What is significant about September 24th? For me it’s that my due date is November 24th and that means 2 months from now I will more than likely be holding my baby girl. So things are starting to get real and now that J has a job, getting a mini van is our next priority.
I love my Toyota Highlander, but we cannot legally pack one more child into my car.
So it’s time to upgrade! We haven’t even started the hunt yet, but we have some ideas in mind.
We bought J’s 2000 Toyota 4Runner in 2007. It’s hard to believe we weren’t even parents yet in this photo, but I was pregnant with Z. J just recently hit the 300,00 mile mark on his car and we’ve been very happy with it. Out of our two vehicles it’s the only one with a tow package and we own a trailer, so this is our truck and we do not intend to trade it in anytime soon.
About a year after falling in love with the 4Runner we bought my 2002 Toyota Highlander, which my husband refers to as the “glorified minivan”. That’s what he calls any SUV that isn’t really sport utility material.
All though it’s seen better days aesthetically (thanks to my messy clan) I have loved this little gem we found on Craig’s List 8 years ago.
Needless to say we are Toyota fans and so we would like to stay in the Toyota family for this next upgrade. We also have had success with purchasing USED, but staying around 6 or 7 years old. So we are thinking about a 2008ish Toyota Sienna minivan. We aren’t set on that though! A Honda would probably be our next choice in make, and it doesn’t have to be a minivan, but you would really have to talk me out it. I look forward to the day the doors slide open and I don’t have to panic about my children leaving dents in the unfortunate cars parked next to us. Also, gas milage and safety rating are things I definitely like to consider.
So I would love any and all feedback about vans, brands, amenities, you name it. Both of our cars are paid off and we like it that way so we’re definitely wanting to keep things somewhat simple while still upgrading. Because if things continue the way they’ve been going for us we won’t be thinking about another car for a close to a decade. It’s such a big decision! Alright, let me hear your thoughts and I’ll be sure to keep you posted.
It’s an exciting time – full of changes and upgrades!!! So happy and excited for you. While I don’t have any advice with this (sadly, I’ve never owned anything bigger that a VW Passat) I wish you the best of luck with your search! Exciting!
I don’t even have an opinion on this one! HA!
I have no idea about what car you should by, but YAY for your soon to be arriving baby girl!
You and the last two comments just make my day. Don’t worry, I got plenty of feedback on Facebook so I’m happy to have encouragement 😀
We have a 2004 Honda Odyssey and we love it. We’ve actually had friends who had Siennas and then switched to get an Odyssey. I will say that my friend has a 2005 and there is a big difference between our cars because that was the year the models changed. Things in the newer model that definitely aren’t needed, but are nice- sliding doors with windows that roll down, and a middle seat in the middle row to seat 8 total. My advice is just do your research! There is so much to choose from! 🙂
Whoa, that is the third story I have heard of someone who SWITCHED from a Sienna to an Odyssey 🙁 I am shocked to hear that it would be bad enough for people to feel so strongly that they would sell their car and start over, BUT I am so glad you told me. Who knows what we’ll do. That is really helpful though. Thanks!
Natalie, sorry friend…I am no help on this one! 😛
Ha ha, I still love that you all chimed in anyway. I got tons of feedback on Facebook so I think I’m all set. I am sure it will be a little overwhelming when we actually start really looking though!
We just went through this with the intention of keeping our truck, like you. We did a ton of research and test drove a Nissan Quest, a Dodge Grand Caravan, and Honda Odyssey as part of our decision-making process. There weren’t any Siennas in a 2-hr radius of us in our price range. We ended up choosing a 2007 Honda Odyssey that we are IN LOVE with. Call me or email if you want more details. I, too, am thrilled to have a vehicle that will last us10 years or more, God willing!
We love our Honda Odyssey. Ours seats 8 and we have one in a booster seat and three in car seats. We got a Honda Odyssey with the automatic doors, and it’s amazing! Both my husband and I really wanted that feature so that we didn’t have to worry about kids slamming their hands and doors, because we both did when we were younger. We compared the Toyota Sienna to the Honda Odyssey a lot, and ultimately decided the Odyssey was a better fit for us. It has great storage space in the trunk too!
I’ve heard great things from both Toyota and Honda minivan owners. As a former van owner, I do miss the sliding doors. The only things I’d definitely make sure to have are the seats that fold down into the van (rather than having to be removed). Being able to push a button to open/close the doors would be nice, too, but I survived without that feature for ten years. On another note, Elly’s 4Runner is a ’99, and we love it! It has such low mileage that we plan on it still being around for ten years or more!