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Currently, I drive a Volvo S-40.
I LOVE my car. It is cute, it drives great, and I feel safe. To me, the type of car a person drives speaks of their personality. I love my car so much because I feel like it is me in a car version :) But, now that I am a mother of two, does it still fit my personality? While I adore scooting around town in my bubbly little car, I have to realize that my life does not just revolve around my needs anymore. Now, I need to cart around strollers, car seats, and diaper bags when I go places (and those are just the necessities). As the girls get older, they are going to need more space for their legs and luggage. Also, what if we have more kids? I certainly can't fit three in the car that I drive right now. Hence, the search for a new car. Here is what we have been looking at so far:
Option 1: You got it, the Station Wagon. Still in the Volvo family, it has more room in the back seat and the trunk. While this is still a car (big plus for me) we aren't sure if it has enough space for us when we travel with the dogs and long vacations.
Option 2: An SUV that has a third row seat. Right now, the Toyota Sequoia is my favorite SUV. I really liked the way it drove and I felt like it had a lot of storage once the third row was taken out. The downside of this car to us is the trunk space with the third row in place. It is tiny and there is no way we could travel with our dogs. Also, we really want bucket seats and those are much harder to come by in this car. Some of the Sequoia's that we have found have bucket seats with a center console that can be taken out so that is the option that we would prefer to purchase. This car seems great for a family of four but what if we want to have more kids? Do we purchase this type of car now and then re-access our needs if we have a larger family? Decisions, decisions!
Option 3: I can't believe I am considering this but option three is a VAN. When did I become so old?!? Is it so uncool to be under thirty and driving a van????? We all know the stereotype of a van driver is "soccer mom." When I was younger and envisioning myself as a mom, I totally saw me being just that; a soccer mom. I want to drive the girls to their sport games (and I would indeed love for them to play soccer!), school, and other extracurricular activities. But, now that I am a mom, I feel like the van is totally ripping away at my youth. I mean, a van? REALLY????? As crazy as this sounds though; a van really has everything that I want in our new car. It has bucket seats, a third row, really nice trunk space, and it has all of these cool kid gadgets like DVD players and tucked away storage. The van that I really like is the Volkswagen Routan but it is still a really new van on the market. Does anyone out there drive a Routan? Is it dependable or require a lot of maintenance?
Our other option is the Toyota Sienna.
I mean, a van really does make sense for a family. But, a van?????
Friends, we need some advice! If you have a family, what type of car do you drive? What are your likes/dislikes? For my friends without babies, would you totally make fun of me for driving a van????? :) Leave us a comment with your thoughts.
Till next time, let your light shine!
Blessings, christen
13 comments:
Ok, from one soccer mom to a future soccer mom, you can't wrong with either of your two "van" choices. You're talking about a VW and a Toyota! Now, I don't have a van, but my girls are older and we have no dogs; however, I have always loved the Sienna and said that it would be my van of choice, if I were to purchase one. Seeing as you're a VW-type of girl though, I can see why the Routan is on your list. My advice, don't over think it, just get the one you like best because it sounds like you're going to be spending a whole lot of time in whatever you end up buying! LOL! I miss you girlfriend!
Hey! I have a Honda Odyssey and LOVE it - being only 30, i feel your pain, I've had it for about 3 years now and LOVE IT!!! It's perfect for my 3 young children, especially when they're so little, it's hard getting those carseats in and out of those high suburbans. I will say, I'll probably go with a Yukon XL or a suburban for my next car in a few years, but by then my youngest will be 5 and they'll all be able to buckle themselves in - they'll need the added leg room! Go with a van - super practical, convenient and they don't look THAT bad, do they???
Okay the VW is very non-old lady soccer mom-ish. It is stylish...for a mini. Maybe we are getting old when a mini-van seems kind of cute! I think we have to take the plunge!
I would not recommend the volvo wagon. As a someone who grew up in one, not enough room for kids on road trips!
Mini-vans and carpool lines here we come! Love, Stephanie
I love my new Acadia. It's very roomy and you can get it with bucket seats for the middle.
But really, I think you would look pretty cute driving a minivan! Think about the automatic door opening for you and all that room. I think the Honda, Toyota or VW would be a great choice. Maybe y'all can be the new swagger wagon family... http://toyotaswaggerwagon.com/
Y'all could totally be the swagger wagon family. One of my friends has the Toyota and LOVES it!!!
I wish I had known you were looking while we were in Dothan, I would have had you look at my car. I just got a Yukon XL (the GMC version of the Suburban). I love it!! It's comfy, rides great and has lots of room. One of my favorite things about it is that it doesn't feel as big as it is. I'm actually more comfortable driving it than my old Explorer. It also doesn't really have a "blind spot" because the side mirrors are big. It also has a rear camera for backing up (which I rarely use). It has a auto rear lift gate!
I can also see yall being the Swagger Wagon family, esp Raleigh!!
I own a 2009 VW Routan SEL. Love it. It is dependable because most of the mechanicals are from Chrysler. See http://routanowner.blogspot.com VW took the Town & Country and changed the nose, tail, interior materials, steering, and suspension. Right now you can get all sorts of manufacturer incentives so that it's cheaper and better optioned than the Chrysler. The Routan also has 3 years of free maintenance.
As to being under-30, the Routan is for you. Of all cars, SUVs, and vans sold in America, the Routan has the 2nd highest percentage of owners under 30. Only the Jetta has a higher percentage of owners under 30.
The Routan has the lowest Total Cost of Ownership. I have all of this documented on my blog. If you don't buy a Routan, you'll regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life.
We have a tahoe and I love it. We used to have a honda odyssey and we loved it too. It drives like a car but has room of a SUV. I just wanted to be the bigger person on the road so we traded in for the Tahoe. I could totally see you in the Routan
Kristin, I have a friend who bought the Volvo wagon about three months ago and LOVES it.
Ms. Chan
Hi Christen -
I don't know if you remember me or not...My name is Ericka. I am one of the respiratory therapists that took care of your sweet babies in the NICU...also pregnant with twins! My twins arrived 8-26-2010! What a blessing twins are! If it makes you feel better...I drive a van! I hate the thoughts of being 26 and driving a van...however, it makes life SOO much easier. The doors and back hatch open and close at the push of a button! We looked at SUV's, but the gas mileage was not as good as that of a van and we travel to Troy a lot!
Hey Ericka, so glad you had your twins!!!!
Thanks everybody for the advice. We test drove the Sienna and the Routan this weekend and we really did like both of them. They really have everything that we want in a new car. So, I guess time will tell as to what we decide to purchase! We will let y'all know when we do :)
Thanks again sweet friends,
christen
Christen, I totally still picture you driving that silver Jetta! And yes, I will probably giggle a little at you driving a van, but surely it will be WITH YOU, correct?
On a completely superficial note, I think the VW van would be the way to go, based solely on looks and the nice little VW logo in the front. :)
Or was it a white jetta? Ha! How the memory goes with this old age...
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