Pilot or passport

[imawino]

Jan 20, 2022 9:06:59 GMT -5 Happy prose said:

Due to the kids' ages, I'd lease the bigger one for 3 years. Then I would buy the HRV. Plenty of room for you and the dog. And it's a cool car. 

Actually due to the kids ages I'd go with the smaller one.  The 15 year old is very soon going to be driving themself - and their stuff, and their friends and likely sometimes their younger sibling - around.  If they were young I'd maybe say go with the bigger vehicle, but they are just about aging out of needing mom for a ride.  

[Tiny]

Every time I see the "Pilot or passport" title - I immediately think "what kind of border crossing are you doing that you think you need to hire a pilot to fly you and your stuff (and perhaps cross a border with contraband and want less scrutiny of you and your stuff) or maybe drive you and your contraband over the border use your passport and hope you and your vehicle aren't searched.

I've been watching old Bogart movies... and that "getting out of a country with as little scrutiny as possible" is a theme in quite a few of them.  

In that old time movie theme - I'd go with hiring a Pilot  of either a plane or a boat/yacht (the boat should be named Santana)    

[swamp]

In that case,I’d go with boat. Although today, snowmobile or ATV would,work better.

[giramomma]

Personally, I would go with the smaller car.

Even with the four kids, I drive the sedan. DH drives the van.

All 6 of us drive somewhere together, maybe once every 4-6 weeks, and at that it's not far...like less than 10 miles.

And, you also might not be hauling shit to college, either.

DS is going about 1K miles away. We've already decided we'll just pop tags at the thrift shop, there, rather than buying all of the stuff he needs here from a thrift shop and driving it 1K miles. When he's done with school, we can donate the crap back to the thrift store. Otherwise, some sort of lap top and a couple weeks worth of clothes, a couple of towels and sheets aren't taking up much room. Only one parent is going to drop DS off, cuz we still got kids at home.

But, I also generally do the opposite of what everyone else does in these situations.

[stillmovingforward]

Jan 21, 2022 19:45:03 GMT -5 giramomma said:

Personally, I would go with the smaller car.

Even with the four kids, I drive the sedan. DH drives the van.

All 6 of us drive somewhere together, maybe once every 4-6 weeks, and at that it's not far...like less than 10 miles.

And, you also might not be hauling shit to college, either.

DS is going about 1K miles away. We've already decided we'll just pop tags at the thrift shop, there, rather than buying all of the stuff he needs here from a thrift shop and driving it 1K miles. When he's done with school, we can donate the crap back to the thrift store. Otherwise, some sort of lap top and a couple weeks worth of clothes, a couple of towels and sheets aren't taking up much room. Only one parent is going to drop DS off, cuz we still got kids at home.

But, I also generally do the opposite of what everyone else does in these situations.

I actually downsized my car about that time. A huge car was an accident waiting to happen, in my mind, for upcoming drivers. I downsized to a nice sedan and saved money for a car for the kids to share. I just DID NOT want to see my younger two trying to park a big van. Or going too fast around corners in it. 
For the kids who took stuff to college, we had them move in and mailed packages later or we rented a trailer (only cost $1,500 to put a good hitch on the bigger car. Its been very useful!). 

[Opti]

FWIW, Both the Pilot and the Passport are Midsize SUVs. I have a hard time seeing the Passport as the smaller car. It weighs the same or more as the Pilot. Its taller, and if the specs are to be believed only 6 inches shorter. Maybe for some people that six inches is a big deal.