Need Advice... Best Car for 4 Carseats?

Chely7425

New member
We are starting to look for a new car and I wanted to get some words of wisdom to guide my research!! We are looking for either a new car, or one just a couple years old. And it needs to fit 4 car seats. We have been really liking the look of the Traverse? But anyway, here are our requirements:

- seats 7
- fits 4 car seat, 2 FF Nautilus, RF CA, and a Snugride 35
- under 30,000
- 2009 or newer
- preferably a crossover or SUV that can be gotten with AWD/4WD but a mini van would be ok too.
 
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TXDani

Senior Community Member
My one piece of advice if you are working with 3 or more carseats is you MUST have middle row captains chairs. This way older children can walk back to their seats without anyone needing to flip or slide other seats forward and out of the way for them.

We recently did our car shopping so I am pretty familiar with what is out there for families with 3 or more kids.

What is your budget? I will give you a brief list of what we looked at and what I like and didn't like. All these are current model year that I am referencing.

Toyota Sequoia~ Pros-very comfortable, nice powerful engine, great financing offers, tight turning radius, loved the looks outside. Cons- cheap plastic dash, the model we wanted, the Platinum, has a center console between the captains seats which makes walking to the back seats impossible. I did research and it can be removed but then you have to hide the seat heater wires. Bad gas mileage. Didn't offer black as an interior option. Very little cargo room with third row up and in use.

Ford Expedition EL Limited- Pros-inexpensive for what it offered in comparison to the competition. Loved that the power deploying running boards are standard on the Limited. Very comfortable front seats. Cons- its a Ford which I have never been a big fan of. Captains seats were very ugly and thin as they fold flat onto the ground. Hated the navigation system and the way the rear entertainment system looked.

GMC Yukon XL Denali (basically the same as Suburban, Escalade ESV)- This is what we ended up getting and we have been very happy with our decision. Pros- Great seating flexibility with captains seats which power flip forward if you do need to reach to the third row with the push of a button. I like this because I can flip them forward and sit behind them and reach my kids in the third row to help them buckle or whatever without having to throw my back out or actually climb in the car. Acceleration is there when you need it without the gas mileage being too horrid. I just overall liked this car the best...the looks outside, the interior layout and space, the drive and all bells and whistles.
 

Chely7425

New member
We need to stay under 30,000 and would like a 2009 or newer. We don't really care if it has a navigation or DVD system, we have no problem adding a DVD player deal after we buy the vehicle.
 

Kalinky

Senior Community Member
The practical side of me won out when making our recent Honda Odyssey purchase. I did NOT want to cave in and get a minivan, but you can't get an SUV with sliding doors and that is SO practical for us. They are so much easier on the gas than an SUV as well. You could definitely get a nice 2009 for under $30,000. I like to drive (I know - sounds wierd), but this has actually been really fun to drive, it handles so nicely. We got an 8-seater, with the "magic seat" (center middle row) that easily comes out to leave you with 2 captains that can stay outboard or you can slide one toward the middle to access the 3rd row from the side instead. The 3rd row folds down so easily and even with the 3rd row up, there is a lot of storage space behind it. Very versatile and practical :twocents:.
 

Chely7425

New member
I think my biggest problem with a mini van is that the only one with AWD is the Sienna and those seems hard to come by in our price range, well... the FWD ones aren't but the AWD ones are. I thought of a couple more questions...

How does are the LATCH and TA set up in the Sienna and the Traverse?

Those seem to be our 2 front runners at the moment but obviously if one won't accomadate 4 car seats that would swing things...
 

Jennifer mom to my 7

Well-known member
My one piece of advice if you are working with 3 or more carseats is you MUST have middle row captains chairs. This way older children can walk back to their seats without anyone needing to flip or slide other seats forward and out of the way for them.

.

Unless of course, you have an 8 passenger sienna (2004-2010 model year) where you can install 2 seats middle and passenger and still flip and fold the other outboard seat out of the way :)

Why all wheel drive?
Only the 7 passenger sienna came in awd I think. You couldn't get the 8 passenger with it.

The 2004-2010 siennas have 4 or 5 full sets of latch, 4 for the 7 passenger, 5 for the 8 passenger. All the middle seats, and the passenger side and middle seat of the 3rd row.

We got ours new in 2005 for around 26,000. 8 passenger.
 

Maedze

New member
There is only one tether anchor in the third row of a Traverse. I wouldn't recommend that vehicle for a family with four kids, two of whom need tether anchors.

I too would suggest either a Honda Odyssey or a Toyota Sienna. I live in New England and have driven a minivan through three New England winters. I have never once 'needed' AWD/FWD. Unless you live on top of a mountain, just outside of a lake, near Canada, I don't think you 'need' that feature as much as you 'need' a vehicle that has at least two tether anchors in the third row.

The Oddyssey has tether anchors across all three rear seating positions in every model year EXCEPT 2005, so avoid that one.

The Sienna has 2 or 3 full LATCH positions in the middle row (depending on whether you get the 8 seat version), and LATCH in the middle and passenger side of the third row as well. (this information has changed with the 2011 MY, so avoid that one)
 

Chely7425

New member
The AWD was more of hubby's thing but I think I have convinced him it isn't THAT big a deal. I think we are going to go with a 2009 8 passenger Sienna, possibly a 2010 depending on what the prices on those look like when we got to buy. I like how flexible the 2nd row is AND the 5 sets of latch, we would definitely not outgrow it anytime soon. We aren't looking to seriously buy till probably February when I will be back in WA state where the selection and prices are a ton better but yeah... I have just heard so many good things about the Siennas (excluding the 2011,... which I think looks weird anyway) and it seems to be the best value for our money.
 

luckyclov

New member
My '09 Grand Caravan would fit 4 like a dream. We have 3 now - a Parkway in the 3rd row, outboard and a Regent and KeyFit in the 2nd row captains. The 3rd row would easily accomodate just about any other (install friendly) carseat/booster on the market.

I have to ditto the PP who said with 4 carseats (or even 3, IMO), you DEFINITELY need the 2nd row to be captains. It's just waaaaay too much of a PIA to shuffle kids back to the 3rd row any other way. For that reason, and I just need more SPACE, we have a minivan.
 

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