Family hauler recommendation (3 adults, 2 small kids)

[Sho'Nuff]

Scenario - wife and I have 2 youngs kids, a 4 year old and 1 year old, and my father (who is elderly) is coming to live with us. So, we need a vehicle that can carry 3 adults and 2 kids (+ carseats) around comfortably. Our 2009 Murano is great for the 4 of us, but when my father arrives it just isn't going to work.

Limits - No minivans

Budget - Sub $40k

Question - Anyone have any thoughts/recommendations as to vehicles we should consider?

Options Considered so far -

2013 Nissan Pathfinder - Found it to be pretty nice. Basically an extended version of our Murano. Has a very nice system for getting into the third row. Interior felt "cheap" though, especially the second and third row seats. Not a good feeling considering that the vehicle is ~$37k well equipped.

2013 Honda Pilot - Liked the pilot a lot, but it felt HUGE (in a bad way) and interior materials again put me off. Is it too hard to ask for some decent interior trim?

2013 Toyota Highlander - Hated it. Felt like an SUV for an 80 year old. About as vanilla as vanilla can get (like most Toyota cars)

2013 Ford Flex - Apart from being hideously ugly, I think I liked the flex more than any of the other options I've tried to date.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Minivan is the most practical and probably among the most comfortable.

Minivan will also continue to work OK for you if you happen to have another kid down the road.

That said, I vote ford flex, because its my favorite minivan.

 

[Insomniator]

I think the Flex is nice looking, much better than the rounded curvy garbage that is most other cars these days.

I have no good advice for you though.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Minivan is the most practical and probably among the most comfortable.

Minivan will also continue to work OK for you if you happen to have another kid down the road.

That said, I vote ford flex, because its my favorite minivan.

I agree that a minivan is the best option. Problem is my wife will not set foot inside one. So, I'm stuck looking at mid-size SUVs, which all have a crappy third row seat.

 

[jaedaliu]

Minivan.

If you want to cart 2 child seats and 3 adults around, if it's not a minivan, I would think a giant SUV if you want the adults to be comfortable. So, the Pilot would work, or go larger for a suburban.

Convince your wife by taking your family of 4 to the dealer, and have your test drive guy play the part of your dad. Seat accessbility, room to maneuver and install the child seats, versatility, are all unmatched. Make sure she sits in the back with the kids (or in the 3rd row) to allow her to appreciate the transport abilities of the minivan.

Note: when choosing the minivan, I suggest picking one that lets you transport full sheets of plywood. It's a pain in my old quest that I can't close the rear liftgate when I'm moving a lot of supplies. I haven't shopped for a minivan in a while, but I remember a review that said at least one couldn't fit a full sheet and close the rear gate.

 

[Zivic]

I agree that a minivan is the best option. Problem is my wife will not set foot inside one. So, I'm stuck looking at mid-size SUVs, which all have a crappy third row seat.

the only people that have that sort of hatred towards minivans never drove one. buy the car you need when you are looking for a family hauler.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Dodge Journey - Pros, they are cheap, they drive smaller than a full size crossover, great 3.6L Pentastar engine & 6spd trans with a very nice interior.

Mazda CX9 - showing its age
Ford Explorer
Dodge Durango
Ford F150 Crew Cab with 6-passenger seating (two benches)

GMC/Buick/Chevy Acadia - These are very spacious and a full size option. $40K will get you into one new or a fully loaded one that is about a year old. They make a Denali version.

Hyundai Vera Cruz - Cheap, not as roomy as the rest but they did a nice job of copying everything from the Lexus RX350 - and added in a 3rd Row. Last year was the 2012 model.

Hyundai Santa Fe - The all new 3rd row model for 2013 or is it a 2014 model?

Minivan makes the most sense but there are a lot of great 3rd row SUVs out there.

 

[BurnItDwn]

I agree that a minivan is the best option. Problem is my wife will not set foot inside one. So, I'm stuck looking at mid-size SUVs, which all have a crappy third row seat.

They aren't all the boring tin cans that they were in the 80s and 90s. Buddy of mine has a Kia Sedona, which has a decent v6. Plenty of passing power, lots of comfort, great for long road trips, and it's great for trips to Menards/Home Depot...

That said, I prefer Wagons for my own personal vehicle (though no kids at this point)

 

[boomhower]

If a van is out of the equation I'd take a look at the Acadia platform.

 

[skyking]

We have an 05 Pilot, so I was curious about the huge feel. It is 10" shorter and 10" less wheelbase than the Flex, FYI. No argument about the bad plastics, if they have not improved much since our model.
They have a very tight turning radius for the size.
The Honda has between 2 and 4 inches more shoulder and hip room in the middle row as well. That was one of our buying points, you can sit three across the back OK of they are not all my size.

 

[JulesMaximus]

How often will all 5 of you be in the car at the same time? If the answer is not very often or for not very long could you make due with a fullsize sedan? That would open up a lot of other possibilities in your price range.

Unless you're all overweight and/or obese there is no reason a fullsize sedan couldn't seat 3 adults and 2 children comfortably.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

How often will all 5 of you be in the car at the same time? If the answer is not very often or for not very long could you make due with a fullsize sedan? That would open up a lot of other possibilities in your price range.

Unless you're all overweight and/or obese there is no reason a fullsize sedan couldn't seat 3 adults and 2 children comfortably.

The problem is not the number of us, it's that both kids will be in car seats for at least another 3 years. Our murano would be fine if even one of our kids was not in a child seat. Apart from that, I like the utility of an SUV. I haul a utility trailer every now and then, as well as a small boat from time to time.

We will all be in the car together at least every weekend, particularly in the summers when we go to our camp in Maine literally every weekend.

As for those of you recommending a van, you don't have to convince me. I'm already sold on that idea.

As for the pilot feeling huge, I think it is the height of it that got me. It seemed much taller than my murano and every other SUV I tried today. I know it's only a couple inches taller than the flex, but still.

I saw that the new Santa Fe has a 7 seat option. Looks nice, but it doesn't come out for another month. At least that's what the dealer told me today. And even then, each dealer has been allocated a single vehicle.

 

[herm0016]

tahoe, yukon. you wont regret it.

 

[SparkyJJO]

How often will all 5 of you be in the car at the same time? If the answer is not very often or for not very long could you make due with a fullsize sedan? That would open up a lot of other possibilities in your price range.

Unless you're all overweight and/or obese there is no reason a fullsize sedan couldn't seat 3 adults and 2 children comfortably.

At his budgeted amount I think he can do better than just "make do."

Shame the wife is against the minivan idea however, as that would probably fit the best.

 

[thedarkwolf]

How well does your father get around? You may want to see how hard it is for him to get in and out of these SUVs first. Minivan will be a lot easier on him too.

And who said minivans in the 80s/90s were boring? I loved my 89 caravan turbo and you could get most minivans with manual transmission back then. Now they are boring .

 

[JulesMaximus]

At his budgeted amount I think he can do better than just "make do."

Shame the wife is against the minivan idea however, as that would probably fit the best.

I'll take a nice sporty sedan to an suv any day, especially the suvs he's considering.

 

[_Rick_]

Are there any 3+3 microvans still available?
The FIAT Multipla for example (used to?) do this.
And I think there may have been either a Ford/GM or Japanese make verhicle from the last decade that also offered this.
They don't have the accessibility problems of most three-row vehicles, even if it does get crowded when there'd three people in a row.
The advantage is that they often are reasonably priced, and relatively compact.
I'm not sure how safe that front central seat is, with regard to side impacts, airbags, and such.

 

[skyking]

At his budgeted amount I think he can do better than just "make do."

Shame the wife is against the minivan idea however, as that would probably fit the best.

They are far more versatile, that's for sure. I am looking at the weather and getting ready to make a run for some cabinet plywood in my truck. I don't want rain on some nice cherry veneer.
My neighbor has an old voyager and the seats pop right out and it hauls 4x8's with ease.

 

[manimal]

08 or 09 used suburban ltz with third row or the gmc or caddy. Older expedition for 15k will do the same job and so will a suburban from those years.


My wife loathed a minivan till I rented one and made her drive it for a weekend. One trip shopping and she was sold.

 

[Vdubchaos]

OP, you would make a big mistake if you were to let the entire "Minivan society mentality" disable you from picking the best vehicle for your situation.

When it comes to moving people, Minivan is the best vehicle you can possibly get. 2 big reasons:
- Access - say what you want sliding door enable access to child seats/seatbelts and to put in child seats like NO other vehicle.
- Cost - Minivans are probably the best bang for the buck you can get on the market. Think about how much car you are getting for the money (material wise). Heck most minivans come with V6 now days, engine which you will probably struggle to find in a sedan for under 30k.

Don't limit yourself

Also other people's opinion does bother you, you might want to stay away from "SUV's" as well.....

 

[A5]

08 or 09 used suburban ltz with third row or the gmc or caddy. Older expedition for 15k will do the same job and so will a suburban from those years.


My wife loathed a minivan till I rented one and made her drive it for a weekend. One trip shopping and she was sold.

This is actually a good idea. Maybe try to rent a minivan and let the practicality overrule the social stigma?

 

[Sho'Nuff]

How well does your father get around? You may want to see how hard it is for him to get in and out of these SUVs first. Minivan will be a lot easier on him too.

And who said minivans in the 80s/90s were boring? I loved my 89 caravan turbo and you could get most minivans with manual transmission back then. Now they are boring .

My dad gets around pretty well actually. Slowing down a bit now (he is 80), but he was active throughout his life and as a result is in pretty good shape.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

OP, you would make a big mistake if you were to let the entire "Minivan society mentality" disable you from picking the best vehicle for your situation.

When it comes to moving people, Minivan is the best vehicle you can possibly get. 2 big reasons:
- Access - say what you want sliding door enable access to child seats/seatbelts and to put in child seats like NO other vehicle.
- Cost - Minivans are probably the best bang for the buck you can get on the market. Think about how much car you are getting for the money (material wise). Heck most minivans come with V6 now days, engine which you will probably struggle to find in a sedan for under 30k.

Don't limit yourself

Also other people's opinion does bother you, you might want to stay away from "SUV's" as well.....

Look, I'm not against a minivan. Let me repeat. I am not against it. Shall I say it again? I'm not against a minivan. And let me say something else again - I AGREE that it is probably the best choice for us.

But, we are not talking about limitations imposed by me. Rather, the "no minivans" limitation is one imposed by my wife. Last I checked, women are not always rational about things. My wife is usually pretty good about being practical. But this is one thing she just won't let go.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

They are far more versatile, that's for sure. I am looking at the weather and getting ready to make a run for some cabinet plywood in my truck. I don't want rain on some nice cherry veneer.
My neighbor has an old voyager and the seats pop right out and it hauls 4x8's with ease.

Many SUV's can haul full sheets of plywood as well. The pilot for one can do it.

Come to think of it, the Pilot seemed to be very much like the Odyssey, but with a different body.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

I'll take a nice sporty sedan to an suv any day, especially the suvs he's considering.

OK, fine. Then point me to a sedan in my price range that can fit 2 car seats and an adult in the back seat comfortably.