I got a 4 Runner. My wife has an Impala. The 4 Runner is a little smaller than other larger SUVs and since it is 4wd i use it for hunting. And it's a Toyota so it will last forever when taken care of.
I avoided the mini can route and went with the Subaru outback. Fits a bunch of stuff and it can go anywhere. When I got my truck (my first vehicle still) my dad bought it. Which is why I don't complain, but it is two wheel drive and was brand new. So it's nice having the awd outback. It also is easy on the gas getting 28-30mpg. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
My wife drives around a mega cab lots of room. We got 2 kids. A lot depends on where your gonna be mostly driving I think. If it was mostly city/town driving then im sure we would have kept her Tahoe. I also drive a 4 door pickup. Either way our kids have room. There are a lot of options out there jus spend a day lookin around before you make any decisions. Jus my .02 Country_ Boy
My wife hates minivans (thankfully). While we don't have kids yet, this was our choice almost two years ago this month. It's AWD with lockouts 4LL and 4HL, built on a truck platform (Tacoma), and has ample amounts of space (there is a third row option). We take it everywhere. Added a set of Yakima racks for the Kayaks, and it's become our camping, traveling, exploring, general usage vehicle with plenty of room to spare.
We bought a GMC Acadia. Basically the same platform as the Enclave and the Traverse. We have 2 kids and a 100lb yellow lab and it works well for us.
We had an expedition with a third row, plenty of room...Until my oldest kid totaled it. The wife now drives a Toyota Sienna.
So I lost the minivan battle 2.5 years ago. My wife was looking for a Honda Odyssey. I kept pushing hard for an SUV. I started looking at Odyssey's and just knew if I told her a price and mileage limit I would win. I couldn't find one looking for a week in The price range with low enough miles. I just knew I had won. WRONG! The first dealership we went to had one with 10,000 miles less than I had said it had to have and dead on the price. Add to that it was fully loaded. Leather, nav, TV and all. I am a man of my word and swallowed my pride. I wasn't happy at first. We have 2 kids and it has been a blessing! We can pack up with a weekend full of camping gear, bikes and all in the back and head to the mountains or beach. When the grandparents want to go on a day trip with us we all pile up comfortably in the van and hit the road. I know they aren't "manly" but, dang it they are versatile. Even has a 3500lb towing capacity if we ever needed it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
^We previously had an Odyssey that the wife drove, and it too was a solid vehicle... Until my oldest also totaled it, though this time it wasn't his fault.
Years ago my wife was saying she wanted a minivan when we had our second child. At the dealership she mentioned it to the salesman and he really pushed one on us. She drove it and liked it when he had her pull over so I could drive I told him I wasn't going to drive something I wasn't going to buy. I then played the you chose what house you wanted so I am choosing the vehicle...we drove out with a Tahoe
The minivan may not be the coolest but is sure is convenient. My wife made the switch to a minivan after my second son was born. He is 16 now and she hasn't changed back yet. When the kids were littler, just pressing a button to open the rear sliding doors was huge. The video screens with head phones definitely helped too on the long trips. Whenever we camp this is also the vehicle we take. I had it at this year’s GTG and when it rained at the campsite Saturday night we had plenty of room to sleep in the back with all the gear still fitting. Our other vehicle is a Ram truck and I love to drive it, but in my opinion the minivan definitely has something to offer a family with younger kids.
My wife is dead set against a minivan. Absolutely will not do it, and that's okay with me. For her needs - which is basically driving to and from daycare and her work - I'm trying to get her to stick with a small SUV (Mazda CX-5 or similar). Cheaper and better gas mileage, right? Well she's dead set on something with a 3rd row despite the fact we take my truck 100% of the time when we travel or go anywhere that requires loading up a bunch of gear. We're currently engaged in a battle with neither side budging. Her lease is up in Jan or Feb so we won't know the official outcome until then... Miller - you have one kid. Why in the world would you need a minivan?
My boss just picked up a Dodge Journey. Small SUV and 3rd row. I personally have never liked Dodge cars, but he's digging it. Hauls their kids all over the Cities for hockey & lacrosse. You'd need a luggage carrier though if you have people in the 3rd row.
My wife and I are both adamantly anti-minivan. There's too many SUV/corssovers that fit the bill for 1-2 kids. Unless you have 3-4 kids I see no honest reason to get a mini-van. I'm sorry to hear about this.
OMG....NO!!!! Stay far away from those cars. The main reason we got a new car this year is because the Journey we bought brand new in 2009 was such a POS. Had 70,000 miles on it and gave us nothing but problems: Overflow tank for coolant cracked at 20k. Drivers side master window controls died at 35k. Eats linings & rotors.(google it) Intake manifold tuning valve replaced at 40k. Before I traded it had ABS, Traction Control, ESP, and check engine light coming on and off randomly. Windshield cleaner spray nozzle hose on passenger side broke off under the hood. Passenger side sun visor hardware just fell out. Some of these items are small i know but when you buy a car brand new you shouldn't be running into this kinda crap every time you turn around. Cheap plastic parts and bubble gum hold these things together and the 3rd row seat is a joke even for a midget. Seriously google the recalls and reviews on these things...buyer beware! I hate these cars!
