Car shopping... Help me not buy a minivan (1 Viewer)

[Cliff Clavin]

Looking for something big enough for two kids, two big dogs and room to pack other crap for weekend excursions. Looked at a couple (used) Enclaves and Accadias that were pretty nice. Don't want to break the bank buying one of those new but the used ones are still getting up close to what a new Traverse or Rogue (3rd row model) would cost. What else is out there that has the space?

 

[mr roboto]

You're not gonna find the space for the money like a minivan unfortunately. You have more room in the trunk even if the 3rd row is up.

Having said that look at full sized SUVs like Tahoe, Suburban etc.

 

[belljr]

Love our Traverse

 

[ChiefD]

We have a suburban. Love the space. Has a third row seat and still plenty of room in the back for when you go camping and vacations. I'm hauling three kids, a dog, and a boat. Works great.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

You're not gonna find the space for the money like a minivan unfortunately. You have more room in the trunk even if the 3rd row is up.

Having said that look at full sized SUVs like Tahoe, Suburban etc.

We have a suburban. Love the space. Has a third row seat and still plenty of room in the back for when you go camping and vacations. I'm hauling three kids, a dog, and a boat. Works great.

Was hoping not to have to go right up to that full size SUV. Too bloody expensive. We're only at one kid and one dog right now but that'll be changing in a year or two.

 

[badmojo1006]

Are you going to pimp it out like Turk?

 

[ChiefD]

You're not gonna find the space for the money like a minivan unfortunately. You have more room in the trunk even if the 3rd row is up.

Having said that look at full sized SUVs like Tahoe, Suburban etc.

We have a suburban. Love the space. Has a third row seat and still plenty of room in the back for when you go camping and vacations. I'm hauling three kids, a dog, and a boat. Works great.

Was hoping not to have to go right up to that full size SUV. Too bloody expensive. We're only at one kid and one dog right now but that'll be changing in a year or two.

We bought an older one (2004), and got it 4 years ago. So it was about 6 years old at the time. If i remember, we paid something like 18,000 for it, so it wasn't too bad. We got a good deal, but comparable ones to the one we got were around 20,000.

 

[mr roboto]

For space, full sizedSUV > minivan > mid sized SUV. But given what you've posted I don't think you need a full sized.

Our minivan is boring (Sienna) but is WAY easier with small kids. Sliding doors a 3 year old can open, remote door opening is HUGE for small ones. Open the door with remote before they get to the door in a parking lot = way less time to worry about where they are as you are piling into the car. Plus when kids are little and you have the bucket carrier and a diaper bag the remote doors are awesome.

We will get a SUV for the next vehicle cause our kids will be old enough to manage the doors then but TBH the minivan is the greatest designed vehicle ever for young families.

 

[Don Quixote]

I like my Murano. A bit bigger than the Rogue.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

You're not gonna find the space for the money like a minivan unfortunately. You have more room in the trunk even if the 3rd row is up.

Having said that look at full sized SUVs like Tahoe, Suburban etc.

We have a suburban. Love the space. Has a third row seat and still plenty of room in the back for when you go camping and vacations. I'm hauling three kids, a dog, and a boat. Works great.

Was hoping not to have to go right up to that full size SUV. Too bloody expensive. We're only at one kid and one dog right now but that'll be changing in a year or two.

We bought an older one (2004), and got it 4 years ago. So it was about 6 years old at the time. If i remember, we paid something like 18,000 for it, so it wasn't too bad. We got a good deal, but comparable ones to the one we got were around 20,000.

The ones I've found have been in the $30k range (vehicles are much more expensive in Canada...). Once I'm spending in that range, I can get something slightly smaller, but brand new (ie. Rogue, Traverse). Might have to take a Drive down to the states.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

For space, full sizedSUV > minivan > mid sized SUV. But given what you've posted I don't think you need a full sized.

Our minivan is boring (Sienna) but is WAY easier with small kids. Sliding doors a 3 year old can open, remote door opening is HUGE for small ones. Open the door with remote before they get to the door in a parking lot = way less time to worry about where they are as you are piling into the car. Plus when kids are little and you have the bucket carrier and a diaper bag the remote doors are awesome.

We will get a SUV for the next vehicle cause our kids will be old enough to manage the doors then but TBH the minivan is the greatest designed vehicle ever for young families.

This is what happened to my sister. Had an Explorer then switched to the minivan because of the ease of loading kids. The wife and I just really don't want a minivan...

We've been getting by with just a VW Golf so far and we haven't found it to be much of a pain for loading the kid in.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

I like my Murano. A bit bigger than the Rogue.

Really? We looked at an older Murano and a new Rogue that had the 3 rows and thought the Rogue was a little bigger. Maybe the newer Muranos are bigger?

 

[avoiding injuries]

Muranos are the bigger SUV in the Nissan line. I have a murano and grand cherokee. GC is significantly bigger, for similar cost.

 

[ChiefD]

Our minivan is boring (Sienna) but is WAY easier with small kids. Sliding doors a 3 year old can open, remote door opening is HUGE for small ones. Open the door with remote before they get to the door in a parking lot = way less time to worry about where they are as you are piling into the car. Plus when kids are little and you have the bucket carrier and a diaper bag the remote doors are awesome.

Yeah, a couple of my buddies whose wives made them buy a mini-van say the same things.

 

[Flying V]

I still get a kick out of people who complicate their lives because they think they're too cool for a minivan.

That image went out the window the minute your first child was born. Just accept it already!

 

[AhrnCityPahnder]

Honda Pilot

 

[mr roboto]

I still get a kick out of people who complicate their lives because they think they're too cool for a minivan.

That image went out the window the minute your first child was born. Just accept it already!

Yeah this is basically true. But I wouldn't have known this unless we were given the chance to buy a nice minivan at a steep discount when my grandfather stopped driving. I had to convince my wife that a 7k discount was worth driving a minivan. Now - she really doesn't want to buy anything else. It is the perfect car for a young family. Perfect.

 

[AhrnCityPahnder]

and since you're in Canada, check out the Kia Mohave.

Edit, after google: It may be called a "Borrego" and not a "Mohave" in Cannuckistan. Big, 3 rows, reliable, ladder frame, not expensive.

 

[Don Quixote]

I like my Murano. A bit bigger than the Rogue.

Really? We looked at an older Murano and a new Rogue that had the 3 rows and thought the Rogue was a little bigger. Maybe the newer Muranos are bigger?

I have a 2010 Murano and it was bigger than the Rogue then.

Wiki says this: The Rogue costs less than Nissan's Murano crossover SUV, but at 97.5 cu ft (2.76 m3) vs. 108.8 cu ft (3.08 m3)[3] offers less passenger volume than its V6-powered sibling, and a smaller cargo area of 28.9 cu ft (820 L) vs. 31.6 cu ft (890 L).

 

[AhrnCityPahnder]

The Rogues got a little bigger with the 2014 year model refresh.

 

[Wrigley]

Bought the wife a minivan last year. She said she would never drive one, but now doesn't know what she would do without it

 

[Dan Lambskin]

I like our minivan

You can fit some big stuff in the Chrysler with all the seats down

 

[Wooderson]

The answer to any car question is a 4 door f-150 ecoboost. A must have for the fleet. Best car I've owned. I use it for my 2 kids and 2 dogs it's great.

 

[belljr]

You're not gonna find the space for the money like a minivan unfortunately. You have more room in the trunk even if the 3rd row is up.

Having said that look at full sized SUVs like Tahoe, Suburban etc.

We have a suburban. Love the space. Has a third row seat and still plenty of room in the back for when you go camping and vacations. I'm hauling three kids, a dog, and a boat. Works great.

Was hoping not to have to go right up to that full size SUV. Too bloody expensive. We're only at one kid and one dog right now but that'll be changing in a year or two.

We bought an older one (2004), and got it 4 years ago. So it was about 6 years old at the time. If i remember, we paid something like 18,000 for it, so it wasn't too bad. We got a good deal, but comparable ones to the one we got were around 20,000.

The ones I've found have been in the $30k range (vehicles are much more expensive in Canada...). Once I'm spending in that range, I can get something slightly smaller, but brand new (ie. Rogue, Traverse). Might have to take a Drive down to the states.

Traverse isn't that small. It's bigger than my old Durango

 

[Cliff Clavin]

I still get a kick out of people who complicate their lives because they think they're too cool for a minivan.

That image went out the window the minute your first child was born. Just accept it already!

Our current vehicle is a VW Golf TDI; the complete opposite of cool. I just don't like how a minivan drives and handles. I've driven my sisters 2014 Caravan many times and it sucks

 

[mr roboto]

I still get a kick out of people who complicate their lives because they think they're too cool for a minivan.

That image went out the window the minute your first child was born. Just accept it already!

Our current vehicle is a VW Golf TDI; the complete opposite of cool. I just don't like how a minivan drives and handles. I've driven my sisters 2014 Caravan many times and it sucks

Drives and handles yea good luck with an SUV then.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

The answer to any car question is a 4 door f-150 ecoboost. A must have for the fleet. Best car I've owned. I use it for my 2 kids and 2 dogs it's great.

I'd be all for it but the wife doesn't want to have to drive a truck because it is too big.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

I still get a kick out of people who complicate their lives because they think they're too cool for a minivan.

That image went out the window the minute your first child was born. Just accept it already!

Our current vehicle is a VW Golf TDI; the complete opposite of cool. I just don't like how a minivan drives and handles. I've driven my sisters 2014 Caravan many times and it sucks

Drives and handles yea good luck with an SUV then.

The Enclaves and Acadias I've driven have been great compared to a minivan.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

Traverse isn't that small. It's bigger than my old Durango

Going to take one of those for a drive this week.

 

[mr roboto]

I'm looking at the Highlander, Explorer and CX-9