# Best vehicle for family of 5??? (updated)



## scheelimama (Aug 2, 2003)

DH and I are looking to get a new vehicle. We currently own a Camry which we'll be keeping, but I cannot get 3 carseats safely and comfortably in the back of it. We also have a Suburban which we will be selling when we buy a new vehicle. We have started using it again after not using it for nearly 6 months because of gas prices (and because dh is deployed, therefore, we didn't need 2 vehicles in use, but we will when his deployment is over.) We need something in the $14-18K range or less.

Basically, we need something with better gas mileage. The Suburban is just costing us wayyy.... too much in gas. We've looked at the crossovers, like the Pacifica, but I need to be able to get my double jogging stroller in the back and most of them are too short in the back to put it in. They're also hard to get to the back row. So, we're looking at minivans. What do you all like best? We're definitely looking at getting a used vehicle, but we want something with less than 50,000 miles, maybe a 2004 or 2005. We don't know where we'll end up next (Army) so we're considering all-wheel drive, but not sure on that yet.

As for carseats, we have a Britax Marathon (forward facing), Britax Decathalon (rear facing) and a Britax Parkway. The Marathon and Decathalon take a lot of space, and we have to have a bit of room between the Parkway and other carseats so we can buckle it easily.

ETA: Thanks for all the great input! We settled on a 2005 Honda Odyssey. It's just at the top of our price range, but a great vehicle. It has 67,000 miles on it, but has a good history and they're going to service the transmission for us for free. So, we're happy with it. Can't wait to take it for a drive later!


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## scheelimama (Aug 2, 2003)




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## True Blue (May 9, 2003)

We have a Toyota Sienna and I LOVE it. I never thought I'd say that about a minivan...but I do. And we get great mileage. Ours is an '06 (with the extra 8th seat to boot) and we get 26.5mpg on the highway. City is not as good, but we really live in the city so we get the worst city mileage on the scale I think LOL.


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## dogmom327 (Apr 19, 2007)

We have a 2007 Honda CR-V. It may not be big enough for what you need but I'd recommend checking it out. It's fantastic. I am so in love with my car! It's a really great size and gets great mileage.


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## AGlimmeringHope (Apr 11, 2007)

We have a 97 Pontiac Trans Sport Montana that we love! Gas mileage is comparable to other minivans on the market, and it drives like a dream. My parents have the similar Chevy Venture and they love theirs as well.


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## bocks_box (Nov 15, 2005)

Our family of five drives a 2004 Honda Oydessy. We bought it a few weeks before this baby was due, so we've been driving it about 7 or 8 months.

We bought it because we're not sure we're staying a family of 5, plus we cart other kids/carpool often. It seats 7.

We have a Britax Marathon rear-facing for our hulking 25+ pound 6-month old. We typically have the second seat folded down so the baby can see his brothers in the rear seat. The 5-year-old is in a Graco Cargo (harnessed) and the 8-year-old is in a backless booster, both in the rear. There's room for two more kids and one more adult, which we need sometimes. Carseats install like a dream because it has LATCH.

It gets good gas mileage for a van, though we do try to limit our driving to 3 days/week and stay completely home the other four. We love how reliable it is and how roomy.


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## Peony (Nov 27, 2003)

I really wanted a Honda Ody, it was my fav in the minivan category, I do need AWD in the mountains so we went with a AWD Sienna. I do like it, the Ody just had some features that I liked better.


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## akwifeandmomma (Aug 13, 2005)

Not quite a family of 5 yet, but we bought our minivan this summer in anticipation.









We have a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan and it's about as wonderful I could have imagined a minivan to be. Love the power sliding doors, captains chairs in the middle row, stow 'n go seating... we fit two Britax Marathons (one FF one RF) and a Graco SafeSeat in there comfortably. Love the storage space in the back, and the gas mileage is sooo much better than my old beast (95 Tahoe)


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## scheelimama (Aug 2, 2003)

Thanks everyone. DH really wants a Honda Odyssey or a Toyota Sienna, but we're not sure if we'll be able to find either of them in our price range with less than 50,000 miles. We've looked online a bit and they seem to be running just above our price range. We'll probably go to some dealers today and see what we can find. I think the next option will be a Dodge Grand Caravan. Thanks for all the input, it helps to hear other people's opinions. And I'm totally impressed with the highway gas mileage of the Toyota Sienna Amy. Wow!


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## andreac (Jul 13, 2003)

I drive an '05 Chrysler Town & Country, which is pretty much the same as the Dodge Grand Caravan, I think it just comes with more options. We are very happy with it for all the reasons the pp like her dodge. I love the Stow & go seating and even with all rows of seats up, we still have a good amount of storage space in the back. I'd be willing to bet that there will be a lot of people trading in for the fancy new Chrysler/Dodge mini-van, that has the rear swivel seating. So it might be a good time to find good deals on the '05 - '07 models.


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## the_lissa (Oct 30, 2004)

We bought our Kia Spectra because we wanted a car that fit 3 car seats and it did.


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## bocks_box (Nov 15, 2005)

The thing is, IMO, you could go up to 80,000 on a Honda or Toyota and it's like having a Dodge with 35,000. Seriously. A Honda is just getting warmed up on its first 80K.

We bought ours with about 40 or 45K on it, this past April. It's a 2004. And we also bought a five year warranty along with it, spending another little bit to get the peace of mind that comes with the warranty. But I'd choose a Honda with slightly higher mileage over a Dodge with lower, because you're going to have better reliability and fewer repairs with a Honda. The only time I might feel differently about it is if you have the time and the know-how to repair the car yourself. If that's the case, I'd get the American car even though statistically it's going to break down more, because they're easier to fix yourself and the parts are cheaper.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *scheelimama* 
Thanks everyone. DH really wants a Honda Odyssey or a Toyota Sienna, but we're not sure if we'll be able to find either of them in our price range with less than 50,000 miles. We've looked online a bit and they seem to be running just above our price range. We'll probably go to some dealers today and see what we can find. I think the next option will be a Dodge Grand Caravan. Thanks for all the input, it helps to hear other people's opinions. And I'm totally impressed with the highway gas mileage of the Toyota Sienna Amy. Wow!


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## boobybunny (Jun 28, 2005)

Check out the mazda five. It seats six, and I am getting about 29MPG around town. (which is more than epa) I have the five speed, moon roof, and roof rack. I paid just under 18K for it brand new. It feels more like driving a car than a mini van, and it is much smaller than my friends Odessy. I also almost double her gas milage.

My husband is 6'2", I am 5'9" we have three kids, but only one car seat at this time. The seating is three rows of two. I have taken my friend's children and had four carseats in the back.


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## scheelimama (Aug 2, 2003)

Well, we spent practically the whole day looking at vehicles. We looked at the Dodge Caravans, Toyota Siennas and Honda Odyssey's. We liked the Honda Odyssey the best. They had a 2005 with 67,000 miles on it. It was very nice. We're working on getting a good deal and working with our bank right now. Bocks_box, I think my dh would agree with you, and he also said the Dogde vehicles depreciate much faster than the Honda's. Anyway, hoping to get it figured out tomorrow. I really appreciate all the input.


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## hottmama (Dec 27, 2004)

I drive an old Volvo wagon (1993) and can easily fit 3 carseats in the back (one of which is my oldest son's Britax Husky, aka the largest carseat on earth).

We've spent $3500 on it counting what we bought it for and all the repairs it's needed in the 2 yrs. since we bought it (we had a ton of work done on it this year). At 175,000 miles it's going strong. The car I had before this one was a 1984 Volvo wagon which I drove until 2004. I really like Volvos because they are safe, roomy, get decent gas mileage (25 mpg), and last forever.


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## mommymarliah (Jun 29, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *scheelimama* 

ETA: Thanks for all the great input! We settled on a 2005 Honda Odyssey. It's just at the top of our price range, but a great vehicle. It has 67,000 miles on it, but has a good history and they're going to service the transmission for us for free. So, we're happy with it. Can't wait to take it for a drive later!

Awesome. We just bought and 02 Odyssey with 124k miles and we are loving it. They are supposed to last a long time and have great safety ratings too


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## gothnurse3 (Dec 13, 2006)

Love My Odyssey!!!!


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