Minivan advice required

[IrishSalty]

Hi everyone - I would hugely appreciate some advice. My wife and I are planning to tour California for a few weeks this summer with our 2 year old son and all four of our parents. That's 7 adults and 1 baby. I will need to rent transportation and I was hoping that a 7-seater minivan would do the trick. My big concern is whether there will be enough space for us all to fit comfortably inside, and also, whether there will be enough space for suitcases.

Any idea how many suitcases you can fit into a 7-seater minivan without reducing the number of seats?

Also, are there any particular minivans that would be better than others?

hope someone can help - thanks very much

IrishSalty

['97ventureowner]

I just bought a 2006 Chevrolet Uplander minivan that ws a formal rental vehicle and am very pleased with it. It seats 7 people and has enough space behind the rear seat for luggage, and many also come with a luggage rack on the roof. There is plenty of power, and it gets decent gas mileage. One added benefit to these vehicles as most come with a DVD player to keep the kids entertained, especially on long trips.It is situated in the middle of the van so that both rear passenger seats can view the screen. Most vans also come with a child safety seat integrated into one of the seats, eliminating the need for an extra one to lug around.

[IrishSalty]

thanks '97ventureowner!

Would 4 large suitcases fit in the rear luggage part?

cheers
Salty

[Andydg]

It's gonna be a tight ride...my family drives out to Colorado from Chicago every other year to visit family and we take out Grand Caravan and it's pretty tight. There's room behind the rear and there's always the luggage rack but I really don't think there will be enough room for 6.5 people and all the luggage. I would highly recommend a fullsize van.

[IrishSalty]

Thanks Andydg - appreciate the advice