Question of the Day: What's a Big Family to Do?

So what does a European family do? I'm sure there must be 5+ member families that don't have an SUV or Minivan.... Try this one on for size(!); We can fit two strollers and two car seats in a Mini Cooper. The key is a bit of research - sure, the options are limited, and we wouldn't be doing much shopping (2 small bags of groceries and we'd be full!), but there are slightly narrower car seats and some extremely well designed strollers that fit in vehicles. I believe you'd probably spend an extra $100 or so on each stroller/seat, but you'll save the money in gas (vs. an SUV) in no time! Look for Euro-models, there are quite a few that meet NA standards (they probably all do, but in Canada, anyway, you need a CSA sticker for it to be legal) and most are a bit more narrow. In terms of the Mini, we only have 1 child, and "packing" the car was a test only using "regular" sized car seats; we borrowed the extra stroller (fitting two "Quinny Zaps" in the trunk). If anyone is looking a common "narrow" seat is the Evenflow Titan V, which is roughly 16.5" across at the widest point (many are 20" across, making three across require an extra foot of room!) - remember when fitted, they technically shouldn't be touching.

@NBK-Boston Nor does one '...earn “green points” by *decreasing* the passenger miles per gallon of your vehicle through the expedient of having *fewer* children, and therefore *fewer* passengers.' so your logic escapes me. And besides, who said I have lot'sa kids. If I did I sure wouldn't have time to post this message. ;-). Many people don't lead isolated lives and and keep their vehicles filled with carpools, friends, extended family. But none the less, discounting efficiency, even based on bloodlines and age, makes no economic sense. Back to the broader topic: In fact, most in my circle of friends and colleagues are facing a broader people mover challenge. Everyone has parents and or other older extended family they are responsible for within their household. A weekend trip that combines a couple of kid's with one or two tall and/or arthritic parents requires creativity. How do you keep them all comfortable and entertained and have enough room for the baggage on a weekend trip?. I really like what Ford is trying to do with the Flex. The second row captains seats have been described as business class. (I hope the surly flight attendants are still optional). The entertainment system would allow the kids to stream tunes and the P's to watch a flick. My wife and I could talk, **uninterrupted**, fondly recalling our days as newlyweds living at the beach and owning a 32+ mpg car. But generally we were riding our bikes everywhere. We were so happy, we didn't even realize we were supposed to be smug about it. And when I awake from this day dream and have to unload the luggage, all of those overnight bags will be waiting behind the 3rd seats- because it wasn't an after thought. What was Toyota thinking when it over looked the split bench on the Highlander. How could a machine like Toyota make such a rookie mistake. The MB R-Class is a contender, too. Though there isn't as much room behind the third row as the Flex, its has split rear seats so one could get the overnight bags in the beast. Many of the 2006s are coming off lease and selling prices are pretty competitive. ~$33K with mileage of ~20K and a year or two of factory warranty remaining. The Certified inventory is a little more but it will give you better warranty terms.