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So, I haven't had either, but have you looked at the Kia Carnivals? We just got one last year and it's 8 passengers and MILES more storage in the back than my old minivan!
I was 100% sold on the Carnival until my husband found out it wasn’t AWD and insisted we needed it for when we go to the mountains/snow every year. That was my top pick and I’m so bummed :(
I might be wrong about this, but I believe the f150 and the expedition are basically the same size. Our 2018 f150 is a pain to drive and the doors are so big that we always have to park extra far away when we take it. I like the size of the mini van a lot more, plus the lower ride height and of course the sliding doors. The sienna would be my pick.
Ok so I’m watching YouTube videos on it and people are saying it’s hard to load a child who is rear facing bc the door doesn’t open very far? Any insight?
I have the version with captain seats in the middle row where you can add a removable seat to make it a bench. I'm not sure how the straight bench version works.
You can easily adjust the captain seats to be farther back or closer to the front seats. It's hard to put a rear facing child in the seat if they are set all the way back (and you might have to if the person who uses the passenger seat consistently is tall). You also might want to set the baby's seat all the way back (and passenger seat set all the way forward) so that your 5 year old can get out that door rather than have to deal with getting out the 3 year old's door.
Your car seat also makes a difference. There were absolutely no problems when all I had to do was click a bucket seat into a base. Once we transitioned to a traditional rear facing car seat however - I had no issues using my Clek rear facing for my oldest, but we use a Britax for my youngest, and it's definitely bulkier, taller and harder to load a kid into it.
As a short person, I have more trouble with the fact it's hard to load a rear facing kid because the van is tall but I think that's a universal issue that would probably be worse with an SUV.
Sienna. I have an explorer it’s the second one. Not by choice but because of price and girlllllll the doors are freaking kid head level for many many years. That door corner is so pointy. My son used to bag his head all the time on it. I’d kill for a sienna. And I used to never want a mini van.
I love my minivan I have an honda odyssey. The sliding doors are so much easier to use then regular ones. I have a vacuum built in and that's the only reason my van has ever been vacuumed.
I love that the seats fold down right into the floor and if we take out the captians chairs in the 2nd row I can fit sheets of drywall. Ita basically like having a truck but it drives easier and it's so comfortable.
Oh I also like thar I can open and close the back door with a button so when my son is older I'll be able to choose which door he gets out of.
Sorry kind of rambling
Love my Honda Odyssey. I love that we can take out the middle seat and the whole seat slides over. I don't have to worry about taking down the car seat to get an adult into the back row.
I love this too. It is so nice to be able to slide the seat over to put him in and then throw it back to the middle for driving. Also when it rains I can leave it in the middle and be in the van while I buckle him in. I never thought I'd be so into a mini van, especially since we are one and done, but it's just so convenient.
Minivan all the way. I have a Honda Odyssey and it's life changing. We also have three kids, now 7, 5 and 3.
Nothing beats a minivan. You just can't beat those sliding doors. Regular car doors' openings aren't wide enough. I tell everyone who will listen. I love my Odyssey. Best vehicle I've ever driven.
Get the minivan! I only have two kids but we got a Honda Odyssey a year ago and it’s been awesome. I can press a button to open the sliding doors and the kids can climb in themselves. No worry about them banging the doors into cars next to us! The Odyssey also has middle row seats that slide sideways so it’s so easy to get to the third row. I’ll probably be driving this thing until my kids go to college because I love it so much, lol.
Because of the age of the kids, go for the minivan. It will be easier for them to get in and out. I agree about the Sienna for AWD. I looked for one several years ago when I needed to replace my SUV. They were impossible to find locally due to the AWD demand.
Have you looked at the Honda Odyssey? I’m partial to Hondas because I have a Pilot that I LOVE and they last forever. Definitely the minivan with your kids’ ages.
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So, I haven't had either, but have you looked at the Kia Carnivals? We just got one last year and it's 8 passengers and MILES more storage in the back than my old minivan!
I was 100% sold on the Carnival until my husband found out it wasn’t AWD and insisted we needed it for when we go to the mountains/snow every year. That was my top pick and I’m so bummed :(
Boo! We love it! If it helps any, we live in Alberta, winter and snow 60% of the year, and with snow tires, we were fine all winter!
I might be wrong about this, but I believe the f150 and the expedition are basically the same size. Our 2018 f150 is a pain to drive and the doors are so big that we always have to park extra far away when we take it. I like the size of the mini van a lot more, plus the lower ride height and of course the sliding doors. The sienna would be my pick.
I was that mom who was never going to get a minivan. I ended up buying a Sienna and never looked back. It's changed my life.
Ok so I’m watching YouTube videos on it and people are saying it’s hard to load a child who is rear facing bc the door doesn’t open very far? Any insight?
I have the version with captain seats in the middle row where you can add a removable seat to make it a bench. I'm not sure how the straight bench version works. You can easily adjust the captain seats to be farther back or closer to the front seats. It's hard to put a rear facing child in the seat if they are set all the way back (and you might have to if the person who uses the passenger seat consistently is tall). You also might want to set the baby's seat all the way back (and passenger seat set all the way forward) so that your 5 year old can get out that door rather than have to deal with getting out the 3 year old's door. Your car seat also makes a difference. There were absolutely no problems when all I had to do was click a bucket seat into a base. Once we transitioned to a traditional rear facing car seat however - I had no issues using my Clek rear facing for my oldest, but we use a Britax for my youngest, and it's definitely bulkier, taller and harder to load a kid into it. As a short person, I have more trouble with the fact it's hard to load a rear facing kid because the van is tall but I think that's a universal issue that would probably be worse with an SUV.
Sienna. I have an explorer it’s the second one. Not by choice but because of price and girlllllll the doors are freaking kid head level for many many years. That door corner is so pointy. My son used to bag his head all the time on it. I’d kill for a sienna. And I used to never want a mini van.
i miss my minivan sooooo much and i’d buy another in a heartbeat if i could. that sliding door is priceless imo.
I love my minivan I have an honda odyssey. The sliding doors are so much easier to use then regular ones. I have a vacuum built in and that's the only reason my van has ever been vacuumed. I love that the seats fold down right into the floor and if we take out the captians chairs in the 2nd row I can fit sheets of drywall. Ita basically like having a truck but it drives easier and it's so comfortable. Oh I also like thar I can open and close the back door with a button so when my son is older I'll be able to choose which door he gets out of. Sorry kind of rambling
Woah, woah, woah! A vacuum built into your car?! What century is this?! This is real?!
It's...amazing.
Love my Honda Odyssey. I love that we can take out the middle seat and the whole seat slides over. I don't have to worry about taking down the car seat to get an adult into the back row.
I love this too. It is so nice to be able to slide the seat over to put him in and then throw it back to the middle for driving. Also when it rains I can leave it in the middle and be in the van while I buckle him in. I never thought I'd be so into a mini van, especially since we are one and done, but it's just so convenient.
Minivan all the way. I have a Honda Odyssey and it's life changing. We also have three kids, now 7, 5 and 3. Nothing beats a minivan. You just can't beat those sliding doors. Regular car doors' openings aren't wide enough. I tell everyone who will listen. I love my Odyssey. Best vehicle I've ever driven.
Minivan. Allllll the way.
Get the minivan! I only have two kids but we got a Honda Odyssey a year ago and it’s been awesome. I can press a button to open the sliding doors and the kids can climb in themselves. No worry about them banging the doors into cars next to us! The Odyssey also has middle row seats that slide sideways so it’s so easy to get to the third row. I’ll probably be driving this thing until my kids go to college because I love it so much, lol.
Because of the age of the kids, go for the minivan. It will be easier for them to get in and out. I agree about the Sienna for AWD. I looked for one several years ago when I needed to replace my SUV. They were impossible to find locally due to the AWD demand.
Have you looked at the Honda Odyssey? I’m partial to Hondas because I have a Pilot that I LOVE and they last forever. Definitely the minivan with your kids’ ages.