Forums » Grassroots Motorsports » A "what car" thread for family... 1 2 3

• 

  June 24, 2010 4:59 p.m. P71 SuperDork

  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?

• 

  June 24, 2010 5:53 p.m. Vigo HalfDork

  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.

• 

  June 24, 2010 5:59 p.m. mndsm HalfDork

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

  Go fast or go broke.

• 

  June 24, 2010 6:10 p.m. White_and_Nerdy Reader

  The Chevy Astro can seat 8...

  - Justin

• 

  June 24, 2010 6:21 p.m. irish44j HalfDork

  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"....

• 

  June 24, 2010 6:43 p.m. ScottRA21 New Reader

  Volvo Wagon?

• 

  June 24, 2010 6:44 p.m. P71 SuperDork

  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.

  Michael Pinto - GoKart / 93 Miata STS / 01 P71 Interceptor

• 

  June 24, 2010 7:12 p.m. pigeon HalfDork

  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.

• 

  June 24, 2010 7:47 p.m. irish44j HalfDork

  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.

• 

  June 24, 2010 7:50 p.m. ignorant SuperDork

  Mini Van is the answer..

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

  When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk.

• 

  June 24, 2010 7:58 p.m. Mikey52_1 None

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

  Mike

• 

  June 24, 2010 8:08 p.m. fastmiata Reader

  4 miata?

  Wayne Henry

• 

  June 24, 2010 8:43 p.m. dj06482 Reader

  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.

  '94 K1500 | '97 328is | '05 Odyssey | '06 RAV4

• 

  June 24, 2010 8:48 p.m. CarKid1989 HalfDork

  full size chevy express.

  http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=p&car_id=268655655&dealer_id=64603429&car_year=1994&engine=&fuel=&lastStartYear=1981&sort_type=priceDESC&systime=&default_sort=priceDESC&drive=&style_flag=1&bo

• 

  June 24, 2010 9:03 p.m. 1988RedT2 New Reader

  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.

• 

  June 24, 2010 9:08 p.m. ignorant SuperDork

  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.

  When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk.

• 

  June 24, 2010 9:23 p.m. P71 SuperDork

  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...).

  Michael Pinto - GoKart / 93 Miata STS / 01 P71 Interceptor

• 

  June 24, 2010 9:55 p.m. Keven New Reader

  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.

• 

  June 24, 2010 10:15 p.m. patgizz SuperDork

  suburban

  /discussion

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

  John Brown wrote:"Safety" is my second middle name, it's right after "Screw".

• 

  June 24, 2010 10:44 p.m. pigeon HalfDork

  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.

• 

  June 25, 2010 6:36 a.m. 1988RedT2 New Reader

  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.

• 

  June 25, 2010 6:39 a.m. 93celicaGT2 SuperDork

  Toyota Sequoia

  Or Nissan Armada?

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

  1992 Celica GT (FSP), 1993 Ford Escort GT (HS), 1990 Mazda MX6 GT Turbo (13.27@118mph)

• 

  June 25, 2010 6:45 a.m. bravenrace Dork

  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.

• 

  June 25, 2010 8:18 a.m. scardeal Reader

  Would a Chevy Astro/GMC Safari work for them?

• 

  June 25, 2010 8:22 a.m. 1988RedT2 New Reader

  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.

1 2 3  

You'll need to log in to post.