I never saw myself as a minivan-driver to begin with. I had owned a VX soft top Cabriolet although that was in my BC days. (Before children.) Then I had a Jeep, and then a Volvo estate with extra seats in the back, which were duly christened the "Way Back" seats. I actually loved that car, but when the Little Guy came along, so did a new law about where you had to place a baby in a car. Not only in the back seat, facing backwards, but they had to be in the middle. This would mean crouching down with a heavy baby in a car seat and stretching to get the whole package into the middle of the back seat. Lumbar injury waiting to happen really.
I decided that I needed a "higher" car, so that I could put the baby in at waist height. When we started looking around, it also became apparent that this new car would have to be quite large since not only was I toting bikes in the back, there would now be a fairly cumbersome stroller/pushchair. And the likelihood of having extra kids was very high too.
Minivan it was.
The Ball & Chain has always hated it, since it smacks of suburbia and "soccer moms". He has been badgering me to get rid of it for a few years now, and it wasn't until the teens started driving it, and failing to park it without taking out the side of the garage door, that I considered the possibility of a smaller car.
But lest you think I'm going for a two seater mid-life-crisis mobile, it will probably be either a Toyota Highlander, or a Volvo CX90. See, both of them have a third row of seats should I need to get all the kids and the dog in the car at the same time.
And it'll be a used car. There's no way I'm buying a brand new car with teenagers at the wheel.
I'm always a bit rude about minivans, but it's definitely because I've got 2 kids and can still just about fit them in an ordinary sedan - if I had 3 I'd probably be getting a minivan like a shot. Everyone round here has one, and the boys are forever asking me why we have such a small car......
ReplyDeleteYou drove a minivan?? Good that you've only told me now that you are going to get rid of it - I might have had to crack a joke otherwise ;-)
ReplyDeleteI completely get the not wanting to bend down bit though. We ordered a new car that comes with the baby. Just realised that this sounds as we had gotten the package of them in a special deal, haha. Anyway, we opted for an SUV. They come as ecologically friendly these days and are a bit more sporty than minivans.
Never got to the minivan stage, but kind of needed one for a while. Now we're thinking more about a new stage in life where we're more 'get out and do more' with bikes and hiking etc and considering an SUV. Knowing us it will take 5 years to decide though. I shall watch this space with interest!
ReplyDeleteWith only one child, never needed a van but even if I needed it I think I would have resisted with all my might. I don't like big vehicles at all. I have two friends with Highlanders and they love them. One friend has had hers for ten years (I think.)
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