A "what car" thread for family...

My brother-in-law is looking to get a family vehicle. They have 2 babies now (3 and 1) and are looking to add 2 more. They currently have an E36 sedan and a Civic. The requirements are:

• 8 real passengers (4 car seats plus mom and dad, or 8 total with a 3rd row seat)

• 2001 or newer (LATCH system for the seats)

• 30K or less miles

Other than that they are wide open. He wants a minivan. Obviously this requirement is beyond our norm (Miata, P71, E30) so I need some help here. They do not need 4x4/AWD or towing power. Ideas?

Im not getting the 8 people math.. you're talking about six people, and then saying he wants a minivan when the highest capacity minivans on the market are for 7 people anyway?

I mean, you can put 8 people in a minivan, dont get me wrong..

IF they really do feel the need for more than 7 passengers, id go for a chevy full size van.. but it gives up a lot to the minivans in everything but capacity.

My parents like their Excursion.... it's a beast, but I don't know how low mile you can get one.

The Chevy Astro can seat 8...

4 car seats + mom and dad = 2 front seats, 2 middle seats, 2 rear seats. Or by "mom and dad" do you mean "the grandparents?'

The answer is clearly "two e30 sedans"....

Volvo Wagon?

OK, I got some clarifications. 7 passenger is OK, they just want the middle row to be a real 3-wide so all 3 car seats can go right behind them. The 3rd row needs to be fold-down so they can either take their family (mom, dad, 3 babies) and stuff or leave the stuff and take 2 friends.

50K miles is OK.

So far we found the Honda Pilot and Nissan Pathfinder fit the bill. All minivans have either buckets in the 2nd row or a useless bench with only 2 seatbelts/latch positions.

Sure, there may be 3 "seats" in the second row of a Pilot, but 3 car seats are NOT going to fit there. At best 3 boosters might make it. If they want to put 3 across the middle I think the only answer is the good old American school bus, the Suburban, or an Excursion, or potentially a Land Cruiser though they're expensive.

pigeon wrote: Sure, there may be 3 "seats" in the second row of a Pilot, but 3 car seats are NOT going to fit there. At best 3 boosters might make it. If they want to put 3 across the middle I think the only answer is the good old American school bus, the Suburban, or an Excursion, or potentially a Land Cruiser though they're expensive.

what he said. carseats are wider than "1 seating spot"...more like 1 1/4 or 1 1/2. We can fit two carseats in the 2nd row of the 4Runner and they're only about 6" apart in between.

Mini Van is the answer..

My BIL has 5 kids and with toyota sienna. It works well.

I vote Subaru or Volvo wagon, with the caveat that you're only gonna get 2 carseats in the second row

4 miata?

Just be careful when putting car seats in the third row. In many vehicles, the third row is very near the back end of a vehicle. Larger minivans, Suburbans, and Excursions seem to be better in this regard, but I'd check out the space between the rear glass and where the car seat would be in something like a Pilot. That's one of the reasons we chose the Odyssey, there's plenty of room between the back of the third row and the rear end of the car.

full size chevy express.

Wow. Four car seats. Scratch the minivan. I think you're talking about a full-size passenger van or monster SUV.

Consider third row access also. With a minivan, it would be a royal pain getting kids back there and strapped in, IMO.

Don't get me wrong, I like my minivan, but I've only got two kids.

1988RedT2 wrote: Wow. Four car seats. Scratch the minivan. I think you're talking about a full-size passenger van or monster SUV. Consider third row access also. With a minivan, it would be a royal pain getting kids back there and strapped in, IMO. Don't get me wrong, I like my minivan, but I've only got two kids.

Get the captains chairs.. that works best. 2 in the back seat on either side and one in each captains chair..

Its how my BIL rolls.

Hey, I don't profess to understand them (why in heck do you need 7-8 seats for a 4-6 person family???). Of course when I changed the sludge in their Honda today I had to air up all 4 tires (only 20psi in them...).

Can you mount the baby seats in the bed of a truck? That or rig up a small utility trailer and throw the kids in there.

suburban

/discussion

you can fit 27 kids in a suburban and still have room for the old people, the dog, and some diaper bags

P71 wrote: Hey, I don't profess to understand them (why in heck do you need 7-8 seats for a 4-6 person family???). Of course when I changed the sludge in their Honda today I had to air up all 4 tires (only 20psi in them...).

Yeah, my wife insisted she needed a 3-row SUV for our 4 person family, so she could take our 2 kids and at least 2 of their friends places. It does make sense, but still limited my shopping options.

Advise them to buy big. If it feels a little cramped when they're considering the purchase, it will feel more so after they have to live with it for a few weeks, months, years.

If the Honda Pilot seems to work for them, it would be very hard to argue against that vehicle. I'd even own one myself.

Toyota Sequoia

Or Nissan Armada?

I don't know much about them other than they are both absolutely friggin' GIGANTIC.

Honda Oddysee or Chevy Burb. I just got through looking at SUVs, and I don't think the Pilot and that sized SUV is going to cut it for what they need.

Would a Chevy Astro/GMC Safari work for them?

bravenrace wrote: Honda Oddysee or Chevy Burb. I just got through looking at SUVs, and I don't think the Pilot and that sized SUV is going to cut it for what they need.

I have to agree. But the OP mentioned the Pilot earlier, and I like 'em!

And just to reinforce the remark earlier about car seats vs. butt space: A "three-row" seat that will marginally accept three butts will NOT accept three typical car seats.