogs at home and get one with bigger cargo area so that I can stuff some luggage in there.

3: Get a minivan, buy the skinny carseats too, stuff kids into last row, remove center seats for dogs/luggage until the kids get old enough not to need car seats (I think the last law change specified 23 as the age at a kid can actually sit in the car normally) and multitask.

4: Never leave home, ever.

5: Buy a Sprinter.

My wife and I ran into this this year and there are really no good answers. We are going to get one of those platforms that hook into a hitch with a weathertight box and put all of our crap in there.

Why not a Grand Caravan? The thing is the size of a Suburban, has waaay more usable interior space, and will seat 6-7 people with all the seats in. Put the rear bench in the middle position with 3 car seats across, put the middle row buckets in the basement, and put the dogs in the way back. They should have plenty of space.

I bought a 2000 GC Sport with 50k on the clock for under $11k in about 2003, so I can't imagine you'll have trouble finding one meeting your parameters.

As much as we love our 5, I don't know that it's really gonna work for you. The 2nd row is a pair of buckets, and the folding third row is in your cargo space. I'm not even sure if the third row has child seat anchors.

I think your best bet is gonna be full-size van, whether that be a Sprinter or E-350 (powerstroke ftw!) or whatever.

5a. Secret Vasectomy

I crack myself up!

6.Cartop Carrier. I have some Volvo Thule crossrails I can make a deal on.

I'm not sure what I am missing, but, isn't a minivan with four captains seats enough space? Car seats in each rear captain, rear seat removed, pack behind where the rear seat would have been, dogs on the floor where ther rear seat was. I had 2 grand Caravans and a Toyota Sienna, that worked fine that way. Of course we only had one 95 lb dog.

I know minivans aren't very cool but I gave up my right to be cool when I decided to procreate!

Sofa - you're missing impending kid #3.

ReverendDexter wrote: Sofa - you're missing impending kid #3.

AHHH

See Option 5a!!!!

Our 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan averages about 21mpg (3.3L auto) on the highway fully loaded with two kids (7 and almost 2). It is a very easy monster to live with, I would prefer a lower seating position, I am "Torso rich" in height and girth and never feel cramped side to side or in the footwell but I do touch the ceiling with my head at certain angles.

As a vehicle it does what it is supposed to do, which is haul all of us away from Zombies rapidly.

BTW IF you move the third row seat to the middle in a DGC you might be able to put three skinny seats in the row and have enough space to allow farm animals to graze in the back.

In reply to John Brown:

JB you must be a beast! I am 6'2" and I remember having a ton of headroom in mine. (4" - 5") Of course I'm used to a Miata, so anything over 1/4" seems like a lot!

We hauled four kids (two teenagers and two in car seats) and luggage and two 45# dogs in our Chevy Venture fairly regularly with all the seats in. One of the dogs would ride between the middle seats and one between the front seats with us. All the luggage went in the cargo space.The kids loved it because they could pet and play with the dogs. Ours is a 99 that was bought six years ago with 80K on it for $3900. It replaced a 98 Caravan the son totaled. The Chevy has better power and drives better than the Dodge IMO but they are both pretty good vehicles. Resale on the big three minivans sucks so you can usually get a fairly new one for cheap. Ours has 190K on it now and we will end up driving it until the scrap man comes to get it.

I also have an E-Series Ford conversion van. It is a standard wheelbase. The Chevy Venture has better cargo space than the E-150, but worse passenger space. The only reason I still have a full size van is for towing. The minivan is a better all around vehicle. When we aren't towing, we drive the Chevy. That doesn't even consider fuel economy. The Venture get 20+ city 25+ hwy. The Ford gets 8+ city and 13+ hwy.

In reply to tuna55:

Minivan is your best option. Since they have such a stigma attached to them, resale on many of the models is pretty low.

Someone mentioned the Grand Caravan. Way low resale value, plenty of cargo room. I had a 97 and it was a alright, but the transmission seemed to be particular about maintenance and the ECU fried itself while driving down the road for no reason one time. Don't buy one with a tow hitch on it- see transmission note above. Also, I'm not sure if they ever got rid of the rear drums on them, but the thick and thin shoes look almost identical. Watch out if you're changing the brakes.

Sofa King wrote: In reply to John Brown: JB you must be a beast! I am 6'2" and I remember having a ton of headroom in mine. (4" - 5") Of course I'm used to a Miata, so anything over 1/4" seems like a lot!

The seats in this one are REALLY tall because of the stupid underseat stowage bins. My wife barely reaches the pedals. I have considered getting a spare set of front seat bases and lowering them three inches and getting rid of the underseat drawers.

We are a minivan family. My wifes '05 T&C is that cats ass when taking a field trip. DVD, stow and go, tinted windows, rear air and less than 10k 2 years ago.

Plenty of room for the whole clan. Couple that with the roof rack and ok towing ability and you have your self a winner.

Did I ever mention that I also fit the entire rear clip of a Miata in the back while still leaving enough room for my son?

Now that's roomy.

John Brown wrote: BTW IF you move the third row seat to the middle in a DGC you might be able to put three skinny seats in the row and have enough space to allow farm animals to graze in the back.

Agreed. This was my typical configuration when I had a 95 GC (3.8, AWD) I used for courier work. That way, I could still take a couple of friends with me when I was off the clock. It also made a nice barricade when cargo in back shifted forward when some idiot cut me off.

The towing package does add a transmission fluid cooler, so if the regular maintenance has been done, it could actually be a bonus. But, the transmissions are made of glass, and you have to run EXACTLY the right fluid - ATF+3 on my 95, may be different on the newer ones, and run the factory fluid, not some "this'll work in EVERYTHING" knockoff.

Don't worry, you can still race your minivan. I did: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7iPZHdhc3k

Won the AWD/all-season tire class. Believe me, nobody was more surprised than me!!!

Since this is GRM and you guys are lame I'll say it: ASTRO.

Dirt cheap, loads of room, RWD, easy to V8, AWD available, Tows WAY more than a FWD Mopar (still got that pickup?) and more reliable to boot ....I could go on forever. Getting the wife to drive it might be a chore but if she likes being able to see over traffic this is the winner.

And dog forbid you need to sell the wagon this would be my choice. In fact it was my choice, the wagon just showed up first

In reply to Junkyard_Dog:

I had no idea the Astro was RWD. I just Wiki-ed that sucker, and I'm quite impressed. I'd go post 2002 to get the six lug wheels.

Actually anything after 1996 is great, all can be good. MPG is lower that a Venture or Grand Caravan.

IF he was towing I would have said Astro, but he said people mover only.

2000-2003 Ford Excursion 7.3L Turbo Diesel. Nuff said.

Dirty little secret that non cool people don't want you to know. Minivans are the bomb. They do just about everything better than average. And for hauling families, there is nothing better. I have no complaints about my MPV, save the slush box. And even taking that into consideration, it's a decent car. Yes, people will point and snicker. Single women will know that your pecker is back home locked in your wife's desk, but damn they are good at hauling kids and E36 M3.

I never needed it, but 3 car seats would have been easy in the MPV.

Sorry, missed the dog part. You'll need a caravan length van and a roof box.

ww wrote: 2000-2003 Ford Excursion 7.3L Turbo Diesel. Nuff said.

That's just 6,000 pounds of heartache waiting to happen son.

Isuzu Oasis or used Honda Odditty get my vote. Just make sure the transmission is in okay shape.

My 1st Aerostar ('87) was a fun rig to drive ('rare' 3.0/5spd combo...most were autos). The current one that I got for free is okay, but not as fun. But it has 390K on it and refuses to die, so I drive it. It's the ubiquitous AWD...4.0 v6 /auto combo. But it's 'way outside the givens portion of the 'givens and druthers' part of the initial post.

If I found myself in your position, I'd look at the mini vans pretty closely. I might even surprise my Scots' blooded self and buy one. The Mopar offerings are very attractively priced just now...just watch the frickin' trannies if there's a tow hitch on them.

Hate to admit it, but some of those minivans make a whole lot of sense.

Friend at work has one of the fancy Toyota ones. Hauls 8 adults in comfort, with trunk space available. Dang.

Another friend had a Grand Caravan. The five of us and their two dogs would go out, again with room to spare. Dang again. Double dang on this one, as I'd told them repeatedly I'd be interested in it when they decided to sell it. They scrapped it as cash for clunkers, saying they didn't realize I was being serious.