Suvs

I went from a Sequoia to a Highlander Hybrid, and I recently traded the Highlander in for a Cadillac SRX. I origianlly changed because I did not like the new Sequoias. My kids were almost 1 and 3 at the time I changed. The Highlander was big enough to accomodate the diaper bags, double strollers etc; and it had the fold down 3rd row seat, if I needed to take someone else along with us.
I love the Cadillac, it is just slighlty smaller than the Highlander, but it would not have worked for me if I still needed the double stroller all the time (kids are 3 and 5 now). It is large enough for my daily life, trips to Costco, etc. i have a Mastiff (190 lbs) that fits in the back. I did not go with another Toyota (or Lexus) product, because I no longer had confidence in the brand. My Highlander was recalled too many times. I guess that's another post :)
I drive a lot: 36,000 - 40,000 miles/year. I did not feel like I needed (or wanted) to drive such a large vehicle every day. We do have a large conversion van, that we have for road trips, that I can drive if I need more space for the day. I would probably feel differently if I didn't have that option.
I was worried about the space issue with my last trade. The dealer let me put the carseats in the car, along with all my junk, and drive around for a day. Maybe that would be a good option for you?

We test drove Highlanders a few years ago, and you would be surprised at how much room it has. There was very little difference between it and the 4Runner. The Highlander is also available in a hybrid, so it could help save gas money.

I went from a mini van to a Honda Pilot. I definitely lost a lot of room, but do not miss it. I think it all depends on the age of the kids and what all you are toting around. My kids are older (6 and 10) If they are bringing friends with us somewhere we flip up the 3rd row. There is stil a little room in the back for stuff. If i had a stroller or something, it would not fit well with the 3rd row. It is harder to get in out of the 3rd row. It works for us though, and I LOVE my car.

I LOVE my Toyota RAV4, great gas mileage and we got the 3rd row that is very easy to flip up and down, although it is made for very petite passengers. My MIL drives a newer Ford SUV and loves it, too. I went from a Ford Expedition to my Toyota and I love how much easier it is to navigate parking lots and heavy traffic, the only thing I hate is how much lower you sit compared to the larger trucks and SUVS..you can't see around them!! But, you will be much happier with the fewer trips to fill up your tank. Good Luck!

I recently went from a honda accord to a yukon. I love it but what a gas gussler. If I knew that gas was going to be so much then I might have gone with something smaller. But I do love the space.

I think you really have to think about the gas mileage! After the huge BP oil spill, everyone is urging us to think responsibly about how much we depend on oil (either foreign or deep water, or both) and our dependence on it. Can you manage with less space to be able to spend less money on gas guzzlers? Can you look at some hybrid options? I can't tell you how wonderful it is to get 45-50 mpg! It leaves a good feeling inside and a lot more money for other things for our families!

I went from a mini-van (which can carry way more than my old gigantic full size SUV) to a mid-size SUV (Lexus 400H). I love it. I have 3 kids, 3,4,5 and they all fit in there nicely (albeit tightly). I will say though that there is no wiggle room to ever add another carseat, 3 is it. The back of my vehicle is quite large and we often fit our 80lb golden retriever back there with all the kids stuff, tons of groceries, etc. There has only been a few times where I missed the mini-van. I think the Highlander is built on the same body as my Lexus. Plus, the gas mileage on my hybrid is so much better. I don't feel like I'm pumping money into it all the time!

It really depends on you...what are your space needs. I have to have extra space for BMX bikes and gear. I also need that space for other sports gear too. We had a regular family van and found that most of that stuff ended up being in the floor between the seats. If you don't transport any of that stuff you could lose the extra space. I cannot go smaller.

Good question and I'll be watching the answers. We have a Yukon that I LOVE. But it does have almost 120,000 miles on it. And I've wondered about missing the extra space if we go smaller.

I went from an Expedition that seated 8 to a Mercedes R500, which still has a 3rd row, but only seats 6. It is much lower to the ground, but about the same width. It's fine most of the time, but there have been several times when I've needed the height for things I buy or wanted to transport my sister's family with us like we used to. Everyone thinks I'm crazy but I really almost wish I would have got a new Expedition instead.

In January of this year I was forced by a drunk driver to change vehicles. I went from a Yukon XL (same as Suburban) to a Tahoe (same as Yukon). I really like my Tahoe but miss that extra 18" from my XL. The gas mileage is about the same, which is not that good. However, I have to look at the safety of the larger vehicles. We were so well protected in the wreck. All three of us in my XL walked away with nothing more than a few bruises and a touch of whip lash.

We looked at some smaller SUVs but I just didn't feel as safe as I did in the larger ones. My Tahoe has more safety features than my XL did and I love it! And the only thing I really miss is that little bit of extra room.

I know gas mileage can be a major selling point, but I wouldn't trade my Tahoe for anything!