Wondering what cars will *easily* handle twins (NOT minivans)

Hello everyone. Since my wife and I found out we were having twins we've been wondering about her car. She has a Lexus IS, which will be a very tight fit with two car seats and a tandem stroller and all the other stuff, possibly not even functional at all. But...that is why I started this thread. I am interested to hear the experiences of others with their vehicle - what do you drive (you can just say size, like mid-sized sedan), how functional have you found that particular size vehicle to be, do you have any extra space after stroller/diaper bags/toys/etc, and anything else you wish to share. The goal for me is to determine what options I should consider if we buy a new car.

Oh, and for all of you with minivans, I'll save you some typing by saying that we are not interested in a van.

Thanks in advance for your responses!

 

:welcome: to TS and Congratulations on Expecting Twins!!!

I have a 2008 Chevy Tahoe and I love it! There is plenty of room for the car seats and all of our stuff. It also has a third row seat which is nice if we have extra travelers! However, my DH and I are both really tall so getting them in and out of the car is not an issue, but I have heard that some shorter people have had troubles.

 

Since it will just be us 4 when the twins come, we are sticking with the cars we have now. We might upgrade later if need be.

She has a Jetta and I have a Kia Rio (don't laugh...it's my commuter car). But when I really want them safe and surrounded by almost 2 tons of metal, they will be riding with me in my 1969 Chevelle SS (slowly of course )

 

I have a ford explorer. It's a tight fit in the back seat (I have 3 car seats back there) but with 2, it would be fine. I do secretly wish I had a minivan, though, just for the conveinence of the sliding doors and 3rd row seat, though I know some explorer models come with a 3rd row but we opted for more storage in the back rather than the 3rd row (this was before twins and we wanted room for our 2 dogs.) There are a lot of non minivan choices out there! Good luck and congratulations on your twins!!

 

I have an 04 CRV and am expecting twins. These are our only kids but I am hesitating to keep it. Its tight but I think it will be fine except when we hit the road which we do often. I carry my grandmother with us when we visit my mom out of town and with 2 car seats there isnt enough room for an extra person in back nor the dog (which travels too). I think storage in the back will be ok on a daily basis but packing for a longer trip, I am not sure so I am thinking of keeping and maybe renting a van or bigger vehicle for trips

 

We had a Ford Taurus from birth until age 4.5.

Pros: low cost of operation, roomy enough for rear-facing full-size car seats (most sedans cannot fit a rear-facing convertible car seat), large trunk (yes, we could get a Graco double stroller and a week of groceries in the trunk), low clearance, doors opened wide enough to get out an infant car seat or a sleeping toddler.

Cons: While I could sit in the back with them in infant seats, once we converted to full-size car seats, there was no longer room. Which also meant that we couldn't carry another person in our vehicle. It became torture on my back to load them in and out of the car. Lean over to buckle in or un buckle. It was difficult to lift a sleeping toddler from the carseat and simultaneously stand while protecting my back and not smacking their little heads on the door frame (even though the doors open wide). I *hated* standing in the rain while leaning over to buckle them in. Ughhh. Road trips were difficult, despite the roomy trunk. There was no way to fit the stroller, luggage and gear that we needed. We did it several times, but it wasn't fun.

 

What you get should keep in mind whether or not you intend on having more children and when. Kids have to be in carseats for so long now, that unless you plan on waiting 6 years to have more, you'll likely end up needing something that will accomodate three carseats...so, unless you want to go through the trouble of getting yet another car in a few years, you might want to just get something big enough now...We have a Toyota Land Cruiser...and we will BARELY be able to fit three of the larger Britax carseats in a row. If we ever decide to have a fourth kid, we'll have to move up to a Suburban or something (since the third row is a teeny tiny thing). Anyway, if you want to avoid a van and you want space for a third child, you should be looking at full sized SUV's...Sequoia, Suburban, Tahoe, Lexus LX...

 

I have an Impala. 3 carseats in the back... the twins and my toddler. Minivan is not in our near future either. Also I fit a triple stroller in the trunk. So... I'd say a Impala would be perfect for 2.

 

We have a Nissan X-Terra. Although the twins are not here, the vehicle is ready to go with my 3 year old's car seat, and two Chicco Key Fit car seats. That only leaves the driver seat and the front passenger seat open, so we really can't take other people with us. But, there is a LOT of room in the back of the X-Terra to haul bags and strollers.

It is a tight squeeze, but I wasn't ready for a minivan. I don't know how manageable this will be when the twins are actually here, but I am going to give it a try.

Heidi

 

Not a Honda Element, that's what we have and it sucks to get them in and out of car seats. :grr:

 

I have a buick lacrosse. It easily fits three car seats(friends's baby) and the double stroller in the trunk with room to spare.

 

I had a Ford Focus until the twins were 18 mos old and it fit 2 Evenflo Triumph's (quite possibly the largest and heaviest carseats ever put on this earth) and fit a tandem stroller in the trunk and still had enough room for a weeks worth of groceries...

We also had a Saturn Ion until Memorial day that also served the same purpose....we now have a Dodge Caliber wagon and fits everyone as well...if you're not having any more kids right away then a regular sedan is just fine!

 

I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee and there's not as much room in the cargo area as I would like...although the back seat would be wide enough for 2 car seats and the height means less bending but I'm short so I'm actually not looking forward to hauling 20 pounds of kid and seat out of the back...

Have you looked at station wagons? Ford used to have a Taurus (don't know if they still do). I know that's what most people had when I was growing up (pre-minivan era!).

 

I know what you said, but I would seriously borrow someone's kids and carseats and test drive a van. Nothing is easier on your back when you have to haul two kids in and out over and over, especially if you're by yourself. My van doesn't define me, but it hauls my 4 kids (one of whom is 6 feet tall) around no problem, and it fits $300 worth of groceries, too. It even fit the kids and all the groceries when I had the double stroller in it all the time.

 

I'm like you, I dont want a van, especially with only two kids. I agree with PP that there are plenty of good vehicles out there that can accomodate two infants very well. I second the vote for the Chevy Tahoe. Our plan is Tahoe for my husband and Lexus RX 360 (smaller and lower SUV for me).

Happy hunting and dont let the mini van brigade tell you you're a bad parent if you dont want a minivan -- which is what someone said to me several weeks ago!!

 

What year is your Xterra? I have a 2002 and can't seem to get all the carseats in the back - a toddler and the 2 chiccos.

We want a Honda Pilot - the new ones. The amount of room in there is just amazing.

 

We weren't ready to go the new car/van route when we found out we were expecting twins - we had just purchased a car before the surprise of twins and would have taken a loss.

We have a Toyota Camry - are able to get three carseats in the backseat... two Graco Safeseats and one Radian 80 (which are made with a stronger, steel alloy frame that also makes them narrower than some of the other carseats) for our three-year old. We'll use the floor space in the backseat for twins diaper bags and ds' Thomas backpack (very important to have room for the Thomas backpack )

One good point about the Camry as a mid-size car... it has good trunk space. We put the Duo Glider stroller and my son's umbrella stroller in there and still have some room.

When we get our next car (we tend to rotate replacing my car and my husband's vehicle on a five-year schedule to ensure we only have one payment at a time... then we drive our cars into the ground), we'll probably upgrade to something bigger because the three kids will be bigger - so in about 5 years we'll have 4-5 year old twins and an 8-9 year old ds.

 

We have a Mazda CX-7 and I wouldn't recommend it. We wanted the Valco SBS stroller, but it is so hard to get it to fit in the back ie cargo area is too small. We also have a Jeep (YJ sport), but are now trying to decide whether to trade it in as it's not practical at all with kids. My sister has an XC90 Volvo SUV and I would highly recommend it (although it is pricey). There is so much room in this car - easily fits her two kids plus an extra one or two if needed and still with cargo room. I think many of the pp were right to suggest a full size SUV, and I would caution you against a x-over or small-mid size SUV.

 

I adore my minivan....and I dont' know why they get such a bad rap! They are AWESOME. nothign is better then when you have your hands full of baby and groceries, to just push a button and your sliding doors open!

Anyways, the girls fit comfortably in my parents Ford Explorer so that would be a good option.

 

Our X-Terra is a 2006. When we first went to the baby store, they said they didn't think they could make it work, but it worked out (only with the Chicco car seats). Again, I don't know how it will be when the girls' are actually here.

When we found out we were having twins, I immediately wanted a Honda Pilot too. But, when we went to the car lot to check them out, it just seemed like it would be too difficult to get into the back seat. My three year old cannot unbuckle herself yet with her car seat. So, we are holding off and hoping the X-terra will at least suffice. Don't think we will be going much of anywhere (except doctor appointments) anyway. LOL

Heidi

 

We have a Pilot which we love but my 20 month old can now kick my husband in the head from the forward facing car seat. (He thinks it's hilarous so he does that a lot.) While the Pilot will easily fit 3 infants in carriers (which I've done), one toddler with long legs can get really annoying. I hate the thought of a minivan but I think that's the direction we're heading in...seems most practical.

 

I agree with the pp who said if you are planning on having more in the future, go with a full size SUV. I have twins and a toddler. I had an Explorer up until a week ago. It barely fits all three car seats but when the babies are ready to upgrade to convertible car seats, I'm positive there won't be enough room. Especially since I will by buying the safer, although larger, Britax seats.

I used to be one of those people who said I'd NEVER own a minivan! Then the twins came. Last weekend we bought a Toyota Sienna and I actually REALLY like it!

Good luck and congratulations on the twins! :good:

 

We had a 2002 Honda CR-V when the twins were born and it was perfect. It easily fit two carseats with space left in the middle for me to sit if I need to and the trunk was easily big enough to fit our Graco Duoglider and enough supplies for a 2 week roadtrip. We took lots of trips in that car, even after we added a 3rd carseat to the back for Dax. I have no idea if the new model CR-Vs are any good for twins but, if you are looking for a used car, I would definitely check it out.

 

I had a crossover, Chrysler Pacifica, and the back was pretty much taken up by the tandem stroller with the 2 car seats taking the captains chairs. So no room for another passenger, or even much other cargo. DH ended up driving that and I got a minivan.

I am now looking to move to a Crossover for my next vehicle, a Ford Edge, but that is because the stroller is pretty much out of our lives now. I will be sure to get a luggage rack though.

 

Something to keep in mind, while you will be starting out with an infant carseat that will fit, you will eventually have to use a rear-facing convertable carseat which it MUCH bigger than the infant carrier. If you are in a car with a fixed back seat, that means that you will probably have to pull the front seats forward, which would make you and your passenger unsafe. Remember that people with a singleton can put the rear-facing seat in the middle, so that it doesn't impact the front seats, with twins that is impossible.

When we had the boys, I was driving an Explorer and DH a Probe. I liked the Explorer, except for the fact that if we needed to use the third seat, any passengers had to climb in through the back--and this was with the infant carriers! DH was in an accident which totaled his Probe. We ended up getting a Windstar mini-van (which 120,000 miles and 6 1/2 years later, I am still driving). I discovered it was soooo much easier on my back to put the boys into the minivan than swinging them up to the SUV. Also getting the stroller in and out was much easier as well. When I got my minivan, my next door neighbor, who had a 1 year old at the time, had just gotten an Acura SUV, and swore she would never drive a minivan. By the time her second was 5 months old, they bought an Odessy, and this weekend just upgraded to a new one.

I think if you are looking at a new vehicle, you need to look long term, because who knows what will happen and whether you will be able to get a new vehicle again, and look at why you are saying "no minivan". Then go drive a bunch of vehicles. Take them over to Babies r Us and see what convertable fit in rear-facing. Because I know, my boys were in convertables by 5 months, and now they are saying to keep them rear-facing well beyond the year--so it isn't something that will leave you squished for a short term--your personal safety is as important as the babies.

 

Let us know what you decide on...If you're going to stick with a car you should go for a larger/full-size. One of my friends has the Ford Fusion and it seems to have a pretty big trunk. Might be worth renting a car for the weekend--that's what I did before I bought my previous car and it helped me decide AGAINST the rental. It's a lot different than the 1 hour test drive you might do at the dealership.

 

I had Toyota Highlander before my Odyssey. I loved the Highlander and bought it when my oldest was a baby - when we were planning on only have two kids. I think it would work great even with two in rear-facing convertible seats. I think pps made some good points - make sure whatever you buy has enough room for the convertible seats facing backward, not just the infant carriers since they take up more room and also to take in to consideration if you will likely have any other children. If we had known we would have three in convertible seats we would have never bought the Highlander.

honestly - you need more room when they are in rear-facing convertible seats than when they are bigger.

Same here!!

 

The OP didnt say that there's anything wrong with minivans, he just said its not an option he's considering so as to rule it out of the suggestions that he receives.

 

Original Poster here...I already have an SUV and my wife wasn't thrilled about possibly becoming a 2-SUV household, so hearing about mid and large sedans is helpful. I think next step is to test drive something we are interested in, and include a stop at Babies R Us to test the gear.

And to clarify, I don't have anything against minivans, it is just a lifestyle choice not to get one.

 

For those of you guys (or women, talking about your husbands) who are around 6ft or 6-1 and have Camry-sized sedans, do you find that you have ample, or at least somewhat comfortable, leg room while driving with a rear facing car seat behind you? If so, what car do you have? And if not, same question.

 

We had a Ford Taurus when ours were little. DH is about 5'11", but with a longer torso than legs. He had no problems, even with the convertible seats facing backwards. However, the car killed my back - lifting the boys in and out, bent over at a 90 degree angle. If they were fighting going in the car seat, it was hard to lean over and in, hold them down and buckle the straps. Lifting them out when they were sleeping was also very hard on me. Once we moved to convertible seats, I could no longer sit in back with them.

We switched to a small SUV just before their 4th birthday. I much preferred it over the sedan for carrying kids.

 

I completely agree with this. We got a Rav 4 when we thought it was just one baby and though I love it, we'll be stuck if we have another baby. It's actually keeping us from having another one right now. The financial burden of having to buy a new car (we own the Rav 4 outright) would be too big. We have all the baby gear for another, but the baby would cost us over $20,000 in order to bring it home from the hospital. My DH is 6ft and does not fit comfortably in my Rav 4. He can't get the seat back far enough with the rear facing convertible seats (and the carriers were just as bad). The Camry response earlier sounds great. If you get a Duoglider or Combi SBS you should be fine with trunk space.

 

Will the car seats fit in your wife's suv?? We currently keep dd's car seat in my car (a suburban-which I would drive with or without carseats because I love being up so high) and plan on keeping the twins' car seats in there too. My husband still has his accord (so we don't have two suv's) and whenever we need to go anywhere with dd (and eventually the twins) we use the burb, and when it's just the two of us, or just my husband we usually take the accord.
Don't know if this type of scenario would work for you guys, but it may solve the problem now, or at least get you through until you figure out how much space the two/four of you will actually need.
PS I completely understand the no minivan lifestyle choice ...nothing wrong with them, just a personal preference

 

Hi,
We have an acura tsx, and I wouldn't recommend it for twins. Once we switched over to the Britax Marathons, there is not much room. It's hard on my back to get them in and out. The trunk room is okay for the stroller and some groceries.
I've had the twins now for 15 months. The first 6 months were better when we had the infant car seats. Once we switched to the Britax seats, it's been harder to manage.
I have a lot of trouble when I buy bigger items (high chairs and a radio flyer wagon). I could hardly fit them in. I guess I should have remembered to take the car seats out, but what a pain. I ended up removing the items from the boxes and cramming them in the car. When I bought a small rocking chair. I had to go home and get the car seats out before we could get it home.
I'm in the process of researching something new. Maybe a Highlander or a Pilot? Let us know what you decide. I'm still figuring it out.

 

We had a vw jetta wagon for the first 6m and it was hell

we got a Mazda cx-9 over the summer and it's heaven.