Friday, February 29, 2008

The Plunge

We are closer than ever to taking the minivan plunge. I've been fighting it. I adamantly declared I would not drive a minivan just SUVs. Well, practicality and soaring gas prices have silenced my declarations. But truthfully, it's taken me a couple years to be okay with this.

My friends who drive minivans tell me that I will love it; I'm beginning to think they might be right. I lift my 30+ pound kids in and out of the Jeep and my back complains and we freeze in the cold air. And I am looking forward to some of the features - especially the dvd player that we hope to find in whatever model we choose.

The front runner is the Honda Odyssey. We love Hondas and this van seems to be popular for good reasons. We are hoping to find a reasonably priced '04 or newer Odyssey. My preferred colors are dark blue or maroon but almost any color is fine except one - you can guess which one.

I'm resigned but with my resignation is excitement. It's always fun to have a "new" vehicle and it's something that we need. Stay tuned for minivan updates. :)

8 comments:

Monica said...

You won't be sorry:) Have fun looking!!

Barbie said...

We have a dark blue Honda Odyssey and we love it! It is a 2000 and we have had very few, if any, issues with it. My first choice wouldn't be to drive a minivan either and yet I have done so for many years now. lol!!

Paula said...

I think minivans are becoming cool. I'll most likely be getting a 4W minivan one day, since we live in snow country.

Catherine said...

I like the Odyssey best too. Hondas last forever and don't depreciate as fast as other cars. I'll be interested to hear how you like it!

Micah said...

NOOOOOOOOO!!! Don't do it!!!!! :) Brad has been trying to talk me into a minivan, and my pride just has the better of me right now. I can't give in. Sad, I know. I would rather stuff three carseats into an SUV. For now, anyway :). We'll see how long it lasts...

Alaina said...

I know, Micah...it feels like a betrayal to my SUV purist loyalty. But alas, we cannot fit a third carseat in our Jeep. We are keeping it though, which was a happy decision! We thought about another SUV but realistically, it's not a good idea for us (gas cost, MPG, enviro, etc.) - I have to listen to reason.

My kids have also gotten so heavy and they don't help at all when getting in the car...it has gotten rather difficult in the last couple of months as they only get bigger. I keep telling myself it will be okay. And I have to admit, the odyssey we test drove was a way smoother ride than my SUV. It was also so spacious and a dvd player - I can't even imagine how much better road trips will be!

Anonymous said...

We got our Caravan when Mark was a newborn, and I can't imagine life without it with the boys! The automatic doors are an amazing bonus! Imagine arms full of groceries, library books, boys, whatever, and just having to push a button to have the liftgate or side door open and in goes the kid. And multiply that by a million when #3 comes along!
I also love the "stow and go" seats in the Caravan and Chrysler equivalent; they're easy to use and very very handy! And the new thing is now stowable seats that also swivel! Yikes! Like the custom vans when we were kids. :)

Smith Family Blog said...

I know I am late commenting on this, but you sound just like me! We have a jeep grand cherokee, and we are looking at minivans. I said I would NEVER have a minivan-- only SUVs-- but I am quickly changing my mind. The only problem is that we need 4WD (living in rural Illinois, where it has seemed to snow every weekend this winter). That leaves only the Toyota Sienna. And a large pricetag...