MUST I buy a minivan 'cause we have kids?

[Oh Haha]

Ok, here's the scoop. We have a girl due April 2. Our son is 2.5.
We just paid off our 2001 Blazer. Wifey quit her job to stay home with kiddies. We agreed that in one year we will sell the Blazer and whatever we get will go towards a new vehicle.

The debate: She insists that we NEED a minivan because of the room, safety, blah, blah, blah.
I DO NOT want one because I don't like them.

The problem: I have a 911 in the garage.(My toy.)

I would prefer to get a station wagon( Outback, Legacy, Audi Avant). AWD with some style.

Should I just give in and let her pick what she wants?

[Moses]

Originally posted by Oh Haha

Should I just give in and let her pick what she wants?

Yes.

[Oh Haha]

DAMN!!!!

Next.

[Moses]

Seriously. The most practical and utilitarian vehicle you will ever own. I wouldn't be without one. And no, an SUV or station wagen is no substitute.

[azasadny]

We got a 2005 Ford Freestyle and we have two kids and (until recently) took care of my grandfather and had to fit everyone comfortably in the car.

[DavidI]

We bought a Dodge Durango to serve the same purpose.

[azasadny]

Wayne,
Be sure and let us know when the baby arrives!!!

[Noah930]

1) Listen to Moses.

2) If you can convince the wife to go for a station wagon, make sure she's truly OK with it, and make sure the one you get can really haul all the kiddie paraphenelia in the back. The stroller, alone, takes up half the trunk in my wife's car. We know we'll be in for trouble if/when we have a second child. Oddly, when we were test-driving cars/wagons, it seemed as if some wagons weren't that much bigger than sedans.

3) If you do wind up with the minivan, you can always put PCA stickers in the windows to make you feel less emasculated when you're stuck driving the thing around.

[tchanson]

Originally posted by Moses
Seriously. The most practical and utilitarian vehicle you will ever own. I wouldn't be without one. And no, an SUV or station wagen is no substitute.

Word. Word to your mother....er, mother to be.

In the real, everyday world with kids and stuff to haul, they can't be beat.


Tim

[Jims5543]

I have resisted the Minivan / SUV trend succesfully. I hate Mini Vans I hate them in the freeway and I hate SUV's equally. They are an annoyance when on road trips and a nuisence to be on the road with. Nothing beats the agility of a good sedan around town and on the highway.

We have owned 4 door sedans since having kids and never had a problem with space.

An Audi Avant should have more than enough room. We have had an A-6 since our 2 y/o was born and its trunk is huge. Plenty of room for a stroller and all the crap that goes with a baby.

When the lease is up on our Audi our little guy will almost be 5 and we are looking into the Mazdaspeed6 next.

I dont know how our parents did it before the invention of the Mini Van and SUV. There were 3 boys in my family growing up all a few years apart and we tooled around in a Maverick at first then a Dodge Colt station wagon then a Dodge Aspen Station wagon.

[Dantilla]

Once again, Moses hits the bulls eye.

While they are ugly on the outside, some of them drive quite nicely. For practicallity, nothing comes close.

That being said, we have only one kid, and have never needed one. but I've got plenty of friends with more kids, and the minivan gets the job done, no matter what the job of the moment is.

[masraum]

Minivans are much more practical than SUV's. and these days they are looking better than they once did. Just let her get what she wants, but have final veto just to make sure you don't end up with crap.

[Jims5543]

Originally posted by procon
Just wait until you get caught up here in a good snow.

Get a good dusting today?

I got to thinking about the 4x4 thing with the wife and wonder how the Quattro Audi would do in the snow with a good set of all season tires on it?

The Mazdaspeed6 is AWD as well.

Sending PM.

[gr8fl4porsche]

I just parked my new Minivan 5 minutes ago - I must say we love it. We bought the Honda Odyssey Touring with all the goodies. The big difference between the vans and wagons is the height at which you put the kids into the carseats. In the wagons, you have to bend down and kindof lift/throw the little ones into the seat. In the vans, you press the button, the door slides open, the kid climbs into the seat and you buckle them in - it doesn't get any better. I have used car seats in a 911, various sedans, a Mountaineer, Escalade and the Honda van - the van is by far the ultimate family vehicle.

[arcsine]

I did the minivan (Honda Odyssey) thing for a while (for my great danes, really). Initially it was neat but I grew tired of it on many levels. When the lease terminated, we went with a Pacifica. Seats six, drives way better then a minivan, much more comfortable cabin. We already have an Outback but the Pacifica is the main kid car due to better airbags and safety rating. Just my opinion.

[jyl]

I've become more willing to have a minivan. The new ones look nicer than the old ones. I won't be driving it most of the time. And when the kids get older and want their little friends to come along, having more seats becomes helpful. Or if the wife finds a friend who's willing to alternate hauling the kids to school.

That said, kid stuff doesn't really need to take up that much room. You can get compact strollers that fold up pretty small. And you can always use a roof rack and rooftop pod for family road trips. Except for carrying extra kids, you can do fine with a sedan.

[930addict]

Minivans are NICE! They are very comfortable to travel in and are more convenient for everyday routines than a station wagon or an SUV. But I guess that would also depend on lifestyle. We like the Odessey and the Town and Country, but we're leaning towards the Town and Country because you get more bang for the buck.

BTW...Congratulations on the baby! We're expecting our first in August.

[Brian Cameron]

I'm with Moses, minivans can be a godsend. Once swore I'd never get one but got fed up with not having enough room in Volvo 850AWD (not to mention the ridiculous maintenance and repair bills. Damn thing cost more to maintain than the 911).

Bought a 2001 Odyssey a year ago (dislike buying new vehicles because of that depreciation thing), never looked back. With 250hp this thing will decisively pass other vehicles going uphill while pulling a 12' tent trailer, full complement of kids and stowage. It blows my mind.

Granted, handling isn't quite a 911 but it's astonishingly decent for a high centre of gravity vehicle. Gas mileage isn't bad either, the sound system is pretty decent, and maintenance over the last year has been a fraction of the cost of the volvo. And best of all, can carry both kids PLUS 3 friends to cub campouts, complete with packs and sleeping bags.

The hardest part was getting my wife to test drive it. "Minivan?" quoth she, "not on yer nelly". I replied, yes dear, but we must try it to ensure we are being objective in our selection of our next vehicle. One test drive and she said "gotta have it".

Don't think any other vehicle will be as easy a sell until kids are too big to fit in the back of the 911 and we have to look at a BMW M3 or M5.

[JavaBrewer]

My wife and I are in complete agreement. We HATE mini vans and would not be caught dead in one. I'm sure they drive nice, have tons of room, double the MPG of our SUV, make my espresso in the morning, yada yada yada. Bottom line, they look lame and folks driving them look lame too. We pick our cars to match our personalities and thus a mini van is not ever going to call our garage home. There, I said it. Two of our best friends drive those things and I seriously feel sorry for them, even when they drop me on the climb up to Big Bear. So you're faster up the hill, down the hill, and carry more. BFD. You still look like a dork in that effeminate box. Any questions?

[stuartj]

Originally posted by Oh Haha


Should I just give in and let her pick what she wants?

Do you tell her what carpet or to buy?

Theres no reason for a car guy to drive one of those things. You can try to win the argument on logic, ie a Subaru is a far better saftey proposition- but she's nesting, you cant compete with hormones.

Just put your foot down. She'll get over it. Prolly.

Good luck. -)