Swapping the Ody for a Prius.. Can it be done?

I'm absolutely sick of paying SO SO SO much for gas for my 06 Odyssey. I only have 3 kids in my car (ever) maybe twice a week, possibly less soon.

How hard is it to downsize from a van to a car? Any experience?

Depends on the kids and the car!

We can put our three in the back of a Prius, but we only have one booster now. Also, that would only be on short trips or they would injure each other.

I think something like a Camry/Fusion hybrid would be plenty of room for two kids and in some cases, three kids depending on their carseats and temperament. The Prius V has a lot more legroom than the regular Prius and still gets over 40mpg, but is only a little wider so three-across harness seats will still be difficult.

I also have the Highlander Hybrid, but the potential for savings on fuel is negated by the higher price vs. a similarly equipped minivan.

I agree pretty much with Darren, depends on your kids and how long you're all in the vehicle together. We traded an 8-passenger '05 Sienna for an '11 Prius (regular/original Prius liftback model, not the roomier Prius V or smaller Prius C model) about 6 months ago because the van wasn't getting used by more than 2 to 4 of us at a time usually, and gas prices were spiking up then like they are again now. We were getting around 18-25 mpg in the Sienna vs. mid-40s to as much at 67 mpg in the Prius depending on the weather, road conditions and A/C or heater usage. We haven't owned the Prius through a full winter season yet to see how it drives in the snow nor how much the gas mileage dips in the wintertime. We have managed several road trips in the Prius so far without going completely bonkers, lol, up to 1,000 miles round trip total spaced out over more than 2 days typically, but only have 2 kids and sometimes a petite grandma accompanying our immediate family of 4. The grandma also owns an '11 Prius which we test drove with 5 of us in the car several times before opting to replace our Sienna with a Prius, too. We do miss the cargo room of the Sienna and have to pack more minimally/creatively than before but we don't regret the switch from the minivan overall. I do think it would be much tougher to do with three kids, possibly workable if they all can get along reasonably okay or if you're only taking shorter drives around town in the Prius, but definitely less accommodating for passengers than your Ody.

We have a Prius, a 5 year old and a 5'4" tall 12 year old. We've done 5 y/o in an Evenflo Triumph Advance outboard driver's side, with my 12 year old and one of her friends in the back. I wouldn't want to have driven for hours like that, but for around town, it was fine.

We also do a carpool -- the same 5yo, and a 6yo and 8yo neighbor. The 2 little guys are in evenflo big kid amps and the 8 year old is in a bubble bum. The 8 year old can buckle himself. The 5 and 6 year olds need a little help, but it's doable. I wish the headrest in the center position was a little higher -- it's not great for an adult, but for a kid it's fine.

We get awesome mileage. I can't tell you how it does in the snow because we live in San Francisco. It's roomier than SUVs we've rented, but certainly not as roomy as an Ody. Decent trunk space, though.

Michelle