Is it completely and utterly abnormal...

Splash

New member
For one family, with one child (currently) to own two minivans?

I just can't find all the features and safety I want, for the price I want to pay, outside of a minivan.

I can almost steal a Sienna or a Quest right now. I like both of them, but the Sienna a bit more.

Gas mileage is close to the other vehicles I was looking at (the difference in maybe 3-4 gallons a month for as much as I drive).

I like minivans. Maybe I'm an odd duck.

But I cannot shake the notion that it is just really wrong for one family to have two minivans.
 
ADS

rachel3612

Senior Community Member
That is kind of strange.

What do you like more about the Sienna over the Quest? I like the Quest better, the seats flod fland and out of the way to get to the third row. The only reason I would ever choose a Sienna would be if I needed the 8 passenger.

Rachel
 

Splash

New member
How exactly does a seat flod fland? That is interesting! :)

I think the inside of the Quest looks cheap. I hate the way the seats look, you can't move one of the seats to the middle, it's impossible to get to the back if you have carseats in the second row, and there are only three top tethers in the van.

It's a bit cheaper and it looks cool on the outside. And has more interior room.
Truthfully, if there were more tethers I would probably go for it. But I hate only having three. Because with more than two kids, you would have to move two in the back (if all three were in carseats) because it is physically impossible to access that third row if there are two carseats in the second. And then you can't top tether one of the seats.
It's the same problem in our Mercury and I wanted to veto the vehicle for that reason alone, but DP really wanted that one.

Plus, the interior of the Quest is too similar (IMO) to my 2003 Honda Odyssey which I hated with all the passion I can muster to hate a vehicle with. I can't even stomach the thought of LOOKING at Honda vans again because I hated that thing so immensely.
 

scatterbunny

New member
I don't think it's weird. I had a Honda Accord (and only have one child) but sold it and bought a minivan. We don't plan on having more kids, either. I just like the idea that I can transport Hayley's friends whenever needed, instead of only being able to transport ONE other friend in my Accord. I guess I aspire to be a soccer mom, LOL!
 

rachel3612

Senior Community Member
The floor is two levels, it goes up a few inches in the back benck, so the middle seats fold flat to that level and the thrid row flolds flat into the back. It works great as a cargo van when all the seats are flat. If the seats in the middle are not rear facing then you can just walk between them, I do it all the time. This is another way to get to the back with a ff seat with latch http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/rachel3612/707f8f5e.jpg I do that with Liam in the seat. LOL Here is a picture of 4 kids in the Quest. The RA and MCP are not latched (too old) but the MA is and of course the pw isn't.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/rachel3612/meeting20021.jpg

It wasn't hard getting the kids in the back buckled. We only did that for a day trip. They are not all my kids.

Rachel
 

Splash

New member
I agree with that... but minivan just seems to move onto a different plane...
I don't think people realize how functional, comfortable, efficient, safe, and reliable they are. But you're right, a family could own two expeditions or pilots or other mammoth vehicles and no one would bat an eyelash.
I guess I just feel like it's excess... more than we need. Although he is in both vehicles rather equally. Is it right to make him safer in one than another? We can't switch on days I have him home (which is about to be cut to Wednesdays only :() because she needs her van for work.
 

ccjones

New member
Why don't you just drive your Aztek until the crash test ratings come out for the Mazda5? By then, the Mazda5 will most likely be in the next model year and they will have worked out all the first model-year kinks. Is there are reason you HAVE to get a new vehicle, or do you just want to? ;)

Colleen
 

Splash

New member
Well.... I don't *have* to at this exact second in time.
But I'm not thrilled with the prospect of going through a FL summer with a RF baby in a velour carseat in a car with black interior with no air conditioning. Especially a kid with as many skin issues as mine has. I cannot afford for his skin to fall off again.
My A/C is working right now. But I want it working when I trade the car in! And it's on the brink... another month at most I think. And it backs up into the car if I use it, getting the floorboards wet. So I don't use it.
I was TRYING to FORGET about the Mazda! I was trying to forget that I ever saw it, drove it, put a carseat in it, or even heard about it. I was trying to MOVE ON with my life!
Pfft.

BTW- It qualifies as a minivan. Hmm.... and it's the cheapest to insure out of all of them. Double hmm....
 

ccjones

New member
Well, like you said in some of your others posts, you plan to keep Charlie in the BV for a few more years, so you really don't need to worry as much as you would with another carseat. And doesn't the Mazda5 comes with side-curtain airbags in the rear? I dunno, if I were in your shoes, I would just buy the damn Mazda5! LOL It's obvious that you're totally in love with that vehicle! Worst case, you keep it until Charlie outgrows the BV (and you lose the SIP), and then you trade it in for something newer and possibly better on the market. Personally, I would keep the Mazda5 even if the crash test ratings end up being lower than you would like and just move Charlie into a RYS or PW, each having the SIP wings. Just don't lose sight of the fact that Charlie is in a tank of a carseat now (and I have no doubt you will buy him a tank of a booster when he's older) and he will be well-protected in whatever vehicle you decide to buy!

Colleen
 

Splash

New member
Yeah, but side airbags don't mean dip if the structure of the car sucks.
A big poofy pillow won't help him if the metal crumbles enough to let mister honking SUV into his safe happy little bubble!

If it was another company, I would be content to let them rest on their laurels. But not Mazda.

It's okay. I will live.
 

Michi

Member
My family owns two minivans.
We have 4 kids, but honestly the babies have never even ridden in my DH's van - only the older two in boosters.
(Our older van is a '97 and doesn't have latch, so I don't even want to bother trying to install extra 'baby seats'.)
We bought it when we only had two kids, and we took the third row bench out so we could have a huge 'cargo area.
It doesn't fit our family anymore, but it IS paid off and it still runs great, so my DH uses it as his work vehicle,
(Yeah - he gets some 'flak' from some of the 'macho guys' at work, but DH shows them the 'cargo room' and they usually shut-up. Geez...guys can be so dumb sometimes!)
If the older kids need a ride, then I feel good knowing that it is still a safe vehicle to transport them in, as we still have the two boosters in the middle row.

If we all need to go somewhere as a family we take our 2004 van where we can all have safe comfy seats (Britax for the babies installed w/ latch, Graco Turbos for the older two.)

Is two minivans excessive? I don't think so.
I like the safety and convienience, ( AND they get better gas mileage than most SUVs!!!)
 

Lara

New member
It could be worse you could have 2 hummers that would draw some attention LOL. I dont think its weird.
Lara
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
Shoot, our driveway looks like a parking lot! We only have two drivers and yet we have four vehicles. Granted, they all have different purposes and we may be selling one them, but still. lol
We have my Cherokee, the Suburban, dh's Fiero and his early-90's Jaguar that his dad gave him when it started needing lots of repairs. (which dh is able to do himself - we could never afford to keep it on the road if it had to go to a mechanic!)
 

KaysKidz

Senior Community Member
We only have 2 kids at home, of our own and still own a suburban. Even if I wasn't doing daycare, I'd still likely have it. I love it. And it gets suprisingly good gas mileage...although I thought I wanted a Sienna...but I saw one in person (don't know what year) and didn't like the look of it. Not sure how they've changed. I LOVE the interior based on photos I've seen online...but right now I love that my sub is paid off. I'm not ready for another car payment.

In our household, we currently have 3.5 drivers (my father lives with us, and my 15yr old has her permit). In my driveway, we have a '97 sub, '87 Jetta (that we've had for years...think Timex...hubby drives it to work), '80's Buick (dad's commuter), '96 Dodge 3/4 ton 4x4 diesel (farm truck) usually with a 3 horse slant parked next to it, '80's Chevy 1 ton dually (Dad's towing vehicle for his 5th wheel...also next to the house) and finally, Dad's motorcycle. And yes, there is yet another vehicle...but it's kept in the shop. But it'll likely become my daughters vehicle, and then it'll reside in my driveway...somewhere! Do I win?! LOL
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
You win, but only because we don't live with my IL's any more. ;) Dh has 4 brothers, and when everyone is at his parent's house it's a nuthouse.
 

skipspin

New member
Nope, I still win :) We have two drivers and five cars in the driveway! We have "my" Vue, "Dh's" Silverado, "our" Jeep Wrangler, my sister's Jeep Liberty (she's in Mexico for the summer- we have her cat too!) and a friends Explorer that has been there three months. The Liberty will be gone in two weeks, and the Explorer two weeks or so, but for now I win!

I think the Mazda 5 or the Sienna are great choices. (I always recommend the Vue too, but I'll take a short break...) They were both neck-and-neck for what I wanted next until I saw the new 4- door wrangler....I just love having the top off in the summer!

I second the Azetek w/no air not being a great vehicle for FL!

(PS- DH was a car mechanic. Our Jeeps AC leaked like that just because the drain lines for the AC were plugged. Once they were cleaned out- no more leaking!)
 

ccjones

New member
When I was married to the ex, we had 6 cars between the two of us. Even when we parked two in the garage, one in front of the garage, and one in the parking pad next to the garage, all of which was in the back of our house (there was an alley for access), we STILL had to park two vehicles on the street out front. We were constantly playing "musical cars!" You know our neighbors just loved us! LOL We had: 1996 Jeep Wrangler, 1992 Ford F150, 1989 Porsche 944, 1968 Mustang Fastback, 2000 BMW 5 series (my main car), and 1999 VW Jetta.

Colleen
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
We've been bad, but not that bad. lol Up until now the only extra vehicles we had were dh's, now he has one and I have one. lol The Jeep is *mine*, the Suburban is the family vehicle. I only drive it when I have the boys with me or we go somewhere as a family - and then dh drives. lol I love my little car. ;)
 

Dawn

New member
No not weird at all. I have a sienna but we are seriously considering a larger van. As the kids get older the fighting and arguing is getting worse and everyone wants to bring a friend when we go places,lol.
 

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