Transporting 4 kids, ideas?

I have a 99 Mercury Mountaineer, so it isn't huge and I will need to fit two car seats, one other child (who is 12) on a regular basis and two adults. I also have a 14 yr old DD who lives with her grandparents right now. I don't know what we will do when we all want to go somewhere or when my mom comes up to visit and we all want to go to the zoo or the museum or something. I really can't afford to get a bigger vehicle right now. I just hope that we can fit at least the three kids and two adults without being too smooshed. My husband has a Dodge Ram which doesn't have enough room either. We are already finding it interesting as we have the snap n go and the two car seats in the way back and if we go grocery shopping it is a tight fit with the back seat full of groceries and my DS. It will be interesting. Any ideas?

 

I wish I was more familiar with the mountaineer, its an suv? How many does it normally seat? I have four in carseats but have a minivan. We can never take any other adult with us unless they (me) squish between the two in the way back (we have captains chairs in the middle). A lot of people I know with twins just can't take another adult with them anywhere. We just get used to other people driving their own car.

 

QUOTE(4jsinPA @ Jan 27 2008, 08:14 PM) [snapback]592324[/snapback]
I wish I was more familiar with the mountaineer, its an suv? How many does it normally seat? I have four in carseats but have a minivan. We can never take any other adult with us unless they (me) squish between the two in the way back (we have captains chairs in the middle). A lot of people I know with twins just can't take another adult with them anywhere. We just get used to other people driving their own car.


It is an suv. It is the counterpart to the Ford Explorer. My husband and I are the only adults usually who ride unless my mom visits and then usually my DH doesn't come with us. I guess we may need to take two vehicles at times, which will stink with the gas prices the way they are.

 

you need an 8 seater minivan. i have the toyota sienna and i fit 5 car seats in it on a regular basis. rather it's 3 car seats and 2 boosters but i have room for a third booster meaning i squeeze in 6 children and 2 adults. if i have more adults i remove some of the boosters. minivan's have an amazing amount of space. i highly recommend you looking into getting one. i know they seem really nerdy but honestly, once you get used to the minivan you'll be in love. just be sure to adequately research the 8th seat option if you want it. some 8th seats are smaller than a full seat (for instance, the sienna's is a full seat, odyssey is not)

 

QUOTE(fishfood2 @ Jan 27 2008, 10:03 PM) [snapback]592505[/snapback]
you need an 8 seater minivan. i have the toyota sienna and i fit 5 car seats in it on a regular basis. rather it's 3 car seats and 2 boosters but i have room for a third booster meaning i squeeze in 6 children and 2 adults. if i have more adults i remove some of the boosters. minivan's have an amazing amount of space. i highly recommend you looking into getting one. i know they seem really nerdy but honestly, once you get used to the minivan you'll be in love. just be sure to adequately research the 8th seat option if you want it. some 8th seats are smaller than a full seat (for instance, the sienna's is a full seat, odyssey is not)


I had a Grand Caravan until it died about 2 years ago. That is when I got the suv, I only had the 2 kids then and it was definitely a change. I like the 4 wheel drive living in NY. I would love to get another minivan, but I am not working right now and it would be alittle tight unless I could find one that they would take my suv in trade and have no payment after that. Maybe after the babies are born and I go back to work I can get one. Thank you for your advice it is good to know about the difference in seat size, I never would have thought about that.

 

I had a Mountaineer when we just had Joel and LOVED it. Yet when the twins came it was way to hard to deal with. It was a tight sqeeze with 3 carseats. We sadly sold it. Scott had a 4 door sedan he used for work, and we didn't want to keep the Mountaineer as his car because gas would kill us financially. Since money was tight, we bought a used Dodge Caravan. It had it's regular Dodge Caravan issues, and after 2 years sold that. We know drive a Honday Odyssey and love it. Scot drives a Pacifica which will also seat all four of our kids, though to be honest I don't recommend the car. Visibility is terrible.

A minivan is your best option in terms of convenience. A lot of the new small SUV that seat 6 might work, but with those you lose a lot of cargo space when you use all the seats.

Best of luck finding the right car!

 

QUOTE(Cristina @ Jan 27 2008, 10:13 PM) [snapback]592519[/snapback]
I had a Mountaineer when we just had Joel and LOVED it. Yet when the twins came it was way to hard to deal with. It was a tight sqeeze with 3 carseats. We sadly sold it. Scott had a 4 door sedan he used for work, and we didn't want to keep the Mountaineer as his car because gas would kill us financially. Since money was tight, we bought a used Dodge Caravan. It had it's regular Dodge Caravan issues, and after 2 years sold that. We know drive a Honday Odyssey and love it. Scot drives a Pacifica which will also seat all four of our kids, though to be honest I don't recommend the car. Visibility is terrible.

A minivan is your best option in terms of convenience. A lot of the new small SUV that seat 6 might work, but with those you lose a lot of cargo space when you use all the seats.

Best of luck finding the right car!


The Mountaineer definitely uses a lot of gas. I know what you mean about the Caravan issues. It had its share. Thank you for the advise on the others. Finding the right vehicle is always a challenge, then add twins in the mix.