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!