To SUV or to Minivan...that is the question.
Personally, I've always been one to favor the SUVs. They're just more comfortable, taller and, in the back of my mind, I'm still hoping I can pull a horse trailer. However, being open-minded, Paul and I decided that we needed to research 6 different models: 2 were minivans and the other 4, SUVs. A number we decided against right after our first tour of the dealership lots: the Odyssey was better than the Sienna; the Pilot too small with chincy 3rd row seating, the Suburban too big. The Sequoia was pretty much the same thing as the Tahoe, but more expensive. So, down to the Tahoe and the Odyssey.
I test drove the Tahoe and fell in love. The feel was so familiar, it drove smoothly, and I was sold on things like memory instruments and the OnStar system. The back entry, with the Dutch door, also made a lot of sense for the dog. It wasn't until I went to the Honda dealership that I figured out its fatal flaw: in order to gain access to the 3rd row seats in an SUV, you have to fold down one of the seats in the 2nd row. "So, just exactly how do you do that without having to take out a carseat?" I asked the salesperson at the Toyota dealership about the similarly designed Sequoia. He was initially at a loss, but, quick on his feet, he answered, "Like this!" He opened up the trunk and suggested that people just climb over the seat. I was astounded at his unrealistic answer. He may have been thinking older kids, but I was thinking grandparents. How do you tell your adult passengers to just climb over the seat? You don't; it's obnoxious!
The Odyssey is the only car we found that has a solution to this problem. In their 2nd row, you can take out part of the seat, sort of like a leaf in a dining room table, and push the other seats together to create essentially an aisle along the side. They also have the family in mind with other design aspects: build in sunshades on the side windows, Lazy-Susan storage accessible from the front seat or the 2nd seat, the ever-so-convenient automatic sliding doors (love this!), and flat storage of the 3rd row seats so my extra-wide stroller fits easily. It's stiffer and shorter than a SUV and it doesn't come with OnStar or memory-everything, but for the family, especially when you have two or more kids in carseats for the next 5 years, it's really the best choice, we thought.
All being said, here's now the newest member of our Family: our new minivan!
The new Family Car
If you need one, visit Kahn at San Leandro Honda - he's a straight-shooter and will make it easy.
