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Can you fit 2+ kids in a compact car? Can you fit 3 kids in a midsize sedan?
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Yes, we have a Toyota Matrix and nobody is too terribly uncomfortable at 2 kids, 9 and 4. However, I think 3 kids in a midsize is getting to be a squeeze. However, that being said, how often do a family of 5 take a long trip?
I guess it varies.
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Is it more practical to keep our compacts for a long time, and then jump immediately into something like a van if we have kid #3? Would you pick an SUV over a minivan? Why? Or station wagon?
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I would pick the minivan and I am exactly in kind of this decisive situation with my family.
It was my family's tradition for the guy to take the beat up car as the secondary car which I have always done with my wife. It's what my father did and it's what I do.
However, I have a 1999 Ford Taurus with 78K on it and my wife has a 2004 Matrix with only 25K on it. If you do the math, she only puts about 8K/year on it and I owe about $2300 on it.
My inkling is to hang on the Matrix and buy a used minivan. . .but then that would place her in the older (ie: less reliable) car since she hauls the kids maybe 75% of the time to little league and stuff.
So. . .as usual, I just do nothing until something really bad happens and then I'm forced to make a decision.
Anyway, why do a minivan over an SUV?
Well, I owned a Rodeo for about 5 years and just got sick of the SUV scene I guess but here are thelogical reasons:
1. Minivans are generally better on gas, esp. 4 cylinders
2. More versatile for hauling family stuff and family
3. Safer
4. A little higher up for big guys like me compared to a station wagon so getting in and out of the car isn't a pain.
Downside:
A tan minivan is a chick repellant and can only be offset by a baby or a puppy
