Yes! We’ve joined the ranks of the American family who have bought the dream of owning a minivan, esp. now that we’re expecting our third child. Ever since I was young, having been the 3rd child of 4, I grew up with a minivan, so this purchase was inevitable.
First, let me introduce you to Muad’dib… (yes, Perze named our van after Dune’s main character)…
We went with the Town and Country, and to be quite honest, we’re MORE THAN happy with the large purchase. We’ve had the car for over three weeks now and we continue to be surprised with a new feature. Minivans have come a long way since I was in high school, so high tech, so practical, so helpful. Now that I’m a mom, it does things for me that really help me out, and little things too that just make travel with little kids easier.
The navigation is built in. It is bluetooth ready, with voice control, thus turning your speakers into a speaker phone. Controls are voice activated. Cold/heat is isolated when distributed, all heated seats & steering wheel. The windshield wipers are motion sensitive, auto lights, auto lock feature that locks all doors after 2 mins. of travel. The seats have memory adjustments that can be programmed & also has the feature to be connected to a specific key, so that when you have that key in your possession, at the start of the engine, the car will automatically adjust your seat. It’s also a smart car, with video function in the back so you can see everything in the back on a small screen while you’re backing up. And when you’re on the road, your side mirrors will flash light when someone is in your blindspot. Neat, right?
Also, being a mom of two, soon to be three, it’s just easier with the push of a button to unlock and open all doors before you get to the car, and with a small button inside, even Zi can shut the door herself. If not, I can close the doors from my seat. The girls also love that there are two vdieo screens that can play two different movies, equipped with headphones if Perze and I choose to listen to music instead. And speaking of music, the front touchscreen dashboard is mp3 ready, has its own video screen, Sirius ready, and is capable of storing music and photos, being its own hard drive. It has USB inputs to attach to our iPhones and if we truly truly wanted, we could activate a wireless plan so we can get internet inside the car. I doubt we’ll ever do that, but maybe if we take any long trips, that should be a worthy option.
Another great feature is the space! It crazy how many hidden compartments are in this van! Also, all the seats in the back can be folded, tucked in, & hidden in the floor of the car. And the seats can be arranged any way you desire, with the front two bucket seats facing the back as well.
It’s really a pleasure to drive since the steering and ride is so smooth, the buttons so easily accessible, and the children enjoying every ride. It just makes travel easier. The only drawback? Backing up, no lie, the care is so long, so being spacialy challenged, I tend to worry about hitting cars behind me. But I’m sure that’ll take some practice.
Saying Goodbye to our Mitsubishi Outlander
Emma and Zi had a hard time saying goodbye to their first car. Still, every now and then, Zi would mention out of the blue, “I miss our old car.” Emma took it the hardest. The day she came home from school, before we went to buy the T&C, she sat on her old car, caressed the hood, stared at it, started to cry, said her last goodbye, and said, “I’ll miss you.” Yes, her heart is just like that, and it’s how I knew she would act, I know her heart so well. However, to perk herself up, she said she’d find her old car when she’s permitted to drive and buy it back. 🙂 Oh, my dearest Emma.
