Hellobee Boards

We love our Nisaan Pathfinder! It has an optional 3rd row that folds down for extra cargo space. Even with it up, it has decent cargo space with leg room for anyone who sits back there. I'd highly recommend it. We currently have a 4.5 year old in a harness booster and a rear facing convertible, and there's still plenty of room for me to sit in between them if the 18 month old in the convertible gets cranky. The seat slides forward with a carseat in it for access to the 3rd row, so there's no uninstalling or crawling over to get back there.

People complain about the gas mileage, but we've found that if you put it in 2WD on nice days, you save on gas mileage. We only ever use the 4WD in snow or ice. We get about 20mpg.

@avivoca: My husband had literally only driven Jeep Grand Cherokees since he was 18 so he was like ummmm what. But I HATTTTTED our last one and I was pregnant with our second and I was like if I'm schlepping two boys around I need power sliding doors and a power lift gate. He was like FINE because I was seething about our Jeep every other week (it's a fine car but SUCH a money pit).

Long story short, he was surprised by how nicely the V6 of our Sienna drove (being used to his honkin V8) and lovvvvved the power sliding doors and lift gate and thought the seats were so comfy and roomy (he's a tall guy). And then slowly over time he basically started gravitating to the van whenever he needed to go somewhere. Annnnd now he's a die hard fan and drives it more than I do.

I've also gotten the reputation as the minivan enabler among my friends. I'm always hissing MINI. VAN. MINI. VAN. Come to the dark side.

All you ladies that are Honda Pilot fans - how did you level set with the price point? I was floored how much it was...now granted I was leasing not buying...

@gingerbebe: I think you are the first person ever I have heard not love their Jeep! I'm the crazy person anxiously awaiting the wagoneer for a third row Jeep option!!!

We had a Rav4 when we had 2 kids and it was OK but you can't really use the middle seat and are not allowed 3 car seats. If there is even the slightest chance of a third, do not even consider this car. I wish we had gotten a CR-V instead because we would have kept it when we had our third. I prefer the size of those SUVs over the Pilot. We have a Pilot now because we figured if we were buying a new car we should get something that we could carry more than just our family. It is huge and the gas mileage sucks. But we can fit 3 across easily and have a third row too. If you have 2 car seats you could even have them next to each other so a third person could sit on the outside.
@Mrs D: we bought ours used with more miles than I would have liked. I wasn't willing to finance or lease a car so that's just what worked for us. I really wanted a Highlander hybrid which was even more expensive so I guess it's all relative!

@gingerbebe: Well that makes a big difference...I never got a V8! I couldnt care less how quickly my car accelerates... I am in Michigan - so its probably a Michigan thing...I have never had to have significant service on any of the 3 I've owned so I have been lucky...but value I had in the I simply couldnt justify going to a different car...my cherokee essentially cost me $5K to drive for 4.5 years and my grand cherokee was more like $8K for 4 years.

But I am team minivan for now! I would have gotten the Sienne if I had employee pricing with Toyota - my sister has it and I am so envious of her AWD. I'm loving the Pacifica!