mrsullivan

Its time for an upgrade to my wife's vehicle. We have one son, he is 10 months old. We plan to have 1-2 more in the coming years. She wants a Honda Odessey Touring package. As I will be driving from time to time, this option is not sitting well with me. Its not because of some gweedo masculinity thing, I just dont think that a minivan is fun to drive or look at. I have been lobbying for a Toyota Sequoia... very roomy SUV with great reliability ratings, saftety scores, reasonable price,etc.

The question -- for those that drive SUVs, anyone have experience with the Sequoia? Other recommended family SUVs? Our criteria in order:

1) safety
2) reliability
3) comfort/convenience
4) performance
5) price

Kigiin

Can you say "mini van"... isn't that enough?

Rob

ps. Wife wanted to replace her Lexus RX300 (wanted 8 person seating!) so we drove the Sequoia (albeit a few years back). Wasn't "refined" enough for her... so busted the bank on the Lexus GX470... she loves it (and she should based on the price).

Rob again

Robin 993DX

Actually with that many number of kids on the way the Honda Odessey is the best smart choice.

Better handling, better MPG, more space, easier access.....

Maybe you can mod it so... you know some bling bling spinners, tinted windows, ricer giant potatoe pealer wings... :P

Remember ...


Everyday when I turn on the news I always hear at least 2-3 SUVs turn over on the side causing a major pile up.

Greg Fishman

Why not a nice sedan? With one child you don't need seating for 7 or 8? And entry and exit of a sedan is much easier than in any SUV.

Dr. No

I know a couple of people with Sequoias and they are very satisfied with them. You might also look at a CPO LandCruiser - we've had one for 4 years and it's been great (but 15 MPG).

And BTW it is a lot easier (on your back especially) to get your 10 month old in and out of an SUV (or minivan) than a sedan because you don't have to bend over and lift them.

csertich

My wife decided last year that she didn't want the Yukon anymore and chose a Honda Odyssey (touring). I was really against it but it was going to be her vehicle. We took our usual summer vacation this year (3000 mile round trip) and the Odyssey was outstanding to drive. It had more useable luggage space than the Yukon, which shocked the heck out of me.
The only thing to watch out for: You will likely not get the mileage claimed on the window sticker. We get a consistent 18mpg around town. I was expecting a little more than that....
chuck

Father of 3

I am actually a big fan of mini-vans. No, not the styling or the performance. What you can't beat is the practicality of mini-vans. The sliding side doors are really VERY helpful. Think about your kids getting in and out of a Sequoia in a crowded parking lot in a few years when they are bigger. Could they even open the door themselves? Could they get out themselves or would they need to jump down? With a mini-van, all you do is press the button and voila, they can get in or out with east. That plus Robin's astute equation (mini-vans at least have a lower center of gravity) would make a mini-van a very logical choice, particularly if you are going to have three kids potentially as you suggest. With one or two, I'd think seriously of getting an Audi S6 or something similar. I am definitely not a fan of the SUV.

I also think there is a certain yin/yang thing about mini-vans and 911s. I think about them as being the ultimate practical car offset by the (near) ultimate impractical car.

Father of 3

Most people are against mini-vans just for the image of them. I say get over it, especially if your Wife is going to do most of the driving

texas911

My wife drives the Ody Touring with the nav and DVD, and it's hard to beat as a family transport. Its head and shoulders above the Sienna in terms of handling. Actually drives like a European sedan, very controlled motions and not a lot of roll in turns. But what we love are all the gadgets you get. It like driving a BMW 7 series minivan!

In terms of practicality a minivan can't be beat, only in perception is it looked down upon.

InTheAir

Minivans stink in appearance, but they are incredibly useful and relatively cheap. We have two kids and a large dog (lab) and we found that the SUV route just wasn't big enough for trips. Our only other option was a full size SUV or a minivan--both have about the same interior volume, however in many cases the minivan is nearly half the price of the full size SUV.

We had it for 6 years while the kids were infants, toddlers, etc. We have since downsized, but the minivan was incredibly practical--just a bit boring. If you're having another child or two, the minivan might be the best option.

Paulsha911

See if she like the A3 with DSG, or a S4 Avant. Practical yet sporty.

mrsullivan

guys you arent helping here..I didnt realize there was such a pro-minivan contingent on this board

my wife is 5'11, so the reason we are ruling out sedans/station wagons is that she doesnt like to have bend in half to put my son in car seat, etc.... the choice is definitely minivan vs. SUV...

as i said earlier, i am not worried about the image thing, i just think that a larger SUV will be more usable in terms of space, safety, etc. the Sequoia has a V-8, AWD, lots of room, great fit and finish. For sure the Odessey is very practical, but it sits on the same frame as the Honda Pilot, is not very big, tiny dinky tires, no AWD, etc... those are some of the things that have been bugging me about it...

mooty

sedan doesn't work wll with that many kids. diaper bag, stoller and whole lot of crap you have to carry.
RX330 and upcomping RX350 are great and women love them. the rear seats can be slid forward so you can be closer to the baby (not sure it's that great as driver keeps turning head to attend to the child, but my wife loves it). they have lots of cubby holes for purses (your wife's hahaha). women really dig this car (i say this genuinely not trying to make fun of the car or women). or S6 or S4 avants. i had a S4 avant, fast and comfy, but it's 17mpg combined fwy and local driving.

GratefulJED

I picked up a 2004 Nissan Quest - I love it - dark gray - box on top - basketball leather interior - cool design - will hold 7 large - seat config is awesome - dvd X 2 screens for trips - wife hates it but then she does not have to drive it - tires were too new for discount to stock so I bought extra's and even a full size spare - has 32k and 100k warranty - make offer...!

993inNC

I too hate the idea of driving a MV personally, but gotta tell ya.......my wife loves the hell out of her '03 Windstar. It is a great way to take long trips. She's not into cars, but loves that van. We bought a 2 screen mobile DVD player and watch movies with the kid as we travel. Hers has the dual power sliding doors.....a must IMO, great feature. If your gonna have kids..... you better get used to the idea of toting around the neighbor kids too, and a sedan or SUV just won't be as easy to use as a good MV. We looked at the Ody too, but for 5K less we went with the Windstar and its been great so far.