CRV vs. Pilot

Xstatic3333

cbee817 said:

   

hoffse said:

OK not to hijack my own thread or rehash something we've discussed a lot, but is the huge stroller really even necessary?  My SIL just registered for my niece and there is a LOT of very expensive baby gear, nursery furniture, etc. on there.  And every bit of it is lavender and pink and LARGE.  I know this is a weird impression to have, but the entire registry struck me as really impractical.

Anyway, it seems like everybody registers for these massively huge strollers (not BOB's, but like the graco kind), but I hardly see them actually being used by random people in public.  So do people get them and then just abandon them after a couple uses, or am I oblivious?  I could totally be oblivious - I didn't start noticing baby stuff until pretty recently. 

The baby jogger city mini is the BEST stroller in the world. I registered for some garbage Graco one that matched the infant carrier and the next year, we had the city mini. We don't jog at all, but if you walk on uneven surfaces (even bumpy sidewalks from tree roots), this is the best stroller ever. It's small, folds up easy, has big tires, easier to manuever, and both girls loved it. You can buy an attachment for the infant carriers and then take it away when your child outgrows it. We gave it to one of DH's friends and she still raves about it and is using it on her 2nd this summer. Also, don't want to plug a website, but AlbeeBaby.com usually has the best prices on things with free shipping... especially car seats and strollers. 

Good recommendation! That's very light for all its features and a price point I can live with. It's hard for me to wrap my head around the $500+ travel systems, especially when we may just have one.

jtmh2012

Xstatic3333 said:

Good recommendation! That's very light for all its features and a price point I can live with. It's hard for me to wrap my head around the $500+ travel systems, especially when we may just have one.

We "cheated".  Picked up a Chico stroller/bucket seat/base from Babies R Us in their clearance section plus their 20% coupon.  If you watch the clearance section, they'll stick "last years model" in there a lot of times.  I forget the exact amount, but it was less than $200 out the door.

MrsRap720

cbee817 said:

MrsRap720 said:

 If anyone has any info/experience/feedback for the Forester or Outback, I'd love to hear it.

Raises hand! My mom was the first to get a Forester in 2010- at the time DH had a 2006 Outback and it was surprisingly difficult to get an infant carrier in and out of it (the doors/windows in the back were sloped strangely). We put the car seats in her Forester a few years ago to see how they fit and fell in love. Last year, DH's car had a long list of repairs (including power steering and brakes) so he opted to buy a 2015 Forester. He loves it and the girls do too. This spring, my 2003 civic was running fine, but with 2 kids, a long list of maintenance repairs (new tires, new brakes, etc) coming up and the car only worth about $3,500, we decided to get a 2016 Forester for me. I have never driven a SUV or anything bigger than a civic, and I love this car.. can't say enough about it!

Thank you! Just curious - did you or your H consider the Outback this time around? It seems like the Outback is bigger and therefore would hold more, but I've also read it isn't as fuel efficient, and there's something about the shape of the ones I've seen on the road that bothers me - I just don't really like how it kind of looks like a station wagon. But the practical side of me wonders if that shouldn't matter as much if it holds what we'd want it to hold better. 

bmo88

@hoffse I am not a parent and do not own either mentioned vehicles, but wanted to throw a plug in for the Mazda CX-5. It is a crossover that is pretty spacious, great on gas mileage for an suv (28-30 mpg), is a really good price range (about $26k new) and isn't too large. I have driven it for 2.5 years and love it. I know people who are parents and like it for kids because of the space and cargo area in the back. Just thought I would offer maybe a different solution. Here is a mom blogger's review of it: http://momsmessymiracles.com/5-awesome-things-2016-mazda-cx-5/

cbee817

MrsRap720 said:

Thank you! Just curious - did you or your H consider the Outback this time around? It seems like the Outback is bigger and therefore would hold more, but I've also read it isn't as fuel efficient, and there's something about the shape of the ones I've seen on the road that bothers me - I just don't really like how it kind of looks like a station wagon. But the practical side of me wonders if that shouldn't matter as much if it holds what we'd want it to hold better. 

We did not- we wanted a taller vehicle and with the girls at 4 and almost 6, they don't need strollers or a pack-n-play, swing, etc anymore. Their wagon, bikes, luggage, groceries, etc fit in there just fine... no space issues at all and the backseat is really spacious. We both liked the look, price, and features of the Forester. Test drive both for sure though- I took an Impreza out for over an hour and hated it... took DH's forester around the block a few times and I was sold.

brij2006

Can't help in the CRV vs Pilot aspect, but I can help in the crossover SUV vs mid-full size SUV realm.

When we were car shopping for my vehicle, we were TTC and going through a fertility treatment. So we knew/hoped we would eventually need the space. We were between a Ford Edge and a Ford Flex. My H wanted the Edge because it's sporty and was significantly less. I wanted the Flex because it had a 3rd row I could fold down, and was much larger.

Now that we have a child, I am soooo glad we went with the larger SUV (Flex). My H is 6'5", so he doesn't fit into a regular car or even a crossover with a rear facing car seat behind him. He drives a Dodge Magnum wagon and we can't put DD behind him in her car seat, and that's a full size car.

We never ever have the question or concern on how we're going to fit all the crap we need in the car, plus groceries. 

However, we do use our Flex for long haul trips. We did 9 hours to Nashville and back with 3 adults and a 5 month old, along with all of her and our crap. We had plenty of room to spare, and we were all very comfortable.

I will add that I'm pretty minimalist when it comes to the baby gear as well.  I always have her light 1 handed stroller in the back, and only take her diaper bag for outings.  Daycare drop off and pickup, I don't take that with.  So yeah, on the day to day stuff, I have way more room than I will ever need.  But for that once every other week, grocery haul/errand running, or picking up mulch for the landscaping, etc.  It's so nice to have it.

Although, I will really say that the main thing people run into is if they want to rear face for an extended period of time.  We do run into that issue in my H's car.  Once we have a 2nd child, we'll likely have to front face DD or try to find a very small rear facing seat that we can put behind him.  In my car, we can put the biggest and bulkiest car seat in it, rear facing, and he can still have his drivers seat put at a comfortable setting for him. 
I'm very pro-extended rear facing, so a larger vehicle works well for us.  If we were only choosing to tolerate it for a year like the law in Illinois states, then we would just make it work in a smaller vehicle until they're faced forward.

smerka

I was at the Honda dealership yesterday. I think the CRV would be plenty big enough for one kid. It might get tight with two, especially if you have two kids rear facing (the recommendation is two years, but longer is always going to be safer). The Pilot is quite big in comparison. Because Hondas hold their value, I don't think it would be a horrible plan to buy a CRV now with the idea that you could always trade it in if you find it too small once you have kids. I will also say I have never heard any mom say they wish they had gotten a smaller vehicle.

julieanne912

OK so no kids here, but just wanted to give a little input.  I currently have a Ford Edge, and want to get an Explorer to prep for having a kid.  We do have 2 dogs, so I figure they equal the space and stuff of 1 kid LOL  

A month ago, we went up to Estes Park to hang out for the weekend with friends in a house.  We took the dogs, they usually ride in the trunk area of my car and we put stuff in the back seat.  We also took a cooler, H's golf clubs, our own stuff, and a set of cornhole boards.  We realized all that stuff wouldn't have fit in my car, so we had to take H's truck.  That's when I knew we would eventually need a bigger vehicle.  

So yeah, I just think it depends on your lifestyle and what you like to do.  We do a lot of weekend get togethers like the above mentioned with friends, whether it be just going to someone's house, or to tailgate at a football game, etc.  

In regards to the trailer, you can probably pull a small trailer with no issues with your CRV.  My aunt has an older CRV and she pulls a small fiberglass teardrop trailer with hers.  But it's not very heavy.  If you plan on loading up a utility trailer with say, landscaping materials like dirt, rocks, etc., then you may want to consider something with a higher towing capacity.  I know that we have a small enclosed utility trailer, and my Edge can pull it as long as it's empty, but once we put stuff in it, it's over the max towing capacity and wouldn't be that safe to pull.  The Explorer can pull it fully loaded no problem.