Wanting your ideas on a new car - Page 1

Hey this should take everyones mind off the other posts going haywire. Ok, everyones opnion needed and SERIOUSLY ok? I am looking to purchase a new, or nearly new vehicle. I currently have a 2005 F150 supercab 4x4 and a 2004 nissan sentra. Obvoisly the sentra will be the one to go. I have 4 dogs, 2 GSDs and 2 Shiba Inus. I have a 6yr old child, and will be having one more, whenever we get around to it. The truck doesnt have a cab, and I dont put the dogs in the back, either in crates or tied... Dangerous. What does everyone have to get their family/dogs around? What works the best. I have looked at everything from an Expedition to a *gasp* Dodge Grand Caravan.I said I would never own a minivan, I was 16 and had to take my test in one, and didn't get my own car till i was 17. Talk about humiliating. Outgrown the itty bitty car with GREAT gas mileage. I drive 35miles each way to work 3 days a week. I live in the country, and it is at least a 20 min drive to the closest wal-mart... Ideas? I love the new expeditons, and the Tahoes (ford or chevy?) I have seen that Chevys wear down quicker. Fords are more expensive, I bought a new truck in 2004. But it has held up wear wise really well....

I bought a near new 05 Excursion. Last year they made them. Not good on milage of course but I work at home and live in town. I have a daycare so I needed a van or this. Like you, I said *gag* no flippin way I am owning a van. I only have one child of my own but we have 5 dogs now and some mutt or 3 are usually tagging along for the ride. The 3rd seat comes out and the second set fold forward. I can fit 3 jumbo crates or 5 medium to large in the back like that. I have the biggest gas motor V-10 and it gets 11mpg. I hear the diesles get better but I'm not up for finding a pump with diesle.

I have a Toyota Sienna van, 8 passenger. The back row of seats folds into the floor, which makes easy room for loose or crated dogs. I can fit my kids, husband, and minimum 2 crated dogs (more if no crates, but my kids complain about slobber, so what can I do?? haha). If the kids are not going, I can fit four crates, as the other seats come out completely and really easily. I get 25MPG on the freeway and about 19 in town. My mechanic told me Toyota is the way to go as far as quality, maintenance, and resale value. My 2005 van has 54k miles, and still running great, with nothing but your normal maintenance. Perhaps someone else has some knowledge about the vehicles you're interested in. Just giving you what I know about what I have. :) Good luck!

You might want to try a 3 hole trailer. The GSD's get their own hole and the two Shebas can share. The trailers are light enough to be towed by an audi a6 wagon or comparable vehicle. We have a 4 hole gla-wel trailer. When we visit the inlaws 3 hours away We take our Durango. We have a cargo box for our luggage on top of the truck, 2 400 sized crates fit in back with the 3rd row seat folded down. Add the 2 baby car seats and we hit the road. Good Luck, Kyle

I have a 2005 Chevy Suburban, I love it, I love it, I love it!! Mileage isn't great but neither was the mileage on my 2001 or 1996 GMC Safari.. the 'burb is really comfy and has lots of power and tons of room, I have 2 permanent (semi) custom crates in the back with storage drawers and I can fold down the 2 middle seats if need be for another crate or 2.. could fit 2 400's back to back. My business partner has a 1994 or 95 with over 240,000 on it, who says they don't last??? It is wearing out.... my husband has a Chevy Express 1500 van, it holds 3 500's and 2 400's and tons of stuff the way he has it set up I do like the convenience of the Dodge/Chrylser minivan fold down seats.... there are lots and lots of options out there.. have a friend with 2 border collies, she has a Buick Rendesvous.. has a ton of room another has GSD's and a Honda Element..you can hose it out!!

No gmc diesels I can write u a book about 8 pumps r &r in 60,000 miles and I own an automotive shop of course its sold because my husband passed and i thought i had to have a gmc diesel 1 ton ha ha For gas mileage the toyota has a new truck that looks good and if you get the biggest truck u can pull anything like the dog trailor other wise a surburban is my next choice u either take room or gas mileage take ur choice//////

Yeah the Excursion is a bit bigger than the Suburban if you can believe that. Seats 8 and that is a must have for me. Every weekend that 3rd seat comes out to make room for the dogs. I can tow anything, go anywhere and thats what was important to me. 4X4, heated leather seats, oh I have a happy a$$ now that it's cold. LOL. I had cloth seats in my last Excursion, I worried too much about cleaning and didn't take the dogs nearly as much. The leather is easy to wipe down. I do need a big something rather for the floor. My dogs get super dirty and of course they shed 1/2 a dog everytime they get in. Why must they alwasy get wet when it's time to load up?

I have a Dodge Grand Caravan and I love it. 25mpg and lots of room, second and third row seat removable, which you can fit5 large crates in or 3 large and 4 medium, the mediums stacked I have 3 young children and currently 3 GSD and a boston and a poochi. A large crate will fit behind the last seat too, if all seats are in. My boyfriend has an 98 expedition, nice vehicle not too hard on the gas bill though, we get 19mpg. a hard find. The only thing i hate about it with dogs and kids, it is high and hard for me at 5'5" to reach crates in the back. Lots of room and comfortable, but if your shorter like me, to hard to lift things up and in, The Caravan is short and nice to load and unload. Have fun shopping!

We too have a Dodge Grand Caravan we use for some dog transport. We can have 3 GSD size wire crates and 3 people seats. Gets over 20 mpg. The normal set up is four people seats and one extra large wire crate in back. We also have a cargo trailer set up with dog crates for when we need to take more with. The Grand Caravona can tow it but I wouldn't take it over a real mountain pass, remember trailer brakes if you do tow. We use our pick-up with camper to tow for the longer drives. I do love the Dodge Grand Caravan. And I thought the same thing about vans until I drove this one.

Why don't you get a cap for the pickup and keep the dogs in the bed?