Is there anything worse than shopping for a car? I really could care less and it's such a huge decision and takes us MONTHS to decide that I just hate the process. I'm not picky at all. Here's what I need:
For me: heated front seats & a cupholder that will accommodate a Sonic drink
For the babies: a middle bench seat that will accommodate 3 carseats. Therein lies the problem.....
My guess is the infant car seats will be the hard part, they are a bit wider than normal car seats. I had a Toyota 4runner w/ 3 car seats, only 1 infant seat though. I have since moved on to a mini van, those darn kids kept coming ;) My husband has a Sequoia and that thing has tons of room inside.
we have a honda odyssey and love it. i know that people make fun of minivans, but ours has been a lifesaver. i don't think i'd want to do three car seats across one row but that's just me...
I drive a gmc yukOn Denali, and I love it!! I was forced to trade in my new minivan when we found out we were expecting out twins. We knew we needed as much room as we could find what with five kids in carseats (all 6 I 1/2 years and younger at the time). Mine has captains chairs in the 2nd row, but it does come w a bench.
And most importantly, it does fit a route 44 and has heated seats. Hth. I too hate car shopping!
oh lol!! we had that prob several years ago... but we needed a van that would take 10 of us :) we found one in the end.. and we have worked it into the ground just about! oh my it has been a work horse! haha i have even done a layout on our van about it!
you vehicle will be your workhorse! it does not need to be fancy, just very reliable :) you dont want it breaking down with a load of babies in it! ha i dont know much about cars and the like in the us or prices... but have fun looking and trying them out :)... i say let greg do it, and you just come in at the end and say yes or no!!!!!
well, the reason i want all 3 in the middle on a bench (if possible) is so i can easily buckle in all the kids. Otherwise, i'll be crawling to the back to buckle Claire in. I can't crawl around rear-facing carseats in captain's chairs, so that would mean opening the back hatch and buckling over the back of the seat which would be difficult. She'll only be 19 months when the babies are here....
Love my Yukon! Tons of room in the back seat ( which is a bench seat) and there's even a third bench seat in back of that. My three grown kids can sit in the back and be comfortable!
Love my Excursion. (sadly they don't make that one anymore, but Expedition would be similar). And I love having all 3 sitting right behind me on bench row. Really nice to be able to hand them what they need and no climbing to buckle and unbuckle! We have rented minivans on vacation, and let's just say my aim while driving is not good enough to get snacks the whole way to the 3rd row!
One of the moms at our school has a minivan with 3 infant car seats in the back. She has one daughter who is 5 and 3 triplets. I don't know what brand it it, but they fit - probably snug as a bug - but it works!
we have both a volvo xc 90 (which is my car) and an denali XL (which is hubby's car).
my car has the bench in the back with the 3rd row seating in the back if needed.
i can fit all three car seats across the back... both the baby car seats and then when they transitioned to britax car seats. matteo is in the middle and is still in his 5 point harness carseat that he has had since he was 1 (he will be 5 in april)
i love my car and this set up because:
1. i can reach all 3 kiddos from the front seat. i know matteo is almost 5, but he still really needs me. he is always asking for things, open his milk, hand him his blanket, he dropped his shoe...etc.
2. it is still small enough that i don't feel like i am driving a boat
3. its pretty good on gas
4. matteo is close enough to help with the girls if they need something... they dropped their blanket, book, bink, etc. (but they are also close enough to fight a bit too)
Hubby has the larger Denali XL (which we had to buy when the girls were born because he had a truck... no can do) His car has the bucket seats behind the driver and passenger seats and a bench in the back. We have the girls in the buckets and matteo in the back.
1. love this for road trips because we have more room.
2. matteo is almost 5 so he can buckle himself in, but i would hate it if he couldn't
3. he loves to have his own row
4. all the kids cant touch eachother, so they cant fight with eachother, but matteo cant help with the girls either.
My girls are almost 18 months now... and that being said, i would never get a car that i had to put one in the back where I couldn't reach them easily.
Like Mandee, I drive the Volvo XC 90, and I love it. It's a big car in a compact size. We can easily fit me, my hubby, our four kiddos in the car and still have room for one more. I wasn't sure about the three carseats across the middle row as I never had to do that. But, I see Mandee said it works!
Hubby, drives the Excursion. Personally I think it's too big. But, we have to have it for as much as we head over the mountain with the whole family and dog. However, I do feel like I'm driving a MAC truck and feel very safe in it. It's just too big for our inner city home life.
im not sure if you already have carseats
but my sister has 3 under 4 years and ended up buying 3 new SLIM carseats so it is THAT tight to get in between them all.....they are great and easy to have rear/forward facing.....this of course is in NZ......
but do look into slimmer seats for bubbas!!
happy car shopping and remember RED cars go fast!!! lol!!
I have 3 car seats across the back in a Honda CRV which is a pretty small SUV. I had to have them fitted by a professional but it fits...just!
I am looking at the Honda Odyessy for our next car because I really need more space. My advice is to ask lots of people. If you see someone in the same situation as you ask them what they do. I was forever asking strangers how they managed with 3 small kids.
On another note April - isn't it time for a bump photo now???
I can't help with this as I have a TINY car. Cars in the UK are generally smaller! I have a Hyundai i10.
I have driven a Sequoia in the US and it drove really well.
The only thing I'd say with the leaning over the back thing is that my friends have a seven seat car (it's a vauxhall so I don't think you'd get on in the US) and they have taken out one of the back row of seats. This means there is more space for luggage, bags etc and that they can buckle the rear child in easier. That said they have 4 kids so there are still 3 in the middle!!
I just got the new Honda Odyssey. I had the old one for 6 years....the new one has a bench seat in the middle (the touring model, but maybe they all do) where my old one did not, this one is optional, you could take it out later if you wanted. I feel too old for a minivan now but I still have two at home and we travel back and forth to the beach a lot with all of *my* scrap stuff and other things, dog, 4 cats, etc. so I really need the space. I love the well in the back- it's so perfect with storage.
I didn't want an SUV because I don't want to hike up to put the kids in the car- my husband has a Sequoia and it's a real pain with infant seats. I really loved the Land Rover but it seemed like I wasn't getting enough bang for my buck and with the Odyssey it just comes with so much!
I hate buying a car...something that spirals down in value. I keep mine forever. I was going to buy the mdx but once I drove it I changed my mind. I bought the Honda pilot touring and I love the interior. It fits many, there are window shades, tons of nooks for storage even a drawer under the seat. I am not sure but I do believe you can get 3 seats in the 2 nd row, and as the kids grow you will love the 3 rd row. In the meantime the trunk will be perfect for your triple stroller. I also suggest a mini van. I personally couldn't see out of the one I tested so I went with the pilot. I am really happy with it as we carpool a ton and take off to San diego every few months . My best advice is to test drive and see what feels good. I do see a mini van in your future....which is a good thing.
Depends on what you want. With a radian for Claire and the slim infant seats for the babies, you could make lots of choices work. I personally love my sienna...I'm on my 3rd one (in 4 years!!) and I had a sequoia before that, which is also great. However, I did not love the height of the big suv with infant seats. A minivan is much, much easier. Plus, when they get a bit bigger it's still much, much easier with power sliding doors and then them not hitting other cars with doors.
Eta: sienna can have a 2nd row bench, so can sequoia!
I was resistant to getting a minivan but, I have 3 kids...what am I trying to prove, lol??
Is there anything worse than shopping for a car? I really could care less and it's such a huge decision and takes us MONTHS to decide that I just hate the process. I'm not picky at all. Here's what I need:
For me: heated front seats & a cupholder that will accommodate a Sonic drink
For the babies: a middle bench seat that will accommodate 3 carseats. Therein lies the problem.....
any advice?
3 carseats is a toughie...do you want a car, suv, mini van, or a school bus? jk on the last one :)
My guess is the infant car seats will be the hard part, they are a bit wider than normal car seats. I had a Toyota 4runner w/ 3 car seats, only 1 infant seat though. I have since moved on to a mini van, those darn kids kept coming ;) My husband has a Sequoia and that thing has tons of room inside.
we have a honda odyssey and love it. i know that people make fun of minivans, but ours has been a lifesaver. i don't think i'd want to do three car seats across one row but that's just me...
love the sequoia!
I drive a gmc yukOn Denali, and I love it!! I was forced to trade in my new minivan when we found out we were expecting out twins. We knew we needed as much room as we could find what with five kids in carseats (all 6 I 1/2 years and younger at the time). Mine has captains chairs in the 2nd row, but it does come w a bench.
And most importantly, it does fit a route 44 and has heated seats. Hth. I too hate car shopping!
Odyssey here too anf love it.
We have an expedition which I love. Perfect for country roads. We bought it when we had baby #3.
oh lol!! we had that prob several years ago... but we needed a van that would take 10 of us :) we found one in the end.. and we have worked it into the ground just about! oh my it has been a work horse! haha i have even done a layout on our van about it!
you vehicle will be your workhorse! it does not need to be fancy, just very reliable :) you dont want it breaking down with a load of babies in it! ha i dont know much about cars and the like in the us or prices... but have fun looking and trying them out :)... i say let greg do it, and you just come in at the end and say yes or no!!!!!
well, the reason i want all 3 in the middle on a bench (if possible) is so i can easily buckle in all the kids. Otherwise, i'll be crawling to the back to buckle Claire in. I can't crawl around rear-facing carseats in captain's chairs, so that would mean opening the back hatch and buckling over the back of the seat which would be difficult. She'll only be 19 months when the babies are here....
Love my Yukon! Tons of room in the back seat ( which is a bench seat) and there's even a third bench seat in back of that. My three grown kids can sit in the back and be comfortable!
I love my Expedition. Only one kid but I take 3 kids with me when the school does field trips. I'm able to get 3 seats in my second row just fine.
Love my Excursion. (sadly they don't make that one anymore, but Expedition would be similar). And I love having all 3 sitting right behind me on bench row. Really nice to be able to hand them what they need and no climbing to buckle and unbuckle! We have rented minivans on vacation, and let's just say my aim while driving is not good enough to get snacks the whole way to the 3rd row!
One of the moms at our school has a minivan with 3 infant car seats in the back. She has one daughter who is 5 and 3 triplets. I don't know what brand it it, but they fit - probably snug as a bug - but it works!
we have both a volvo xc 90 (which is my car) and an denali XL (which is hubby's car).
my car has the bench in the back with the 3rd row seating in the back if needed.
i can fit all three car seats across the back... both the baby car seats and then when they transitioned to britax car seats. matteo is in the middle and is still in his 5 point harness carseat that he has had since he was 1 (he will be 5 in april)
i love my car and this set up because:
1. i can reach all 3 kiddos from the front seat. i know matteo is almost 5, but he still really needs me. he is always asking for things, open his milk, hand him his blanket, he dropped his shoe...etc.
2. it is still small enough that i don't feel like i am driving a boat
3. its pretty good on gas
4. matteo is close enough to help with the girls if they need something... they dropped their blanket, book, bink, etc. (but they are also close enough to fight a bit too)
Hubby has the larger Denali XL (which we had to buy when the girls were born because he had a truck... no can do) His car has the bucket seats behind the driver and passenger seats and a bench in the back. We have the girls in the buckets and matteo in the back.
1. love this for road trips because we have more room.
2. matteo is almost 5 so he can buckle himself in, but i would hate it if he couldn't
3. he loves to have his own row
4. all the kids cant touch eachother, so they cant fight with eachother, but matteo cant help with the girls either.
My girls are almost 18 months now... and that being said, i would never get a car that i had to put one in the back where I couldn't reach them easily.
Sorry that was so long, but i hope it helps...
oh yeah, they both have heated seats... his in both the front and the back (not that you will need it with the carseats!)
Like Mandee, I drive the Volvo XC 90, and I love it. It's a big car in a compact size. We can easily fit me, my hubby, our four kiddos in the car and still have room for one more. I wasn't sure about the three carseats across the middle row as I never had to do that. But, I see Mandee said it works!
Hubby, drives the Excursion. Personally I think it's too big. But, we have to have it for as much as we head over the mountain with the whole family and dog. However, I do feel like I'm driving a MAC truck and feel very safe in it. It's just too big for our inner city home life.
im not sure if you already have carseats
but my sister has 3 under 4 years and ended up buying 3 new SLIM carseats so it is THAT tight to get in between them all.....they are great and easy to have rear/forward facing.....this of course is in NZ......
but do look into slimmer seats for bubbas!!
happy car shopping and remember RED cars go fast!!! lol!!
I have 3 car seats across the back in a Honda CRV which is a pretty small SUV. I had to have them fitted by a professional but it fits...just!
I am looking at the Honda Odyessy for our next car because I really need more space. My advice is to ask lots of people. If you see someone in the same situation as you ask them what they do. I was forever asking strangers how they managed with 3 small kids.
On another note April - isn't it time for a bump photo now???
I can't help with this as I have a TINY car. Cars in the UK are generally smaller! I have a Hyundai i10.
I have driven a Sequoia in the US and it drove really well.
The only thing I'd say with the leaning over the back thing is that my friends have a seven seat car (it's a vauxhall so I don't think you'd get on in the US) and they have taken out one of the back row of seats. This means there is more space for luggage, bags etc and that they can buckle the rear child in easier. That said they have 4 kids so there are still 3 in the middle!!
I just got the new Honda Odyssey. I had the old one for 6 years....the new one has a bench seat in the middle (the touring model, but maybe they all do) where my old one did not, this one is optional, you could take it out later if you wanted. I feel too old for a minivan now but I still have two at home and we travel back and forth to the beach a lot with all of *my* scrap stuff and other things, dog, 4 cats, etc. so I really need the space. I love the well in the back- it's so perfect with storage.
I didn't want an SUV because I don't want to hike up to put the kids in the car- my husband has a Sequoia and it's a real pain with infant seats. I really loved the Land Rover but it seemed like I wasn't getting enough bang for my buck and with the Odyssey it just comes with so much!
I know the feeling, I've put it off for another year because I can and because I hate the process. Best of luck to you.
I hate buying a car...something that spirals down in value. I keep mine forever. I was going to buy the mdx but once I drove it I changed my mind. I bought the Honda pilot touring and I love the interior. It fits many, there are window shades, tons of nooks for storage even a drawer under the seat. I am not sure but I do believe you can get 3 seats in the 2 nd row, and as the kids grow you will love the 3 rd row. In the meantime the trunk will be perfect for your triple stroller. I also suggest a mini van. I personally couldn't see out of the one I tested so I went with the pilot. I am really happy with it as we carpool a ton and take off to San diego every few months . My best advice is to test drive and see what feels good. I do see a mini van in your future....which is a good thing.
Depends on what you want. With a radian for Claire and the slim infant seats for the babies, you could make lots of choices work. I personally love my sienna...I'm on my 3rd one (in 4 years!!) and I had a sequoia before that, which is also great. However, I did not love the height of the big suv with infant seats. A minivan is much, much easier. Plus, when they get a bit bigger it's still much, much easier with power sliding doors and then them not hitting other cars with doors.
Eta: sienna can have a 2nd row bench, so can sequoia!
I was resistant to getting a minivan but, I have 3 kids...what am I trying to prove, lol??
Also, your sequoia or sienna will be built very close by in Princeton, in!