Any ideas for a creative family mover?

kayleamay

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The lease on my tiny commuter car is about up and the husband and I have decided just to buy a used car outright rather than get another lease or finance something. (I don't want a monthly payment.) So, I'm looking for something fairly inexpensive.

I would be perfectly content to buy another small commuter, but the husband is pushing me to buy a family mover so that we don't have to take two cars when we all go somewhere, because we have a household of six.

Here's the issue: I HATE MINIVANS. We had one once. I ran over curbs regularly, it had a blind spot large enough to hide a Tahoe, and it made me feel like I was a little too soccermomish. (Yes, I'm aware that's not a real word.) I'm not opposed to an SUV if it's the right size, but the ones that I've seen that have third row seating are the size of tanks and get about 10 mpg.

So far I've considered a circa 1997 Land Rover with jump seats, the Volvo wagon with the weird backward facing third seats, or an older Eurovan which I can pimp out an make all nifty. If I have to buy a family mover, I want it to be something that I don't mind using as a daily driver.

I just want something mechanically sound, inexpensive enough that I won't get mad when the kiddos spill crap on the seats, and doesn't make me feel ten years older just by driving it.


Any suggestions?
 

Wayne K

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If you can afford the gas an SUV is a better version of a van. Some have six to eight seats.
 

kayleamay

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My commute is really short now, so I could afford the gas for an SUV...I'm a little worried about their width though. I'm not known for my superior depth perception. :D
 

Wayne K

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I have a Durango. It's really not that bad.
 

kayleamay

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The Durango is on the husband's list (meaning "the husbands list of what he thinks I should spend my money on"). I think I might test drive one today. I should probably issue a warning first.

If you live in the Pacific Northwest, keep your children off the sidewalks today.
 

som1luvsmi

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I have friends who recently bought a Saturn SUV. It's not too big, but it seats at least 6. And it's really kinda cute and sporty. :)

I think Saturn is going under, so you might be able to get a good deal on a new car.

But if you went over curbs and stuff with a minivan, I'd stay away from the majority of SUV's.
 

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You might check out various Subarus. Those are what my friends who need space for sports/outdoors equipment get for gas mileage plus space (and 4 wheel drive). I don't know much about it, but they do, so I'll throw that out there :)

Good luck! I drove an SUV (my Ex's Ford) around just fine and I'm only used to little Hondas and things. I've never driven a minivan, but I think it'd be too big for me to maneuver well.
 

kayleamay

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I've never driven a minivan, but I think it'd be too big for me to maneuver well.

That's kind of my issue. I've always preferred very small cars. Right now, I drive a Matrix. I can park it just about anywhere. If I was a solo act I would drive a Mini Cooper.

In the minivan, I would always turn my corners too sharp and not allow enough room for the back end. Hence, the curb issue. My husband is against the Land Rover or Montero idea because he says I will flip it over within a month.

I would like to add, I have a clean driving record. No accidents, no tickets...I only run into inanimate objects that can't report me.
 

kayleamay

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My husband just e-mailed me a link for a Yukon Denali. It looks enormous. Oh dear, pray for the pedestrians.
 

Maryn

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You might want to do what we did, which was visit an autoshow, where you can directly compare the various cars in their newer incarnations. It's a whole lot easier than schlepping from one used car lot to another, and it'll give you the general idea.

I'm on minivan number five, unable to return to a smaller vehicle even though the kids no longer live with us. I really, really like being up higher, able to see over regular cars. I only need the minivan's capacity about once every two months, but I'm so glad at those times to have it.

Still, I get that the whole image doesn't appeal. I recommend a similarly-sized SUV, which will have about the same cargo capacity and almost as much seating, without the social stigma.

Maryn, who digs the stowing seats
 

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This is not super helpful since it only seats five, but I am really enjoying the Ford Focus wagon (2006) we got recently. It drives like a car, has a ton of space in the back. I think if you don't want a minivan you should go for a wagon with enough seating.
 

kayleamay

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Well, I don't think I'll be buying a Durango. I just test drove one. The sales guy was swearing by the time I was finished. On to the Land Rover.
 

kayleamay

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Maybe I'll just trade in my ego for a minivan and call it a day.
 

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My husband just e-mailed me a link for a Yukon Denali. It looks enormous. Oh dear, pray for the pedestrians.

(The Yukon used to be called the Chevy Tahoe. It's pretty massive. And the Yukon XL is a Chevy Suburban, which is uber-massive!)

I drive a used '02 Subaru Forester. Its name is the Skibabezmobile. I love it sooooooo much. It has more room than a station wagon, it gets better mileage than an SUV of similar age, it drives as easy as a sedan, it's unlikely to flip...and it has all-wheel drive (not four wheel drive) and handles very well in snow and bad conditions (we take it skiing about 10 times a year). It's basically a baby SUV. We've had no mechanical problems. When our Forester dies, I will buy another used Forester.
 

kayleamay

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(The Yukon used to be called the Chevy Tahoe. It's pretty massive. And the Yukon XL is a Chevy Suburban, which is uber-massive!)

I drive a used '02 Subaru Forester. Its name is the Skibabezmobile. I love it sooooooo much. It has more room than a station wagon, it gets better mileage than an SUV of similar age, it drives as easy as a sedan, it's unlikely to flip...and it has all-wheel drive (not four wheel drive) and handles very well in snow and bad conditions (we take it skiing about 10 times a year). It's basically a baby SUV. We've had no mechanical problems. When our Forester dies, I will buy another used Forester.


If I could pawn off a kid or two I would buy one in a heartbeat.
 

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I love my minivan. I can be hawt and drive a minivan. Look, if you're a family of six, you just look silly spending more trying to look "Cool."

You'll never be cool now. Get over it! :D
 

cray

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I love my minivan. I can be hawt and drive a minivan. Look, if you're a family of six, you just look silly spending more trying to look "Cool."

You'll never be cool now. Get over it! :D


totally kewel post. ;)
 

kayleamay

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I love my minivan. I can be hawt and drive a minivan. Look, if you're a family of six, you just look silly spending more trying to look "Cool."

You'll never be cool now. Get over it! :D

You are right. It's not the vehicle that is killing my vibe, it's the kids. That's it. I'm going solo and buying a Jag. I'll just buy the kids new shoes for Christmas. They need more exercise anyway.

ETA: For the sarcastically impaired, I am joking...kinda.

totally kewel post. ;)

Pfft.
 

tjwriter

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I love my minivan. I can be hawt and drive a minivan. Look, if you're a family of six, you just look silly spending more trying to look "Cool."

You'll never be cool now. Get over it! :D

I was indoctrinated into the minivan club January of this year. I, too, love my van. Stow and go rocks. There's all sorts of neat places for my crap to get lost in and it handles pretty well.

I had to adjust from my previous vehicle. The Caravan just does not turn like an Explorer Sport. We'll have to see how bad weather goes. I was on maternity leave all last winter, so I stayed home when the weather was bad.
 

kayleamay

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Well, we're going to look at a minivan tonight. Dang it. I know...they're practical, they're roomy, they get better gas mileage than SUV's. *sigh*

At least it's cheap.

If we buy this thing, I'm going to need to do something ultra flamboyant to keep myself balanced. I tried to warn the hubby, but he just wouldn't hear it.

*puts on giant pink sunglasses and purple boa*