I have 2 kids and 1 on the way. My kids with be 5 and 2.5 when i will have my third. I want to get the fully loaded Mazda cx-9 and put all 3 in the second row or put my oldest in the third row. but my husband wants me to get a basic honda odyssey for the same lease price. was wondering if anyone regret getting their mazda cx-9 with 3 kids and wished they had gone for the minivan. I dont do carpool with my kids and i generally dont take anyone in my car besides my kids. is it annoying to have 3 in the second row? does it make sense to give up on a nice car and just get a stupid minivan??
debating between leasing a fully loaded Mazda Cx-9 or a basic Honda odyssey.
- Thread starter mom4
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Dump the husband and go with the CX-9.
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- 2019 CX9 GT Pearl
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- '23 CX-50
I have both CX-9 and Odyssey. CX-9 is basically a car. Utility wise Odyssey is much better and has usable 3rd row. On paved roads Odyssey runs not so bad.
I'm in a similar situation but have a CX-9 currently. My oldest, who is almost 4, rides in the 3rd row. My newborn and 18 month old rides in the 2nd row. Unfortunately that reduces the amount of cargo we can carry with the 1/2 of the 3rd row up. The only saving grace is that the CX-9 handles so darn well. My wife and I contemplated getting the new 2013 Odyssey but decided to feel it out with the 9 first. I hate to extend car payments anymore than I have to. We are already 2 years into our 5 year loan. Things might have been different if we got the 9 a few months ago.
As a parent of a 5 month old, opening the rear doors to get the car seat in and out is a PITA. Most parking spaces are too narrow. I wanted a mini van for this reason but my wife won on the 9 since it's her daily driver. Also, I see so many small children opening heavy SUV rear doors smacking them into the car parked next to them. That's the main reason I park nine miles out in any parking lot. I personally wanted a Toyota Sienna Limited AWD. Does the 9 handle better than the Sienna? Yes! Is the 9 more practical than a mini van with small children? No!
Couldn't agree more with ^. Love the way the CX9 drives and handles but loading the baby carrier and the toddler is a PITA when the car is parked in a tight spot. We finally got the 4yr old to buckle himself in so i no longer have to crawl in to buckle him up in the 3rd row. We've definitely been considering going the minivan route purely because the sliding doors and higher headroom/lower floor is more convenient for a young family. We're going to wait till after the summer to decide and may also rent one for a short vacation just to see how it works out. Let's face it, there's not much zoom-zoom ing with the kids.
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I agree with this--but I hesitate comparing an Odyssey LX vs a CX-9 GT. Do you want to get the most for your money, or what's most convenient? I would struggle spending the same amount of money on a basic Odyssey, when I knew I could get a fully loaded CX-9 for the same price.
I previously had an odyssey although a much older one and I miss it for its size and easy access, but I love my new CX-9. The doors are definenly big, but I have not had a problem with them yet as I am still parking far away since its new. You definenly cant beat the value of the CX-9 though. Depending on how long the lease is it might be a good idea to get the odyssey now and a CX-9 later. Having a minivan is great when you have kids. And the second row in the CX-9 could probably fit the three kids without a problem but that would be something you would want to test with your kids first. I would have a hard time deciding too the CX-9 would be so much nicer but yet the odyssey would be easier. Its just up to you whether the the nicer car is worth the inconvience.
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- 2010 CX-9
In your situation get the minivan. Been there. It is so convenient and versatile that you will love it. The Honda or the Sienna are great choices. Once kids get a little older get the 9. That is what we did. No regrets. JMO.
Mom4, CX9 works with 3 kids, but more for once they are out of carseats. There are a couple people on here who have put 3 carseats in the middle row. I have no idea how they do it, but it can't be fun. No anchors in the 3rd row. I'd go for the minivan with 3 small kids due to the limitations of accessing the 3rd row.
I really wanted a minivan when we bought our CX-9, but I work from home so my wife would be driving it primarily. She was very against any minivans because of the stigma associated with them 
I have two small children, one at the time we bought the CX-9.
I agree with the above posts about the sliding doors; I lived in Southern California for the first 3.5 years of owning the CX-9, and I've never encountered a place with smaller parking spots. Usually I got the first few feet of the car into the spot, had everyone exit, then pulled into the spot completely when we went anywhere. You need to open the rear doors completely to get an infant carrier in/out, and its very difficult to do in most parking lots.
Also, for the first year or so of my youngest son's life, we often drove with my oldest in the 3rd row and my wife/baby in the 2nd row with me up front. This killed the utility by using half of the third row - whenever we went on long road trips, I would have to pile suitcases/etc in the passenger seat. Finally I just started renting minivans (usually a Chrysler Town & Country) whenever we went places - its really a spectacular vehicle in terms of cargo space. I can stand up four or five suitcases behind the third row!! The floor is also very deep in the Town & Country, you can put some very tall items inside.
I just wished my wife wasn't so concerned how she looks when she drives, and focused more on versatility The CX-9 has no more cargo space than a long station wagon because of the distance between the floor/ceiling and the slope of the rear hatch. I'm definitely a function over form kinda guy. The compromise has been spending $400-$500 bucks per week renting a minivan a couple times a year since we bought the CX-9, which I'm OK with.
Not to mention any minivan is going to get much better gas milage.
BTW, there are at least a dozen threads about putting three car seats across in the middle row of the CX-9 on this forum http://car-seat.org - I would look on there to see what people think of such a setup. They are pretty hard core about their car seats.
I have two small children, one at the time we bought the CX-9.I agree with the above posts about the sliding doors; I lived in Southern California for the first 3.5 years of owning the CX-9, and I've never encountered a place with smaller parking spots. Usually I got the first few feet of the car into the spot, had everyone exit, then pulled into the spot completely when we went anywhere. You need to open the rear doors completely to get an infant carrier in/out, and its very difficult to do in most parking lots.
Also, for the first year or so of my youngest son's life, we often drove with my oldest in the 3rd row and my wife/baby in the 2nd row with me up front. This killed the utility by using half of the third row - whenever we went on long road trips, I would have to pile suitcases/etc in the passenger seat. Finally I just started renting minivans (usually a Chrysler Town & Country) whenever we went places - its really a spectacular vehicle in terms of cargo space. I can stand up four or five suitcases behind the third row!! The floor is also very deep in the Town & Country, you can put some very tall items inside.
I just wished my wife wasn't so concerned how she looks when she drives, and focused more on versatility
The CX-9 has no more cargo space than a long station wagon because of the distance between the floor/ceiling and the slope of the rear hatch. I'm definitely a function over form kinda guy. The compromise has been spending $400-$500 bucks per week renting a minivan a couple times a year since we bought the CX-9, which I'm OK with.Not to mention any minivan is going to get much better gas milage.
BTW, there are at least a dozen threads about putting three car seats across in the middle row of the CX-9 on this forum http://car-seat.org - I would look on there to see what people think of such a setup. They are pretty hard core about their car seats.
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dtholmanmax
Member
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- 2010 Mazda CX-9
We have a 6 year old & twin 2 year olds. We had the 9 before the twins got here so it was a little too late...like one of the posts above, I definitely agree that it is a much better family car once my kids are out of car seats of any kind. We have Britax car seats currently and our 6 year old is definitely cramped in the middle in a booster. Sometimes we put her in the 3rd row but again - no access through 2nd row with the car seats so only option is over the top of 2nd row or through rear, in which case you're giving up 1/2 of the cargo space back there. When we had the twins, my other car was a Mazda3, my daily. Clearly I had to buy something bigger. I chose a 2008 Ford Taurus X because of the individual seats in the 2nd row & access to the 3rd for my 6 year old. I think this car is much more functional at this point in our life with twins because of this but the 9 is a much nicer car to look at and to sit in (for anyone not in a car seat). I wish I could talk my wife into a minivan going forward but she's dead set against it at this point. Not sure what our next car for the wife will be but i'm guessing that I'll be driving the 9 & waiting for the day my girls are out of carseats.
if you get the 9, get the skinniest car seats on the market, whatever those are, so your middle kid will have some room...
if you get the 9, get the skinniest car seats on the market, whatever those are, so your middle kid will have some room...
As much as I want to tell you the CX-9The Odyssey 2nd row seat is ingenious and it is LITERALLY designed to accommodate three cars seats. The Multi-Function 2nd Row Seat (as Honda calls it) is actually three individual seats that can function as a single unit or separate seats depending on how they’re being used.
There are LATCH anchors for all three spots. But on of the coolest things is the’middle’ seat which can be moved up to 5.5 inches to provide the driver and/or front seat passenger easier access to the occupant of the car seat in that middle position. It sounds like it was designed for Baby #3 which will will be a newborn when mom gets her new ride!
Not only does it move the middle seat occupant 5.5 inches closer to the driver and front seat passenger, but it serves another very important purpose- it also moves the middle car seat occupant that much further out of the reach of his/her older siblings sitting on each side. As the Uncle to a 6yr old niece and 3yr old nephew, keeping them out of one another’s reach is the only way to prevent them for doing serious bodily harm to one another....especially when my rowdy little nephew lives solely to agitate his big sister! I never leave the two of them alone in the same room when I babysit, because one day she’s going to lose it and rip him to shreds..... she gets a scary look on her face sometimes that is identical to Drew Barrymore in “Firestarter”, I have a fire extinguisher in the car, just in alcase she ever pulls it off....j/k
But back on topic, the two out-board 2nd row seats have a neat function called “Wide Mode” which allows them to each move 1.5 inches away form the middle seat and toward the sides of the vehicle. That allows extra space between all three seating postions to easily install/remove car seats.
Having all three of your kids in the middle row is also the SAFEST location for them in the vast majority of accident scenarios.
With three small children, (newborn, 2.5 and 5yrs old), the Odyssey will be bette better vehicle for the job! BUT, before you make a a decision and sign on the dotted line, you should take three car seats down the Mazda dealer and play around with insalling them in various configurations to see if they might work just fine for you. ‘
The CX-9 is the better looking and fun to drive vehicle, but the Odyssey drives better than any other minivan or SUV of any size that I’ve driven.
When is bambino #3 due anyway? =)
I wish you the best!
will fit your needs just as well as an Odyssey, I can't. The Odyssey has
There are LATCH anchors for all three spots. But on of the coolest things is the’middle’ seat which can be moved up to 5.5 inches to provide the driver and/or front seat passenger easier access to the occupant of the car seat in that middle position. It sounds like it was designed for Baby #3 which will will be a newborn when mom gets her new ride!
Not only does it move the middle seat occupant 5.5 inches closer to the driver and front seat passenger, but it serves another very important purpose- it also moves the middle car seat occupant that much further out of the reach of his/her older siblings sitting on each side. As the Uncle to a 6yr old niece and 3yr old nephew, keeping them out of one another’s reach is the only way to prevent them for doing serious bodily harm to one another....especially when my rowdy little nephew lives solely to agitate his big sister! I never leave the two of them alone in the same room when I babysit, because one day she’s going to lose it and rip him to shreds..... she gets a scary look on her face sometimes that is identical to Drew Barrymore in “Firestarter”, I have a fire extinguisher in the car, just in alcase she ever pulls it off....j/k
But back on topic, the two out-board 2nd row seats have a neat function called “Wide Mode” which allows them to each move 1.5 inches away form the middle seat and toward the sides of the vehicle. That allows extra space between all three seating postions to easily install/remove car seats.
Having all three of your kids in the middle row is also the SAFEST location for them in the vast majority of accident scenarios.
With three small children, (newborn, 2.5 and 5yrs old), the Odyssey will be bette better vehicle for the job! BUT, before you make a a decision and sign on the dotted line, you should take three car seats down the Mazda dealer and play around with insalling them in various configurations to see if they might work just fine for you. ‘
The CX-9 is the better looking and fun to drive vehicle, but the Odyssey drives better than any other minivan or SUV of any size that I’ve driven.
When is bambino #3 due anyway? =)
I wish you the best!
will fit your needs just as well as an Odyssey, I can't. The Odyssey has
I really wanted a minivan when we bought our CX-9, but I work from home so my wife would be driving it primarily. She was very against any minivans because of the stigma associated with them
We had a Pilot before the CX-9. My wife said the same thing--"I don't want to look like a soccer mom." When I asked her if she thought she looked any less like a soccer mom driving the Pilot, she didn't really have a response.
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dtholmanmax
Member
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- 2010 Mazda CX-9
LOL - Very true
