O.K. I need a little advice….
We are purchasing a new (used, but new to us!) vehicle. I really wish I didn’t need to get one because the one that I have right now if perfectly fine. BUT, it does not fit our family. It seats 8 and we have 9. If we go anywhere as a family we have to take 2 vehicle’s, which with the gas prices is not very cost effective and I really like us to be all together.
This is my dilemma. I can get the one I want, a suburban that seats 9. OR, I can get the more practical and less expensive big ‘ol van. The van seats 11, but does not have much storage in the back and we need it for sports equipment. However, we can actually have the kids friends come with us. The suburban has more cool features and more room in the back but I would have to get an older model with more miles for the same price.
** This would be where I have to explain that my Mom has driven the same large van my ENTIRE life, I swore I would NEVER drive one! This is also where I have to be an adult and make a smart/frugal decision and get over childhood trauma! 🙂
What do you think?
As long as we were talking about buying vehicles, I don’t know much, but my husband worked as a wholesaler for a while so I have a few tips.
- Do your research – Obviously. Look online, and compare what you are seeing for the same vehicle on different sites. Try ebaymotors.com, cars.com and even craigslist.com.
- If you possibly can, hold out and wait until you can pay cash for a car and not have to pay the interest. If you are financing, check around for the lowest percentage rates, always try a credit union.
- Be patient, don’t get caught up in the moment and feel pressured into buying a car. If you are in front of a sales person and need to talk to your spouse privately, WALK AWAY and do it! Don’t think you are being impolite, it is your money!
- Be flexible, look past colors and option packages. You can add extras later, for less. For example, the suburban I want is a great price but it is cloth. I can save money by purchasing it without leather and adding it later, after market for about $1200. If I get one with the leather included it is $2500 more.
- You will typically get more money if you privately sell your car then trading it in. But sometimes the hassle is not worth it for some people, and they find it much easier to just trade it in. Also, you will only be paying tax on the difference after the trade in amount towards the new car.
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I love my suburban! There are 8 of us. I am not sure how you will fit 9 in there. Having said that, having the option to take an extra kid (or 2) is something I wish I had.
The front seat is a bench also, so there are 3 benches total. The front seats are not buckets. I would like to take friends with us places!
I recently bought a used car. I searched for cars online BEFORE going to the dealer. Found one and made an offer via email before stepping onto the lot. I got the car for $5,000 less than the post price on the website, they actually took a hit to sell me the car. Moral of the story, if you a scared to talk with the dealer in person, you can do it ALL via the internet. That way you walk onto the lot with a fixed price that you want- make sure they don’t add extra costs and the price stated includes everything. Once you get there test drive the car, check the CarFax… and you are done. FAR better than sitting there haggling with them on site. To top it off, I financed through a credit union (pre-approved) so I the best possible APR.
Good tips! Thank you!
I second the haggling with the dealership over the internet. That is how I bought my last car. Almost 10 years ago. I’ll be driving this car for the next 10 years too. I have 65 thousand miles on it. Plan to drive it until it starts nickel and diming me to death.
You can also get seats installed in the back to carry 2 more. 🙂
Good Luck!!!
I’d probably go with the big van. They run off E-85 so you will save money there. Plus they are actually pretty good on gas mileage. I have a friend that drives a E350 cargo van. She gets almost 20 miles to a gallon fully loaded with cargo. Plus I happen to know there are bunches of E85 stations around houston. Was looking for them for Caren tonight. http://www.e85fuel.com
I saw that… We can use the E85 with the yukon i Have now and have not done it. Does she burn through it faster? That is good info.
Tiffany,
When you run E-85 you get two or 3 miles per gallon less. The trick is if you can get E-85 for 40 cents a gallon less than Unleaded its worth your while. My friend puts over 10 thousand miles a month on her E-350. She drives it all over the Eastern half of the U.S. delivering freight.
If I had more than four kids I would be getting a Dodge Sprinter. My Dad worked for Freightliner which owned the Sprinter before Dodge bought it. He said that it is a “million mile vehicle”.
Lots of room for people (15 passenger), gets 20-25 mpg (diesel) and you can customize with a DVD player pretty easily.
You’ll have to ask Dan about the passenger van his family had when they were kids. Lots of good memories growing up in those big families!
Lindsey!! I have ridden in Karens van! That is what I am afraid of, I will finally be THAT lady! Like my Mom and Karen! I love them though! We looked at the sprinters, they are just really expensive! They are cool though
I say get what you want. You have to drive it and will be stuck with it for years. I have an Expedition and love it. I bought it when we didn’t “need” all the seats but now 2 kids later we need all three rows. I will drive it until it dies and I’m so glad I didn’t get what I really didn’t want (a van). You’re practical and frugal with everything else, live a little. After all you do practically live in your car when you have as many kids as you have. 🙂 My 2 cents. 🙂
I have to agree. I had an Expedition and loved it but it didnt have enough room in the back behind 3rd row for all of our sports equipment so I got the dreaded practical “mini van”. (i hated my parents Toyota moon mobile mini van that they drove us around in). I got the nissan quest and loved it for the first month and then started hating driving a mini van. I just didnt feel like a mini van person and felt like my mom driving hers. Needless to say not even a year later i traded it in for a newer (and bigger) Expedition. My advice is get what you like. You are going to have to drive for awhile and you need to be happy. sometimes happiness trumps practical. (no offense to any mini van drivers!!) (=
I worked for a dealer for almost 3 years. You will probably come out better on resale with the Suburban if you plan to sell it in a few years. Also, make sure to check fueleconomy.gov and iihs.org to compare mpgs and safety ratings. All that being said, I drove A LOT of different vehicles. There is a pretty big handling difference to me in the two vehicles. If it were me having to make one of those a daily driver, I would go for the Suburban just for comforts sake. Good luck!
I have one of the 9 passenger Suburban and was able to buy it BRAND NEW for $25,000. Yes, I said $25K. The sticker was over $40K on it, but it was a bait car for a dealer…one they place in their ad knowing they lose money on one but will get others in to look at it and it will be sold so they talk them into a regular priced one. I called a dealer about an hour away and told them I don’t receive their ads but was willing to drive if I could know when the vehicle would be on sale. I was shocked when three days later I got a call from the same lady I talked to saying the 9 passenget Suburban I was looking for was going on ad tomorrow morning at 7 am. She even gave me the VIN number! My husband and I loaded all the kids up at 5 am, and drive the hour, getting their an hour before the dealership opened. We walked around and found it (using the vin #) and when the manager came out at 6:30 AM to ask what we were doing, we told him we wanted this particular vehicle. And a few hours later, we walked out proud owners of that vehicle at the price!
Oh my gosh! That is awesome!
I would definitely go for the Suburban! Not only do you get style and fuction, plus resale value, but you don’t have to go back on your word to never drive what your mom drove lol!
I don’t know too much about buying Cars but I got to thinking and was wondering how often do you have all your kids in the Car at once. I wouldn’t know as we are only a family of 3 right now, but if I went investing in a new Car I can totally see both sides of your story. I personaly would want to get the car I wanted, and if it fit all of my family that would be great. I also like the idea of having extra trunk space. As for the 2 extra seats for friends, perhaps those times when you have friends you wont have all your kids? I don’t know I guess that really is a hard decision! Good luck to you! ps. I really like that suburban! 🙂
I love our Suburban, but I think 9 would be tight, however, the trunk space is GREAT. I’d probably go with the van since you have the option to have “guests” riding with you which kind of goes along with having kids. I wouldn’t want anyone riding in the front seat of a Suburban either:) Good luck!!
I don’t have any advice when it comes to buying a car but if you decided on a Ford let me know my husband worked for Ford which has a friends and family discount, all you would need is a pin# he would get from Ford. The employees/retirees get so many a year. We would happy to do this for your family.
Lisa
Thank you Lisa! I will email you if we go with the van!
I live very near you. I drive a Sub. I love it, but the gas mileage is terrible. It says 18 or so but stop and go in TW, I get about 15 MPG. If a van gets better than that, I would buy the van. We have a family at our church that has 10 kids, they drive a van and when I look at them , I think, wow they have to drive a van because there are so many of them, not wow they are stuck in the 70s or 80s and drive a vehicle our parents drive. Do not let The Woodlands get to you, get what you want. PLus, my sub payment is sooo high…..I hate to pay that each month with the economy this way. Oh, I have used E85 and mathematically, it is not worth driving out of your way to a station that sells it, it is cheaper to buy, but it burns much faster so I never buy it now after trying it several times in the past.
Ditto on the Internet- by since it’s summer, I’d even try the new car strategy by Internet. We have an Odyssey that had a sticker of $27k. It was right after the new models came out- so I emailed for the best price. We got it for $17k on the road- and best if all, no haggling!
It’s so funny that you posted this! My sister & I were just wondering what kind of vehicle you had to tote around 7 kids…plus the 2 of you. We guessed you had to drive 2 cars unless you had a van. My vote goes to the van. It’s less glamorous, but you’ll save money in the purchase AND in the gas. Keep us posted. Good luck!
I am a family of 9 also and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE my Suburban. It seats 9 ad my children play sports and I always have plenty of room for a cooler and their softball and baseball bags and chairs and anything else we have to haul. I had one for 13 years that got totalled in my front yard and now I have my second that I have had for a year. My first blew an engine and I put another engine in it instead of buying another car because it just is my kind of car. They are just great all around. Gas mileage might not be the best but it is well worth it on everything else.
I’d say hold out and get what you really want…you will be driving it for a wile and there’s nothing like buying something you don’t like…the suburban does have good resale. We have a 7yr old suburban and it seats nine comfortably (middle school through high school age).
My husband has been the Service Director for a luxury import dealership for many years. He has come home many times over the years telling our children about customers who can’t afford their service bill or are so far behind in their payments that the vehicle is repo-ed during an oil change. These vehicles are often purchased for a “want” not a “need”. (Vehicle purchases loose value so quickly that its hard to say that they are an investment.) That being said…. I would love a large Lexus Suv but as a mother of 5 I already am considered “THAT LADY” and our next vehicle will be a used cargo van!! 🙂
Tiffany,
I say you should get what YOU want. I’ve heard from my friends that they love their minivans but I have resisted all the way long. I only have 2 kiddos and don’t plan on more. I drive a Toyota 4 runner and love it. The 4wd is necessary in the winter where we live. It is a little tight with the kids in there but when we all go someplace together we usually take our other vehicle, a toyota sequoia. It is so handy that they both can tow our boat or our camper. I also like the sportiness of both of the cars and I don’t feel like my vehicle labels me everytime I’m on the road. It has more to do with my view of vans… Good luck. I love the leather seats, sun roofs, etc. that are affordable in a SUV when you buy them used. Good luck and enjoy!
I would totally get the suburban so you can be a mom but not totally lose your “coolness”. 🙂
Tiffany,
I tell people that my hobby is collecting cars with over 100,000 miles. That’s really a joke, but sort of true, too. All of my cars are paid for, and I paid cash for the last 3. I personally bought a Lexus wagon with almost 100,000 miles about 6 months ago. Don’t get a van if you don’t want a van, and don’t let anyone talk you into it. You’ll regret it every time you get in it. You spend a lot of time in your car, so get something you want (within reason of course). I chose to get an older car with more miles because I really liked the Lexus but I only had X amount of dollars saved and my old Altima was biting the dust. In any case, good luck to you in your search!
Let us know if you’ll be selling your current vehicle, we might be interested!
One more quick thing –
I’ve ALWAYS sold my own cars rather than trading them in – until recently. I did my homework and I know what I should pay for the Lexus, and how much my old Altima was worth, and Northside Lexus did me right. You just never know – a trade-in might work out. Don’t rule it out completely until you see the numbers.
Tiffany, How long before your son will be driving? Would he and the other children be driving the 15 passenger van? Wondering if the suburban would be more kid friendly to drive. My daughter learned on our Tahoe. I do understand the importance of having extra seating,which the van offers. My $.02 is the suburban. Good Luck!
We drive the 15 passenger van for our church/youth group and there is not enough room to haul anything but kids. There is room under seats, but such a pain to get to. It’s good for traveling but we always have to take another vehicle to haul our gear. I can’t see buying groceries or hauling very much of anything in it. I would def go for the Suburban and they look so much nicer. Gotta look good even though we are moms. Good luck!!
Buy the Van!
Love Ya
Dad
I knew you would say that, so I didn’t ask…. 🙂
My sister is a mother of 9 and they drive a Chevy Savannah that seats 16. Which is perfect because my family of 3 rode with them to the amusement park last year. The only downfall is no room for groceries or sports equipment.
I would go with the sub. Only because my g/f and I took our 7 combined kids to Disney a few years ago in her Sub. and we had plenty of space for all the junk we had to take. Id did ok on gas for the long trip also. She and I would also go shopping ion her Sub. It is amazing how much you can put in the back of those things. Good luck, we have had our F150 for 7 yrs and I love it.
If you plan on having more children in the future, it sounds like the suburban may not fit your family and you’d be in the same boat. But if that’s not a concern and you can afford the more expensive car, go for it. I initially wanted another SUV and my husband wanted the minivan, he won this time.
As to Natalie’s comment, I drive a minivan and still have my “coolness”.
🙂 It’s about personality and attitude, not what car you drive.
Good luck in your decision.
Hi there!
We went through this last summer. We opted for the 15 passenger van. Our three oldest boys play ice hockey and we needed the room for sports equipment. Plus we liked the option of being able to fit friends in the van. The other bonus for us is that the kids can put some distance between each other and there is less bickering:) We did take out the last bench seat to make room for all the sports gear with the option of putting it back in whenever. We love it and love that payment is nicer than the excursion we were looking at!
I drive a 17 passenger Ford E350. We took out the two back seats so we have space for all of our stuff. I have had it for 7 years now and I absolutley love it. If you run into a good deal on something large, you never have to pass it up because you can’t haul it. We have four kids and there is plenty of room for them and their friends.
I have a Suburban and love it. I have triplets so they are all three on the bench and we have the third row out for their stroller (it is 5 feet long). I couldn’t bring myself to become a mini van mom. The only bad thing is the gas mileage but I did drive a Honda Accord before so it was a huge shock to fill up the Suburban. I get around 400 miles to a tank and it cost around $80 (I live in the Kingwood area).
DO NOT GET THE VAN… I repeat, don’t do it… you already know you don’t want it, and yes it may be less expensive but if you hate it- it is totally worth spending the extra amount to get the suburban.
We have 5 (6th due in 2 months) and I LOVE our suburban, I will never drive anything else! Seriously! And I know you know the amount of stuff the kids have with baseball… I can’t imagine fitting all my stuff in the back of a van- plus Tiffany, they are UGLY! ;o)
Have you heard of the Government Auto Auctions? I have never used them but I hear wonderful things about them- google it…. Not sure if they would have the 9 pass suburban though- they are harder to come by, but it is worth a look- people get fantastic deals!
Oh one more thing, we have never used the “other” gas for the suburban. Been told by 3 different mechanics not to… wish we could cuz here in nice old IL, gas prices are $4.49 a gallon for the CHEAPEST! Only negative about the suburban, but I am sure a van isn’t THAT much better! GOOD luck, can’t wait to see what you get!
I would look at the safety of each. The vans used to have a very poor crash rating. We used a Ford van at the school I worked at and several parents wouldn’t allow their children to travel in it.
hi
I have 6 kids, drive a suburban and love it…. I always joke that if we have more kids I will have to get an airport shuttle bus!
I would definately test drive both especially in parking lot (parking) situations…. a van and suburban will definately handle differently.
In addition to my kids I definately drive around with a lot of stuff (stroller) and maneuvering things under the seats does not sound enjoyable!
I have a Suburban that fits 9. I have 4 children so the only time it is maxed capacity it when we have family over. Two of my seats in the second row are occupied with car seat. I loveeee the Suburban for the trunk space fits all my groceries plus 2 strollers. But my only problem is the gas. It costs us between $80-90 to fill up. We fill up about once a week or about every 9 days. My husband is the primary driver of it since I am a stay at home mom. His commute to work is 2 miles each way. I make a few runs a week to the grocery in it and to church on Sundays. GAS Guzzler is an understatement. I wish I would of chosen the Flexfuel version. I would like to purchase a more gas efficient small car for daily errands. My Suburban has two bench seat in the back and the front came be converted to the ninth seat. It is not particularly very comfortable. It fits a small kid and with that said I don’t like the children sitting in front for safety reasons. Good Luck with your decision.
Also when we were shopping around for the Suburban as far as monthly payments goes it did us better to buy the brand new model versus the used model. Granted we get a Chevy Military discount on the purchase but the dealer incentives were better on a new model.
I saw that you can add a 4th row seat to a suburban http://www.littlepassengerseats.com/chevy_suburban_yukon_xl.htm
I’d look into that.
This is awesome! We will be full to capacity in a couple months with the new baby, I might just get this seat! Hey Tiffany, if you still like your truck and it is in good condition, this could save you TONS of money!!!
I have a “95 Suburban, which I purchased used in ’97 for my homedaycare. I’m STILL driving it; even though I’m a Mortician now. Yes, gas is expensive, but I don’t have a car note and it’s so reliable. Get the suburban
Suburan!! You will like the handling so much better and the space for gear/groceries/etc.. See if you can work a deal like comment above on buying a new one. It is cheaper in the long run many times. Ex and I used to flip cars. Buy the newest mercedes/lexus and be 1st in Houston to have it and we made BIG $$ doing it! What about an Expedition or Excursion? Good Luck to you and I am so excited for coupon class next Friday night!
Ok so what did you end up getting????
The suburban!
Just wanted to let you know we only purchase our vehicles from James Taylor at Henson Ford in Madisonville. I know what your thinking I am in no way driving all the way there to buy anything…..hahaha way to far with 7 kids. I totally understand we have 5 kids but the good news is you dont have to. Call and tell him what you want, he finds it, and delivers it to your door for no extra charge. You sign the paperwork at your kitchen table!!!!! We will never step foot into another dealership again…..hahaha. So if your interested give him a call and tell him James Black sent ya. (936)714-4260 James Taylor with Henson Ford.
Hi,
Just found your site and really like it. We have a family of eight and bought the big Ford van a year ago. We really like it despite the price of gas–lots of room and easier to drive than I would have thought. We do have a super cheap “shuttle” car for trips with four or less for around town. I really would want to have a second car with a van like this (our second car cost ten dollars–not pretty but gets the job done!)
The suburban is beautiful! I should’ve read this post again before I emailed you! I forgot about this one haha