Is it crazy to buy a minivan when I only have one kid?

LauraD

New member
I'm planning on buying a 2014 Odyssey.
The main reason is I just want a super safe car. I thought about the Highlander but they are so expensive and it seems like the Odyssey has nicer features for a lower price. Anyway, I feel kind of weird buying a minivan when I only have one child (age 2.5). Is this a crazy thing to do? I plan to have just one more child, but just because you plan to have another doesn't necessarily mean it will happen so at this point, it's just one kid. I have no need for the space in a minivan. A CRV or Forester would probably be fine space-wise and that's really all I need but I just feel like we'd be so much safer in a bigger/heavier car and safety is my top concern. We are also moving to
the south where everyone drives big cars. Am I crazy? Is this a silly reason to buy a minivan? Are there any small vehicles that would be equally safe?
Thanks!!
 
ADS

twinsmom

New member
If you can afford it and you want it, why is it crazy? There's no rule about how many children (if any!) one must have in order to buy a mini van. It's a great, safe car. Go for it!
 

jgomez411

New member
I bought an Expedition and I only have 1 child so I say go for it. Of course now I'm trying to get rid of it to get something more fuel efficient but the Odyssey gets better gas mileage so that won't be an issue!
 

kathysr98

Active member
We are a family of three and I have a seven passenger crossover. The great safety ratings, ability to haul whatever I need, and having plenty of room for friends are what make it worthwhile to us.
 

Suzibeck

Active member
Not crazy at all, it will be an excellent car pool vehicle when your one child is older. Sometimes you don't have another child when you want one but sometimes you get more than one when trying for one as well. My niece has 6 month old twins because they tried for one more. My parents bought a mini van after all of us kids moved out. They had gotten rid of their truck and decided they needed something that could haul stuff on the rare occasion hauling was needed. If that is what you want, get it.
 

Ali

New member
Not crazy at all. We only have 1, but I would love a Mazda 5 for the extra seats and cargo room. We often have other kids with us and it would be so much simpler.
 

SafeDad

CPSDarren - Admin
Staff member
The Honda Odyssey LX is pretty unique in that it is roomier, more flexible for kids, safer, more fuel efficient and less expensive to buy than the popular midsize SUVs. It is crazy that so many of us buy midsize or large SUVs instead of minivans for our families, especially people like me who don't actually need AWD, off-road or towing capability.

But if you want excellent safety for less money, something like the Subaru Forester you mentioned with optional Eyesight will be very safe and cost less in the lower trim levels. The advantage of a heavier vehicle starts to level off after 3000 lbs or so and is mostly important in frontal crashes. Consider that vehicles like the Forester with advanced frontal crash avoidance features can prevent some of those frontal crashes in the first place!
 

lilti9er

New member
I don't think it's crazy at all to buy a minivan if you like it and can afford it. I love the Odyssey! My husband and I bought one years ago before even having children but we did have a pack of dogs to fill it up lol. We still love the Odyssey but don't have one now. We live in Houston, TX where it floods easily so we've chosen the Pilot & CRV over the Odyssey. But I tell you what, if we ever outgrow the Pilot then we'd most likely get a new Odyssey next!
 

LauraD

New member
The Honda Odyssey LX is pretty unique in that it is roomier, more flexible for kids, safer, more fuel efficient and less expensive to buy than the popular midsize SUVs. It is crazy that so many of us buy midsize or large SUVs instead of minivans for our families, especially people like me who don't actually need AWD, off-road or towing capability.

But if you want excellent safety for less money, something like the Subaru Forester you mentioned with optional Eyesight will be very safe and cost less in the lower trim levels. The advantage of a heavier vehicle starts to level off after 3000 lbs or so and is mostly important in frontal crashes. Consider that vehicles like the Forester with advanced frontal crash avoidance features can prevent some of those frontal crashes in the first place!

Yes, the Odyssey really does have better value for your money than comparable SUVs. Although it is still expensive (especially since I want fancy safety features like the blind spot camera etc)

You make good points about the Forester. I'll have to look into that further. I didn't realize that the weight advantage starts to level off after 3000 lbs. Where can I read more about that?

I noticed that informedforlife.org recommends the Outback safety-wise, but not the Forester, which I thought was interesting. What are your thoughts on the Outback (with regard to safety, specifically)?

Thanks!
 

rosey2007

Active member
I don't think its a crazy idea at all. I just got a minivan and love it. The best things about them IMO are, the sliding door, easy to get kiddos buckled in, lots of room and decent gas mileage. I'm a mom of 2 and yes I could have got a sedan but I don't like the feeling of being so low to the ground.
 

cantabdad

New member
I noticed that informedforlife.org recommends the Outback safety-wise, but not the Forester, which I thought was interesting. What are your thoughts on the Outback (with regard to safety, specifically)?
Thanks!

We have an Outback and I'd consider it to be a safe vehicle. Informed for Life describes the 2014 model as "top 3%" for safety, compared to "top 2%" for the Odyssey.

The Outback weighs less than the Odyssey and scored one notch lower on the IIHS frontal small overlap test (Acceptable, vs. Good). Otherwise their NHTSA and IIHS scores are identical (except for one sub-score on the side test).

The Outback has an optional forward collision warning and auto-brake system that received the highest score from IIHS; there is an even more advanced system on the incoming 2015 models.

This is more subjective, but I also felt that the Outback is more maneuverable than the Odyssey, making it easier to avoid a crash in the first place. In Consumer Reports' track test, the Outback was able to handle their "avoidance maneuver" at a higher speed (50 mph, vs. 47.5 mph) which indicates slightly better emergency handling.

AWD is not a cure-all for bad weather but was another consideration for us here in New England. It may not be as much of a concern for you in the South.

As for the the Forester: it shares an engine with the Outback but their platform and bodywork are different. The Outback got a 5-star rating on the NHTSA frontal crash test, whereas the Forester got only a 4-star rating. (If you dig into the Informed for Life methodology, you'll see that they consider a 4-star frontal rating to be unacceptable, since there are so many vehicles available that get 5-stars, and because frontal crashes are the most severe category.) However, the Forester did slightly better on the IIHS small overlap test. It also has the optional EyeSight system.

Ultimately it all depends on what you're looking for. We considered a minivan to be expensive (both in upfront purchase price and in gasoline costs) and impractical for our tight driveway. And we really wanted a stick shift, which ruled out a lot of vehicles, minivan and otherwise. Others don't have the same concerns and would find a minivan to be the ultimate in practicality and well worth the additional cost.
 

SafeDad

CPSDarren - Admin
Staff member
Yes, the Odyssey really does have better value for your money than comparable SUVs. Although it is still expensive (especially since I want fancy safety features like the blind spot camera etc)

You make good points about the Forester. I'll have to look into that further. I didn't realize that the weight advantage starts to level off after 3000 lbs. Where can I read more about that?

I noticed that informedforlife.org recommends the Outback safety-wise, but not the Forester, which I thought was interesting. What are your thoughts on the Outback (with regard to safety, specifically)?

Thanks!

I like the Outback as well. For 2015, though, the Subaru Legacy is the bargain in terms of vehicles with advanced frontal crash mitigation. Legacy is basically an Outback without the SUV appearance. You can get the 2015 Premium trim with Eyesight for around $25K MSRP. That's quite a bit cheaper than Outback or Forester with Eyesight.

As for weight, with all the safety advances, especially frontal crash mitigation with autobrake, my advice is to avoid the mini and sub compact cars. From compact to full size, find one with good IIHS and NHTSA crash test ratings all around and, if at all possible, frontal crash mitigation alert and/or autobrake. I'd have no problem with my teen driving a top rated compact sedan, like a Civic or Focus or Elantra, for example, even without an autobrake system.

http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/vehicle-size-and-weight/qanda
 

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