Need a Bigger Car.. Any Advice..

I have the Dodge Caravan. Town & Country is the same, as well as the VW Routan. (slightly diff. appearance for the VW w/tailights, etc)

I like it but there have been several recalls with parts, etc that I have had to get taken care of. They send a notice, you go to the dealer and they fix it at no charge. They weren't about anything serious and it's not that big of a deal, but I just haven't had a car that has had so many of them. I have the 2008 model so hopefully they've ironed out the kinks.

Also my brakes wore out really quickly. They said this is typical. Thank goodness Dodge comped all but $100 for that.

I do like it, other than the fact everyone thinks they can leave their toys and books inside of it, and no one helps poor ol mom clean it out!!

LisaD

We have a 2001 Dodge Caravan and I love it. I'm not a huge fan of Dodges normally, but this one is sturdy, handles my 3 kids and their friends and paraphanelia, and doesn't have many mechanical issues that would get expensive. I have 3 kids aged 8, 9, and 18 and have no issues with fitting all 5 of us, a friend or 2, and 2 weeks worth of groceries in the van at one time. The back hatch area for groceries/boxes is pretty spacious and I know I used to have a double stroller back there. Mine has the 2 sliding bay doors and the walkway down the middle between the 2 middle row seats so it's easy for kids to get in and out. The back row & both middle row seats all come out or fold down pretty easily. The only thing I really wish was different would be that the seats don't fold down into the floor. When we trade in on a newer one I'll see about getting that feature but in the meantime I really like our van.

I loved our Dodge Caravan but the transmission went out fairly early and I think they're known for that. Otherwise I loved it because it was low and you didn't have to climb into it, there was room and it was so good for us when we had it. Our relatives have one similar but different brand and it's very nice and roomy and even has a TV. Some people like the SUV's better so go and look at them at a lot, new and used, and see which fits you best and then start looking for your used one.

We had a Honda Pilot with three kids and there was plenty of space. We outgrew it with #4 and now have a Yukon and it is significantly bigger. Our next car will be a Suburban or Yukon XL. We went with an SUV because neither my nor I wanted a minivan- AT ALL. We have captain seats in our Yukon, so the inside is almost identical to a minivan, the only difference being that we don't have sliding doors (and it sits higher).

I am not a minivan kind of mom...
With that being said, I had a Acura MDX that I LOVED!!!!! It has 3 rows and is a very nice, smooth driving SUV... My friend has the Honda Pilot and it's REALLY roomy... 3 rows and she absolutely loves it!!!!

I love my Honda Odyssey. People who have driven it are surprised how well it drives. My husband tends to drive it like a race car.

I LOVE my Toyota Sienna! It seats 8, the back seats fold down into the floor for tons of storage. Even when they are up, there's a lot of room in the back still for groceries and our double stroller and stuff. We test drove a lot of the other vans and found that the Sienna was markedly more comfortable, roomy and just overall awesome. We've had it for almost two years and haven't had a single problem with it. It also gets pretty good gas mileage. The only thing I would do differently is find one that has an automatic tailgate and sliding doors. One of our doors slides, but it'd be lovely if they both did... much easier getting infant car seats in and out.

I am not a van person but needed the space so I have a Taurus Wagon and I love it! Three seats in the front, three seats in the middle, two extra seats way in the back which is great for kids and the rack on top for luggage. Gets great mileage and is great for vacations, etc. Good luck!!

we are expecting number 5. With 3 I loved my mercury mountaineer, plenty of space for stuff or we had extra seats with the 3rd row. However, it did not do both, there was NO room with all the seats in use. We now have a Saturn outlook and I love the amount of space and it easily fits all of us, a stroller and groceries, and that won't change when we add another car seat. It's great on gas and probably the nicest thing I've ever driven.

Go rent one for a weekend before you buy! I looove the Chrysler town and country, and Dodge Caravans are almost identical.