Choosing the Family Wheels
by Deanne W. Chaston

The day of the pickup truck topped by a shell serving as a family vehicle has come to an end.

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The oldest of five children, I saw my parents go through their share, and variety, of family vehicles.  The first was a yellow Volkswagen bug, which served its purposes while my brother and I were young.

However, after two more sisters came along, the black Datsun truck became the preferred method of travel.  With a shell, infant car seat bolted to the gray carpet kit, and removable black curtains, the truck proved an adequate family abode on wheels. We made many memories with the Datsun, whose tailgate often doubled for a picnic table and whose bed became an actual bed piled with sleeping bags on camping trips. We rode in the “Black Beast” until it rusted out from underneath us.

Next it was on to the roomier Volkswagen van, whose engine proved too small to pull the family’s weight on a long-distance road trip. We also tried installing collapsible boat chairs behind the second row of seats in our four-wheel-drive Isuzu Trooper.

Then my parents fell victim to what I dub the infamous “Mormon minivan.” As a teenager wary of my peers, I tried to duck from view while riding in the “uncool” minivan, which, ironically, became the first type of vehicle many of my generation learned to drive.

Exploring Our Options

Now it’s my turn to choose the perfect family vehicle.  As a mother, I’ve realized my choices are few and often costly. After contacting a car seat safety hotline, I discovered children are no longer legally allowed to ride in the bed of a pickup, even with a shell and car seat bolted to the carpet kit.

After some experimentation, which began the day we took our daughter home from the hospital next to her three-year-old brother, we realized the back seat of our Saturn SL1 was growing smaller and would not accommodate a third car seat.

Although we have not yet purchased our family car, my husband and I have spent the last two years researching our options. Although everyone’s taste and list of requirements for a family vehicle vary, I’ve found that almost all my friends face the same dilemma: How to fit a large family—all properly restrained in car seats, booster seats, or seatbelts—in an affordable, sensible vehicle.

With almost thirty makes and some sixty models of 2004–2005 vehicles with third-row seats, not one vehicle has it all. Consumers’ choices will depend on a variety of priorities, some of which are detailed here.

Price

For many large families, all of the listed base prices for family vehicles are a little steep (especially when considering the additional cost of insurance). For this reason, looking for used models is often worthwhile.

If you are set on buying new, the minivan category is by far the least-expensive alternative. MSRP for the Dodge Caravan and Grand Caravan are the lowest listed by make websites at $18,995. The Kia Sedona is also an inexpensive choice at $19,975 while the Mercury Montery is the highest at $29,310.

With the exception of the Mercedes E-Class wagon listed at $51,270, wagons are also a cost-effective choice. The $20,855 Mercury Sable price, along with the Ford Taurus SE at $22,310 are also worthy of consideration.

SUVs like the Lexus LX470, Toyota Land Cruiser, Cadillac Escalade, GMC Yukon/Denali XL, and Hummer H2 are all listed above $50,000. However, some like the Suzuki Grand Vitara XL 7 at $24,499 and the Toyota Highlander at $24,620 are a little more affordable.

Cargo Room Behind Third Row Seat

Although you may be able to sit the whole family in any of these vehicles, you may not have the cargo room necessary for a stroller or a load of groceries behind the third-row seat. Most third-row seats in the wagon category are rear-facing and fold out from the cargo floor, meaning children sitting in this seat need the remaining cargo area for feet room.  Passenger vans have plenty of cargo space, which is specified by floor length instead of cubic feet behind the third row seat.

In the minivan category, the Toyota Sienna, GMC Safari, Honda Odyssey, Nissan Quest, and Oldsmobile Silhouette boast the most cargo room behind the third-row seat while the Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Caravan, and Grand Caravan have the least. However, Dodge’s new compartments in which seats can actually fold flat into the floor or remain open for cargo may prove a family-friendly option.

For SUVs, the Lexus GX470, and Ford Excursion claim the most cargo space, while the Hummer H2, Suzuki Grand Vitara XL7, and Cadillac SRX have little cargo area. To maximize cargo space, consider a roof rack to haul your gear, especially during long road trips.

Safety

According to crash test research, minivans are the safest category of vehicle for large families. The Ford Freestar, Mercury Monterey, and Toyota Sienna received top crash test ratings in the minivan category. The Mercedes E-Class received the highest rating for the wagon category. In the SUV category, the Acura MDX, Cadillac SRX, and Volvo XC90 scored top ratings. As a whole, passenger vans are the least safe category.

Rear impacts, although relatively uncommon, can be dangerous to third row passengers.  The main risk is to heavy adults who might cause the vehicle seat back to fail in a serious crash, a risk that is even greater if the adults don’t have head restraints and shoulder belts.  If you will regularly carry adults in a third row, insist on features like head restraints and 3-point lap/shoulder seatbelts in all rear seating positions.

Lap-only belts are not safe for adults or children in boosters, in any type of crash.  On the other hand, children in harnessed child seats or high-back boosters are at much less risk in a third row. For a child using an appropriate restraint, the center of the third row is probably a safer position than an outside seat in the second row.

Gas Mileage

Families on set incomes may not only find it a challenge to purchase and insure a family vehicle, but they may also have trouble footing the bill at the gas pump to keep their vehicle on the road.

The Hummer H2 SUV has the least efficient fuel economy at ten miles per gallon in the city and fourteen on the highway. The fact that Ford pays an Environmental Protection Agency fee to avoid listing the gas mileage of its Excursion is also worthy of consideration.

The Toyota Highlander (21/25), Toyota Sequoia (20/28), and Buick Rendezvous (18/25) are the most fuel efficient SUVs. Also check out the Toyota Highland hybrid vehicle, which uses both gas and electricity to fuel the vehicle.

The Mercury Sable and Volvo V70 wagons (both 20/27) have impressive fuel economy, as does the Dodge Caravan and Grand Caravan (both 21/27). The Chevrolet Astro and GMC Safari minivans (both 14/17) are on the low end of the fuel efficiency scale. Passenger vans have unimpressive fuel economy.

Car Seat Safety

You’ve been waiting for that little bundle of joy for nine months, but do you have everything ready for his leave from the hospital?  Buying a good car seat might sound simple, but it can actually be quite difficult.  Don’t delay in making this vital purchase.  Most experts recommend people start looking for car seats between the sixth and eighth months of their pregnancy.

Choosing the car seat that’s right for you

Currently all car seats on the market have passed the government’s strict fire- and crash- safety tests.  This doesn’t mean that your child will be perfectly safe in any car seat, though.  You want to find a car seat that fits your child and your car the best.

The three basic types of car seats:

Infant-only car seats

These are rear-facing seats with a twenty-pound limit.

Infant-to-Toddler car seats

These can be used as rear-facing or front-facing seats.  Most parent mistakenly switch their child to a front-facing seat when he reaches twenty pounds. However, twenty pounds is the minimum weight requirement and the longer you can keep your child in a rear-facing position, the safer he will be in the case of an accident.

Belt-positioning booster seats

These seats use the shoulder strap of the seatbelt to secure the child and are only meant for children over three years of age who weigh over forty pounds.

Installation

At least half of all car seats are either installed or used incorrectly. Remember that a secure car seat will not move more that an inch forward or to the side when it installed correctly. Be sure to read instruction carefully.

LDS Living Magazine

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