3-Kid Family Hauler - Suggestions?

[AutobahnSHO]

I would have succumbed to the minivan a long time ago.

Grand Highlander looks good for what it is though.

SUV is likely to have higher resale value. Would have to balance it all out.

[Lebowski]

Nope. They gave up. Got their deposits back from the dealers, and are still driving the Pilot I bought 21 years ago. Now with >200,000 miles on the clock.

The new pilot actually looks pretty good. Only real downside is fuel economy isn't great especially compared to the Highlander.  Watched a savagegeese review of it the other day and they really liked it.

[Morris Minor]

They are going to need something before too long. They have a 2-month-old baby, a toddler and are planning a third.
Just from a safety angle I want them to get something modern.

[AutobahnSHO]

They are going to need something before too long. They have a 2-month-old baby, a toddler and are planning a third.
Just from a safety angle I want them to get something modern.

Minivan is still the superior option. Hybrids can now get pretty good gas mileage. Interior space and modularity in the minis is far superior compared to any of the 3row SUVs.

[Morris Minor]

A top trim Sienna is what they want, with 2nd-row captains chairs. But they're Unobtainium.
The few that are around have dealer markups taking them into $75-80K territory.

If you need three baby/child seats the choice is either a top of the line minivan or a full-size heavyweight SUV.

[FoMoJo]

There is no denying that child safety is important.  In our immediately and extended family, there are four car seats in four different vehicles to haul around our 2 year old.

However, I can't help being reminded that me and my 2 brothers were hauled around in the back seat of a '38 Ford Humpback; No restraints and often with a couple of us laying in the rear window shelf.

[Submariner2]

A top trim Sienna is what they want, with 2nd-row captains chairs. But they're Unobtainium.
The few that are around have dealer markups taking them into $75-80K territory.

If you need three baby/child seats the choice is either a top of the line minivan or a full-size heavyweight SUV.

$80 grand for an f'n Sienna? 

[Morris Minor]

There is no denying that child safety is important.  In our immediately and extended family, there are four car seats in four different vehicles to haul around our 2 year old.

However, I can't help being reminded that me and my 2 brothers were hauled around in the back seat of a '38 Ford Humpback; No restraints and often with a couple of us laying in the rear window shelf.

Yup - I have equivalent memories. My granddaughters travel strapped-in-tight in rear-facing child seats. Five-point harnesses basically.

[giant_mtb]

There is no denying that child safety is important.  In our immediately and extended family, there are four car seats in four different vehicles to haul around our 2 year old.

However, I can't help being reminded that me and my 2 brothers were hauled around in the back seat of a '38 Ford Humpback; No restraints and often with a couple of us laying in the rear window shelf.

I don't have any memories of being in a child car seat (born in 1990), so I imagine I was in normal seats or probably just a booster seat by the time I was 4-5 years old and started having car memories. Now it seems like it's law that kids are in car seats until they're damn near teenagers.

[r0tor]

I don't have any memories of being in a child car seat (born in 1990), so I imagine I was in normal seats or probably just a booster seat by the time I was 4-5 years old and started having car memories. Now it seems like it's law that kids are in car seats until they're damn near teenagers.

It pretty much is

Not only are they in seats longer, but the seats themselves are getting way more complex.  Our big kid rode around in a floppy plastic thing we were able to flip in and out of cars in a whim (so we only ever had 1 between all the cars).  Now they basically have a built in safety cage, weigh 20+ pounds, and are a massive pain in the balls to move from car to car (so we have 1 in both main cars mounted permanently).

[CaminoRacer]

I saw one study that partly blamed ever increasing safety rules like that on our falling birth rate. Too much hassle to have kids now

[SJ_GTI]

We definitely did use car seats when I was a kid. One of the few memories I have from when I was younger (under 10) is being in a car with my family and a door swinging open while marking a turn and I flew out of the car into the road. Luckily I got up and ran to the nearest curb/sidewalk before starting to bawl my eyes out.

[giant_mtb]

It pretty much is

Not only are they in seats longer, but the seats themselves are getting way more complex.  Our big kid rode around in a floppy plastic thing we were able to flip in and out of cars in a whim (so we only ever had 1 between all the cars).  Now they basically have a built in safety cage, weigh 20+ pounds, and are a massive pain in the balls to move from car to car (so we have 1 in both main cars mounted permanently).

I hear ya. I've taken out/put in many a child seat with my detailing work.  Most people are kind enough to remove them before bringing their vehicle to me, but some people don't, so I get to experience the joy of car seat parenthood once in a while.

Half the reason people with even just two kids are buying ever-larger vehicles is that the back seat in something like a Cherokee or Escape becomes incredibly cramped once you have one car seat in there, let alone two.

[CaminoRacer]

I'm surprised I've never seen built-in car seat concepts or prototypes from anyone. I guess minivan makers try to avoid that connotation and make the vans look cool instead.

[AutobahnSHO]

I'm surprised I've never seen built-in car seat concepts or prototypes from anyone. I guess minivan makers try to avoid that connotation and make the vans look cool instead.

That could be a brilliant option- since seats are removable anyway you install the proper seat matching the kids' size then upgrade as they get bigger.

But no mom wants to put their kids in used/dirty stuff. The kids market is insane!

[RomanChariot]

I'm surprised I've never seen built-in car seat concepts or prototypes from anyone. I guess minivan makers try to avoid that connotation and make the vans look cool instead.

We had a 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan for 16 years that had 2 booster seats built into the 2nd row. The back cushion of the seat folded down to boost the child up and there were built in child harnesses. That van was great for the years that we had small children.

[r0tor]

I'm surprised I've never seen built-in car seat concepts or prototypes from anyone. I guess minivan makers try to avoid that connotation and make the vans look cool instead.

Volvo does a built in booster seat... At least in the XC60 we test drove

[CaminoRacer]

I haven't seen those before, but booster seats make sense. Pretty easy to build in compared to a full car seat

[Morris Minor]

My D-i-L found most cars are not wide enough to take the kids seats side-by-side. So she had to go shopping for the narrowest kids seats she could fine. And fore-aft space taken up by rear-facing seats is huge.

Car and Driver comparison-tested minivans a couple of issues back. Lots of stats on 0-60 times, top speeds, and lateral adhesion limits, but fuck all about how they measure up for the stuff we're talking about above.

I wonder what their writers do after the age of 16½.

[Eye of the Tiger]

My D-i-L found most cars are not wide enough to take the kids seats side-by-side. So she had to go shopping for the narrowest kids seats she could fine. And fore-aft space taken up by rear-facing seats is huge.

Car and Driver comparison-tested minivans a couple of issues back. Lots of stats on 0-60 times, top speeds, and lateral adhesion limits, but fuck all about how they measure up for the stuff we're talking about above.

I wonder what their writers do after the age of 16½.

Just get a crew cab Tundra. It's wide enough, trust me.

[r0tor]

My D-i-L found most cars are not wide enough to take the kids seats side-by-side. So she had to go shopping for the narrowest kids seats she could fine. And fore-aft space taken up by rear-facing seats is huge.

Car and Driver comparison-tested minivans a couple of issues back. Lots of stats on 0-60 times, top speeds, and lateral adhesion limits, but fuck all about how they measure up for the stuff we're talking about above.

I wonder what their writers do after the age of 16½.

There actually is a gigantic difference in size of seats across the different brands... Gone are the days of Buy Buy Baby that would let you test fit them in your car until you found one that fits.

[AutobahnSHO]

Helped someone moving houses.* Put lots and lots of stuff in the minivan and the outdoorsy stuff in the back of Mav to help out.

*Movers got all the big furniture. Single woman in her late 30s, with kids, her Mom/Dad were financing her life so she didn't have to work while kids are still young. 5 bedroom, 4bath house. TONS of expensive clothes in the closet. Parents lived in an even nicer house in one of the posh neighborhoods. He was retired Army, working great gov job.

Dad passed on 2 years ago suddenly from brain aneurysm. Apparently the money is not going as well, she downsized to a house about 40% as big, I think her mom is going to rent out the 1st house....

[Morris Minor]

Bump. This is still unresolved and is now moving to the front burner because of a just-announced third child, due in late autumn. They're now talking about buying two minivans.