Best AWD Car/ Minivan/ SUV for Three Young Kids?

We owned a 2008 Sienna for a few years and it was PERFECT for younger kids. I absolutely loved it because of the button to slide the doors open (including the rear door), etc. It wasn't too high up off the ground... We compared it to the Honda and ended up going with a Sienna Limited (which is super loaded with lots of options).

Maybe you could get an older Sienna (just a year or two older) and it would give you all the functionality, space and layout that you need.

~ Ann

With a 2 1/2 yr old and 1 1/2 yr old twins.... I struggled with the same dilemma.. and asked the same questions right here on this blog last year, when I still had infant seats for the twins.
I rented the Toyota Sienna on a vacation, based on the popular responses always pointing to the Toyota sienna or Honda Oddessey. I wanted to see how it was. It worked for my baby juggling. It does fit a large triple stroller, when you fold one helf of the third row down... but baby#3 goes in the other half of the third row.
Honestly, think really hard about whether you might require all three children in the 2nd row. This was my decision, so I could have access to any one of them from the front row..
Therefore, I finally accepted the fact that I needed the big truck. So I upgraded from a smaller 3-row SUV into the big SUV ... my top choices were the Chevy Tahoe and Infinity QX56... and now some time later, I realize how helpful the extra space is. My family goes out together a lot. We need that triple stroller with us, plus room for 'stuff', like diapers, clothes, food, and drinks.

I am the mother of five. Right now I have one child in a booster, one in a convertible seat and one in a rear facing infant seat. My husband and I are also looking into a new vehicle since our 7 passenger Pontiac Montana is maxed out in seating! We seriously considered a Suburban. You could definitely fit 3 carseats across the 2nd row and it would do great in the snow. We thought the seating in the third row was a little cramped and for all the extra cash we'd have to spend, we didn't know if it would be worth it. You're right about the new Toyota Sienna. They do have a jump seat that fits in between the captain chairs in the second row but you couldn't put a car seat in the middle position. Honda has redesigned the Odyssey for 2011 and are claiming that you can fit three carseats across the 2nd row. It comes out this fall. Right now, I think we are going to wait and look at the new Odyssey since we love the convenience of a minivan. Unless we get a better idea from the answers here to your post! Good luck!

we really like out volvo XC 90 with awd.. great safety features and has 3rd row.. it is just the right size not too big.. we have the v8 and it feels very peppy and sporty.. We also use Britax and I really like the built in booster seat.. we bought ours 1 year used and it came with a warrenty for 5 years!
Lenc

We bought a used 2006 Toyota Sienna for our triplets - cheaper & better design.

We just switched from our Ford Expedition to a Toyota Sienna Limited - and we love it!!! It is so much easier with kids and grandparents (who need easy-to-get in cars as well). We looked at the Honda Oydessey but it didn't seem as comfortable and you didn't get as many options for your $$. Plus the Sienna feels like you are driving a lexus - my husband and I fight over driving it!

We rented the Toyota Sequoia and that is definitely big enough. We had three car seats in the second row with no problem, though I had to put the baby in the middle so I could strap in the older ones since it is so high off the ground. But it is definitely a big SUV.

We bought the Honda Odyssey, which was good, not great. You can move the second seat over to give you access to the third row but I couldn't get all three seats into the second row. I have the toddler in the back and the two younger ones are in the second row. Not idea, but that was the only way I could make it work.

We rented the Sienna once as well and were able to easily fit all of the car seats in the second row if you get the eight passenger (which it sounds like they may not be making anymore?). But they only made the eight passenger vehicle in the lowest model so you couldn't get the DVD player or the navigation system or leather seats. So we decided not to buy it.

A little rambling - I guess this is all to say that there is no good solution, just less bad solutions. We have three kids under three and spent a lot of time looking. Good luck with your search
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I know you don't want the Sienna but we have a 2010 Sienna that sounds like the same configuration... 2 captain seats and then a full third row. We have twins who are 4 and a 6 year old singleton. Our 6 year old sits in a car seat (well, now a booster) in the third row. When she had the car seat, she sat in the center of the third row and now she sits in the booster in any position in the third row. The boys sit in the captain chairs in their Britax Marathons.
The car is great in the snow. It's actually my favorite of our three cars. Very roomy, has a DVD player. Rides great. I love it!
In terms of getting your toddler back there when the Britax's are installed backwards, I know it's a bit hard but it's definitely do-able. We did it all the time when our boys were little. I think we left them rear facing in the captain chairs until they were 2 (and my daughter was 4). So for at least 2 years, we somehow managed to get my daughter back there (with us too to buckle her in). Our nanny used to sit back there with her so she obviously got in ok...

Updated

I'm not sure how the configuration of the new Sienna is any different from the old one. I had a 2006 Sienna and now we have a 2009 Sienna. Both the 2006 and 2009 have 2 captains chairs in the middle row and a banquette in the back. We got our first Sienna when my daughter was 2 1/2 years old and my twins were just born. (Now my daughter is 7 and the twins are 4). We always put the twins in the captains chairs (rear facing at first and then forward facing). The twins currently are using Britax Marathons in the captains chairs. My daughter is now in the back row in a booster seat, but until recently, she was in a Marathon in the middle of the third row. Yes, it's easier now that she can buckle and unbuckle herself, but it wasn't the end of the world to go back there and buckle her in.

I understand price might be an issue, but a used Sienna is going to have the same seating issues. I will say that I LOVE our minivan. Even though we have 2 other cars, including a convertible, the Sienna is my favorite car. I love the back up cameras, the sonar to tell you if you're going to bump into something, the DVD player, the navigation system.... Even the cupholders!!

Subarus are great for AWD. Not sure about one that fits 3 cars seats but you might want to call and ask them.

I have an Odessey and three kids. However we only have two car seats as the oldest is out of car seats. I LOVE IT. It is not AWD and they dont' make one, BUT we have good tires on it, and it does great. By the way, we live in Denver - snowy and icy! Good luck

I have a buick Rondavue and I love it. I have had three 5-point forward facing car seats in the middle row. If need be we could have 5 car seats in that car. I'm sure two rear facing and one forward would fit. Mine is a 2005. It did wonderful this last winter even going places my fathers 4 wheel drive had troubles with.

Hope this helps.

My girlfriend has a Buick Enclave & loves it! She also has the Marathons comfortably in her car & it handles great in the snow. We all live in the Hudson Valley in NY so we see LOTS of snow! I have a Dodge Grandcaravan & it handles awesome in the snow (not AWD & have NEVER had an issue w/ snow) During this last blizzard that NY was under state of emergency my hubby was outthere driving in it just fine & we have regular tires.(not snowtires!)Finally my favorite is the 2010 Sienna which my mother in law has. She has my 2 carseats & my sister in law's carseat & she's 66 & tows all three kids in & out w/ no issues w/ the toddler in the 3rd row. & the trunk space w/o folding the seats is awesome! I do have to admit that the toddler is 3 & knows how to put on her own seatbelts but my MIL still gets in there to check it out to make sure it's on right & still has to unstrap her to get her out! & like someone else mentioned - it drives like a Lexus - a dream to drive!

buick enclave
the second row is 2 bucket seats so you can easliy access the 3rd row for the older child in the car seat, no climbing over or pulling forward of seats!

We love our Acura MDX, it seats 7. We only have 2 kids but I have had 1 kid in the back and it was fine. I also hav had my son on the outside of the middle row and our daughter in the middle (rear facing) and an adult on the side that pulls forward to gain access to the back and it worked great. It is AWD so we don't have to worry about bad weather either.

I love the versatility of having the stow-away seating in my Chrysler Town & Country's (I have two!). The second row has captains seats but I can install one car seat in the second row, stow the second captain seat and then install two car seats in the third row. It's ideal and VERY easy to get in and out. Trust me on this one ... I have a home daycare business, so I am in and out of the car with kids and car seats all day, every day!

Have you looked at the Honda Odyssey? The EX and EX-L models have 2 captain's chairs and a jump-seat in the second row. If you remove the jump-seat (there is storage for it in the floor), you are able to move one of the captain's chairs to the center of the car, which leaves room on one side for an adult to get to the back row, and the trunk is still large enough for almost anything you could possibly need (unlike most SUVs I've seen, which require you put the seats down to have significant trunk space). I also LOVE the power-sliding doors, because when my arms are full with baby and shopping bags, I just have to hit the keyfob and I have access to the car.