Car help

[TheIncredibles!]

Is there a site where you can pick options you want and it will list all available types of cars?

My car is on it's last legs. It's a minivan which I am open to again - but I'd also be open to crossover's etc.

My main requirements are that it must have 7 -8 passenger seating, decent mileage. (No Suburbans etc lol) and be affordable.

It's just exhausting going from MFG website to website and looking. Some you can see if it has 7-8 passenger seating, most I cannot see where you can see that unless you start looking at pictures.

I'd just like to narrow this down a bit.

 

[bicker]

The best resources for comparison car shopping, imho are:

http://autos.msn.com/

http://www.edmunds.com/

http://www.motortrend.com/new_cars/index.html

I'm not sure that any of them have a tool that does precisely what you're looking for, but if anyone does, one of them would.

 

[mrodgers]

Another suggestion for edmunds.com from me. You can't search by features, but you can sort by vehicle type, then select several models to compare side by side in a list of features.

 

[golfgal]

One thing to consider with the crossovers is that if you have all the seating rows in use, you have VERY LITTLE storage space behind the last row, unlike a minivan. A friend has a Chevy Traverse, beautiful car, loves the seating but can't fit her DD's stroller behind the back seats. They have to have one of the back seat sections down and put it in that way. If you only use the 3 rows of seating occasionally, not an issue but if you are like us and constantly have extra kids and 'stuff' it wouldn't work for you.

I saw that the New Honda Odyssey is rated for 28 mph highway.

 

[tvguy]

The best resources for comparison car shopping, imho are:

http://autos.msn.com/

http://www.edmunds.com/

http://www.motortrend.com/new_cars/index.html

I'm not sure that any of them have a tool that does precisely what you're looking for, but if anyone does, one of them would.

WWW.KBB.COM

is another good option.

 

[bigbabyblues]

One thing to consider with the crossovers is that if you have all the seating rows in use, you have VERY LITTLE storage space behind the last row, unlike a minivan. A friend has a Chevy Traverse, beautiful car, loves the seating but can't fit her DD's stroller behind the back seats. They have to have one of the back seat sections down and put it in that way. If you only use the 3 rows of seating occasionally, not an issue but if you are like us and constantly have extra kids and 'stuff' it wouldn't work for you.

I saw that the New Honda Odyssey is rated for 28 mph highway.

Thank you for posting this! I'm going to be looking for another vehicle soon, but I need the third row fairly often and the space behind it at the same time, so it's probably going to be another van for me. I had wondered about the Acadia, which I think is the same as the Traverse.

 

[TheIncredibles!]

WWW.KBB.COM

is another good option.

That has what I need! I can search by type, then put the Max # of seating, price range etc. Much better! Thanks!

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Most SUVs and Crossovers with three rows have virtually no rear storage, even a Cadillac Escalade (non-ESV) has virtually no room in the back with the seats up. If you need all the seats all the time and storage, a minivan is really your only choice.

 

[TheIncredibles!]

Most SUVs and Crossovers with three rows have virtually no rear storage, even a Cadillac Escalade (non-ESV) has virtually no room in the back with the seats up. If you need all the seats all the time and storage, a minivan is really your only choice.

I have 3 kids but no need for strollers etc anymore. My one concern with a smaller 7/8 passenger is the distance from the rear seat to the rear hatch and if the back row splits.

I will probably end up with a minivan again because I am used to the room but I still want to take a look at the other ones

 

[DMickey28]

I also agree that a crossover won't give you the seating numbers and the space you need. I'd go for another Minivan. We are probably going to get a Kia Sedona in the not to distant future.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

I have 3 kids but no need for strollers etc anymore. My one concern with a smaller 7/8 passenger is the distance from the rear seat to the rear hatch and if the back row splits.

I know you're not looking at an Escalade, but the same applies for similar vehicles, the rear most seats fold down seperately. From the back of the seat to the hatch there is about 12" of space or in total about 16 cubic feet of space (D X W X H). The space gets even smaller as you into the smaller crossovers.

The same space between the third row in a minivan is about double that or 32 cubic feet.

 

[tvguy]

My main requirements are that it must have 7 -8 passenger seating, decent mileage. (No Suburbans etc lol) and be affordable.

I might add, given your requirements for 7-8 passenger seating, realistically have put yourself in the Suburban/Expedition XL category in my book. Mini-vans and the like may have 8 seats, but the leg room is a joke. And forget about luggage. I rented a minivan last summer that was rated as 7 passenger, and it was a squeeze for 5 with our luggage. But my kids are 6'4" and 5'10".

 

[TheIncredibles!]

I might add, given your requirements for 7-8 passenger seating, realistically have put yourself in the Suburban/Expedition XL category in my book. Mini-vans and the like may have 8 seats, but the leg room is a joke. And forget about luggage. I rented a minivan last summer that was rated as 7 passenger, and it was a squeeze for 5 with our luggage. But my kids are 6'4" and 5'10".

We're good. Mine are all under 4 feet tall

 

[Pamlur]

My daughter and I are 5'7", my son-in-law is 5'10, one granddaughter is 5'10", my grandson is 6'2", and then there is a 9-year-old. We all fit comfortably in a Honda Odyssey. They went on an 8-day driving vacation and everybody had plenty of leg room and luggage room.