Please answer..rent a minivan or a van??

[minniemosa]

We are five adults and three kids. We want a great deal. The minivans are a good prices, but we do not know if we will have space for our bags. The full van is ok but price is too, high. What should we do?????

 

[poohraedopey]

Most minivans only seat 7. The only way you could safely even seat 8 forget have room for bagage I would think is a full size van or something along the lines of a Dodge durango which will seat 8. Deffinitly speak with soemone at the rental agency.

 

[NancyIL]

Every time I've checked mini-van rates, they were SO much higher than rates for a full-size car. I'd suggest renting 2 full-size cars for 8 people.

 

[Disneydenise]

If the minivan has seating for 8 people then why not see if a luggage carrier is aavailable for rent too. I haven't been in a minvan in a while but I thought that they only could fit 7 passengers.

 

[Gillian]

My friends rented a minivan, knowing they really shouldn't with 8 people (they only seat 7). The car rental company made them upgrade to a fullsize van at the counter. Luckily they didn't gouge them on the price.

I had advised them to rent 2 cars instead, since they were 2 separate families, but my friend thought they would get along great & always want to be together. Well, the NEXT time (if there is one!) they will get two cars, LOL!!

Seriously, having 2 cars gives you more flexibility. If someone gets sick or just wants to veg by the pool, you can split up. It makes for a much happier group Our family had 2 compact cars for 4 adults and 2 kids. The best part was that the kids were separated - no fighting!

 

[Nolcrest]

The Pontiac Montana mini van will seat 8 passengers. I know, I have one. Plus if it an extended van you will have more space behind the back rear seats as you would in a full size van. We also owned a full size van but it only sat 7. I actually feel as if I have more room in the Montana. The Montana 8 passenger seats 2/3/3, plus the seats are very easy to fold and flip if you have less passengers and need more room. Go to a Pontiac dealer and look at the Montana and see if you'd be comfortable with 8 for a long trip. I'll tell you if you're not used to driving a full size van, it can be cumbersome parking and merging. A mini van offers more visibility. Good Luck!

 

[Gillian]

Does anyone know if any of the rental car companies rent montanas? The 8 passenger seating is optional, I think. Usually when you rent a minivan it's the short wheelbase version, so even if you only had 7 people, it would be really tight for luggage.

I still vote for 2 cars

 

[marli]

We have a montana mini-van and we are a family of five (2 adults, 3 kids). We have done a few driving trips, and I have to say that we were short on luggage space. But I should add that we have a baby and needed a few extras such as a Pack'n'play (small crib ) and lots of stuff to keep the kids busy for the ride. I would recommend getting either two cars or opting to get a full sized van. Good luck with whatever you choose

 

[We4mickey]

No way would I try a mini van with 8 people. Even with seven you will be packed in. By the time you add all the luggage it would be like sardines in a can. Even if you went with a larger suv type I think it would be really tight. A full size would give you a lot more room. Check with your local car dealers, sometimes a full size van is a little cheaper through them.

 

[Lynn-Marie]

I wouldn't use a mini-van for any more than 4 adults and a child in a car seat (which is what we did over the NYE week at DLR). Everyone packed pretty conservatively and we STILL had one of the back seats half filled with luggage and a baby stroller. The back luggage compartment was stacked practically to the roof with stuff. We rented a Ford Winstar from Budget.