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@winniebee: We have 2 kids and sometimes watch our 2 nieces, so four kids total. My husband has a GMC Yukon XL that we love! It sits eight people and four car seats in the right configuration.

We looked into the highlander (we are getting a bigger car this summer. Planning to have three at least). It seems like a good option if you are totally anti mini van, although you will sacrifice trunk space.

We decided to get the sienna, and I'm excited about it now. My ego can handle it

We have a Mazda CX9, and while I love it, I do wish we had a minivan. DH was the one that was totally anti-van, and now that we would like to have another (3rd) child, we're saving up for a van.

We have a highlander with captain chairs in the back seat which allows an aisle to get to the third row but I could not imagine having to use the third row on a regular basis. It's tight fit and it basically means no trunk space.

If I had 3 kids I would really push for a minivan but my DH is also pretty strongly anti minivan. So maybe a large SUV like a Sequoia or Suburban...as long as you live in the suburbs I don't think it would be that bad driving such a beast of a car

We have an SUV (Infiniti QX60) with baby #3 on the way. We are going to shift the car seats around so that our oldest (3 yr old) will be in the middle and try to make it work. I am not opposed to a minivan though and could see us making that transition after baby #3 comes!

I'm totally anti mini van too, but I see our friends w/ 3 every week and what ease it is to go in and out in their Odyssey! Their kids are 6, 4 and 2.

@hawksaz: that's how my husband sold me, too. Everything about it has been tested for ease for families with kids. Also, he said "we aren't having three or more kids if you refuse to get a mini van. Doesn't make sense. You have a big family, you get a car for a big family."

@SeptMomma12: We only have two also, but want to be able to fit other family members in as needed. I'm hoping to get it this year, it's such a nice car!

I have 3 in a Honda cr-v and it's been easy peasy. No need for anything bigger unless we want to drive with other people, but that has yet to happen. My husband is rarely with us so I have room for a sister or MIL. We have Diono Radians and a Keyfit (soon to be another Radian) 3 in a row and it fits great. and I didn't have to get rid of my beloved car.

We just bought a minivan and we only have two kids. I used to drive the highlander and still love, love the car and am in my mourning period. But the cons of the highlander is that it doesn't have a middle latch and we had to put both the car seats not in the middle. Well, I tried sitting in the middle and it's really uncomfortable and my butt barely fit. My mom occasionally comes with us so she wouldn't be able to fit. We have a third row seating, but since both car seats are at the end, we couldn't fold it down to access the 3rd row unless you wanted to climb through the trunk (which my 32 year old brother had to do when he came to visit).

So we switched and although I was very anti minivan...you can't beat the room and comfort!

We just got a Santa Fe xl. Only one kid so far and one on the way. But we got the middle row with bucket seats like a van. I think we will be able to do 3 and have ds in the 3rd row when we eventually have a third kid.

@T.H.O.U.: Only 2 kids here, but *my* Ody is getting fixed and I'm driving DH's huge, lifted F-150 and I do drop off and pick up. I hate it and it's only Tuesday.

Years ago HLK posted about switching from a Highlander to a van. She talked about trying to wrangle three into the SUV in a parking lot and how difficult and scary it was.
With a van, L can climb in and get to her seat while I'm buckling the babies. I don't have to worry about her waiting around a busy parking lot while I'm hoisting the other kids into the car.
Team mini van.

Last summer we rented a fully loaded Highlander from the dealer and while we liked the drive that 3rd row was a joke. The trunk space when it was up could not fit a Costco size pie. Granted their pies are large but really??! It definitely wouldn't have fit an ice chest. I sat in the 3rd row and it was so uncomfortable. We barely fit 4 adults and my son and our luggage for a short trip.

We test drive the Honda Pilot and liked that too but the trunk space was still an issue.

Then we rented a really bare bones dumpy Dodge minivan when we went to Hawaii and even with no options it was a MILLION times more convenient. The storage, the sliding doors, etc. My husband was starting to become convinced.

My cousin has a Yukon XL with 3 kids and she actually ended up leasing a Mini Cooper because she was burning so much gas taking her one kid to the allergist multiple times a week that it was cheaper and more fuel efficient to have a lease on a 3rd car! So she decided to get one that was fun to drive at the very least.

Another friend was about to get a Yukon XL after driving a fully equipped Highlander but then realized she couldn't fit it in her garage (you need those long 3rd bay garages) and couldn't justify buying a car that expensive to have it sit in the street or driveway. So she just bought another Highlander because she is anti minivan. We don't have an extra long bay garage either so all that combined we traded in DH's Jeep Grand Cherokee for a Toyota Sienna XLE.

Let me tell you, with the captains chairs, storage, automatic sliding doors and trunk - it's heaven. My husband actually ended up LOVING our van and drives it more than me!

Following because we have a similar issue. Our Rav 4 can't accommodate 3 across. We have started researching but haven't checked out any cars yet. I don't want a bigger SUV so what we are considering so far are the Prius V, Subaru Outback, Honda CRV, and the Nissan Rogue actually has a 3rd row now but you can't put 3 in the second row so I doubt the storage space would be very good. The only larger SUV I would consider is the Toyota Highlander hybrid but I'm pretty sure it's more than we're willing to spend.

@bluestriped bee: Yes the Rav4 and CRV are similar but ours is 2010 and for whatever reason they overlapped the seatbelts so much that it's not allowed or even possible to put 3 car seats in. We actually were between those two and I felt like I could see better in the Rav so that's why we got it but now I'm kicking myself!

This has totally been on my mind lately. Fitting 3 kids in a car seems so complicated. The only appeal for a minivan for me is the doors. We won't be able to upgrade a car at all for a while, so we are stuck with my SUV.

@Rainbow Sprinkles: This is the configuration I'm considering because I know DD1 will be most helpful in the middle, but with both her siblings being rear facing I've been wondering if it will be a challenge. I also have a CR-V (older style), so I'm glad it seems to work for you.