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Message |
    
woodstock
Citizen
Username: Woodstock
Post Number: 358
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 23, 2003 - 2:22 pm: |     |
We've currently got a Ford Explorer. My wife and I are both relatively tall (5'10" and 6'5"), and I need to have my seat pretty much all the way back to drive comfortably.
We're expecting our second child, and it doesn't appear that either our car (Saab 93) or the Explorer will be able to handle the four of us at once. So we're looking to go the <shame>Minivan</shame> route. Ideally, we'd like to find one that has the following criteria:
1-Is an SUV (just kidding)
1-Has 4WD. We live at the top of a very steep hill, and in real snow, neither our, nor our neighbors' front wheel drive cars made it up.
2-2 sliding doors. This seems standard on all MVs now.
3-Ability to fold down second and third row seats either flat or reasonably flat to allow for putting very large boxes in (I need to deliver furniture every once in a while for my wife)
4-Doesn't have that "Soccer Mom" look to it.
I have not found a single car/station wagon/sport-utility wagon that I can fit into and still have a child seat directly behind me.
Any suggestions are welcome.
Waiting For The Electrician, Or Someone Like Him |
bobk
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 3433
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 23, 2003 - 3:08 pm: | |
To the best of my knowledge the Chrysler Town and Country is the only mini-van available with all wheel drive, although I may be out of date on this.
We had two Chrysler Corporation mini-vans in the past and had no major problems with them. The seats fold down and will carry 4x8 sheets of plywood so there should be plenty of room.
Another possibility might be the new Chrysler Pacifica, which is sort of a mini-van/SUV hybrid.
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woodstock
Citizen
Username: Woodstock
Post Number: 361
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 23, 2003 - 4:47 pm: | |
I think the Pacifica is too small for what we need, but I'll check it out.
Regarding the Town & Country, that was what we had heard as well, but I was hoping someone might have more current info.
We had also looked at the Nissan Quest (from the outside only), and it looks nice. But it seems a little small and doesn't seem to come with AWD or 4WD.
Waiting For The Electrician, Or Someone Like Him |
akb
Citizen
Username: Akb
Post Number: 121
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 23, 2003 - 7:17 pm: | |
We have a Grand Caravan with AWD and dual sliding doors. There are captains' seats behind the driver/passenger seats which can be removed and a third 3-seater benchseat which can be removed (it is heavy though) or can roll forward in place of the captains' seats or fold (not flat into the floor but our model is 5 years old - maybe now they do). You can carry pretty large items. I am 5'11" and found it the most comfortable of all we test drove at the time. We will definitely replace it with the same type.
All that said - it does have the soccer mom look. I don't know if you will escape it! And the AWD makes it one of the most expensive minivans to insure, according to our agent. |
ffof
Citizen
Username: Ffof
Post Number: 1469
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 23, 2003 - 7:45 pm: | |
Soccer mom look? If you drive around in an enormous SUV do you have a Road Hog/Gas guzzler/misplaced ego look?! I don't think you can escape that either!
My husband is 6'2" and drives our 8 year old Grand Caravan just fine - for a time with babyseat behind him. Many trips and 100,000+ miles later, we need a new one. (car that is, not baby!) |
lseltzer
Citizen
Username: Lseltzer
Post Number: 1718
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 23, 2003 - 9:48 pm: | |
The Pacifica is too small. I don't know how they get away with calling it some sort of hybrid; it's just another smallish SUV. I believe both the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna come with All Wheel Drive, 2 sliding doors, disappearing 3rd row, but they may be the classic soccer mom cars. |
bobk
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 3434
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 24, 2003 - 5:10 am: | |
Larry is half right. I just looked at the October edition of Consumer Reports that has road tests of most of the mini-vans and the Toyota Sienna is available in AWD.
The Sienna is Consumer Reports top rated model and has the most cargo space and the most leg room for the second row seats, which would probably help with the car seat. This is a new model and very popular so don't expect a deal imho.
I can't do anything about the soccer mom look other than to suggest some custom graphics. Maybe some flame decals? LOL
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lseltzer
Citizen
Username: Lseltzer
Post Number: 1719
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 24, 2003 - 6:27 am: | |
Bob's right, I thought it was both but it was only the Sienna. We seriously considered a Sienna but couldn't stand any of the Toyota dealers we dealt with. And Siennas are at a far higher premium than Odysseys. We ended up with an Odyssey and are basically happy with it.
If you wanted to actually see a model of Sienna like the one you would want, with all the options and in the right color, I'm sure it would take a good month or two to find it. And when we were looking any Sienna that came into a dealer had already been presold. |
OK, it's Tom Reingold
Citizen
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 607
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 24, 2003 - 11:11 am: | |
lseltzer, what are your reservations or disappointments (if any) with the Odyssey? I'm still trying to decide between buying a station wagon and a minivan. If I buy a minivan, it looks like the most likely model will be the Odyssey, based on what I've read about it. I will buy a used car, whatever it is. I see 1999 was a great year for improvements, so I'll buy a car from between 1999 and 2001.
Did anyone also face the station wagon/minivan decision?
I am not considering any SUV's. They don't appeal to me.
Tom Reingold
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Brett
Citizen
Username: Bmalibashksa
Post Number: 196
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 24, 2003 - 11:23 am: | |
Woodstock, The Ford Explorer is pretty big inside. I’ve gone on trips with me (6’4), brother in law (6’3), sister (5’10), and two kids (4 and 2, not feet, years). We all fit pretty comfortably. We had to use a roof rack though, my sister packs a LOT.
The seats fold and I’ve gotten sheets of plywood in there. No sliding doors though.
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woodstock
Citizen
Username: Woodstock
Post Number: 362
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 24, 2003 - 11:42 am: | |
Brett,
The problem is that I need the driver's seat all the way back to drive comfortably, and with it that far back, I can't have a child seat behind me (my 2 year old is pretty tall as well - who'd have thought...). Normally that would mean the toddler seat goes behind my wife and the infant seat in the middle. But my wife has this thing about having the kids right next to each other (don't ask).
I'm curious - how do you have the kids' seats configured? Is the 4 year old in a booster seat, using the normal seat belt? I assume with three adults, the kids were side by side? Or do you have the third row seating?
I love my Explorer - it's the second one I've owned, and they seem to keep getting better with each model change.
OH, and the scary thing is that the "soccer mom" comment is from my wife, not me. I'm secure enough in my manhood to drive a girly van 
Waiting For The Electrician, Or Someone Like Him |
Brett
Citizen
Username: Bmalibashksa
Post Number: 197
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 24, 2003 - 11:49 am: | |
We fold the rear seat down for the luggage. The 4 yr old is in a booster behind the driver, the 2 yr old in the middle (This way they play with each other), sister behind passenger (She has plenty of leg room because the 2 yr old isn’t using any). We have also done it with my sister in the middle, she kicks her legs up between the two front seats, and actually it’s very comfortable. Plus with my sister in the middle she feels like she’s part of the conversation. We’ve traveled a few times 3+ hours in these configurations. |
Maxsdad
Citizen
Username: Maxsdad
Post Number: 33
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 24, 2003 - 4:23 pm: | |
We are on our 3rd Grand Caravan and it's the only van I've found that fits me comfortably (6'3"). We now have two teenage boys, also very tall, and we all fit comfortably, even for long yearly trips to Vermont. Definitely get the middle row bucket seats, rather than bench seats. It prevents a lot of fights and we can now keep the 3rd row bench seat out most of the time which leaves plenty of storage room. |
deborahg
Citizen
Username: Deborahg
Post Number: 683
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 24, 2003 - 5:22 pm: | |
And of course, the Grand Caravan is basically the same as the Town & Country. My 6'4" husband and myself (5'9") like the headroom there. Only problem with the T&C is that the driver's seat doesn't go back far enough in my humble etc. We like it anyway, though. |
lseltzer
Citizen
Username: Lseltzer
Post Number: 1724
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 24, 2003 - 8:55 pm: | |
I feel stupid for not really appreciating this until after I bought it, but the Odyssey is really big. That's my main complaint.
The other complaints have to do with how it's not as good as our other car, the Accord. Basically driver experience stuff. The shift is on the throttle and no matter where it is the handle blocks driver view of and access to something. Ironically, there is not a whole lot of storage space accessible to the driver and passenger, less I think than in the Accord. The stereo, highest-end available including DVD for the rear, is really complicated to operate, and the CD-changer is not in-dash as in the Accord; it's in a magazine under the drivers seat. As with most minivans, the spare tire is a toy spare; the storage area for it is in a well under the floor between the front and passenger seats, and is not big enough for an actual flat tire. They include a big plastic bag for the flat and you store it in the regular storage compartment.
There are plenty of good things that I knew about when I bought it and they're as good as I thought. The storage in the rear is expansive, it drives pretty well for such a big tub. The DVD is nice. |
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