Quote:
Originally posted by OscarCrease
OscarCrease is actually a little sorry he asked.
Seriously though:
(1) I think the reference to the 70's isn't the most helpful although pleasantly nostalgic. In fact, one of my fondest memories is my friend's alcoholic dad who used to drive us to the museum (hmm, why was he always home during the day) in his Pinto that had a hole in the floor. We (4-5 neighborhood kids) would gather around the hole in the way back (the part I think that bursts into flame if you are rear-ended) and drop things onto the freeway. Good Times. Unfortunately, this whole car seat business got in the way...
(2) I tend to agree with Atticus on the point that you don't necessarily need two big ass cars. While I do in fact do drop off, only our oldest goes to school so I don't need to fit all three in the car simultaneously on a regular basis. My wife is concerned about the emergency scenario where her car is in the shop/disabled/whatever and we can't fit everyone into car #2. I don't necessarily agree that it makes much sense, but that's neither here nor there. FWIW I didn't take the post as a gender polemic. I would certainly prefer a smaller second car but 2 Britax Roudabouts + a Britax Marathon = the need for a very wide middle row and/or a third row.
In any case, I was just wondering what fellow parents have found in the non-van, non super size SUV category that they like. We shared 1 modest sized SUV (although at the time I think it was considered "full size") until child #2. Inherited the aforementioned giant SUV from a family member. Traded in SUV #1 for the minivan upon birth of child #3 because it was the older and less reliable of the two.
Now SUV #2 is feeling a little long in the tooth (and the repair bills are getting more frequent and of greater magnitude) so I foolishly, and perhaps regrettably, posted my inquiry.
So, to recap, after my last post about Bay Area housing prices I was told "only an asshat would buy in the Bay Area." After this latest post I'm now "that gas guzzling freak who drives two giant cars."
I will now withdraw from the board and go slit my wrists.
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This was a funny post. I like you. This is causation, not correlation.
Now, marching on to my point:
We have a Volvo "SUV" (it's not really an SUV -- more like a beefy station wagon, but it's awesome). On our last vacation (a visit to the in-laws, so not technically a vacation), we drove my f-i-l's Mercedes SUV around town, and we far prefer the Volvo to the Mercedes (I don't remember the number or whatever -- but I think there's only the one). The Volvo handles better, the engine was smoother (sorry, I'm not real facile with car-speak), and it felt more solid.
It would fit three car seats across, although we only use two. If your third child (or, most probably, the first one) is the right size, you can put him/her in the "built in" car seat in the middle.
The way-back is pretty big (we tote a big dog crate most of the time -- usually filled with 90 lbs. of dog), but when the third row of seats is up, the way back gets rather small -- but you could still jam some suitcases or other sundries back there (but not a dog crate that can hold 90 lbs. of dog).
