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whatever brand you buy, If you end up buying a 3 row, you'll never be able to go back to 2 row.
I have a GL450, which is pretty much a bus and I use the third row occasionally (twice a month) but couple times I have driven a ML 350 (2 row) and the comfortable ride of the three row bus and the huge area behind is just something I missed a lot.
I second/third a minivan. It has lower insurance cost, generally safer on the road and harder to get pull over/tickets (you can always blame the kids).
When we had our first kid we traded in a 2 door civic for a minivan. We thought about a CRV and just figured we would outgrow it quickly. We were lucky we went with the minivan because our 2nd kid came a year after the first. Our other car was a 4 door Subaru Legacy. We took the minivan everywhere because my my wife couldn't sit comfortably in the passenger seat of the Subie because she had to have the seat too far up because the car seat in the back.
Buy the car seat now and make sure it fits in both of your cars and that you both can ride at the same time comfortably in each. I think you will be surprised at how small your cars are. Also, make sure the stroller fits in the trunk too. The click in strollers are huge.
Buy the minivan now. Sliding doors are awesome and the 3rd row is great for when family comes.
If it has a back seat, it can accommodate two car seats. Some cars can accommodate 3 narrow car seats in the back.
We have a medium sized SUV with the third row, that in the last 2-3 years we've probably only used 3 or 4 times, but it is nice to be able to put a couple more car seats in if you're picking up other people's kids.
But, most of the time the kids ride in my wife's small import, which handles two car seats just fine, and lots of stuff in the trunk.
You don't need a three row SUV for two kids. I drive a GL63 and we rarely use the third row. The only time we do is when all three kids are in the car with their seats.
Last edited by Jaded; 09-24-2013 at 10:58 PM..
Reason: Merged thread; removed orphaned post
SUVs suck for families with infants because most of them are too high to get in and out. Try changing diapers inside. And worst of all, usable space is not very usable when you have 1 or 2 strollers to store.
Minivans are much well suited and designed for families these days. My wife can comfortably change diapers and feed the baby food while parked. I often bring a potty in the back for our kids so they easily walk to the back and sit down instead of driving around and looking for bathrooms.
We currently drive ’07 Lexus IS250 and ’04 Mazda 3 sedan. We are expecting our first baby in the spring, and will plan on having a 2nd (and final) kid in 2-3 years. We like to keep our cars 10+ years, so that is why we are looking ahead.
We are definitely trading in the Mazda 3 for a new car by the spring. My issue is I’m not sure what to get right now. These are the options I’m deciding between:
1) Trade in Mazda 3 for a 3-row SUV (Acura MDX, CX-9, Pathfinder, etc), and grow into it. Keep IS250 for long-term and use the 3-row SUV as the baby hauler. Use IS250 for kids as rarely as possible.
2) Trade in Mazda 3 for a 2-row SUV (Acura RDX, Sante Fe, Rogue, etc) and hope it can fit 2 kids. Keep IS250 for long-term and use the 2-row SUV as the baby hauler. Use IS250 for kids as rarely as possible.
3) Trade in Mazda 3 for a family sedan with big backseat & trunk (Camry, Accord). After having 2nd kid, trade in IS250 for an SUV/minivan.
A few more facts:
- IS250 only has 80k miles and is running great.
- We have a lot of family within 4 hours so we tend to take road trips often.
- Wife is open to a minivan in the future, but not for this purchase.
Which of the 3 scenarios would you recommend?
If you can get over the fear and stigma of a minivan, go with one of those.
I know, I know, "We're way too cool to over own a minivan. People might see us in it. What will they think?" j/k
My wife and I both had SUVs when we had our first child. When the second was on the way, we bought a Honda Odyssey van, and it rules. Power doors (large), the extra room and the versatility create as close as you can get to a dealing-with-young-kids-in-the-car nirvana.
You're driving along with your 18-month-old on a 3 hour trip. You're an hour in. The smell of that chocolate pudding filled diaper makes it front. It's pouring down rain. In the van, you pull over into a parking lot, walk back to the baby and then change him/her in the open area where the year seats have been folded down with little muss or fuss. If you are in a SUV, you are either getting out into the rain or crawling over seats and dealing with no working room.
Don't worry, in a few years you can trade it in for a SUV to get your cool factor back.
SUVs suck for families with infants because most of them are too high to get in and out. Try changing diapers inside. And worst of all, usable space is not very usable when you have 1 or 2 strollers to store.
Minivans are much well suited and designed for families these days. My wife can comfortably change diapers and feed the baby food while parked. I often bring a potty in the back for our kids so they easily walk to the back and sit down instead of driving around and looking for bathrooms.
Show me a SUV that can do that.
Yes, but to get that functionality and convenience and save a bit of sanity, you did have to admit that you bought a minivan.
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j/k
If you are in a SUV, you are either getting out into the rain or crawling over seats and dealing with no working room. 
