Car for 3 Children

Honda Odyssey. Love, love, love it! Will not traid for anything. i did a lot of search before getting it, looked at many cars, read reviews and always came back to Odyssey.

love my Toyota Sienna (2001 i think) for me it is easier than the SUV because the older kids can get in and load themselves with out me having to move the seats... anyone I know that has a sienna loves it, and with three (or more) kids I just think the Minivan is the way to go!

We got a Chevy Traverse with the middle row captain's chairs a couple of months ago...love it...drives like a smaller vehicle, but seats 7..has a backup camera, so far it appears to be a good value

Love love love my suburban! I don't think I'll ever drive anything else. Ice driven suburbans before I even had one child so maybe I am biased ;) Mine is a 2008 so it has the button you simply push and the middle bucket seats fold over and then up against the front seats. Easy access to the back row. I usually keep one seat folded up at all times. 2 children in the back(the older ones) and the infant in the captains chair I leave as is. I'm not a minivan kind of person, but they are nice for kids and much cheaper. Might look into something like that.

go with a minivan. I have a Honda Accord and it can fit 3 kids (2 in car seats, one not). Looking back, I would give anything to have purchased a Minivan.

We just got the Toyota Sienna mini-van, and while I resisted a mini-van, I have to admit I love it. I test drove large SUVs (Yukon, Navigator) but none of them had enough cargo space if you used the 3rd row - which we do. We had a Volvo RX90, but then we had twin girls in March and two infant seats and a booster for our 4 year old was not fitting very well and my husband couldn't move the drivers seat far enough back with the rear facing seat there (and moving the 4 year old there wasn't an option b/c she has to be on the passenger side for carpool). I do have a friend with 3 kids of different ages - 6, 4 and 1 and the Volvo works for her.
The Sienna is great - I took out the middle seat of the second row and put the 4 yr old in the 3rd row - she climbs through the middle to get in and out w/o a problem. And she can't poke her sisters in the eyes anymore! Plus I love the new car smell - and the bluetooth. I guess I'm officially a minivan driving soccer mom now.

We just got a Honda Pilot. We've had it less than a week but we love it so far.

i love my honda pilot!! you can get them used for pretty reasonable. and it looks great and is so reliable!! one of the best things about it is the back seat will split. you can have one seat up, two seats up or all three. the other midsized suvs don't have that option.

Love our Honda Odyssey. We bought our first... way back in '99 when we were in your same shoes, expecting our third. We just got rid of that one and purchased the 2010 model Odyssey last year. Love this one even more, with it's added features.

Honda Pilot. Had to have it when we went to Number 3 child. Love it. My husband had a Honda Accord prior to that and I a luxury car.

We love our 2010 Toyota Sienna. Plenty of room.

We bought a Honda Odyssey for 3 little ones. It works out great for us.

We got a Toyota Sienna when we had our 3rd and I love it. First, I'm practical, so I couldn't see spending more money on an SUV that had less trunk space and cost more in gas, so I finally gave into a van. I chose the Sienna b/c there was still a TON of trunk space, even with all the seats up and because it had a split 3rd seat...if I need to, I can put 1 kid in the back and still lay the rest of the seat down. I'm sure more vans have this option now, but at the time, that was the deciding factor. Also, I got the auto door on the passenger side and it is GREAT! Really nice when dropping off friends or at school. Just pusht he button, the door opens, push it again and it closes. I would highly recommend that option on whatever van you get. Oh, another thing about vans vs. SUV's...the van door slides open, SUV opens like a regular car. Well, kids are known to NOT be so cautious, so sometimes they may open the door and hit the car next to them. Not a problem in a van.

We bought our 2005 Chrysler Town & Country new and I am still driving it. I love this van. It was reasonably priced, drives nice, and the flexibility of the interior and all the space is amazing. Long car trips are no sweat in this van. I hear the new ones have even more great features. We are now down to one teenager, but the van still serves us very well. With 3 kids the extra cost of a really fancy car or van don't make sense. Relax, get a well priced van that functions really well and don't flip out when the kids spill something - because they will. Save for the fancy car after the kids are grown and not driving yours!

We have a crossover - a Hyundai Vera Cruz - and a minivan - the Chrysler Town & Country.

Hyundai Vera Cruz -- it is wonderful in a lot of ways. Good room, excellent drive, affordable compared to it's competitors. But it has next to no storage/cargo room in the back when all seats are up. This is pretty common with Crossovers so you really need to look at that. It can only handle a small grocery shop worth of bags.

When we found out we were having baby #4 we started looking for something with more room, something we could travel in and fit luggage, something that would hold big grocery shops and other needs.

Chrysler Town & Country - The drive is "okay"... the Hyundai has really spoiled me. I feel like I can feel the cheapness of the construction of the T&C. BUT we have tons of room, we got dual DVD screens, remote start, remote opening doors, rear back up camera, and tons of other features. I also got a massive bumper to bumper warranty on it to cover myself because I read they do have more service issues and I didn't want to have to worry about unexpected expenses from that. I looked at the Honda, Toyota and a few other minivans, but I really wanted some extras like leather, the DVD screens, etc for long car rides.. and I just couldn't justify how much more expensive the Honda was.

Good luck on your hunt :)

LOVE my Buick Enclave. The Chevy Traverse and GMC Acadia are the same model. Just be sure to look at one with the captain's chairson second row. Will make is easier for you to get to back row for older kid(s).

CONGRATS on your new baby!!

I LOVE my Dodge Grand Caravan - HATE the maintenance issues with it- but LOVE LOVE LOVE the room!

Not sure what kind of money you have and what activities you do - however, the Suburban is a GREAT LARGE family car!

Love my pre owned crysler town and country. It is so organized and versatile with the stow n go.

I love my Toyota Sienna . . .we've had it for over 7 years and don't plan to get rid of it anytime soon. Very roomy and comfortable and reliable. We've driven 1/2 way across the country and back again about 6 times in it with never a problem (we have family in NJ). And this coming from a woman who SWORE she would never drive a minivan! We bought the version that seats 8 (it has the optional middle seat in the middle row). The middle row/middle seat was PERFECT for a car seat both during infancy when it was rear facing and now when it is front facing. The reason is because the seat has two positions -- it can be moved closer to the front seats so mom & dad can reach back easier. Now that our little one is almost 4, we moved the seat back to the "regular" position.

I love my Honda Odyssey. Very intelligently designed and convenient.

Just get a vehicle with a 3rd row and put the older child back there. In the middle if it has a shoulder strap. The booster should be fine but if the seat has a slight hump in the middle the booster will lean on turns. If the vehicle you purchase has that then just put them on one side or the other.

I am a suburban and station wagon mom. Just can't stomach the thought of a minivan - I know silly and vain, but that doesn't answer your question . . .
I have to recommend the 2010 Subaru Outback! these are incredible! I covet my friend's everytime we schlep our kids around (I have a 7 yo and 3 yo, she has a 20 month old). It looks so stylish, is large enough for all three of the seats and is so comfortable!! Great bells and whistles and is an environmentally sound company to boot!
Definately on my radar next time I need a new (or pre-owned) vehicle. The one down side, I believe it was 2010 when they changed the body style to be so wonderful, so it does limit your options in the pre-owned market.

I have a Toyota Sienna, and it's like the Honda Odyssey. Love it!!!! And, this is from a person who said she would never drive a minivan. I've even joked, saying the next design upgrade they make for this vehicle will be a detachable changing table in the back. hahaha. You just can't beat this vehicle for families. Congratulations!

We love our 2009 Honda Odyssey. We removed the second row middle seat to have access to the third row. We can fit 4-5 adults and two car seat! We also have a DVD player and automatic side doors and back lift. So no trying to open the doors while holding a carrier and because the doors slide you don't have to worry about someone parking so close you can't open your door wide enough to get your carrier in it. Yes, that happened to me before I got the van. Also, built in sun shades on the second row of seats! I could go on and on about this van and my husband loves it also. By far the most comfortable car we have owned.