For many growing families, gaining an additional family member means another milestone: upgrading or changing the family vehicle. If you had a sedan, you may find that it’s not big enough to comfortably fit multiple car seats and passengers. Inevitably, you have to answer a question that defines your parenting: minivan or SUV?
OK, so it’s not quite that dramatic, but still, the minivan or SUV debate is an enduring topic in parenting. Once upon a time, the minivan was called “loser cruiser” or “road slug,” but now the minivan proudly bears the nickname of “swagger wagon.” SUVs were known as gas guzzlers for poor fuel economy and its seating capacity was no bigger than a sedan, but many SUVs now have third row seats and other family-friendly features like an entertainment system.
Selecting your family vehicle is a big decision. It’s going to be with you for the long haul—road trips, sports activities, carpooling with neighborhood parents, and more—so make sure that you select a vehicle that meets the needs of your family.
Consider the Price of Ownership
When shopping for your next vehicle, make sure you’re considering more than the sticker price. Ownership costs include factors like repairs, maintenance, and depreciation value and fuel. Consider your family activities. If you’re often driving in snow or take your vehicle off-roads, you’ll need a vehicle with all-wheel drive. This feature is available with SUVs from various automakers, but only available to certain minivan models.
Financing
Minivans tend to have more dealer financing options compared to SUVs; however, you can always get financing at other places like your bank. The great debate of a minivan versus SUV comes down to your family budget and lifestyle, but no matter what vehicle you go with, it will be perfect for your family.
When you are ready to make your next vehicle purchase, be sure to check out the inventory at Steve Jones Chrysler Dodge Jeep in Owensboro , KY.
This week has not been a good one.
I’m pretty sure when 2012 comes to a close it will definitely be a contender for one of the worst weeks of the year.
Tuesday afternoon, Zack called from school because his hip was really hurting him and he wanted to come home and take some pain killers. He doesn’t take them at school because they have a tendency to knock him out cold.
Since Ellie was sleeping and Alexander was in the middle of eating his lunch, I woke up the Alex and asked if he could run and fetch the boy.
(**Now, a lot of people (points big fat finger and judgmental in-laws) think that it was wrong for me to wake up Alex to go get Zack and asked why I didn’t just take the little kids and go get him. Picking up Zack would have meant I had to wake up Ellie from a MUCH NEEDED nap and load her into her car seat. Get Alexander out of his costume, interrupt his lunch, get him dressed and load him into his car seat. Load both littles into the car and head up to the school. Unload the littles and lug them into school to sign Zack out and assist him with the zero free hands I have and get him and his wheel chair out to the van, get the littles back into the van and then help Zack into the van and load up his wheelchair and return to the house. Unload both the littles and help Zack into the house. Blah. blah. blah. So yeah. Easier to wake up Alex and ask him to go.**)
Alex went to get the boy from school.
15 minutes after he left I got a call from Zack.
They had been in an accident when they were leaving the school.
Thankfully no one was hurt.
Alex hit another van and was cited for inattentive driving.
This is the damage to the van he hit.
All he did to the other van (a 1994 Plymouth Voyager on its last legs according to the owner) was pop the tire and put a huge dent in the rim.
This is my van.
Our van has almost $4000 of damage and is in the shop getting fixed and is expected to be done by the 22nd.
Right now, our family of 6 is using a 2012 Ford Focus. So yeah, we can’t all go somewhere at once. It sucks.
It.Really.Sucks.
We are hoping they can upgrade us to something a little bigger tomorrow but it will just be a full size sedan instead of a compact.
It is the 22nd yet???
I never thought I would miss my minivan so much!!
This past weekend, the Alex and I packed up the minivan and headed West to Eau Claire to see my sister in law graduate from college.
Along the way we had fun signing and chair dancing and just enjoying time together.
Then, about an hour from our destination, the engine in our van blew up.
Blew up as in it decided that it did not want to work anymore.
So, there we sat.
On the side of the highway.
Next to a cross that said R.I.P. Don.
My father in law had to drive the hour from Eau Claire to rescue us.
Lola, my poor van was towed to a dealership and then off to be salvaged.
It was a very sad weekend.
A moment of silence please…… R.I.P Lola 1997-2011 A member of The Megalomaniac Family June 7th 2009 – May 20th 2011 You will be missed.
So, we have spent the past few days shopping for a van and have found one.
We pick it up tonight!!!
So after today, we will be the proud owners of a 2005 Dodge Caravan and will be making car payments once again.
I am excited and can’t wait to pick up the van because for the past 4 days we have been cramming our family of 5 into our 2003 Kia Spectra which is a very, very tight squeeze and after 5 minutes in the car we want to kill each other.
