I agree with a mini van all the wayyy!! I went from a van to a Dodge Journey and it’s just not as practical or as spacious!! So I’m back in a van and won’t look back!!! Haha
A van you can walk into and place kids in their seat. An SUV you are still having to try and reach around and get kids in their seat.
For three car seats, I’d say SUV because I’ve never seen a minivan that it would be comfortable to be putting car seats in or hooking an infant carrier into every time you have to go somewhere. Also, since the minivan’s popularity is on the decline, there are significantly less options on the market than there used to be, or than there are of SUV’S, so you’d be more likely to find an SUV with every other feature you’re looking for if you have preferences outside of just the seats as well as more options.
My vehicle of choice will always be an SUV . However when my oldest turned 5 the twins arrived and the only way to not lose my mind for the next 3-4 years was with a mini-van. Captains chairs in the middle. We removed the one behind the driver seat. Twins carseats were on the third row bench, 5 year old booster in the captain. I would put the double stroller where we took out the chair. Unloaded that then had the floor space to do any quick diaper changes etc before placing them in the stroller. And still had enough room for groceries etc behind the third row.
I’m in a similar situation, I have 3 in car seats in the back of my car. I want to get an SUV for more room and I am planning to get a Chevy Traverse. It’s got 3 rows with an open middle row like a van and some models have DVD player. Seems nice
I definitely did not want a van but going into the third kid (I have 5 now) I had to make that decision too…I started with a Durango but was having issues with it so we traded it in for a really good deal on a Caravan. I liked having a van when the kids were younger. Much easier to maneuver around back there. AND you don’t have to worry about the kids throwing a door into someone else’s vehicle and you have control of the doors up with switches up front which is nice in the heat. I felt like those were my biggest issue with them. The Sienna is AWD if you need something for snow. Now that they are older I got myself an MDX.
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Minivan chands down. I’m a mom of 5, which includes a 1&2 yr old. The 3rd row is waaay more easily accessible
You got the right idea, your oldest probably can buckle himself in i the back by now so that’s a plus. I have a Yukon with captain seats and a third row, I love it.
I’ve had SUVs since my stepdaughter and little sister were little and they are 12 now. I had one van and hated it
SUV with captain seats!!
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So many people get in my minivan and are amazed by how nice they are these days. I only have 2 kids but wanted the room to take more people with us and I love ours! I have a dodge grand caravan!
I have 5 kids and 
a full size Yukon or Escalade. Yukon XL or Escalade ESV.
Test drive!!! See what you like I have an armada I do love it but I hate spending about 80 a week. I did drive a mini van and the kids loved it. Both of the sides open up. It was spacious! Lots of cup holders. My 2013 had head phones it sucked kids kept loosing them or braking.
Love my town and country. Lots of trunk space with 3rd row up
As a mom of 3 whos had both… While they are young minivan is AWESOME… As teens… Suv…
I always ssid I would NOT get a van. I got one after having 3 children and omg best decision I ever made!!! I ended up selling the van and got a brand new vehicle. Wish I didn’t know because I’m on baby number 4 lol
Anything with captain seats in the middle. I currently have a nissan pathfinder that does not have them. I only have 2, bit I have had to use the back seat before for someone & carseats do not fit in it & it’s a pain in the ass trying to get in the back
Dodge caravan is the best nice space perfect ac and heat comfortable plus all the carseat plus groceries fit and you will still have space 
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Mini van, sliding doors are a lifesaver with baby capsules and little people.
I have refused to get a minivan.just went from an older pacifica with 3rd row to a new Durango also with 3rd row and im so happy with my durango i dont even need the third row!
I have a Honda pilot and I LOVE IT
We fought hard against the mini van in the beginning. We bought an Outlook and loved it but then it died after a year and we could not compete with the prices of the mini vans. We settled on a Grand Caravan and will never look back. It’s amazing. Soooooo convenient, so much space, we store all our beach stuff under the floor so it takes up no room, there’s extra plug ins and cup holders in the back 2nd and 3rd row so my kids can always plug in their devices and have a place for snacks. The sliding doors THE SLIDING DOORS i tell you, my husband always held his breath when the kids opened their doors before and said there’s no sweeter relief than knowing your kids won’t smash their doors on another vehicle. Honestly 10/10. The outlook was fun with its 3rd row and all but you can’t get more space and comfort and convenience than the mini van.
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I love my expedition 3rd huge spacious. Kids can’t reach each other. And fits 9 ppl
I’ve contemplated both as well. This is what I noticed.
SUV: keep in mind the little to no trunk space with a Tahoe/Yukon type of vehicle. Bench seats gives room for 8 people. I drive around town a lot and gas hasn’t burnt me out.
Mini Van: lower to the ground so it makes it easier/efficient to put in the little ones. Trunk space is amazing. Gas saver!
I went to test drive 2 different vehicles in each category. I really liked a mini van but couldn’t bring myself to it. 
I ended getting a Chevy Suburban, a lot more trunk space.
Minivan uses less gas, and is easier on the wallet and the environment.
If you’re going to be getting fixed after this baby for sure and know you’re not having anymore I’d go with a good suv. I love my van but we only got it because we thought we would be having more kids and then we’ve decided against it. So I’m going to look into another SUV (we had a Honda Pilot and I LOVED it!) so I’d look at the long run for the next 4-5 years.
I liked my mini van when my kids were babies. They sit lower and it was easier to get everyone in and out. Now that everyone is a little older and able to get in and out on their own, we switched back to an suv since they sit higher and the husband wanted it for the winter. We have an Escalade now and it’s very roomie (easy to climb around in)
I have three boys and want another one down the road… and that’s what we did today was buy a Chevrolet Traverse and we are in love. We didn’t want a van and we wanted captain seats too… and it had everything we needed and it’s so spacious… a traverse is definitely a good choice 
SUV is great. I had a Chevy traverse and hated it. I love my dodge journey or dodge durango the best. The reason I hated my traverse is cause the battery is in floor board on passenger back seat.
I had an old town & country minivan and LOVED it. It had stow and go seats, so if I wanted I could fold them right into the floor which gave plenty of room if we needed to haul large things. There was a ton of room for everyone and everything. We used to go on long road trips and it was perfect since it also had a DVD player. We had it for a long time and it ran great. We moved back to our home town and I traded for a 2019 dodge durango SUV. I wanted to down size because we only had 1 kid (now 2 since I had just had a baby) and we don’t do many long road trips anymore. I love it because it has a 3rd row which folds away completely when not needed and still has good trunk space, but it doesn’t have the bells and whistles that my Town & country had. I do kind of miss my minivan sometimes. LOL
Either way, I’ve heard that some of the more popular options only have top teathers in a limited number of positions, so don’t forget to check on that if you don’t want to be limited, especially when you have more forward facers. Also, the three year old could probably learn to buckle by the time new baby gets here if you wanted to do that, so that could save you some climbing
Mini-Van so much easier getting to the third set when you already have the two seats in the second row
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You would all fit in an SUV but then you would most likely have no room for cargo. And having to climb over a seat to buckle somebody in is going to get old really fast
Definitely a mini van
Mini van is much easier to get everyone in quickly if out shopping or raining, close door and then get everyone in seats.
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I love our 2 SUVs GMC Acadia and buick Enclave better then van doors
SUV the only way yo go
We have a Honda Odyssey and I love it so much. We have three car seats across the middle row since our 6 yr old (oldest) didn’t like to be in the back by himself. The Odyssey has a extended position for the seats which gives more inches for car seats. The third row of SUVs is much harder to get into then a minivan. And my favorite feature is the doors that slide back not out. Very handy in parking lots because you can always get your kids in without your doors smacking other cars or not opening enough to get the baby seat in.
SUV! Having had both and four children I say SUV! 1. You don’t feel like a grumpy old mom driving, especially when your alone. 2. Mini vans do not have much cargo space at all. Your better off in the SUV for that especially with two babies. 3. They are fun to drive. 4. Even with a mini van you have to climb in the back to strap in your 3 y/o so you might as well refer to number 1, 2 and 3. Seriously though, you will be happier with the SUV.
Personally, I wish I had a minivan when the kiddos were younger, but needed 4wd for our gravel roads. Now that they’re older love my suburban. Maybe I’m just used to it now, but when i borrowed a friend’s van I hated it.
I just purchased a new vehicle not but a month ago and pondered the same dilemma. I will have baby number three in October. I never imagined myself in a van. But after much consideration, and feedback I got from many friends we went with a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan and I am so in love!!! I love everything about it! The automatic doors and back hatch. The windows go down even in the back. All the seats are stow away. And when seats are upright you have extra storage space for blankets, change of clothes, sports equipment, or whatever else you need it for. There is plenty of space for everyone. I was so worried I wouldn’t be able to drive it but it doesn’t feel any different than driving a car. Love love love it!
Depends on where you live, if you want decent gas mileage, etc. Some SUVs and car seats will allow 3 across the seat too. We had an older Explorer for a while that fit 3 big kid car seats across the middle row.
We live in Eastern Oregon. We get bad winters and have to travel a lot. We also have a disabled child and have to take his wheel chair everywhere.
So we have a Tahoe that seats 8. It has AWD and can go to 4 WD (I think, it’s new lol) Even though we travel a lot, we don’t mind paying for the gas. It’s not horrible horrible but it’s not great either.
We have 4 kids. 3 in car seats with 5 point harnesses. My 4 yr old sits in the very back. He can open the trunk himself (button automatically opens it), crawl up and get buckled. I have to get up there to unbuckle him though. Then the 1 kid who isn’t in a car seat sits in the middle in the middle row. The other 2 on each side of her.
We have a Toyota Highlander with captain chairs and 3 car seats is still a challenge. My oldest is forward facing, my youngest still rear facing and my nephew is in a booster seat. Leg room is a struggle for my husband
Get the Acura suv 7 seater. Makes u look like a cool mom n keep ur sexy n have enough space for all the kids n their stuff!!!
Minivans are better with car seat. SUVs you have to jump over the feet all the time
I love my dodge caravan!!!
I love my Honda Pilot, I have one of the front seats folded down 1 car seat and two in the back!
I just got a minivan a few months ago, and I fully thought I was gonna hate it, but I absolutely love it!
I recently got a Chrysler Town and country to make room for my son’s. I have a 5’10" eleven year old and a 3.5 year old in a forward car seat. With the captain seat stow and go middle row, we’ve given my oldest tons of knee room in the back row and this keeps the boys from fighting during road trips. I didn’t want a van either but it’s been the best decision for us.
I have a Chevy traverse with captain seats. I love it and I have a 2 year old 4 month and we have a golden.
I will never give up my SUV for a minivan! Mind you being a farmers wife I have to be able to access fields for supper and such but I’ve driven both (had to use my mothers van while my suburban was in the shop) and absolutely hated the van. Also it is a rare occasion I have less than 4 kids with me. As a matter of fact I had to run some errands today with 7 kids and it was no problem at all. The bigger SUVs have wide enough seats you can even fit 3 car seats wide on the center bench
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I have 5 kids and a mini van, it’s a pain climbing in and out of the van to buckle them everytime. We tried putting one captain seat down and putting two in the back and that was even harder. Harder for the bigger kids to climb between the front seats and the kids legs sticking out of the carseats, or getting between carseats and other seats, and carseats are huge they dont take up one seat so the 2 car seats in the back dont leave alot of room for the 3rd seat or person back there should someone need to sit there. Thankfully I have older ones that help with the little ones. If you get a van make sure and get a stow n go it helps alot, make sure it has electric doors and tailgate. It helps alot with smaller ones. We have had all kinds of issues with our van and put thousands into it. Were getting a suv in the spring.
I had a dodge caravan. It was great. But the problem with that van. I have to put it in park to open the slide doors and found it a bit hassle while dropping and picking up. I went back and got charger. It works better for us. Less gas too.
I have 4 kids and I have a Chevy traverse with captain seats in the middle. I love it!! good gas mileage, but also has the get up and go power! I have a suburban…and I love it also! abut I commute alot so i prefer to drive my traverse for the gas mileage and it’s not too big for daily driving
Minivan for LIFE. We found it hard to find a SUV with capitan chairs in the second row, and any that we could find just we’re not doable in our price range or had tons of miles. Sliding doors are amazing. Stow n go seats are also something that minivans have that just elevate it. You can tell me minivans are ugly and lame but they are dang convenient. My husband was not on board with ours but I basically made him let us get it and he’s really happy with it.
minivan has way better access, but get a used one, they depreciate like a rock. Toyota and Honda hold value better than the others.
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Best car I have had Renault espace tecrun 7 seats easy to get in and out after useing as 7 sweeter I used to take out the back 2 seats they slide back all seats individually so if bigger child or person gets in they can have extra leg room mine was 2 litra petrel I lead to believe that it also comes in dei and mixed fuel I loved mine I traded in when I bought a new Renault as I now don’t need so much room I do miss it though
I was the same way hated the thought of a mini van but after I got one I never wanna go back! Get a minivan girl!!
A minivan! We have two kids and two dogs. Had the Pilot but needed more room, and you can’t beat sliding doors.
I have an Escalade and 3 kids. I love it and prefer it over a minivan.
Both are good as I have had both. But minivans offer alot more space for strollers pack n plays etc. Just all around more room
when kids were little mini all the way. now kids are older youngest 7 no car seats in a Durango. also liked the journey. but suv and carseats are hard
Just bought a minivan about a month ago. Best thing we could have done! I have a 14 month old and was packing her into a little Subaru WRX. So much room! Hands down a minivan!
I have a 2013 Traverse with captain seats and find it’s difficult to scoot pass the booster seat in the captain seat to get to the 3rd row with the front seat set for my 6foot+ tall husband. I wouldn’t want to do it daily to buckle a child in a car seat, we only have 2 kids and keep the 3rd row folded down for more cargo space.
The sliding doors of a minivan are priceless in value.
Dodge caravan WITH stow and go… that’s all you need to know with littles… the seats fold up out of your way to crawl in the back and set back when you’re done… all the room you’ll ever need for storage… it’s been a life saver! Then when they get old enough to strap themselves in you can have your SUV back 
I love my Pacifica I had four kids under three. We had an suv and it wasn’t as big as the van to move around in
I’m tall so I liked my suburban for all my kids and the gear. It was easier to get them and things in and out.
I’m in a similar position-wasn’t crazy about the idea of a mini-van. Having our 3rd soon, also have a 2 and 4yr old. I debated between Chevy Traverse and Buick Enclave but once I drove the new KIA TELLURIDE I was in love. Comfiest 3rd row and all the latest safety features come standard. I’d never driven a larger vehicle before and was super comfortable driving this one right away. Check it out!!
I hated my minivan but omg getting the kids in and out, traveling with dogs, having to pick up large items… soooo many bonuses and the gas mileage is usually better. Look into the newer ones, my mom just got one and it has TVs and heated seats and the interior is really nice. You forget you’re in a mini van … you won’t regret it
I chose a van as soon as i had my first child. Lots of room.
Chevy Traverse with a third row seat and captain seats in the middle. Best thing ever.