sick21

My minivan pick would be a an Odyssey, but I'm that kinda person who has an issue with vans. I just can't do it! I know I know... Anyways yeah my kids are 1yr and 2 1/2yr. We always have additional people with us and travel a lot too. I really like the new Suburbans but I'd want an LTZ, getting new cars all of the time kinda put us in the place where that costs too much... Maybe the Expedition EL (2015) but don't really like it. The Traverse LTZ looks the best of the Lambdas imo but lacks too many features for my taste. Really wish Jeep made a good 3 rower as sexy as the GC (something better than and slightly larger than the Durango). I love the Grand Cherokee but it's small... Idk once you start having kids, there's not really a car out there that can do everything right. They all kinda suck.

SW17LS

Yeah I don't think anybody who is a car person likes Minivans lol. Luckily, I only have to drive it when we go places as a family and otherwise I can drive what I want for myself. I do know several people who are car people (including CL members) who have minivans that their wives drive and they are surprised by how much they actually like the van. For a trip its easy, everybody's comfortable...comfortable equals quiet. Theres still space around everybody. Its hard to beat.

Something like a Suburban or other long, big SUV would be too hard on my wife to drive and park around DC. Plus, fuel costs would be huge, and still we'd be left with a vehicle thats less adaptable than a van. In any event, both our cars are leased. On top of that, a nice Suburban is like you said...SHOCKINGLY expensive. Like...getting to Range Rover Sport expensive. We can buy a van with ALL the bells and whistles for less than $45k. So the Lexus has another 13 months, and the Jeep has another 2.5 years. So we're going to be in this car setup for a while. We'll see how things are going in November 2015...if using the Jeep for family duty sucks, we'll trade the GS in on a van and I'll drive the Jeep until I can trade it in on another luxury sedan for myself. If its okay, I'll swap the GS for whatever I want and we'll keep the Jeep and see whats up when the lease is up on it.

I do wish Jeep made a 3 row SUV, its in the works. My goal would be to keep whatever van we buy until the kids are like 6-7 and then get back into a 3 row SUV. Should be lots of options by then.

If I had to be the primary driver of the family vehicle, I don't think I could give up all of my car guy nature and buy a van either lol

JDR76

Our second child is on the way in a few more months. We plan on keeping our IS and our RX through the remainder of their leases (about 2 more years), but at the end of those leases, we'll most likely trade out the RX for either a 3 row SUV or a Sienna. My only concern with a 3 row SUV is whether or not a third row will be accessible with two car seats mounted in the second row. I know there is a stigma around minivans, but the utility just can't be beat.

As for the IS, though it is admittedly tight, it will do just fine with two car seats in the rear, and I have no idea what I will trade it for next time. It might just be another IS.

SW17LS

Congrats! Having just shopped all these three row crossovers/SUVs the best second row/third row setup is in the Nissan Pathfinder/Infiniti QX60. They have a real third row that adults can get to and sit in comfortably, and the second row slides forwards and tips in such a way that it can be done with a carseat installed. By a wide margin the best setup out there right now outside of a minivan.

In fact...we very nearly got a QX60 instead of the Jeep in May...in hindsight we should have LOL

JDR76

^^^ Thank you!

sick21

QX60s have really nice interiors! Accessing the third row with two child seats in the second row is a huge issue for us. We generally only shop crossovers with second row captain seats for that reason. But then the adults are stuck in the uncomfortable third row. I have just given up and decided that nobody will be able to ride with us until our kids are old enough to buckle themselves in back of the third row if we have a third row vehicle then. But then I question the safety of third rows...

SW17LS

Check out the QX60 with carseats installed. You can definitely access the third row with the carseats installed, and it really is plenty comfortable back there.

coach1

What's this site coming to? Minivans & car seats, really? Sorry SW13GS couldn't resist. I've forgot long ago how to fit children or even grandchildren in a car. We haul the In-Laws around in our Jeep GC, and if there were kids to contend with we could put them in a caged off area behind the rear seat. After all we live in a part of the country where it is still legal to haul pets and children in the back of a pick-up.

1111GS

Steve,
Since when did you start thinking about third row people? Get the vehicle you want... like a GX. I always think J/QX60 is a nice looking car but never actually sat/drove one. I also think the new G looks nice but in wife's eyes, Infiniti is not a choice. We can't beat the minivan for its convenience but I'm glad that my wife doesn't want one (yet).

alera

I have 2 kids, a GS and an RX. We had several RXs (2009, then 2012, and now 2015) since the kids were very little. IMO, more than enough space for one kid, and just right for two. Even when we go on trips, its held a stroller and all the luggage just fine. For us, a 3 row van / suv would be a total overkill (unless you plan to carry bikes inside the car).

SW17LS

HAHA guys. From Lexuses to minivans and carseats. Sad!

tknx

I have a Town and Country and frankly love it. It is about a million times more convenient than any SUV. If it had Toyota level quality then it would be perfect. I also am happy with my ***** size, therefore don't need an SUV.

SW17LS

Its not about "***** size" to me for the desire of an SUV over a Minivan. Its a question of style, ownership enjoyment, driving enjoyment, and capability. As a car person, I like my cars to appeal to me on several different levels, a Minivan only appeals on one...ability to carry people and stuff comfortably.

When I walk up to my Jeep, I love the way it looks, I love the look and feel of the interior, I love how it drives on and off road, I love the capability it gives me to go where I want. A minivan doesn't appeal to me in any of those ways, and such as an enthusiast its not a purchase that appeals to me on that level.

With that said, where we're going to be with two twin babies in carseats trying to continue to travel and get around carrying additional people...the utility of a minivan is appealing at this stage and we will likely get one, but to label people who want SUVs just as being image hungry isn't really always accurate.

If all we drove were the most convenient vehicles with no interest in style, performance, quality, etc we wouldn't be on a Lexus forum.

williakz

So why doesn't Lexus have a trimmed-up, maxed out, stylish (as much as possible) MINIVAN for you young guys with some scratch who hate going downmarket and off-brand? Surely, a well-executed Lexus minivan would keep you fellas (and your spouses) in the Lexus family even as you're raising your own, no? Never made sense to me that Lexus hasn't figured out that folks more than happy to buy pairs of $300+ kiddie car seats would readily shell out the bucks for a nicely executed minivan under the Lexus marque.

sick21

We might, we'd just all be in the ES section lol (I'm joking no hate intended).

Anyways, what's wrong with spending good money on a car seat to keep your precious cargo safe? My kids car seats were $400 a piece, doesn't mean I want a luxury minivan. Don't like vans. They're boring and ugly. And I'm packin down there so that couldn't be the issue.