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Public transportation here is not practical but neither is having a tiny car with 3+ kids. Nobody is required to have a car. Most people do have one, but it simply is not required. It might be impractical to not have a car, but it isn't required that people own one.
This seems like the easiest question on the planet:
- decide what you NEED in a vehicle.
- decide what you WANT in a vehicle.
- research vehicles.
- pick one that meets your needs and can give you some of your wants.
No. We had a minivan for a while and I hated it; I felt like I was driving a boat. It was good, however, for carpooling, vacations, and transporting garage-sale finds.
I have a Honda CRV and its fine for us and our three kids though we have to take two cars if one of our kids wants to bring a friend somewhere. We need an SUV or all-wheel drive where we live because of the snow, dirt roads, and steep hills, but you could get away without it if you live in a warm climate with paved roads.
Sheesh...lots of snarky comments regarding the OP's question. I would think veteran parents would be a bit more welcoming. When my son was born we had 2 door Ford escort. It was fine except when my son was in the rear facing position. The back of the car seat seemed to jam up against the front passenger seat. When he was old enough to turn around it was less of a problem. Im not into mini vans and we moved up to a Jeep Cherokee 4 door. I really liked that the best. Then later got an Ford Explorer which ended up being a gas hog. Lots more choices now (my son is now teen). The pack n play and other stuff does take up room. I personally like the Subaru's they seem roomy without being a killer on gas. If you think a mini van is a good choice then go for it. They do come in handy for not just hauling kids but also a trip to Home Depot. I wont buy a mini van. I'm too cool.
Moment that made me feel old? : Driving home from a parent-teacher conference and realizing I was rocking out to Rage Against the Machine in a minivan with two empty car seats in the back.
Moment that made me feel old? : Driving home from a parent-teacher conference and realizing I was rocking out to Rage Against the Machine in a minivan with two empty car seats in the back.
You are oldER. Not old.
As long as you can rock out to Rage Against the Machine you are not old. Turn it up and be happy.
As long as you can rock out to Rage Against the Machine you are not old. Turn it up and be happy.
Haha, touche! I found it kind of amusing, actually. I'm cool with no longer being the "cool" demographic (cue: "kids these days listen to nothing but noise" rant, with a side of "get off my lawn").
As for the OP, to drag myself back on topic, I really think that people just need to think about what works best for them at a given point in time, given their vehicle preferences and what the vehicle needs to be able to do transportation and storage-wise. Lots of different ways to make it work, IMO.
Moment that made me feel old? : Driving home from a parent-teacher conference and realizing I was rocking out to Rage Against the Machine in a minivan with two empty car seats in the back.
Rock on. That's okay. I had a dinge of jealousy when I went to the Depot last weekend. We were stuffing hardwood flooring into our sedan. The guy next to us had a Honda Odyssey. I watched him flip the seats down that went flush with the floor and he loaded it up like pick up truck.
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When my son was born we had 2 door Ford escort. It was fine except when my son was in the rear facing position. The back of the car seat seemed to jam up against the front passenger seat. When he was old enough to turn around it was less of a problem. Im not into mini vans and we moved up to a Jeep Cherokee 4 door. I really liked that the best. Then later got an Ford Explorer which ended up being a gas hog. Lots more choices now (my son is now teen). The pack n play and other stuff does take up room. I personally like the Subaru's they seem roomy without being a killer on gas. If you think a mini van is a good choice then go for it. They do come in handy for not just hauling kids but also a trip to Home Depot. I wont buy a mini van. I'm too cool. 
Rock on. 
