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Which big vehicle do you drive/reccomend that seats min 9



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amother
Periwinkle


 

Post Mon, Apr 09 2018, 11:34 pm
Hi, we are looking to purchase a bigger vehicle. We need something that seats at least 9. I want something that has a usable trunk and can fit in my garage and in regular parking spaces, so can't be so huge. Any recommendations??? TIA!!
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flowerpower




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Apr 09 2018, 11:44 pm
What about a Honda Oddessy or Toyota Sienna? They both have a deep trunk and have 9 seats.
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causemommysaid




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Apr 09 2018, 11:48 pm
dont they have 8 seats?

I think a suburban has 9
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amother
Crimson


 

Post Mon, Apr 09 2018, 11:50 pm
I don't think any minivans seat 9. Odyssey seats 8 as far as I know. There may be some semi-legal ways to add seats.

The only 9 seaters I am aware of are SUVs, and not many of those. They have a bench seat in the front row (I.e. a child in the middle between driver and passenger).

Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of options once your family reaches a certain size.

It's not what you are looking for, but the Nissan NV is a very comfortable drive for a 12-passenger van. However, it is big and not so easy to park. Other vans in that genre are the Ford Transit, the Chevrolet Express, GMC Savannah, and the Sprinter.
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amother
Periwinkle


 

Post Mon, Apr 09 2018, 11:50 pm
As far as I know an Odessey and Sienna seat 8.

My kids are all young. Is a suburban difficult with young kids because the doors don't slide open and closed? Have you had experience with that?

Thanks for the suggestions so far.
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amother
Crimson


 

Post Mon, Apr 09 2018, 11:53 pm
Suburban is hard for young kids in general because of access to the back seat. Not easy to buckle them in.

Plus you don't really want a young child in the front row.
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amother
Periwinkle


 

Post Mon, Apr 09 2018, 11:56 pm
amother wrote:
I don't think any minivans seat 9. Odyssey seats 8 as far as I know. There may be some semi-legal ways to add seats.

The only 9 seaters I am aware of are SUVs, and not many of those. They have a bench seat in the front row (I.e. a child in the middle between driver and passenger).

Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of options once your family reaches a certain size.

It's not what you are looking for, but the Nissan NV is a very comfortable drive for a 12-passenger van. However, it is big and not so easy to park. Other vans in that genre are the Ford Transit, the Chevrolet Express, GMC Savannah, and the Sprinter.



Thank you for your suggestions! Have you or anyone else here had experience with any of the listed vans? I've googled and found some online, just looking for personal experience.
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amother
Crimson


 

Post Tue, Apr 10 2018, 2:50 am
amother wrote:
Thank you for your suggestions! Have you or anyone else here had experience with any of the listed vans? I've googled and found some online, just looking for personal experience.

I've rented and driven the Transit and the Express with my family. They are okay, but the NV (the vehicle I researched most extensively) had much better reviews for comfort and safety. I especially wanted it for the footroom for driver and passenger, lower entry, and reduced sounds in the van (the engine is in front of the driver, instead of between the driver and passenger).

I've also rented and driven the 9 passenger Suburban, and although it is comfortable once you get going it was not fun to load the people and carseats. I should mention that someone sells aftermarket child-size seats that can be installed in the trunk of the Suburban and add passenger room, although they are rear-facing, cannot hold a carseat, and use up your cargo space. (Not sure what the safety ratings are on those either.)

If you've never driven a 12/15 passenger van before, there is a drop of a learning curve, but they handle similarly to a minivan once you get the hang of it. Parallel parking is a headache in any vehicle that size. Newer ones come with rear cameras which definitely help, though.

None of the big vans have great cargo space, although the seats are a bit higher off the floor and some bags can be slid underneath. Also, if you get a vehicle that has more seats than you need, you can remove the back row and have a huge cargo area.

Gas mileage I don't think was dramatically different for the vans and the Suburban, but you can check online.

An older model 15 passenger van fit - barely - in our garage; you can check the dimensions of the car against the actual dimensions of your garage. A low-roof van (the regular ones) can usually clear the garage door, although the length can be a tight squeeze. There are garage floor chocks and stops to make it easy to park in exactly the right place.

You probably already know this, but the Sprinter is unique in that it is a diesel vehicle, with the attendant pluses and minuses. It is also high roof, and probably will not fit in a normal residential garage.

Note that the Transit does not hold its value so well, a few years old and it's dropped $20K. The NVs seem to hold their value well, a few years old and they're still asking $30K (I think both of those are about $40K new).
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amother
Linen


 

Post Tue, Apr 10 2018, 8:54 am
We have the Nissan NV and are very happy with it. It drives really smoothly--similar to a minivan, I think, except that the driver is much higher up. There's not a ton of trunk space, but I've figured out how to open the back right door and pile up the groceries behind the left door (there's a lot of height though not a lot of depth). If you only need to use 9 of the seats you can remove some seats to create more cargo space. For example, you can remove half the back row (2 seats, leaving a 2 seat bench) and then have a lot of space for cargo.

I will say that parking the NV is not the easiest; whenever I enter a parking lot I look around for a spot that's easy to swing into and easy to exit (preferably forward!) But we have a backup camera, which is really a pleasure. It is 7 feet tall, so parking garages etc are a problem.

That being said, the new Ford Transit has become very popular in my city--I think because it's less expensive than the NV.
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amother
Maroon


 

Post Tue, Apr 10 2018, 9:08 am
We just did a lot of research and ended up getting a Ford Transit. So far we’re happy with our choice but it is big (we got longer 1). Minivans only go until 8 seats and the newer Suburbans too. If you want a car that fits your whole family you’re best off with either Ford Transit or Nissan NV. The Transit comes in different heights and lengths depending on your needs.
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amother
Periwinkle


 

Post Tue, Apr 10 2018, 2:49 pm
Thank you so much for the detailed replies!! You have all given me some food for thought and it is now time to start test driving. Really appreciate the replies.
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Iymnok




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Apr 10 2018, 5:34 pm
Vans are boxes. For some that makes parking easier since you know exactly where the corners are.
There is no trunk, but as posted above, you can remove a row. (It doesn’t have to be the back)
For trips and vacations, get a roof bag and a bike rack for the back.

Extra seats are extra chested opertunities. (That’s a reason my mother chose the 15 over the 12 seater)
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Cmon be nice




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Apr 10 2018, 6:15 pm
There's a place in Lakewood that adds a seat (I think between the front 2) by bolting it to the floor. I think its called CSO radio
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amother
Crimson


 

Post Tue, Apr 10 2018, 6:37 pm
amother wrote:
That being said, the new Ford Transit has become very popular in my city--I think because it's less expensive than the NV.

Just want to point out that it is less expensive USED, but they are about the same price new.
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amother
Violet


 

Post Tue, Apr 10 2018, 6:55 pm
Love my NV... And there is a leather option, the transit I believe only has vinyl.
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pesek zman




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Apr 10 2018, 7:28 pm
Suburban
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Hashem_Yaazor




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Apr 10 2018, 8:46 pm
If you're buying used, Transit can be gotten cheaper. If not, NV is the way to go if money is the deciding factor.

The Transit has more storage than the NV, but the NV (especially not the base model) has more lighting/cup holders and is more family friendly.
The Transit has sliding or swing open doors, NV only has sliding.
NV you can technically open side window; you can't in the Transit.
NV is quieter, runs smoother, and has a shorter break time.
Transit has more visibility...even with the headrests out in my NV I can't see well out the back, but I do have a rear view camera that is a pleasure to use.
Transit has one seat separate from the rest to create an aisle; you either like that, or don't...the NV only has rows.

Basically pros and cons to each. I haven't run out of space yet though I always get nervous I will (we're a family of 10 KA"H and we do travel long distances) -- we use carry ons as foot rests for my kids. Crates fit well in the back of the van to stack up things. If you don't need all the seats and can take out a half row of 2 from the back, you have a lot more space.

As far as car seats go, there are more LATCH positions in the Transit, but I don't always use LATCH and there is a max allotted amount of weight allowed anyway, so it works well for me. I've had various car seat configurations in my NV.
I put a convertible car seat behind the driver either FF or RF and the infant car seat in the very first seat accessed by the door. I currently have a convertible RF in the middle row middle seat, but I've also put convertible seats in the back row, depending on my needs. I have boosters in almost every other seat...
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